It looks like a Galaxy S8 but it is not. This Samsung Galaxy S9 was in many ways the star of the MWC this year and we are ready to tell you how it goes. Read our Samsung Galaxy S9 review to know everything about this latest Android smartphone from Samsung.
After the presentation took place at the Mobile World Congress 2018 there are those who labeled it as a simple evolution of the top of the range last year. In reality, Galaxy S9 introduces some interesting innovations especially in the multimedia field to be analyzed very carefully, trying to reel off every single aspect that could, or less, justify the expense to be incurred to get it.
When we are dealing with a smartphone of this type it is necessary to make appropriate evaluations. We invite you to discover strengths and weaknesses in our review of Samsung Galaxy S9.
Samsung Galaxy S9 pros and cons
+ PROS
• Swift biometric security.• Awesome low-light performance.
• The most powerful Android phone out.
- CONS
• The design is identical to S8.• Some camera snaps lack vibrancy.
• Expensive.
David Pierce of the Wall Street Journal believes that Samsung and the Galaxy S9 are the emblem of what must be a smartphone in terms of design:
Nobody can make the most beautiful phones from Samsung. The Galaxy S8 was a real gem, with that infinite display that appeared before you. The new model perfects that concept and improves every detail, for a quality level that only Apple is able to achieve.With the Galaxy S8, Samsung had taken the right path so there was no reason to change it. The design is perfect.
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First impression
The numeric data is clear. Just 8.5 mm thick make the two new smartphones Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy S9 + among the thinner. Having them in hand, however, manages to surprise, because the beveled edges make them look really skinny. So much to the eye as to the touch. In addition, thanks to the Infinity Display screens almost without a frame, the new phones just presented at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona can avoid the effect "padellone": a detail anything but obvious as the Samsung Galaxy S9 has a screen to 5.8 inches and the Galaxy S9 Plus gets to 6.2 inches.Todd Haselton of CNBC described the Galaxy S9 as "a worthy rival of the iPhone X" in his review. However, he said that Samsung still does not have a Galaxy S smartphone that can overcome the interest that has sparked the iPhone X:
Normally I do not compare Android phones with the iPhone because the ecosystems are so different. There is no doubt that the Galaxy S9 is a worthy Android rival for the Phone X, with a large screen, excellent camera, wireless charging and more. If you're buying an Android phone and you do not like Apple products for any reason, this is a safe bet.
As for the stereo speakers, they sound much better than those on the iPhone X.
Hardware & Connectivity
The hardware platform of Samsung Galaxy S9 is based on SoC Exynos 9810 with four high-performance Exynos Mongoose 3 (M3) processors and four low-power 1.7GHz Cortex A55. It does not change the production process that remains at 10nm but increase the frequencies of the most powerful cores. As usual, the two Quad-Core alternate according to the type of task being performed, to be able to have a good compromise between performance and consumption.The RAM on the standard model remains 4 GB of LPDDR4 type, quite strange if we consider the market trend. We would have expected at least 6GB. The GPU is a Mali G72 MP18, while the internal memory is 64 GB of type UFS 2.1 expandable with MicroSD up to 400 GB.
Samsung Galaxy S9 is fast and reliable in any context. With a good reactivity in social or productive use and without any kind of problem in the gaming field. Indeed in this respect, the pleasure in playing Real Racing 3 with this multimedia sector, of which we will talk about, is at the highest levels.
However, we do not reach the responsiveness of smartphones with stock or similar software. It is not an insurmountable problem or that creates particular problems in everyday use, but it is inevitable to underline such aspects if we are talking about the top of the range. In this respect, we could say that Galaxy S9 is not the fastest and most responsive smartphone on the market. But it is possible to include it in the Olympus of the best from a performance point of view.
Unblocking methods
One of the most criticized of Samsung Galaxy S8 was certainly the method of unlocking. In reality, it is not correct to talk about it in the singular since the top of the range last year there were three different methods, none of which was usable in a simple and immediate in all situations.With Samsung Galaxy S9, fortunately, the company is running for cover. The fingerprint sensor on the back completely in a glass and is placed just below the camera, in a position of sure more natural than last year. It is not only this that makes the difference, but also the furrow on the body that allows you to immediately find the sensor to touch and not confuse it with the camera, with no turnaround a clear improvement compared to what happened a year ago.
One of the most interesting points to analyze in the review of Samsung Galaxy S9 is the new release with the face called "intelligent scan". This year the company has tried to combine the recognition of the face in two dimensions to the unlock with the iris, the operation is actually particular. In the first phase is always performed a scan of the face in two dimensions, if it does not go to good result due to a too low ambient brightness the iris recognition takes place.
In this way, it will be possible to directly access the device even in direct sunlight or in difficult conditions. However, the safety remains that of the release in two dimensions given the dynamics of the operation.
The intelligent scan works correctly, although the speed is not the best unlocking happens almost always in a simple way and without having to necessarily center the smartphone with the eyes. It is important to underline that it is possible to use the release simultaneously through the impression and the one with iris and face.
Receiving
As for the connectivity we find Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type C 3.1, dual band 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac and LTE Cat. 18 which supports a download speed of up to 1.2Gbps, in short, currently at the top of the market in the technical sheet. Important to note that Samsung Galaxy S9 in its "no brand" version is Dual SIM: in this case, of course, you will have the ability to use two cards at the same time without the MicroSD to expand the memory, since the slot is shared between memory expansion and second SIM.On the Galaxy S9 reception field is certainly among the best in terms of recurrence even in the most difficult areas, no problem the quality of the audio in call and the speakerphone improved thanks to the new speakers we will talk about later.
Ergonomics, Design & Materials
Another important aspect to consider in the review of Samsung Galaxy S9 is the design. It was discussed not a little about it but we gave an interpretation to the choice of the company. Galaxy S8 aesthetically did not need special distortions because it was already a device at the forefront twelve months ago, the difference lies in the fact that last year represented a clear gap compared to competitors thanks to the infinity display, this year could find itself to be "one of many".The aesthetic remains iconic thanks to the double curvature of the screen and the slightly pronounced edge on the top and bottom. Probably many users will not like the fact that there has not been an aesthetic distortion, but with a two-year cycle the choice is understandable and Samsung Galaxy S9 remains one of the most beautiful smartphones on the market.
Despite this, there have been some minor changes. The body is of a more resistant metal than the last generation and the edge is in satin aluminum instead of polished, positive factor given the ease with which S8 was scratched precisely in those areas.
It is not immediately visible at first use, but a little trick was made for the grip. A step between display and body, to test this new detail we always used the device without a cover, it is undoubtedly still a risk since it will slip easily but the handle is slightly firmer than the last model. The size is not the same as the Galaxy S8, which is why you can not use its covers, the smartphone is 1 mm lower and 0.5 mm wider and thicker, nothing noticeable when you use it. IP68 certification against water and dust remains, now a standard on top of the range and certainly very appreciated. Samsung Galaxy S9 in the classic black color is nice but a little 'trivial, more engaging, perhaps, the colors blue and purple but we understand that the issue has a strong vein of subjectivity. On the Galaxy S9 reception field is certainly among the best in terms of recurrence even in the most difficult areas, no problem the quality of the audio in call and the speakerphone improved thanks to the new speakers we will talk about later.
Display, Audio & Multimedia
The front panel of Samsung Galaxy S9 is a 5.8 inch Super Amoled Quad HD +, there is no distortion compared to last year, remains the best display mounted on a smartphone for color reproduction, contrasts and brightness. The feeling, using it and comparing it with that of Galaxy S8, is that it has slightly warmer tones. However, it may be small physiological variations between one unit and another. Fortunately, it is possible to calibrate the screen and, above all, to select the resolution by choosing the one in FullHD +, without having a loss in terms of quality but a gain in terms of autonomy. The thing that amazes more about the display of Samsung, in addition to the playback on but at the same time faithful color, is very high brightness and really at the top to help visibility under the sunlight. On the Galaxy S9 reception field is certainly among the best in terms of recurrence even in the most difficult areas, no problem the quality of the audio in call and the speakerphone improved thanks to the new speakers we will talk about later.Audio
Impossible not to dedicate an entire paragraph of the review of Samsung Galaxy S9 to audio, finally on the new top of the South Korean company we can count on stereo sound thanks to a double speaker: the first is positioned, as always, on the bottom edge, the second one below the ear capsule, with a division between low and high. The performance is really magnificent, at the top thanks to the Dolby Atmos technology and the sense of immersion while watching a movie or simply listening to music on Spotify. The volume is similar to that of Galaxy S8, already on large levels, but clearly improves the quality and pleasantness of use thanks to the total immersion in what we are listening, in terms of audio performance one of the best currently on the market.Camera
The review of Samsung Galaxy S9 cannot fail to switch from the camera, a small revolution in the smartphone field: the real innovation introduced in the double opening f / 1.5 and f / 2.4, can be managed automatically thanks to the software.The sensor on the standard model remains single 12 MP, unfortunately no dual cameras like on the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, while you can use the diaphragm, as mentioned, in two different positions: this means that the intermediate openings are not available, while it is it is possible to choose between the two basic ones in the pro mode with consequent recalibration of the other parameters to obtain a similar exposure, otherwise everything will be managed automatically.
From a practical point of view, an aperture f / 1.5 allows you to have a better focus and capture more light without having to increase excessively ISO parameters and shutter speeds, not by chance in automatic this aperture is used when the light starts to fall. With f / 2.4 the light captured is lower, as well as the bokeh, but it increases the definition in the contours of a macro or of the individual details. Below you can see some examples to get an idea. The versatility increases, taking into account this parameter the difference with Galaxy S8 is not so important. In the evening both shoot very good photos and with Samsung Galaxy S9 in certain contexts you can keep ISO and shutter speed lower, with consequently less noisy photos and less moves. All this is visible only to a careful eye and analyzing the shots to the PC.
That said, at the moment we are facing the best camera on the market. We tried to raise the bar having a slight gain in terms of versatility and quality, but we started from an excellent base as that of S8. With this technology taken by the SLR, however, you can open interesting scenarios especially in future: to be able to go down even more with the opening and in any case have a versatile alternative in terms of definition and bokeh is a small revolution in the field smartphone, at the moment. However, the gain is not so clear and such as to force you to upgrade.
The front camera is 8 MP with aperture f / 1.7 and a good wide angle. He manages to get great shots, with a minimum of bokeh thanks to autofocus. However, we still do not understand why, although the beauty effect is deactivated, the faces are always a little flat; certainly better than other smartphones from China, the fact remains that the reproduction of faces is not very faithful, especially in the evening. Excellent front flash with the display that can give good results even in the absence of light.
A big step forward was made video side, now we can push ourselves up to 4K and 60fps. However, in this case, the stabilization remains only optical, while the digital one is deactivated. For this reason, it is often better to record in 4K and 30fps or 1080p and 60fps. The video quality is at the top as well as the sound from the microphone, better than other top of the range, as you can see looking at our review.
Raymond Wong of Mashable promoted the camera of the Galaxy S9, but added that the photos in low light are not better than those taken with an iPhone X or a Google Pixel 2.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 thus promises to battle the iPhone X from many points of view.
Slow motion
The novelty, perhaps less chatty but among the most interesting, is the slow motion at 960fps. The operation is similar to that seen on Xperia XZ1 but with a software function that puts a step higher. The smartphone will record a portion of the video with 960 frames per second, in a period of time that will not be editable in post-production. The difference with XZ1 is in a function that automatically detects movement within a square and records different time intervals in slow motion in a completely automatic way, without having to catch the fleeting moment. What's more? The smartphone will add a background music that you can change at will, in short, a feature promoted with flying colors.Battery & Autonomy
The battery is an Achilles heel of the Samsung Galaxy S9 review, especially if related to the other features and peculiarities of this smartphone. The capacity is 3000mAh, no upgrade under this point of view. However, there have not been improvements even on the software and consumption. The smartphone, as well as Galaxy S8, will be able to bring you around 19/20 in the evening, with about 3 hours and half lit screen.This value can vary due to the considerable standby power consumption of the smartphone, which means that even if you use the device a little you could find yourself without a battery shortly after dinner and with less hours of screen on. It is not to be rejected from all points of view, the sufficiency is there but remains a bit 'of bitter taste for an upgrade that has not been.
package
The packaging is almost identical to that of the previous model. This is good. Inside, in fact, in addition to the quick manual, we find a 9V / 1.67A power supply for fast charging, a USB / USB-C cable, a USB-C to USB adapter, a microUSB to USB-C adapter and above all a pair of very good AKG in-ear headphones with adapters of various sizes. Undoubtedly a "welcome" very welcome.Software
The software is one of the strengths of the Samsung Galaxy S9 review. The smartphone is equipped with the new Samsung Experience 9.0 based on Android 8.0 Oreo. We find all the news in the new version of the operating system of Google.As for the Samsung software itself does not change much. There is no doubt that it is a heavy customization but offers a number of very interesting features. For example, the game launcher, the panels dedicated to the curved screen, or Bixby, reminder, social and so on and so forth.
To underline still the presence of 'Always On Display' that allows you to take a quick look at the clock, date and notifications without unlocking the smartphone. The home button is always visible, or it would be better to say usable. The area of the display is still sensitive to touch, so from any app you are, you can press it harder to return to the home, without calling the navigation bar.
AR Emoji
The AR Emoji leave a bit of the time they find, but we can not avoid talking about it. Everything works in such a way as to detect your face and look for the emoji more similar to your person, which will be editable in post-production with different accessories. The result in most cases is very similar to us. But if you're lucky you might have a mini-me to send as a GIF to your friends, thanks to the integration of Samsung's keyboard.The Verge said that Samsung's new "Emoji AR" function seems to have developed only to compete with Apple ":
There are a couple of problems with Samsung's Emoji from Samsung. First of all, Samsung does not use any special technology to capture your face or your movements, but relies only on the front or back camera, so the detection is not the best.
Secondly, the characters he creates are often gruesome. Even the animal characters are equally strange. It's definitely something that Samsung has built just to compete with Apple, and this is not a good thing.
In conclusion
Here we are at the conclusions of the review of Samsung Galaxy S9. Making a more specific speech on the qualities of the smartphone, we arrived with Samsung Galaxy S9 to touch the perfection regarding the camera, the screen, the audio, design and software. The only, true, Achilles heel remains the battery: difficult to accept problems in standby consumption in 2018, we hope that with time and with the next models Samsung manages to solve once and for all the last bottleneck of a device almost without any defect.What do you think? Do you want to buy this true gem from Samsung? Let us know in the comment section below. Thank you.
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