Samsung has just unveiled the 9th installment on their popular Galaxy S-series smartphones. Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+.
At first look, the new Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ look really similar to its predecessors. These new devices appear to be a more refined version of the Galaxy S8 and S8+, which were already great smartphones in their own right.
The two smartphones offer new software features and great hardware that Samsung is well-known for. It may or may not entice you on getting one, depending on where you are coming from.
Official price and specs of Galaxy S9 in the Philippines
| Model Name | Configuration | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S9 | 4GB RAM + 64GB storage | Php45,990 |
| Galaxy S9 Plus | 6GB RAM + 64GB storage | Php52,990 |
| Galaxy S9 Plus | 6GB RAM + 128GB storage | Php55,990 |
| Galaxy S9 Plus | 6GB RAM + 256GB storage | Php60,990 |
See also: Samsung Galaxy S9 Smart Postpaid Plans
| Samsung Galaxy S9 | Samsung Galaxy S9+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Android 8.0 Oreo Samsung Experience 9 | Android 8.0 Oreo Samsung Experience 9 |
| SIM | Dual SIM, hybrid Nano | Dual SIM, hybrid Nano |
| Display | 5.8-inch QHD+ Super AMOLED screen 2960 x 1440 resolution, ~568ppi 18:9 aspect ratio Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | 6.2-inch QHD+ Super AMOLED screen 2960 x 1440 resolution, ~531ppi 18:9 aspect ratio Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Processor | 2.9GHz Samsung Exynos 9810 octa-core | 2.9GHz Samsung Exynos 9810 octa-core |
| RAM | 4GB LPDDR4 RAM | 6GB LPDDR4 RAM |
| Storage | 64GB UFS 2.1 | 64GB/128GB/256GB UFS 2.1 |
| Security | Iris scanner, Fingerprint scanner | Iris scanner, Fingerprint scanner |
| Front camera | 8-megapixel f/1.7 | 8-megapixel f/1.7 |
| Rear Camera | 12-megapixel Dual pixel sensor f/1.5-f/2.4 OIS Dual-tone flash 4K video recording 960fps slow-mo @720p 2x optical zoom | 12-megapixel (f/1.5-f/2.4, 2x optical zoom) 12-megapixel (wide-angle) Dual pixel sensor OIS Dual-tone flash 4K video recording 960fps slow-mo @720p |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE, Cat. 18, up to 1.28Gbps WiFi 802.11 ac, Hotspot Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX NFC GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou USB Type-C | 4G LTE, Cat. 18, up to 1.28Gbps WiFi 802.11 ac, Hotspot Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX NFC GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou USB Type-C |
| Audio | Dual AKG speakers Dolby Atmos | Dual AKG speakers Dolby Atmos |
| Others | Bixby 2.0 IP68 dust and water-resistant | Bixby 2.0 IP68 dust and water-resistant |
| Dimensions Weight | 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5mm 168g | 158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5mm 189g |
| Colors | Midnight Black Lilac Purple | Midnight Black Lilac Purple Coral Blue |
| Battery | 3000mah Li-Po non-removable battery Fast charge, Wireless charging | 3500mah Li-Po non-removable battery Fast charge, Wireless charging |
New and improved cameras
The launch of the Galaxy Note 8 marked Samsung’s entrance on the dual-camera bandwagon. And from there on out, we kind of expect that the Galaxy S9 would have it as well. Surprisingly, it’s both a yes and no.
The dual-camera system is only present in the Plus version, which now gives a more obvious differentiating factor between the standard Galaxy S and its Plus counterpart. To put it simply, it’s pretty much the same as how Apple differentiates its two offerings. The Samsung Galaxy S9+ will have two 12-megapixel dual-pixel sensors on the back.
While they may have the same sensor size, the two will have several key differences. The first sensor will have 2x optical zoom and a dual aperture that can go from f/2.4 up to a wide f/1.5. This makes it perfect for shooting in low-light, or to achieve those authentic bokeh pictures.
The other 12-megapixel sensor will have a wide-angle lens and a f/2.4 aperture. Both cameras will also feature optical image stabilization.
On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S9 only gets a single camera. But it was still able to score that variable f/1.5-f/2.4 aperture, the dual-pixel sensor, 2x optical zoom, and the optical image stabilization.
And probably one of the highlights of this year’s Galaxy S9 smartphones are their ultra slow-motion recording feature. Both devices can shoot videos of up to 960fps on 720p resolution. There’s also the standard 4K recording mode with a decent 30 frames-per-second.
Stereo speakers, finally
Aside from the dual-camera revolution, Samsung is already late on the stereo speakers trend. It’s quite disappointing that the Galaxy Note 8 wasn’t able to get it, but at least we have it now.
See also: Galaxy S9 versus Galaxy S8 Specs Comparison
Both the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ rocks a stereo speaker setup from AKG. The audio company that Samsung has been in partnership with for a while now. In fact, AKG supplies the headphones of Samsung’s high-end smartphones for some time now.
Additionally, the new Galaxy devices also have Dolby ATMOS support. So if you have that fancy sound system at home, you can fully take advantage of its capabilities with the Galaxy S9.
New, powerful, AI-capable chipset
The new Galaxy S9 smartphones will be the first devices to sport Samsung’s new Exynos 9810 chipset. The new processor will bring all the usual improvements — faster performance, more efficiency, and better battery life.
But what’s worth noting here is its AI capabilities. As you all know, Artificial Intelligence has been all around the technology industry today. And thanks to the new Exynos 9810, the new flagships can go head to head with the other advancements that the industry has to offer.
The chipset’s LTE modem can do up to 1.2Gbps of downloads and 200Mbps upload speeds. The chipset also helps the handsets do 4k UHD recording and encoding with great colors and high-quality audio.
The best from Android
Finally, a Samsung smartphone that’s formally powered by Android 8.0 Oreo. If you’ve been following the news, Samsung is having a hard time making Oreo work for the Galaxy S8. But with the S9, it looks like Samsung has finally ironed things out.
On top of Android, there’s the Samsung Experience 9.0 — a rebranded TouchWiz interface that we both hated and loved on previous Samsung smartphones.
This new experience will have a better keyboard, new emojis, faster search results, more Bixby-ness, and a whole lot more. It will have features that will take full advantage of the new processor, large screen, and the S9’s other hardware.
Pricing and availability of the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus
The Samsung Galaxy S9 with a 4GB/64GB configuration will retail for a price of Php45,990.
On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S9+ with the 6GB/64GB memory and storage will be at Php52,990. While the 6GB/128GB combination will cost you Php55,990 and it will come in Midnight Black, Lilac Purple, and Coral Blue colors. The grandest of them all, the 6GB/256GB configuration will only be available in Midnight Black and Coral Blue colors. It has an SRP of Php60,990 and it’s only available on a pre-order basis.
Pre-order starts on February 27 until March 6, 2018. Those who will pre-order will be entitled to either a free Samsung Wireless Charger Convertible, AKG S30 Bluetooth speaker, or Php3,500 discount on Samsung accessories. Both handsets will be officially released in the Philippines on March 16.
I tried top go to samsung, smart and globe website for the pre-order for Samsung S9+ (256GB) because based to the news I got about the pre-order is that ” Pre-order starts on February 27 until March 6, 2018. ” and all colors and GB are available it said. But what they have are 64 to 128GB only while for the color is only the lilac violet. where can I pre-order that has 256Gb and Midnight Black Color is available in Philippines?
Hi, Kimberly! Maybe you can try going to other Samsung concept stores? This is the information given to us in the press release, so we’re not really sure why it’s not available in other colors.