Even though Samsung’s latest flagships, the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy S9+, still retain the look of its predecessor (the S8 models), they have made a few major refinements this year.
The mobile industry has subsisted on subtle nuances for a few years now, so companies like Samsung are looking at other ways to entice their buyers. Following the Samsung Galaxy Note trend, phone companies have released ‘plus’ sized devices for a while now. At first, it just seemed like a size difference (with small spec differences), but this time, there seems to be even a larger gap between the S9 and S9 Plus models.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 model will be cheaper than the iPhone X; the latter, of course, was Apple’s most recent flagship phone that dominated our 2017 Christmas holidays.
Let’s take a closer look at their features:
Display:
- Super AMOLED display:
o S9 has a 5.8-inch display with 1440 x 2960 pixels (570 ppi pixel density)
o S9 Plus has a 6.2-inch display with 1440 x 2960 pixels (529 ppi pixel density) - Curved display with an incredibly sleek design, but similar to S8.
- Protected by Gorilla Glass
Cameras:
- Lens: the Samsung Galaxy S9 has only a single lens; the Samsung S9+ has a vertical dual lens.
- S9 Plus Dual rear-facing 12MP can change aperture from f/1.5 to f/2.4.
- Edge recognition in portrait mode – knows what is in the foreground and background.
- ‘Super’ Slow-motion capabilities – takes 960 FPS to slow down your footage
- Better low light capabilities
AR technology:
- Uses augmented reality to interact with the user.
- AR Emoji: use your camera to turn yourself into an emoji. (Samsung’s answer to Apple’s Animoji.)
Fingerprint sensor and biometric security:
- Better position – they’ve placed the fingerprint sensor below the camera; users were reportedly touching the camera by accident in the S8.
- Enhance biometric intelligence scan – combining face recognition with iris scanner
- Samsung Knox - Samsung’s in-built security firmware to keep the device secure
Speaker improvement:
- Audio performance – top and bottom
- Three-dimensional surround Sound by Dolby Atmos
- Stereo speakers turned by AKG
Processors:
- Samsung Galaxy S9 runs Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810 with 4GB RAM
- Samsung Galaxy S9+ runs Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810 with 6GB RAM
Expandable memory:
- Unlike the iPhone X, the Samsung S9 models have expandable memory (up to 400 GB extra) with a separate MicroSD card.
Weight:
- Devices are slightly heavier than the S8 series, but are more durable.
Battery:
- Wireless charging
- USB-C charger type – compatible with many current devices and charging ports.
- Can be linked to the new Samsung Dex Pad which turns the phone into a touchpad.
Colours:
- Midnight Black, Coral Blue, Lilac Purple, and Silver Titanium.
Other specs:
- Can pair apps together for a convenient shortcut
- Water resistant – IP68 (water and dust resistant)
o ingress protection (IP68) against water and dust to a max of 1.5m for up to 30 mins. - Bixby vision: your personal assistant can now live translate signs in a different language.
Cost:
- Galaxy S9: AUD $1,199.00
- Galaxy S9+: AUD $1,349.00
Our Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus are phones built to last. They are perfect for office environments and the business industry. With added security, expandable storage space, and desktop compatibility – Samsung has really designed a robust phone for the workplace.
Looking at the miniscule amount of change above, one must ask the question: have we reached peak phone? Well, not really. Companies are still adding features but resorting to gimmicky applications like AR Emoji (and iPhone X’s Animoji), and ‘super’ slow motion. This is what it means to be ‘competitive’ now.
So, from this, we can discern how saturated our society is by smartphones. The recently reported flop of the iPhone X showed that people are losing interest. In fact, we don’t even need a new smartphone every year. Perhaps in a few years our already commonplace smartphones will be replaced by a new form of technology. If that is true, then what’s next?
Strike Alpha Car Cradles for Samsung Galaxy S9
The upcoming Strike Alpha Car Cradles for Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus are innovatively developed with the consumer in mind: to protect, charge, and hold the user’s device when they are driving or engaged in mission-critical activities.
Strike’s latest innovation means that drivers can worry less about battery drain while seamlessly integrating their Samsung Galaxy S9 smartphone with their vehicle’s Bluetooth and entertainment systems.
Each Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus Car Cradle is designed with a built-in fast charger to extend the user’s phone battery while they drive. The device holder unit also comes with an internal passive antenna to be connected via FME to an external antenna to boost mobile signal. The Strike Alpha Samsung Galaxy S9 Car Cradle crash-tested to withstand up to 25 g.
Strike has an abundant selection of Samsung S9 and S9 Plus specific car holders here on our website. Pre-order yours today!
Strike Group is Australia’s leading provider and manufacturer of innovative car technologies. Strike integrates innovative design and seamless engineering in all its products. The company now exports to 72 countries having appointed key partners in the American and European market.
Previous Articles:
Samsung Tab Active2 vs Tab Active