Review
Samsung Galaxy S9+ Asus VivoBook S410 Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 and Note 5 Pro
Don’t judge a book by its cover. This adage holds true when looking at the new Samsung Galaxy S9+ because of how similar it looks to the S8+ launched last year. Switch on the Galaxy S9+ to be greeted by a 6.2-inch super bright infinity display. The fingerprint scanner has been repositioned below the camera module making it intuitive to use. In addition to the face and iris unlocking feature, there is the Intelligent Scan, a combination of the two scanners, that can unlock the phone in low or harsh light. However, it failed to unlock the phone when I was wearing sunglasses.
The S9+ is the first S-series smartphone to have a dual camera for capturing DSLR-like depth images. Accessible through the ‘Live Focus’ mode, the depth effect can be adjusted while capturing an image or later by choosing a picture from the gallery. But it is the addition of dual aperture – f/1.5 and f/2.4 – in the rear camera (a first in smartphones) that helps S9+ capture stunning low-light images. It works just like the human iris. In the dark, the lens automatically opens up to the widest aperture available to let in more light. The S9+ can also capture super slow-motion videos at 960 frames per second.
Another highlight of the S9+ is Bixby Vision with modes for live translation, image search, AR-based location search, QR Code scanner and more. Using live translation, I could instantly translate Spanish to English; the image search for chapatti using the Bixby food mode threw up suggestions like phulka roti and jolada roti, along with nutritional information, recipes, videos and an option to log the entry in Samsung Health app. But for all this to work, Bixby Vision needs internet connectivity.
Samsung has introduced an additional security feature. To access the ‘secure folder’, one can add a dedicated fingerprint scan, different from what is used to unlock the phone. The Galaxy S9+ is a combination of functionality with great performance. And for 64,990, it is the best flagship smartphone in the market.
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