If I was you I'd stay clear of more recent flagships because despite a massive leap in quality over the last decade there have been diminished returns technology wise in the last few years. That's owed more to the consumer marketplace for tech being driven more by advertising rather than what's technologically feasible. Anyway, Spending less than half as much on a note 8 will give you a lot more than half of a note 9. It'll be very close.
Even less expensive would be the LG stylo series, which will also get you far more than halfway. At far less than half the price. And without those infernal curved edges.