As announced at the end of January, Samsung Mobile used the start of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to host their Galaxy Unpacked event, and launch their latest flagship devices…. The S9 and S9+!
Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+
Nearly a year after the S8 & S8+ were released, Samsung have unveiled their replacements and although there are a few notable upgrades, this is an evolution rather than a revolution. Even at first glance, telling the difference between old and new is difficult.
It’s only when you pick up an S9 can you benefit from the enhancements.
Camera
The big upgrade this time around is with the camera, and the S9+ gaining the most improvement. The dual lens set-up from the Note 8 has made its way over to the S Series. With one Telephoto lens paired with a Wide Angle lens, your photography should see a notable improvement. The S9 also has an upgraded Super Speed Dual Pixel camera compared to the older S8, but the front camera on both models remains the same.
With the short amount of time I had to try the device,the balance of brightness in poor lighting was very impressive. You will be sure to get compliments on your photography with one of these in your pocket! And if you’re looking for a new party trick the Super Slow-Mo mode is capable of capturing 960 Frames per second!
“Make every day moments epic with dynamic, slow-motion video that captures 960 frames per second. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ also offer automatic Motion Detection, an intelligent feature that detects movement in the frame and automatically begins to record – all users have to do is set up the shot. After capturing the Super Slow-mo video, users can select background music from 35 different options or add a tune from their favorite playlist. Users can also easily create, edit and share GIF files with a simple tap in three playful styles of looping to watch the action over and over again.” ~ Samsung.
Speakers
A very welcome addition to the S9/9+ line up are stereo speakers. Located at either end of the devices the AKG tuned speakers are designed to provide “a more balanced sound, no matter the volume”. Most travellers who use their smartphones for music will no doubt use a Bluetooth speaker, and if these speakers can deliver, then you might just be able to leave them at home!
To accompany the stereo speakers the S9/9+ has Dolby Atmos effect which claims to provide a more 360° audio experience.
And for those who have not moved to wireless, you will be pleased to know the headphone jack returns!
Other Features
There is no escaping the fact that these are incredibly beautiful devices to look at and hold! The AMOLED infinity display looks even better this time around thanks to a slightly slimmer bezel, which means you hardly notice it, but the screen size remains the same as the S8/8+.
For Samsung users who felt like they were missing out when Apple introduced animojis on the iPhone X, your prayers have been answered! AR emoji is a new feature that creates a 3D image of your head by using the built-in facial recognition technology. Then it drops your head on a body and makes you into an animated gif or stickers for chat. This seemed to be the popular new trick at MWC with attendees, but how long it remains popular is still to be seen.
Security was also front and centre of the launch, and Samsung want you to know just how important they take protecting your device and data. The new S9/9+ use IRIS and facial scanning to unlock your device.
“Intelligent Scan is a deep learning-based verification solution that utilizes the collective strength of the Galaxy S9’s iris scanning and facial recognition technologies to allow users to unlock their device and access protected content with a simple glance. The solution works by carefully analyzing your face’s visible features, as well as the lighting conditions of your surroundings, and determining the optimal authentication method to open your phone. Intelligent Scan’s multimodal approach allows it to ensure that biometric authentication occurs successfully in virtually any environment.” ~ Samsung
For those of you who prefer the old-fashioned method of using your fingerprint, well this option is not only include, but has been improved from the S8. Previously the rear mounted fingerprint scanner was not in the natural position of your finger when holding your phone. Samsung seem to have listened to their users and moved the sensor to below the camera instead of next to it. No more fingerprint smudges on those pictures!
Full Specifications
As you would expect of a flagship device the new Samsung Smartphones hit the top of nearly every category!
Price
The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ will go on sale from March 16, 2018 in select markets and will be offered in Midnight Black, Titanium Gray, Coral Blue and a Lilac Purple.
Prices will start at £739 for the single sim 64GB S9 model and rise up to £869 for the Hybrid Sim 128GB S9+ version and the Preorder scheme is open now.
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