Now that it is official, we can actually talk about it. This is the Galaxy S9 & S9+. On the surface, it looks like a minor upgrade but this is probably the 1st time in a while, where the experience offers more than meets the eye.
So let's start off w/ what stayed the same from the S8 line. The S9 has a 5.8inch QHD Infinity Display w/ 529ppi and a 3000 mAh battery while the S9+ has a 6.2inch QHD Infinity Display w/ 570ppi. Both versions will offer a 2960 x 1440 resolution w/ 18:5:9 aspect ratio too. Both will have 64GB internal storage expandable up to 400GB via microSD, the S9 has 4GB of RAM, both have an 8MP selfie camera + a 12MP rear-facing camera, an IP68 dust/water resistant body, a headphone jack fast wired & wireless charging.
Slight refresh on the outside w/ new tricks on the inside.
Now onto all that is new w/ it. They reduced the bezels on the screen giving you more of the Infinity Display. For the 1st time, we got stereo speakers on a Galaxy device. Instead of being front-facing speakers like every other phone makers has done previously, you got a front + bottom-facing combo that supports Dolby Atmos sound powered by AKG & 40% louder than on the Note 8. The fingerprint scanner moved to under the camera where it should've been in the first place. Samsung added a new feature called Intelligent Scan that combines Iris & face unlock for better biometrics in darker situations.
Let's talk about the new camera(s). Samsung calls it the Camera Reimagined w/ all of the new tricks it can do. The new camera features are capable thanks to Samsung's new Super Speed Dual Pixel sensor. This has a dedicated processor + DRAM embedded on the sensor that combines up to 12 images into one high-quality photo.
First up, we got a new low-light camera that works more like the iris of the human eye that expands & contracts based on the lightning. This is done via their Dual Aperture feature that lets in more light in the dark & less when its too much light. This will result in better low-light photos by switching from f/1.5 mode & f/2.4 mode via hardware based on the environment. So it seems like Samsung is taking the hardware approach to Google's software approach for the Pixel 2.
Samsung's version of Animojis is a lot more useful and less gimmicky.
Then we have AR Emoji that's not like Animojis. It uses the selfie camera & a machine learning algorithm to analyze a 2D image of you to make a custom emoji of yourself. It can follow your movements like winks, nods, smiles and more. You can change your skin tone, hair, & clothes as well. It also makes 18 different clips of yourself to be used as GIFs that can be shared via messaging apps. I just wish they had more hair for people of color but for a first outing, it works pretty well. Samsung will be bringing Disney characters later this year as well.
Next up, we got Super Slo-Motion video. Other phone makers have either 120fps or 240fps slow- motion but Samsung made sure to step things up to 960fps slow-motion. In auto mode, it utilizes Motion Detection to start recording when there is movement but you have a manual option as well. It automatically makes 20 clips that you can play in reverse as well as add background music from the 35 songs Samsung has and more. It is saved as an MP4 file to be shared via messaging & social media.
Bixby is back and will be more useful with its camera features.
And lastly, we have Bixby. Yes, it's still here and still occupying a dedicated button. Not sure if the standard Bixby that competes w/ Google Now will be used more but within the camera - that's a different story. Samsung beefed up the AR & deep learning to better grab info for its users. You can use it to do a live translation of foreign languages in real-time up to 54 languages powered by Google. You can find places near you like points of interest (food, parking, etc.), get nutrition info of food from a photo that works hand-in-hand w/ the Samsung Health app, and use the selfie camera to try on blushes, lipstick, gloss, etc and buy it directly via Sephora.
The Galaxy S9 will arrive in Lilac Purple & Coral Blue. The Midnight Black color option will arrive for the S9 Enterprise Edition as well as Cricket & MetroPCS. Pre-orders kick off on March 2nd and will be in stores March 16th. You will be able to grab one from the usual suspects of AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular, & Verizon as well as Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, Sam's Club, Target, & Walmart. The S9 will ship unlocked for $720 or $30 a month for 24 months & the S9+ will ship unlocked for $840 or $35 a month for 24 months via financing from Samsung.
Will you be picking one up or waiting to see what the Note 9 will offer?
