Samsung Galaxy S9 Review.
Samsung has officially unveiled its latest flagship mobile devices, the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. Much like the Samsung Galaxy S8, the Samsung Galaxy S9 sports an elegant design and some serious power under the hood.
Essentially, Samsung has taken everything we loved about the Samsung Galaxy S8 - including its design - and improved upon it. Some of the most noticeable improvements can be seen straight away. The rear fingerprint sensor has been moved just below the camera. In addition to this, the Samsung Galaxy S9 features an enhanced entertainment experience with 2 front-facing powerful stereo speakers powered by AKG, surround sound supported by Dolby Atmos, and a refined 5.8-inch edge-to-edge Infinity Display.
While the design is essentially the same as the S8, the S9's design tweaks improve overall visual appeal as well as usability. Shifting the fingerprint sensor makes it easier to unlock the device. In addition to this, having two front-facing speakers makes watching movies or listening to music a much richer experience.
As a standard in the industry now, the Samsung Galaxy S9 is also IP68 water and dust resistant. While users are not promoted to get the device wet, the Samsung S9 can be submerged 1.5 metres under water for a maximum of 30 minutes.
When it comes to what's under the hood, the Samsung Galaxy S9 is driven by Android's latest operating system, Android 8.0. The device is also powered by - depending on the region you stay in - an Octa-core processor (4x 2.8 GHz Mongoose M3 & 4x 1.7 GHz Cortex-A55 processor) - EMEA or an Octa-core processor (4x 2.7 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x 1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver) - USA and China. To add to the power, the Samsung Galaxy S9 also comes with 4 GB RAM.
Apart from its extremely impressive specifications, the Samsung Galaxy S9 also comes with a fair amount of storage space. The device not only features 64GB of storage space standard, but it also has an additional microSD card slot - which accommodates up to a phenomenal 400GB of extra storage space.
Much like the S8, the Samsung Galaxy S9 also features Samsung's personal assistant, Bixby. Apart from setting alarms, reminders and checking the latest headlines and weather, Bixby has been integrated into the camera, and now uses augmented reality and deep learning technologies to provide helpful information about a user’s surroundings. With real-time object detection and recognition, Bixby instantly generates information directly on top of the image that the camera is pointing at. Users can translate foreign languages and currency in real time with Live Translation, learn about their surroundings, purchase products seen in the real world and track calories.
Speaking of cameras, the Samsung Galaxy S9 comes with a rear Super Speed Dual Pixel 12MP Auto Focus (AF) sensor with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) (F1.5/F2.4). In addition to this, the device also features a Front-Facing 8MP Auto Focus AF (F1.7) camera. Samsung's Payoff line for the Samsung Galaxy S9 is "The Camera Reimagined," and, to be honest, the firm stands strong on this point.
The Galaxy S9's cameras are built with the consumer in mind, with a Super Speed Dual Pixel sensor with dedicated processing power and memory that can combine up to 12 frames into one amazing shot for the highest photo quality possible. The Galaxy S9 and S9+’s camera features include:
Super Slow-mo: Make everyday moments epic with dynamic, slow-motion video that captures 960 frames per second. The Samsung Galaxy S9 also offers 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 favourite 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.
Low Light Camera: Good lighting is the secret to any great photo. But often, photos are taken in less-than-ideal lighting conditions and most smartphone cameras have a fixed aperture that can’t adjust to low or bright lighting environments resulting in grainy or washed out pictures. Similar to the way the iris of a human eye expands and contracts, Samsung’s Dual Aperture (F1.5 – F2.4) automatically lets in more light when it’s dark and less light when it’s too bright, taking photos that are crisp and clear anytime, anywhere.
AR Emoji: Samsung lets users create an emoji that looks, sounds and acts just like them. AR Emoji uses a data-based machine learning algorithm, which analyses a 2D image of the user and maps out more than 100 facial features to create a 3D model that reflects and imitates expressions, like winks and nods, for true personalisation. AR Emoji shares your real-life feelings not only in video but also with a range of stickers in uses a standard AGIF file format, so users can share their emojis across most third-party messaging platforms.
These are some of the most powerful features to be included in a smartphone, which makes the Samsung S9 the perfect photographic partner for anyone who loves snapping up a plethora of fun and exciting photos.
Conclusion:
Whether you are looking at picking up the Samsung Galaxy S9 or the S9+ you will not be disappointed. This device is hands down a powerhouse, which features military-grade security - via Samsung Knox - as well as one of the best cameras on the market.
While Samsung has indeed surpassed the S8's greatness with the S9, just be warned that the front screen and back panel are prone to hairline scratches… So be sure to obtain a full body cover for the device or alternatively a back cover and screen guard.
By: Darryl Linington
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