MANILA - Samsung refreshed last year's aesthetics for the Galaxy S9 and S9+ while the rest of the Android pack placed iPhone X-like notches on their displays.
The design changes, though inconspicuous, coupled with upgraded internals, make the S9 line a definite upgrade from the S8 and S8+, according to the world's largest smartphone maker.
Since the S9 went on sale in late March, China's Huawei has released its triple camera P20 Pro and rumors about an early release for the Galaxy Note 9 have begun to simmer.
We revisit how the S9+ has held up over a month after its release in this long-term review.
DESIGN
The most obvious design change is the location of the fingerprint scanner, now located below the dual camera lens. It solved the biggest gripe of S8 users, who had to avoid smudging the lens when reaching for the sensor beside the lens.
The sloping edges on the 6.2-inch "infinity display" are also less pronounced, making the device easier to hold and reducing image distortion. Grip is also improved with the matte metal frame, compared to the glossy material on the S8.
The bottom bezel is also smaller, reducing the height of the device, though it is not obvious unless the device is placed side-by-side with the S8+.
The dedicated button to summon Samsung's AI assistant, Bixby, still resides below the volume rocker. It is still prone to accidental presses and though it cannot be remapped, it can be turned off.
CAMERAS
Until the release of the P20 Pro and the P20, the Galaxy S9 was the highest rated camera by review website DxoMark.
While the S9+ doesn't have the triple lenses of the P20 Pro, its rear switches automatically between f/1.5 and f/2.4 apertures to adapt to low light and bright light conditions.
The S9+ photos are noticeably brighter compared to other flagship phone cameras, though at the expense of slightly softer details.
Samsung cameras have been known for saturated colors but the S9+ has considerable restraint, producing images that are closer to the actual scene, but will require a filter if you want that too-polished Instagram effect.
Close up shots of food, flowers and animals are likewise clear and bright with more true-to-life colors.
In dimly-lit restaurants, the low light capabilities of the S9+ are particularly useful.
Like the face-mapped animoji on Apple's iPhone X, the novelty from the S9+'s AR Emoji wore off quickly. Samsung promised a tie-up with Disney and unlike its Apple equivalent, Samsung's version is shareable across messaging platforms.
PERFORMANCE
The AMOLED panel on the S9+ is still the best on a flagship smartphone. Sharper and up to 20 percent brighter than the S8, according to Samsung.
The display is also free from the blue tint that bedeviled the LG-made Google Pixel 2XL.
Out of the box, the display is set to full HD, with the option to adjust it to quad HD. This underscores the phone's biggest flaw -- its battery.
Higher resolution screens require more power and the S9+ with its 3,500 mAh cell, struggles to make it through a full work day with moderate to heavy use.
Keeping the display at full HD can extend battery life by a few hours, but at the cost of not seeing the gorgeous panel running at full power. The S9+ also offers "mid" and "max" power saving modes that dim and reduce the resolution of the screen and decrease CPU speed.
It's understandable for Samsung to be conservative with battery size after the recall of the Galaxy Note 7 in 2016. Since then, the company has tightened safety tests.
Another hardware tweak that might not be obvious, especially to those who did not use the S8+, are the Dolby Atmos speakers, which are noticeably louder.
Samsung's Experience 9.0 skin over Android 8.0 Oreo was fast as expected. Powered by the company's own Exynos 9810, the device didn't stutter even during extended use.
Useful though not immediately noticeable, a tap on the clock icon on the lock screen brings it to the middle of the screen and transform it into a timer. It also automatically adjusts to the color of the lock screen wallpaper.
CONCLUSION
With the S9 and S9+, Samsung stuck to its design guns and corrected the faults from last year's flagship, offering the best display and a camera that can compete with the iPhone X, the Huawei P20 Pro and the Google Pixel 2.
However, the pain of a mid-day charge or lugging around a power bank to make it through a full day could turn off power users.
There's also the price. The 128 gigabyte S9+ retails for P55,990 in official stores. It costs roughly P10,000 less in the grey market, but at the cost of warranty coverage.
The S9+ is among the best Android flagships available and is a solid upgrade from 2016's Galaxy S7 line and older models. Unless they want the latest and greatest, S8 and S8+ owners should wait for the 10th anniversary Galaxy S.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
MANILA - The ninth iteration of Samsung's Galaxy S flagship is its best yet and arguably the most well-rounded Android flagship available, with a camera that competes with the Pixel 2 and the iPhone X.
But the S9 and S9+ merely improve upon its predecessors, the S8 and S8+ from 2017, which brought full-screen displays to the mainstream. The two lines are nearly identical in appearance.
While the new phones solve the previous generation's biggest ergonomic flaw, the performance enhancements, which are expected from annual upgrades, come at a very steep price.
DESIGN
The S9 line perfected the S8's design by relocating the fingerprint sensor to below the back camera lens (dual lenses on the S9+), making it easier to reach.
It's the design improvement that matters most since it eliminates the finger acrobatics S8 users had to deal with when unlocking their devices. The bezels are a bit smaller and the phone is slightly shorter, but these are invisible to the naked eye.
The curved sides also appear less pronounced, not nearly as flat as the Note 8, but curved enough to make it stand out from lower-end Samsung phones.
Four years after it was first introduced on the Galaxy Note Edge, the curved sides are still more aesthetic than useful. It also makes finding responsive glass screen protectors difficult.
The Bixby button still lives below the volume rocker, and the digital assistant Samsung wants you to use will appear every time you mistake it for the volume down key.
Samsung's display prowess is evident on the S9, images and text look sharper than on any other handset except the iPhone X (Samsung also reportedly made that screen).
CAMERA
Samsung hyped the "re-imagined" camera on the S9, which has two aperture settings that adjust to lighting conditions. The camera does take brighter shots but at the cost of softer images.
The software that makes photos taken with the newest Google phones are unmatched, but the S9 comes close.
The S9+ easily exposed the painted details of the metal ceiling and beams inside the dimly-lit San Sebastian Basilica .
It also captured both the details on a sunlit stained glass window as well as the details of the walls that surround it.
Like the iPhone X, the second lens on the larger S9+ is telephoto, which allows zoom. It's a first for the S line and like the Note 8 which came a few months before, it allows the user to blur the background, creating a "bokeh" effect.
Portraits using the S9+ are not as bad as the iPhone X's portrait lighting mode, which can make subjects appear as cutouts, but some details can get blurred when they shouldn't, like unruly strands of hair.
Super slow motion doesn't work well in the dark (we tried it with fireworks) and you have to press on a yellow square outline on the camera interface to trigger the feature.
Samsung's answer to Animoji, AR Emoji, is novel at best and creepy-looking at worst.
Here are some test shots using the Galaxy S9+:
PERFORMANCE
The Samsung logo on the startup screen turns bold white faster, underscoring the power of Samsung's in-house Exynos 9810 processor (Snapdragon 845 in other markets).
Except for a few color accent changes that favors blue and green over orange, Android Oreo skinned with Samsung's Experience is almost indistinguishable from the S8.
Samsung's user interface is unobtrusive, and in a good way, a far cry from the garish teal and neon green color scheme of its former TouchWiz UI.
There was no noticeable improvement in battery life. Unplugged at around 3am for a roadtrip and after taking photos at sunrise and some light Instagram browsing, power was half depleted before noon. On a workday filled with chats, emails and browsing while commuting, it lasted from early morning to early evening.
Unlike Huawei's Mate series and other battery powerhouses, the S9 is a phone that will need a midday top-up if you plan to use it until midnight.
CONCLUSION
Smartphones are supposed to get better every year as technology advances. Software becomes snappier, camera get sharper and screens get bigger as phone cases shrink.
Samsung is touting these improvements, albeit predictable, for its iPhone X challenger. For the first time, the Korean electronics giant implemented an iterative upgrade instead of a complete overhaul from the previous year.
But it's a harder proposition, given the already saturated market wherein Chinese manufacturers like Huawei and OnePlus offer a similar experience at half the price.
The S9 and S9+ are gorgeous pieces of tech with performance and cameras to match, but with a price tag that will shock most users, especially to holders of the S8 line.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
MANILA - Samsung Electronics on Sunday unveiled its Galaxy S9 and S9+, promising improved camera capabilities in a familiar design while correcting the design flaw that made using its predecessor cumbersome.
The S9 line will have low light capture that's 60 percent better than last year's S8 models well as slow-motion video recording at 960 frames per second. Samsung also relocated the fingerprint sensor to below the camera lens, making it easier to reach and solving the finger acrobatics problem that beset S8 users.
Samsung is launching the S9 line earlier in the calendar year compared to its predecessors, a move that will help it better capitalize on lower-than-expected demand for chief rival Apple Inc's tenth anniversary iPhone X and iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.
The S9 is also very expensive at P60,990 for the plus variant with 256 gigabytes of onboard storage,nearly as expensive as the the P64,000 range of the iPhone X and pricier than the P49,990 Galaxy Note 8.
The device also combines iris scanning and facial recognition technology as an alternative way to unlock the device, in a challenge to Face ID on the iPhone X, which maps the user's face in 3D.
Samsung also challenges the iPhone animoji with AR emoji, which crates an augmented reality version of the user's face that's more easily sharable and third-party messaging platforms.
The S9 and S9+ keeps the same near bezel-less design that Samsung brought to the mainstream in early 2017. It's nearly identical with the S8 and S8+ from the front, with key differences reserved at the back and inside the device.
The S9+ has a dual lens set up, which started with the Galaxy Note 8 from late 2017.
Pre-orders will start on Feb. 27 and will run until March 6. The S9 is priced at P45,990 while the S9+ is priced at P52,990 for the 64GB model and P55,990 for the 128GB variant.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
MANILA - Samsung teased improved camera performance in its flagship
Galaxy S9 phones, which will be launched on Feb. 25, according to a post
on its official Twitter page.
The camera will be "re-imagined" in the new device according to the
post, which features a large number "9" in purple against a plain black
background.
Last year's Galaxy S8 and S8+ marked Samsung's return to form after it recalled its Galaxy Note 7 in late 2016 due to faulty batteries.
The S9 and S9+ will likely sport a similar design compared to the S8
line according to various leaks. The larger S9+ plus will have dual
lenses on the back, like the Galaxy Note 8 from late 2017.
The S9 line's unveiling one month earlier
compared to the S8 will give Samsung a better shot at competing with
Apple's 1,000-dollar iPhone X, which went on sale before Christmas,
according to analysts.
The Note 8's camera got a 94 score from mobile camera reviewer
DxOMark, making it the fourth best mobile camera available today behind
the Google Pixel 2, the iPhone X and the Huawei Mate 10 Pro.
The S8 line scored 88 and has fallen out of the DxOMark top 10 since its release in early 2017.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
MANILA - Samsung Electronics will move up the unveiling of its Galaxy
S9 and S9+ phones in 2018 compared to previous years, presenting a new
challenger to chief rival Apple's iPhone X, according to two reports.
The S9 and S9+ will look nearly identical to this year's S8 and S8+,
the first Samsung phones to sport near bezel-less displays, but with
improved cameras and processors, according to Bloomberg and Venutre
Beat.
The S9 line will be unveiled by late February, one month earlier that its predecessor's launch in 2017, Bloomberg reported, citing sources. Venture Beat
said the phones would be presented at the Consumer Electronics Show in
Las Vegas in January with an official launch to follow in March.
The screen sizes will stay at 6.2 inches for the S9+ and 5.8 inches
for the S9. The larger model will pack a dual lens rear camera, similar
to the one on the Galaxy Note 8 which launched last September, according
to the reports.
The fingerprint sensor will be positioned below the rear camera lens,
according to Venture beat. It was located to the right of the lenses in
the S8 and Note 8 lines, making it hard to reach for some and leaving
the camera prone to smudging.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
