Review of Samsung Galaxy S9 – the most advanced and high-quality smartphone of the Korean company, which I have used. We can say that we have just a prettier Galaxy S8, but in reality, everything is a bit more complicated.
Equipment with Samsung Galaxy S9
Equipment The last few years, the manufacturer is in no hurry to change the design of its flagship packaging. This is a black cardboard box with a strict design and without any frills. The bundle of the device, including a clip, documentation in a separate envelope, a quality headset from AKG, a network adapter (of course with fast charging), a USB Type-A cable – USB-C, an adapter from USB-C to micro USB, and also an adapter from USB-C to micro USB remained unchanged. OTG adapter.
Samsung Galaxy S9 Design and Ergonomics
If you do not go into details, you can say that the Samsung Galaxy S9 is almost a complete copy of its predecessor, the Galaxy S8. Why almost? Well, because even tightly pierced Hayter Samsung immediately notes that the fingerprint scanner has moved to the “right place”. Well, and further, as on a chain, will trample and other changes which too cannot be ignored.
Therefore, I will not be like any ignoramus from the techno party, saying that there are no differences between S9 and S8.
Changes in appearance Samsung Galaxy S9 really enough. This is a matte aluminum frame, which looks much more solid than glossy indecency in S8. This is completely black glass on the front side – when the screen goes out, its surface merges with the black frames, and the sensors on the top are almost invisible. This is attention to detail when designing the unit with the main camera and the fingerprint sensor.
Of such insignificant things at first glance, there is an opinion about the design of the Galaxy S9. The smartphone looks like the most advanced, even ideal, version of the samsung Galaxy S8. Here everything is in its proper place, everything is “right”. It captivates.
If you do not take into account the general impressions and minor improvements that affect the perception but do not change the essence, everything is standard. Curved glass Gorilla Glass 5 on both sides, strong aluminum frame and the usual arrangement of controls.
Ergonomics
The convenience of using Samsung’s flagships attracted me even in the Galaxy S8 when I compared cameras with his participation. In the new Samsung Galaxy S9 with this also full order or even better, because the new location of the fingerprint scanner great simplifies life.
The smartphone was a little shorter than the last generation, but it’s harder. In general, the ergonomics of the Galaxy S9 at the highest level is the most convenient of the flagships of 2018. A large screen and the most compact dimensions – where else do you find it in times of shovel-like devices?
Moisture protection was not done anywhere. The standard IP68 in Samsung Galaxy S9 is fully observed, the phone can be heated, thrown into the snow, washed under a tap and do other lewdness with water.
The main thing is not to forget that sea water for the device can be fatal, after swimming in the sea it is necessary to wash all the smartphone’s nodes with fresh water.
Overview of the Galaxy S9 Screen
The Samsung Galaxy S8 is equipped with a 5.8-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2960×1440 (570 ppi) and an aspect ratio of 18.5: 9, which is covered with curved glass Gorilla Glass 5. But it’s all dry specifications, but what’s in reality?
Display Mate, an authoritative resource for screen testing, claims that the Galaxy S9 has the best display possible to date. Those. it is even better than the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, which outperformed all competitors in 2017.
Subjectively, the Galaxy S9 screen is the most high-quality and brightest that I’ve seen on smartphones ever. Only one screen on the mobile device caused me such enthusiasm – iPad Pro 10.5, but this tablet, so a direct comparison between them is unlikely to work.
In the Galaxy S9 screen, a whole bunch of minor improvements, which even Samsung PR specialists do not say. For example, seriously improved energy saving and adaptive lighting. And the smartphone has two RGB-sensors of illumination (front and rear).
If the user does not like the vivid contrast and colorfulness of the Samsung Galaxy S9 screen, this can be corrected in the settings. The color profile of the screen is extremely flexible. Although this does not completely eliminate the problem of embellishing reality with AMOLED screens, in general, it makes it possible to make the picture as close to reality as possible. For fans of processing photos on a smartphone is important.
Very pleased mode AlwaysOn Display, which allows you to display the clock on the screen and any application notifications. There are no changes in comparison with the previous flagships of Samsung, the function works great.
It is curious that the competitors have so far failed to do anything similar in terms of capabilities. There are very few analogs for Google Pixel 2 and Moto Z2 Force, but the level of technology is incomparable.
Stereo Sound
Sound Overview Samsung Galaxy S9 64 GB revealed positive changes on the part of the sound. It is pleasant to surprise the effect of stereo sound, for which the main speaker sounds paired with spoken. Thus, a full-scale stereo effect with support for Dolby Atmos technology is formed. The speakers sound very loud, and no less important, the sound is clean. It makes listening to music in the company of friends enjoyable. The complete headphones AKG EO-IG955, which the manufacturer is so proud of, are also pleased with. They sound great and will please even music lovers.
Wireless Communication
Wireless Communications With this, the smartphone has no problems, Samsung Galaxy S9 review showed that it supports all modern communications. Among them are LTE-A Cat18 (1200/200 Mbps), Wi-Fi of all bands and frequencies with support for MIMO 2×2 technology, as well as Bluetooth 5 generation with the ability to connect two devices simultaneously. There are two versions of the device on sale – officially in our country will be sold Samsung Galaxy S9 with two SIM cards, but you can also find a single-line device. For the use of Samsung Pay is intended NFC and MST, where without them in one of the main flagships of 2018. Among the navigation systems – GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BDS. Everything works quickly and steadily, as the flagship is supposed to form one of the leading brands.
Super-slow-motion shooting
How often will you use Super Slo Mo?
Samsung galaxy S9 and S9 + can shoot slow-motion pictures at a speed of 960 frames per second, in other words, 30 times slower than real events. The videos look epic. Each action slows down so much that even fairly standard events look different. The quality is only 720p, but the result is very grainy and looks even less quality. Will people use this function on a daily basis? Definitely not, but this is another cool novelty trick.
4k video at 60 fps
It looks great, but it takes a lot of space
A new feature, which will be appreciated by video enthusiasts, provides the ability to shoot 4K at a speed of 60 frames per second. A higher frame rate makes each movement smoother and more real. One of the drawbacks of this mode is that the video takes up almost twice as much memory than a regular 4K 30fps movie, so it’s worth purchasing a quality and capacious microSD card.
Galaxy S9 Performance and Running Time
Samsung claims that the Exynos 9810 is the equivalent of Snapdragon 845, but numerous comparative tests indicate that the version on Exynos is slightly weaker than the version on Snapdragon 845.
With the actual use of the Samsung Galaxy S9 on the Exynos 9810, I see no performance problems. The device is felt flagship in all usage scenarios.
Working hours.
Autonomy is probably the only weak side of the Samsung Galaxy S9. The battery for 3000 mAh is clearly not enough for long work. In my scenario of using the Galaxy S9 showed no more than 4.5 hours of the included screen.
Despite the very economical AMOLED screen, the phone does not show miracles of energy efficiency. Very average autonomy, compared to competitors.
A new method of identifying a user
A new method of identifying a user Carrying out the Samsung G960 Samsung Galaxy S9 review one can not fail to mention the new way of user identification, which is based on smart scanning technology. Its key feature is the combination of face recognition and the iris, which provides quick and trouble-free access to the smartphone in difficult conditions. It works unlocking quickly under all conditions, although there is a slight delay when compared with a fingerprint scanner. From the moment the user is recognized, it takes about a second before the screen is unlocked. Use the technology can be combined with a fingerprint scanner, choosing what will be more convenient at the moment. For example, if the smartphone is on the back, then it’s much faster and more convenient to unlock it on the face.
Samsung Galaxy S9 Software and Features
Samsung Galaxy S9 runs on Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box, on top is the Samsung Experience shell of the latest version. Do not believe it, but I really liked the software component of the new Samsung. For the first time in my life, probably.
By the way, Samsung Galaxy S9 supports Project Treble, which means that it will not take long months to wait for the next major version of Android. Updates will come much faster.
The shell was modified, the interface works quickly (I do not know why everyone curses the slowness of Samsung Galaxy S9 animations), the animation is beautiful. In addition to the useless Bixby, it does not engage anything. On the contrary, most branded services inspire respect for their functionality and thoroughness. The same Samsung Health is almost the best application of a similar plan on Android.
Very pleased with the abundance of settings and deep customization (take at least the onscreen buttons). The widget and weather app after the solution in HTC U11 seems perfect.
In general, the Samsung Galaxy S9 software is not so hopeless and lurid as it was on the models with Android 7.0 Nougat. Perhaps, this is the best shell on Android-smartphones and a good example of what any software product can bring to mind. Even such a seemingly hopeless, like TouchWiz.
A bit about the new unlock on the face. Samsung Galaxy S9 for the first time used the technology of double unlocking – the iris scanner + the face scanner. When the sensor tries to unlock the smartphone in the face, the pinkish LED to the left of the conversation speaker lights up.
It looks futuristic, but in fact, I did not notice a big difference compared to the previous generation. All the same, this unlocking is much slower than with a fingerprint scanner, and a lot of conventions have not gone away (keep the smartphone at the right angle, avoid the backlight and all that).
Refuse to the fingerprint is still too early because it is trite comfortable and much faster. Therefore, games with unlocking on the face are, of course, good, but not practical.
Bixby is back… and better
Bixby is inferior to Google Assistant
Bixby is Samsung’s smart assistant, which has access to phone functions and settings that the analogs cannot boast, but it still needs a lot of refinement, in terms of voice recognition and knowledge base. These shortcomings become apparent when you try to use Bixby next to the fast, knowledgeable and excellent Google Assistant, the ubiquitous Alexa on Amazon Echo products and even Siri from Apple.
It remains to be hoped that Bixby’s capabilities will improve over time, but it’s preferable to completely disable the Bixby button and use another helper.
The Fingerprint Scanner
Became more convenient, but still too small
The strange location of the fingerprint scanner near the camera in the S8 series was the biggest irritant of the phone. In the Galaxy S9 series, Samsung developers fixed this error. The fingerprint scanner is now under the camera in a much more reasonable place, but still, it is not an ideal option. The scanner itself is slightly smaller in size than the average, and there is a chance of accidental contact with the camera lens, but this is better than before.
From additional protection tools, the Intelligent Scan option appeared, which combines the use of iris recognition and face recognition. Protection while damp, has a rather high throughput and is not as reliable as an old good fingerprint scanner. In this respect, the competing 3D Face ID scan on the iPhone X is more secure.
Samsung Galaxy S9 Camera
The Galaxy S9 has created anew. These are not my words, but the revelations of Samsung marketers, who found the variable aperture in the wide-angle camera module a revolutionary innovation.
Personally, I do not think so, because, on such a small matrix, the increase in sharpness when the aperture is changed from F / 1.5 to F / 2.4 is negligible. And any photographer will tell you the same thing.
However, if you sweep away all this marketing bullshit and look soberly at the Galaxy S9, we’ll see that this is one of the best quality mobile cameras on the market. It can easily be put in line with Google Pixel 2, and even the iPhone X camera looks on the background of S9 and does not feel at all. Apple is very much behind the grants of mobile photography in 2018, and the new Galaxy S9 only exacerbated their situation.
Destroy the Galaxy S9 in terms of the camera capable of only two smartphones – brand-new Huawei P20 Pro. But we’ll talk about them when they come to our test. If you do not take them into account, then Samsung is now one of the most-most cameras on the market.
A record light speed of F / 1.5, optical stabilization and large 1.4 μm pixels do the trick. Camera Galaxy S9 really takes off better than the last generation, even if this difference can be discerned only at night shooting.
By moving the HDR setting from Auto to Always on, you can be sure of the perfect result in any conditions. I almost always took pictures in auto mode, using only the exposure compensation slider to adjust the frame. The manual Pro mode of the Samsung camera is also quite good, but working with it on an ongoing basis was frankly lazy – small switches and sliders on the ultra-sensitive screen are difficult to use, many false presses. It’s easier to score and shoot everything in Auto.
Due to the high speed of the camera’s switching on from the locked state and the excellent ergonomics of the case, use the Galaxy S9 as a photo-tool to “bring and take off” the real pleasure. For a long time I did not like to just walk around the city and click frames one by one.
Now for additional features of the Samsung Galaxy S9. This is primarily AR Emoji, a sort of attempt to answer Apple Animoji. I would say that the attempt is extremely clumsy, if not ruder. Animated little people resemble the owner remotely, but the almost complete absence of facial animation makes AR Emoji an extremely primitive thing. It’s possible to indulge once in a while, but you can use it seriously – it certainly is not. Even amazes how Samsung marketers thought up such delusions.
Even AR Masks with snot and tears, in my opinion, look much more interesting and in a better treshovee than AR Emoji. Selfi with a mask though occasionally, yes it is possible, someone to send.
The next big innovation relates to video shooting. Samsung taught the Samsung Galaxy S9 to shoot ultra-slow video at 960 fps HD for 0.2 seconds (6 seconds at normal speed). This function was implemented in early 2017 in Xperia XZ Premium and later smartphones Xperia.
Implemented slow-motion video recording in Samsung Galaxy S9 is damp and uncomfortable. Especially if we are talking about a mode where the camera itself determines when to slow down the survey – almost always it turns out nonsense. It is possible to transfer the recording of 960 fps to manual mode, then the user will automatically press the button for activating the slo-mo while recording normal video.
The camera interface in the Samsung Galaxy S9 has also been redesigned compared to the Galaxy S8, but the differences are minimal. The main elements and design of the main elements turned out to be a receptive, if you do not know what the Samsung designers have changed, then you will not understand.
Battery
Unfortunately, the Samsung Galaxy S9 battery came from its predecessor. The battery capacity is completely identical to the capacity of the S8 line: 3000 mAh for the minor nine, 3500 mAh for the plus version. But the introduction of more productive components affected autonomy, not for the better. More productive iron consumes more charge in comparison with last year’s models. The situation becomes worse when the comparison goes with the competing flagships of other brands. Samsung Galaxy S9 looks “average” in the tests of autonomy.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 line has a quick charge function, a quick charger is included in the package. Both devices support wireless charging, but for its use, you need to purchase a wireless charger separately
What has changed in the Galaxy S9?
- For the first time, a variable aperture (f / 1.5 and f / 2.4) appeared on the mobile market;
- The slow-motion mode with 960 FPS, then before was famous only for Sony smartphones.
Benefits:
- Elegant screen
- Powerful iron
- Top chambers with the adjustable diaphragm
- A variety of user authentication methods, each of which works fine
- User-friendly interface with new features.
- Stunning curved screen
- Powerful processor
- Individual recognizable design
- Protection against water and dust IP68
- MicroSD support up to 256GB
- Headphone jack
- Stereo with Dolby Atmos
- 4K video technology
Minuses
- Slightly slippery body
Specifications Of Samsung Galaxy S9
Versions: G960F (Europe, Global Single-SIM); G960F/DS (Europe, Global Dual-SIM); G960U (USA); G960W (Canada); G9600 (China, LATAM)
| NETWORK | Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 – SIM 1 & SIM 2 (dual-SIM model only) | |
| CDMA 800 / 1900 – USA | ||
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 – Global, USA | |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO – USA | ||
| 4G bands | LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700), 13(700), 17(700), 18(800), 19(800), 20(800), 25(1900), 26(850), 28(700), 32(1500), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500), 66(1700/2100) – Global | |
| LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700), 13(700), 14(700), 17(700), 18(800), 19(800), 20(800), 25(1900), 26(850), 28(700), 29(700), 30(2300), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500), 46, 66(1700/2100), 71(600) – USA | ||
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A (6CA) Cat18 1200/200 Mbps | |
| GPRS | Yes | |
| EDGE | Yes |
| LAUNCH | Announced | 2018, February |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Available. Released 2018, March |
| BODY | Dimensions | 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5 mm (5.81 x 2.70 x 0.33 in) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 163 g (5.75 oz) | |
| Build | Front/back glass (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame | |
| SIM | Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | |
| – Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) – IP68 certified – dust/waterproof (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) |
| DISPLAY | Type | Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 5.8 inches, 84.8 cm2 (~83.6% screen-to-body ratio) | |
| Resolution | 1440 x 2960 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~570 ppi density) | |
| Multitouch | Yes | |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | |
| – HDR10 compliant – 3D Touch (home button only) – Always-on display |
| PLATFORM | OS | Android 8.0 (Oreo) |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Exynos 9810 Octa – EMEA Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 – USA/LATAM, China |
|
| CPU | Octa-core (4×2.7 GHz Mongoose M3 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A55) – EMEA Octa-core (4×2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4×1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver) – USA/LATAM, China |
|
| GPU | Mali-G72 MP18 – EMEA Adreno 630 – USA/LATAM, China |
| MEMORY | Card slot | microSD, up to 400 GB (uses SIM 2 slot) – dual SIM model only |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | 64/128 GB, 4 GB RAM |
| CAMERA | Primary | 12 MP (f/1.5-2.4, 26mm, 1/2.5″, 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF), phase detection autofocus, OIS, LED flash |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Geo-tagging, simultaneous 4K video, and 9MP image recording touch focus, face/smile detection, Auto HDR, panorama | |
| Video | 2160p@60fps, 1080p@240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR, dual-video rec | |
| Secondary | 8 MP (f/1.7, 25mm, 1/3.6″, 1.22µm), autofocus, 1440p@30fps, dual video call, Auto HDR |
| SOUND | Alert types | Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones |
|---|---|---|
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | |
| – 32-bit/384kHz audio – Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic |
| COMMS | WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX | |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | |
| NFC | Yes | |
| Radio | FM radio (USA & Canada only) | |
| USB | 3.1, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector |
| FEATURES | Sensors | Iris scanner, fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2 |
|---|---|---|
| Messaging | SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM | |
| Browser | HTML5 | |
| – Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) – Fast battery charging (Quick Charge 2.0) – Qi/PMA wireless charging (market dependent) – ANT+ support – Bixby natural language commands and dictation – MP4/DivX/XviD/H.265 player – MP3/WAV/eAAC+/FLAC player – Photo/video editor – Document editor |
| BATTERY | Non-removable Li-Ion 3000 mAh battery (11.55 Wh) |
|---|
| MISC | Colors | Midnight Black, Coral Blue, Titanium Gray, Lilac Purple |
|---|---|---|
| Price | About 840 EUR |
| TESTS | Performance | Basemark OS II: 3329 / Basemark OS II 2.0: 3382 Basemark X: 42645 |
|---|---|---|
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal), 4.630 (sunlight) | |
| Camera | Photo / Video | |
| Loudspeaker | Voice 68dB / Noise 74dB / Ring 81dB | |
| Audio quality | Noise -93.4dB / Crosstalk -93.9dB | |
| Battery life |
Endurance rating 78h
|
Conclusion
Well, it’s time, to sum up, the review of the Galaxy S9. I confess, during the announcement and after I was skeptical (if not to say hostile) to the new flagships of Samsung. I counted them as “advertising flagships”, clones of Galaxy S8 and all that.
It turned out that he considered it in vain. Galaxy S9 – this is not only the first Samsung, which you want to buy for personal use but also just a cool smartphone without regard to my opinion. A product devoid of most drawbacks. I can hardly name just a couple – unnecessary Bixby (which can get better with time) and a high price of 60,000 rubles. Otherwise, only positive aspects. Even the software shell with the arrival of Android 8.0 Oreo no longer infuriates. I do not even know what you can scold Galaxy S9 for.
I will highlight the things that bribe most – screen, camera, and ergonomics. Galaxy S9 does not want to be released from the hands, it’s so entertaining. And, this does not mean that I became a fan of Samsung and now I will praise them, it’s only about a small Galaxy S9.
If for some reason the iPhone X does not suit you and you are looking for something similar to Android (by the number of functions, branded accessories and features like wireless charging and Samsung Pay), then boldly look towards Samsung Galaxy S9. Uncompromising smartphone.
