Samsung Galaxy S9 & S9+
Pros
- Beautiful 1440x2560 Screen
- Stereo Speakers Improve Audio Experience
- Great Camera with Fantastic Low Light Performance
- Latest Android Oreo
- Wireless Charging Support
Cons
- Very Similar to the Samsung Galaxy S8
- Huge Price Difference for S9+
- Smaller Battery than the Previous Generation
- No removable battery
- Bixby Button
“Samsung Galaxy S9 &S9+” in the eyes of a TechAdict
First Look
After the huge success and great critical reception of the Galaxy S8 and S8+, Samsung had a tough act to follow for its latest generation of flagship smartphones. One thing is for sure, the Galaxy S9 line is certainly not revolutionary in any way. Despite this, it’s certainly worth looking at, as some new features and improvements have been made.
The Details
The design of these devices is almost unchanged from the Galaxy S8 phones. The already thin bezels have been further reduced and despite the same screen size, these devices are easier to hold. Hopefully this will mean less cracked screens for all of you.
The new Snapdragon 845 processor is not a huge boost either, even if synthetic benchmarks seem otherwise. However, performance is generally snappy and you won’t really have any complaints in this regard. One of the best new features on Galaxy S9 phones are the new stereo speakers that produce impressively loud sound despite their small size. They have been tuned by AKG-Harman, which are now owned by Samsung themselves. For traditionalists, this phone also preserves 3.5mm headphone jack.
Overview
Overall, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ are certainly improvements and arguably the best phones on the market overall. However, some new features like the animated emoji aren’t really practically useful and the S8 phones are almost just as good. If you’re a diehard Galaxy fan or you have an older phone, it may be worth it to upgrade to the Galaxy S9 or S9+.
If you already have a Galaxy S8 or something similar, it’s hard to recommend this as there’s not enough new features or improvements to make this a must buy. The Smart phone market needs to release less and design better.
Hardware
- Octa-core Snapdragon 845 Processor
- Adreno 630 GPU (Video Processor)
- Non-removable Li-Ion 3000 mA battery
- IP68 certified – dust/water resistant
- Gorilla Glass 5; Super AMOLED touchscreen
- 8”(S9) or 6.2”(S9+) Quad HD+ Display (2960×1440)
- Iris scanner, fingerprint (rear-mounted)
- accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
- barometer, heart rate, SpO2
Storage
- Internal storage 64/128/256 GB
- Internal RAM 4 GB(S9)/6 GB(S9+)
- microSD up to 400 GB (Only on Dual Sim Model)
Software
- Android 8.0 (Oreo)
- Samsung DeX (desktop experience support)
- Fast battery charging (Quick Charge 2.0)
- Bixby natural language commands and dictation
- ANT+ support
Camera
- Single 12 MP rear facing camera on S9; Dual 12 MP rear-facing cameras on S9+
- OIS, Phase Detection Autofocus, LED Flash
- 8 MP – 1440p@30fps Secondary Camera
