UPD 02/25/2018: The presentation of Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ took place and now we know everything about the new flagships from Samsung. Almost everything that was written earlier has been confirmed, so we will comment on the information that has changed. And of course, all photos of Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ smartphones are already real.
The biggest trend of 2017 was the edge-to-edge screen, and both the Galaxy S8 and S8+ were among the pioneers of this trend, and it will be improved with each subsequent generation. So the Galaxy S9 and S9+ could still reduce the size of those bezels and improve on the screen-to-body ratio found in the Galaxy S8 and S8+, although not doing so wouldn't be a bad move either. Yes, frames are dying a horrible, horrible death and you're going to have to learn to love this new trend.
UPD after the presentation: At the presentation, the information was confirmed and the new flagships from Samsung have not changed in design compared to the Galaxy S8 and S8+.
New metal design
Samsung has registered a trademark (European Union Intellectual Property Office) for Metal 12, which appears to be a new lightweight and durable magnesium-aluminum alloy developed by Samsung itself and already used as the base material on its recent Notebook 9 (2018) laptop ). The trademark registration hints that this new alloy will certainly be used in other Samsung devices such as the Galaxy S9/S9+ and probably the Gear S4. What are the advantages of magnesium-aluminum alloys? While the difference in devices like smartphones wouldn't be as dramatic, magnesium is lighter than aluminum and stronger per unit volume. These two extraordinary properties of magnesium, the twelfth element on the periodic table (hence metal 12), have called it the “metal of the future,” and it’s easy to see why.
Samsung has certainly toyed with magnesium alloys before, reportedly developing a Galaxy S7 prototype with magnesium a few years ago. It hasn't borne fruit, but it looks like 2018 might change that. Of course, simply filing a trademark and having an alloy laptop obviously doesn't mean a magnesium Galaxy S9/S9+, but it's a possibility that shouldn't be ruled out at all.
UPD after the presentation: There was not a word about Metal 12 in the presentation, so we expect its use in the next flagships from Samsung.
Water resistance and sound
UPD: The information has been confirmed and Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ received stereo speakers from AKG.
How about a fingerprint scanner?
It's doubtful it will be integrated below the display, which is on almost everyone's wish list at the moment, so we'll likely see a rear sensor. Here you have to hope that it will be more convenient than on the S8/S8+. Judging by the recent Galaxy A8 and Galaxy A8+, Samsung has come to its senses: these two devices have a fingerprint scanner right under the camera module, which looks like an awfully convenient place for a vital biometric sensor.
New DeX Universal Dock
Is Samsung betting on AI?
Samsung is close to completing the development of Neural Processing Units (NPUs), also known as "AI chips." These components will improve the ability of mobile devices and servers to run AI-powered software. One of the sources says Samsung has reached the same level for its AI chips that has already been achieved by rival firms Apple and Huawei. The same source believes Sammy will lead its competitors with the AI chips it will produce in the second half of this year.
UPD: There was no talk about AI at the presentation, but there was quite a lot of information about AR (augmented reality). They presented AR Emoji - the same as Anomoji from Apple, only from Samsung.
Smart Scan
A new rumor suggests that Samsung may be developing a new multi-security feature for the Galaxy S9 and S9+ that uses both the iris scanner and face unlock to provide a more convenient way to unlock the device in different conditions. For example, the retina scanner doesn't work too well in really bright sunny conditions, while the face unlock feature is unreliable in low light. Using them together can bring the best of both worlds and provide easy unlocking in different conditions.
UPD: Intelligent scanning has been confirmed and the new flagships will have combined face and iris unlocking.
Support for DCI-P3 and sRGB/Rec.709 color gamuts also definitely remains; the same can be said for HDR. With them on board, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will remain one of the best devices for viewing multimedia.
UPD: Data on screen sizes and extensions has been confirmed.
A new leaked image of the Galaxy S9 retail box reveals some interesting information about the flagship camera. In line with previous rumors that the Galaxy S9 and S9+ could record slow-mo videos at 1,000fps, similar to the Xperia XZ Premium, the back of the box suggests the feature will be dubbed "Super Slow-mo." Such a feature could be accomplished by the all-new camera sensor detailed by Samsung, which features a tri-stack fast-read sensor that Samsung could introduce with the S9/S9+. Thanks to this, the cameras of the upcoming Galaxy devices and possibly the S9/S9+ will be able to focus even faster and more accurately than before. Samsung says the so-called "Super PD" focus will be able to intelligently "identify the distance of fast-moving objects even in low light for faster and more accurate autofocus."
But even this isn't the most exciting new feature. Assuming the sensor is perfectly capable of shooting 480fps videos in Full HD, then it should theoretically be capable of shooting 960fps at 720p HD resolution. Sony was the first to release a two-stage ultra-fast 960fps sensor with some Xperia devices, but the implementation was quite vague and not entirely intuitive - users could only capture a couple of milliseconds of action and never knew whether the camera would record everything they filmed, or it would slip away. Hopefully Samsung's three-layer sensor can reduce the duration limitation and allow for longer slo-mo video recording. It remains to be seen, but we are moderately optimistic.
Snapdragon 845...
Built on a 10nm manufacturing process, similar to the Snapdragon 835, but the new SD845 uses Samsung's LPP (Low Power Plus) technology as opposed to the SD835's LPE (Low Power Early) technology.
This means that the new chip provides higher performance with the same power consumption. Another exceptional feature of Snapdragon's next high-end could be its modem, which was built with 5G in mind and supports stunning LTE Cat.18, allowing for theoretical data speeds of 1.2 Gbps.
...And Exynos
On the contrary, recent rumors indicate that Samsung's next Exynos could be built on an 8nm LPP manufacturing process, which could theoretically put it at an advantage over the Snapdragon 845 as it could be more efficient and have better performance. This is a recurring theme with Samsung flagships - their Exynos versions are traditionally more efficient and generally superior to their Snapdragon counterparts.
New data on Geekbench seems to give us a sneak peek at the performance of the Exynos 9810 version of the Galaxy S9/S9+. Surprise, surprise, with a single-core score of 3648 points and a multi-core score of 8894 points, it passes the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, which will use the American version of the flagships. According to previously discovered data, the Snapdragon version scored 2378 points in the single-core test and 8132 points in the multi-core test.
RAM
It looks like the Galaxy S9 will only be available with 4GB of RAM as Samsung is reportedly looking forward to diversifying its two flagships. As such, only the larger and presumably more expensive S9+ will boast the larger 6GB of RAM. Thus, it will match the Galaxy Note 8 while providing enough storage for multitasking. Meanwhile, the 4GB of RAM on the Galaxy S9 certainly isn't lackluster, but it certainly doesn't feel like it's 2018 yet.
Storage space
The Samsung Galaxy S9 is rumored to be available in two variants: 4GB/64GB and 4GB/128GB storage, which is standard and expected, but the Galaxy S9+ will be available in the following variants: 6GB RAM with 64GB storage, 6 GB RAM with 128 GB storage and 6 GB RAM with 256 GB storage. For now, it's believed that the microSD card slot remains an integral part of the Galaxy S9 and S9+, which is great news.
Recent listings for the SM-G9600/DS (Galaxy S9 China Edition), SM-G9608/DS (Galaxy S9 Taiwan Edition) and SM-G9605/DS (Galaxy S9+ China Edition) show 5V/2A normal and fast charging 9V/1.67A/15W charging will be supported on devices. This is essentially similar to the specifications of Samsung's own Fast Charge technology found inside the Galaxy S8, S8+ and Note 8, meaning the Galaxy S9 series is certainly not being updated with faster charging. Of course, there's nothing wrong with that: the Galaxy S8 and S8+ charge quite quickly, with the S8's 3,000mAh and 3,500mAh batteries capable of a full charge in about an hour and 40 minutes or less.
According to recurring rumors, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will have similar batteries (3.00 mAh for the S9 and 3,500 mAh for the S9+), so it's safe to assume that the S9 series will charge similarly to its predecessors.
Here's what the Galaxy S8 and S8 cost during their launch on American soil:
However, rumors claim that consumers should get their money ready because the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will be the "most expensive Galaxy devices ever." The Galaxy S7 launched at $650, the Galaxy S8 started at $750, so does that mean we're looking at a starting price of $850 for the Galaxy S9 and even more for the Galaxy S9+? Quite likely, since Apple is already charging customers $1,000 for its iPhone X.
UPD: the stated price for the US Galaxy S9 is $720, for Samsung Galaxy S9+ - $840 for the version with 64 GB of permanent memory, Galaxy S9 - 840 euros, Galaxy S9+ - 950 euros in Europe for the version with 64 GB of permanent memory.
A day before the start of MWC Barcelona, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will be officially unveiled during the Samsung Unpacked event on February 25, with sales starting on March 16.
Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+: specifications, design, features, price and release date
Looking ahead to 2018.
Update 11/10/2017
The latest report suggests that despite its best efforts, Samsung will not be installing an under-glass fingerprint scanner on the Galaxy S9. However, according to rumors, it is going to change its position relative to the Galaxy S8. This information may provide support for a recent Samsung patent suggesting that the Galaxy S9's fingerprint scanner could be housed in a circular cutout at the bottom of the screen.
It hasn't disappeared from store shelves yet, but we're already hearing the first rumors about it, with one report claiming that the smartphone has already passed the first stages of production.
There will be rumors soon about what the new phone will look like, especially since we have already seen and, so we have collected the most interesting information in this article, as well as answered some key questions.
Briefly about the main thing
NewsSamsungGalaxyS9: What's new?
The latest leaks suggest that the Samsung Galaxy S9 will support modular accessories, but without an in-display fingerprint scanner (sadly, it may remain on the back). The phone will be powered by the powerful new Snapdragon 845 chipset and will also remain at 4GB of RAM, instead of the expected 6GB of other current smartphones.
PriceSamsungGalaxyS9: How much will it cost?
We expect a price of $725 / 43,500 rubles based on forecasts, as we expect the Galaxy S9 to come to market at the same price as its predecessor. Given that we don't expect major changes in the design department, we're hesitant about the price increase.
release dateSamsungGalaxyS9: When should we expect it?
We expected a release in March 2018. However, recent rumors suggest that the Galaxy S9 will show itself to the world in January, although this is an early release for those buying smartphones on a 2-year contract abroad.
SamsungGalaxyS9: Release date and prices
We still don't know anything about when the Samsung Galaxy S9 will be released, so we'll have to rely on Samsung's past release history.
Samsung announced the Galaxy S8 at the end of March, so we expect the Galaxy S9 smartphone to follow about a year later, at the end of March 2018.
It is also worth noting that the release of the Galaxy S8 in 2017 was late - the company waited a month longer than usual, so it is quite possible that the new S9 could hit the market at the end of February, in which case it will be presented at Mobile World Cogress 2018, the February exhibition.
Recent rumors claim that due to the premature creation of the OLED panels that will be used on the new smartphone, the Galaxy S9 will arrive in January, but this is an exceptionally early release for many reasons, not least because many users abroad are limited 2 year contracts.
What can we predict with certainty? The Samsung Galaxy S9 is sure to be expensive, as the new Galaxy S8 came with a price tag of $720 (42,000 rubles) abroad, and in Russia sellers priced it at 55,000 rubles at launch, before the price dropped to a reasonable 38-40,000 rubles.
SamsungGalaxyS9: News and Rumors
Not much is known about the Samsung Galaxy S9, but some sources claim that the company has already started working on a new next-generation flagship smartphone.
Bell reports, citing unnamed industry sources, that Samsung has been actively working on screen panels for the Galaxy S9 since late March 2017. If Samsung has started work on the S9 screen, production has actually started six months earlier than usual.
This is not a global surprise, since many companies start working on their flagships in one generation, we are glad to see the first rumors about the next flagship after the release of the current one.
Samsung and Qualcomm have also started working on a new mobile chip, according to The Investor. It looks like the chip will be called Snapdragon 845 - like the Snapdragon 835, which could be found in the American Galaxy S8 models, presumably the 845 will be used in the American Samsung Galaxy S9 models.
Among other things, the use of the Snapdragon 845 has been mentioned in rumors several times, often by fairly reliable sources, so it seems the most likely.
Until now, we do not know anything about the power or performance of the Snapdragon 845 chipset, but we are sure that it will not be the only one; we are waiting for an update to the Exynos chipsets that will accompany the Galaxy S9 in Russia.
Speaking of new Exynos chipsets, Samsung has already revealed that it has developed modems for the next generation of its chips. Why do you need them? In theory, these modems support download speeds of 1.2Gbps - faster than any other phone, meaning you could download an HD movie in just 10 seconds.
However, it's unlikely that we'll get 6GB of RAM inside the S9, which is what many smartphone makers are doing - Samsung is planning on using a much more reasonable 4GB specification instead.
It looks like one of the major chipset developments will allow the company to include a much larger battery. A new report suggests that Samsung is now using PCB technology, a specialized substrate that will allow chipset maker Exynos to include a larger battery without increasing the size of the process.
This may mean that the extra battery capacity won't benefit users of the Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered Galaxy S9 smartphones, but it could mean big improvements for Russian users with Exynos models.
One of the biggest problems with the Samsung Galaxy S8 was the way the fingerprint scanner is positioned on the back of the phone, after rumors were rife with promises that the scanner would go under the display glass, but nothing of the kind happened.
However, the new Qualcomm Fingerprint Sensor could sit below fairly thick screen bezels, and OLED technology (used on Samsung's flagship phones) has been mentioned, among other things.
All this indicates that the Samsung Galaxy S9 may feature under-glass scanner technology.
Again, a source close to production claims that an in-display fingerprint scanner is not in Samsung's plans, as another recent report suggests, so don't count on that feature just yet.
Could this be the location of the new fingerprint scanner?GalaxyS9?
A likely alternative is also the implementation of a fingerprint scanner built into the cutout at the bottom of the screen, a solution somewhat reminiscent of what we see on the Essential Phone, but at the bottom rather than at the top.
This theory is based on a patent that clearly shows such a feature, but patents are often not used in products, so nothing like this might happen.
Either way, Samsung may offer you a new way to unlock your phone, with some rumors hinting that the Galaxy S9 will use a 3D front camera sensor.
Sources don't explain what they mean by this, but the solution sounds very similar to the new Face ID system, which allows you to use facial recognition to unlock your phone. And the 3D part suggests that, as with Apple’s solution, the scanner can no longer be fooled by photography. We won't get our hopes up for this feature, but we won't rule it out either.
When it comes to the cameras of the new Samsung Galaxy S9, the first thing they say is that it will be able to shoot incredible video quality in Slow Motion mode.
Industry sources claim that Samsung is working on a rear camera that will be able to capture images at 1,000 frames per second, which would be better than any phone offering on the market.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 is sure to get some new features, one of which could be a modular design with magnets built into the back panel, allowing you to attach hardware accessories (which could take the form of battery packs, zoom lenses, and any other accessory), a bit reminiscent of Moto Mods from Motorola.
Only one source has mentioned this feature so far, so we recommend taking it with a pinch of salt, but such a camera could be a key selling point of the Galaxy S9 if that's the case.
We also saw Samsung's patent for a sensor that analyzes atmospheric conditions and alerts you to how dirty the air around you is.
Additionally, in late 2016, Samsung licensed a new glass coating technology that makes water bounce off your smartphone screen. Samsung plans to include this technology in an upcoming smartphone, so this could mean the Galaxy S9 is much easier to use in the rain. Watch the video below to see how this technology works.
As you can imagine, rumors aren't too active at the moment, but we promise to wade through the rumor jungle, picking out the best from the worst - so bookmark this page if you want to know about the latest Samsung Galaxy S9 news.
SamsungGalaxyS9: What do we want to see?
The Samsung Galaxy S8 hasn't arrived in the wild yet, but we've already been brainstorming improvements we'd like to see on the Galaxy S9.
Folding screen
Rumors about the Samsung Galaxy X, a phone with a foldable display, have been brewing over the past few years.
Samsung's media executive said the company doesn't plan to release a fully foldable phone until at least 2019, but plans could change in the coming months.
For Samsung, building the first truly foldable phone and selling it in 2018 could be a huge decision that will forever change the way we use our phones.
Smaller version
Samsung doesn't offer an alternative flagship like the . Instead, the company is offering the Galaxy S8 for medium and large phone users as well.
We'd like to see the Galaxy S9 come with a third model, featuring a smaller screen for users with smaller hands.
Under-screen fingerprint scanner
It was clear from the news that Samsung wanted to move the fingerprint scanner under the Galaxy S8 screen panel, but the manufacturer did not have enough time to polish the technology.
Instead of embedding a touch-sensitive Home button under the screen, which is useful, we'd like to see a fully implemented technology that includes an under-screen fingerprint scanner.
Price drop
Samsung had to increase the price of the Galaxy S8, making it one of the most expensive flagship phones on the market.
If you buy it in installments over, say, two years, the phone isn't as expensive as it might seem, but we'd like to see Samsung cut the price for next year's phone if possible.
Dual Lens Camera
Galaxy S8 rumors suggested that Samsung was working on a dual-lens camera like the iPhone 7 Plus, but the technology never materialized.
With the Galaxy S8's camera improvements appearing to be quite limited, it would be great to see a decent camera upgrade, even going as far as adding a dual lens to the Galaxy S9.
RELATED PRODUCT:
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ only hit shelves a couple of months ago, but that doesn't stop us from speculating about their successors. As always, whenever one great device comes out, there are always people who want to know about its sequel. Here are all the rumors related to what we assume will be in the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+. When they come out, apparently, under the code name "Star". We've also added a few things we'd like to see, so feel free to do the same in the comments.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ were officially announced on March 29 and released to the public starting on April 28, so we don't expect to see the S9 or S9+ until March or April 2018.
The South Korean company's next device is rumored to be the , which is believed to be out by the end of August or early September.
We expect more rumors about the Samsung Galaxy S9 to increase once the Note 8 hits the market, so keep your eyes peeled until the end of September.
We don't expect big design changes from the Galaxy S8 to the S9, with subtler differences more likely as seen in the pattern of Galaxy S6 to minor changes to the S7, S5 to major changes to the S6 and S7 to major changes to the S8.
So the screen will undoubtedly remain a key design detail along with the dual edges, although we wouldn't be surprised to see the rear fingerprint sensor end up in a different location.
The placement of the fingerprint sensor was the most critical element in the S8 and S8+, so it wouldn't be too surprising to see Samsung focusing on changing its position, perhaps under the display? PocketNow recently reported that this will be based on some unnamed industry sources quoted by Korean media, although it's still early days, more rumors will be coming closer to the device's release.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ will undoubtedly continue the trend of large display, minimal footprint. The S8 has a 5.8-inch screen and the S8+ has a 6.2-inch screen, although their 18.5:9 ratios make the smartphones smaller than other phones with smaller displays.
Whether the S9 will increase its display size remains to be seen, although Korean site The Bell claims the Infinity Display will remain a key focus for the 2018 flagship. According to a report from PocketNow, Korean Media stated that the S9 and S9+ will retain their current screen sizes of 5.8 inches and 6.2 inches, respectively.
We expect the panel to feature Super AMOLED, given that Samsung has had a lot of success in the last few years, and we also expect to see Mobile HDR on board again. By 2018, this latest feature will likely become more prominent as more content becomes available.
Will Samsung increase the resolution from Quad HD+? Who knows. It wouldn't be too shocking to see a 4K display, especially since Sony offers one on its Xperia XZ Premium and given the trend towards VR, but it's still guesswork.
Samsung Galaxy S devices offered excellent camera functionality, we expect an improved camera from the Galaxy S9.
There are no rumors of megapixels yet, but expect excellent performance, wide apertures, and more sophisticated features. As usually happens with a new flagship. Iris scanning is present on the Galaxy S8 and S8+ and it works great. So we expect to see the technology appear on the S9, perhaps improve even further.
We'll update this feature with any rumors about the Galaxy S9. If you've got itchy feet and the S8 and S8+ don't tickle your fancy, it's worth taking a look at our Note 8 feature to see if this device can tick your boxes.
Samsung plans to unveil its next-generation smartphones, the Galaxy S9 and S9+, at an event to be held on February 25 as part of the Mobile World Congress, however, ahead of the events, several images of the new flagship from the South Korean manufacturer have appeared on the Internet.
The leaker, Evan Blass, also known as @evleaks, shared images of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ on Twitter. He told us what to expect from the device, which should become a direct competitor to Apple's iPhone X.
The design of new smartphones from Samsung has not undergone significant changes compared to. The devices have thin frames and a Super AMOLED display. Unlike the iPhone X, the S9 and S9+ also have bezels at the top and bottom, with the top housing various tools such as the camera and microphone.
The older version, Galaxy S9+, has a new, similar design with dual cameras on the back panel. Camera improvements should be one of the main features of new devices.
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
The Galaxy S9 is rumored to have a single 12-megapixel camera with a variable aperture ranging from f/1.5 to f/2.4, while the S9+ will have two 12-megapixel cameras, one of which has a fixed aperture.
Samsung isn't yet ready to implement a feature like this on its smartphones (the devices only feature less reliable iris scanning technology), so the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will feature fingerprint sensors located on the back of the devices. At the same time, the company has changed the location of the fingerprint sensor on both devices, moving it below the camera instead of to the right of it, as it was before.
Samsung will present the Galaxy S9 and S9+ in black, purple, gray and blue colors. The Samsung Galaxy S9 will have a 5.8-inch screen like the iPhone X, while the S9+ will have a 6.2-inch display diagonal.
According to insiders, the younger version of the Korean flagship is priced at $990, while the Galaxy S8 cost $850.
In addition, it is reported that the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will be the last smartphones produced under the Galaxy S brand. Next year, the company intends to change the name of the future flagship to Galaxy X.
Samsung Galaxy S9+ is officially presented! We analyze the characteristics of the new product hot on the heels - immediately after the official presentation at MWC-2018.
The Korean company adheres to a two-year cycle of flagship updates. “Even” models, which are released in odd years, invite the user to rethink the concept of a modern phone, at least that’s what the brand’s marketers would like to think. The “odd” models, which are presented for even years, are an improved - modified, slightly updated, with bugs corrected - version of last year’s flagship.
It's an even year, which means that the characteristics of the Samsung Galaxy S9 cannot be fundamentally different from its predecessor. Moving to a new platform cannot be called a radical change, since a hardware upgrade is a planned step, without which the flagship cannot do without. Nevertheless, there are enough updates, and they will not go unnoticed.
Inherited from last year's Galaxy, the new Samsung Galaxy S9 received a screen, battery and memory configuration.
Infinity Display. The “endless” screen of the Samsung Galaxy S9 retains the same diagonal 5.8 inches, although upon in-depth study of the characteristics we see that the sensor area has increased by tenths of square centimeters. And the screen began to cover a little more area of the front panel. Of course, these are little things, but out of respect for the smallest details we are forced to note them; after all, we are talking about the main flagship of spring 2018.
The proportions of the sides remained the same, as did the resolution - 18.5:9 and 1440 x 2960 pixels. The pixel density is around 570 ppi, the Super Amoled matrix, which guarantees excellent picture quality, especially if you like maximum contrast and bright, rich colors. The screen of the Galaxy S9 is covered with protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
All characteristics of the Galaxy S9 are collected in a single table at the end of the publication, but we move on.
Battery. They didn’t change anything here, they left the old battery on 3000 mAh, like the eighth “Galacty”. Fast charging is of course supported. Wireless too.
Memory. The new Galaxy S9 smartphone has the same memory specifications as its predecessor. Buyers are offered a configuration 4/64 , no options. That is, 4 gigabytes of RAM and 64 gigabytes of built-in (this is true, just in case).
For many, the main advantage of Korean flagships is the excellent quality of photos from the main camera. () For some reason, the front one constantly disappointed, at least this was the case before the appearance of the Galaxy A8 in the middle segment.
On paper, the Galaxy S9's camera specs haven't changed much, but there's a new feature: dual aperture. The sensor is the same 12 megapixels with a single dot size of 1.4 microns. Optical stabilization has not gone away - where would we be without it? The proprietary Dual Pixel autofocus is in place, which uses phase-phase technology, but works several times faster than regular PDAF.
The optics are also almost unchanged: the equivalent focal length remains 26 mm, that is, the lens is classic, and by the standards of normal cameras (“DSLRs”) it can even be called wide-angle. What has changed is the aperture. The maximum aperture is now f/1.5, which means that in low light conditions the Galaxy S9 will shoot even better than its predecessor, which was also very good in this category. The nuance is that the aperture is no longer fixed, but dynamic. ()
A new feature of the camera is the ability to adjust the aperture in the settings. The Galaxy S9 lens aperture varies from f/1.5 to f/2.4. A wide aperture (f/1.5) is needed in low light, as well as during macro photography. A wide lens reduces the depth of field - the depth of field of the imaged object. This allows you to naturally, without software processing of the frame, highlight the main object of the frame against a blurry background. The dual aperture also works in automatic mode, letting in more light in low light conditions.
The Samsung Galaxy S9+ camera had very interesting characteristics. There is a double module, which in combination with a dynamic dual aperture promises incredible photo quality. Read more in the special material about the plus version, the link to which you will find at the end of this article.
Front-camera. An advanced dual front camera, like the one, was not installed in the new flagship. We left one 8 megapixel sensor with autofocus and automatic HDR mode (). Note the wide f/1.7 aperture, like last year’s flagship.
As usual, Samsung is bringing two hardware configurations to the market. One will be received by the United States and China, the second by the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, Africa). We belong to the second region, so let’s talk about this version in a little more detail.
Chipset built on two clusters of cores. The productive cores are represented by a customized Mongoose M3 architecture. They operate at a frequency of 2.8 GHz, that is, 0.1 GHz faster than the Kryo 385 Gold cores in the Snapdragon 845. Will this difference affect performance? Hardly. And so, as they say, with a large reserve.
The energy-efficient cores of the Galaxy S9 processor for our market are represented by the reference Cortex-A55 architecture. The clock frequency is 1.7 GHz, like the Kryo 385 Silver cores in the Snapdragon 845. In combination with 4 GB of RAM, this hardware is capable of providing hurricane speeds, which will last most users for another five years, or even more.
The main difference between Exynos 9810 and Snapdragon 845 lies in the graphics adapter. Buyers in the EMEA region have to settle for the Mali-G72 MP18. An eighteen-core graphics chip will be faster than the predecessor Mali-G71 installed in the S8, but will it be able to overtake the Adreno 630, which will be available to users in the US and China? Previously, Adreno always beat its competitor, most likely it will be the same this time. However, you won’t have to worry about lags and slowdowns in games. There's enough power for an elite gaming experience, even at maximum settings.
Read also: . The fastest Android smartphone!
As befits an “odd” model, the Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ inherited the appearance of their predecessors. The glass sandwich with a metal frame still looks quite futuristic. The chic Infinity display makes a spectacular impression, especially in combination with stunning picture quality. There are frames above and below the display, because of them the overlap area of the front panel is not so high - 83.8%.
The main innovation concerns the fingerprint scanner. It moved directly under the camera module and was located along the central axis, where it belongs. However, according to reviews from experts who have already held the new Samsung Galaxy S9 in their hands, getting your finger into the scanner is still problematic. Often, instead of a sensor, a lens is at hand.
Wireless and wired interfaces are presented in full. There is a 3.5mm jack for music lovers who are used to their traditional jack headphones. The charger is connected via Type-C. Wireless connectivity supports Wi-Fi 802.11ac (5 GHz) and Bluetooth 5. Fans of contactless payments can expect NFC with Samsung Pay (accepts Visa and MasterCard). There will be FM radio in the US and China region.
The case is protected from dust and moisture according to the IP68 standard, but it seems to us that this is no longer worth talking about. All Samsung flagships inherit this characteristic by default.
Operating system - Android 8 Oreo out of the box. Samsung promises four years of software updates for the Galaxy S9/S9+, although many users, even fans of the brand, are skeptical about such statements. In their opinion, they have to wait too long for updates; This concerns not only the operating system, but also security patches.
According to information from a European retailer, the starting price of the Galaxy S9 will be 850 euros, which is 50 euros more than the price of the S8 at launch. Once again we have to admit that flagships continue to rise in price. Apparently, they will soon break through the psychological barrier of 1000 euros.
The plus version is already testing this barrier. 1000 euros - this is exactly the price of the Galaxy S9+ announced by the mentioned European retailer. True, this is a rounded figure. In reality the price will be slightly lower - 997 euros, but who's counting! We remind you that last year the S8+ started at 900 euros.
The release date of the Galaxy S9/S9+ was officially announced at the end of January. Pre-orders for phones start on February 28, and the first batches will go on sale already March 16.
One of the Russian retailers announced the price of the Galaxy S9 in Russia - 60000 rubles The price of the Galaxy S9+ is seven thousand higher - 67000 rubles
According to yet unconfirmed data, in the United States you can buy a phone much cheaper: for the Galaxy S9 they ask for pre-order 720 dollars, for Galaxy S9+ 840 dollars.
That's all, thanks for your attention! And be sure to read, which is not only more massive, but also cooler in terms of the main camera.
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