The Samsung Galaxy S9 has arrived. And upon checking out the device over the internet, I’m pretty sure that you were also shocked when you saw its ludicrous price tag.
The Galaxy S9’s price tag is at Php45,990. That’s a really substantial price increase from the Galaxy S8’s Php39,990 price tag when it was launched. Heck, the S9’s price tag is almost near the price of its bigger brother, the Galaxy Note 8.
But unlike Apple’s pricing scheme, I’m pretty sure there’s a decent explanation for this spike in price (or at least I hope there is). Hence, we’re breaking it down in this Samsung Galaxy S9 vs Galaxy S8 specifications comparison table.
Related: Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus price list in the Philippines
| Samsung Galaxy S9 | Samsung Galaxy S8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Android 8.0 Oreo Samsung Experience 9 | Android 7.0 Nougat |
| 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 | 5.8-inch QHD+ Super AMOLED screen 2960 x 1440 resolution, ~568ppi 18:9 aspect ratio Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Processor | 2.9GHz Samsung Exynos 9810 octa-core | Samsung Exynos 8895 octa-core |
| RAM | 4GB LPDDR4 RAM | 4GB LPDDR4 RAM |
| Storage | 64GB UFS 2.1 | 64GB 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 Dual pixel sensor f/1.7 OIS Dual-tone flash 4K video recording |
| 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 WiFi 802.11 ac Bluetooth 5.0, LE NFC GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou USB Type-C |
| Audio | Dual AKG speakers Dolby Atmos | Mono speaker |
| Others | Bixby 2.0 IP68 dust and water-resistant | Bixby 1.0 IP68 dust and water-resistant |
| Dimensions Weight | 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5mm 168g | 148.9 x 68.1 x 8.0mm 155g |
| Colors | Midnight Black Lilac Purple | Midnight Black Orchid Gray Arctic Silver Coral Blue Maple Gold Rose Pink Burgundy Red |
| Battery | 3000mah Li-Po non-removable battery Fast charge, Wireless charging | 3000mah Li-Po non-removable battery Fast charge, Wireless charging |
It’s hard to spot the difference between the two after a quick glance. They share almost the same display size, screen resolution, RAM, storage capacity, battery, and even the resolution of the front and back camera.
However, when you look closely, the Samsung Galaxy S9 uses a new chipset — the Exynos 9810 octa-core processor. And according to Samsung, it has some real prowess to handle AI applications and improve the overall multimedia experience. The Galaxy S9 is one of the first Samsung devices to run on Android 8.0 Oreo. There’s also the new Samsung Experience 9 interface, which is just a fancy name to call the Samsung skin.
The Galaxy S9’s camera, despite having the same resolution, has some new and powerful feature set. There’s the ludicrous 970fps slow-motion mode and dual aperture that can go from f/2.4 to f/1.5. And if you haven’t noticed, the Samsung Galaxy S9 finally gets a stereo loudspeaker powered by AKG.
But, there’s one aspect of the two devices that wasn’t tackled on the comparison list — the design. They look similar in front due to their Infinity displays that are also of the same size. But the major and probably most important alteration can be seen at the back.
See also: Galaxy S9 Plus versus Galaxy Note 8 Specs Comparison
The Galaxy S8 was one of the best smartphones when it came out. People’s only major gripe with it was its hard-to-reach fingerprint scanner placement. Something that Samsung instantly fixed on its successor. Instead of placing it beside the camera sensor, it’s now underneath just like in other smartphones.
So, the question we need to ask is — is the additional Php6,000 you’d pay for the Galaxy S9 worth it? Personally, my answer is a hesitant “yes”. If you consume a lot of media, then the dual stereo speakers might have some value for you. If you’re a photography and videography enthusiast, the extra camera prowess might really appeal to you. Or if you simply want the latest and the greatest, the Samsung Galaxy S9 is also a great choice.
However, if you’re coming from an older Android device, or if you’re an Apple user jumping ship to the other world, then the Galaxy S8 might be enough for you. But in case you don’t mind spending the extra dough to get Samsung’s flagship, the S9 is an excellent option. Alternatively, you may opt to wait for a price cut to the S8 to help save a little bit of money.
For those who already own the Galaxy S8, I think you’re better off waiting for what’s coming after the S9, which may offer more improvements from the device that you already own.