Nine things about the Samsung S9
Blayne Slabbert looks at the latest high-end device from Samsung.
Samsung’s newest smartphones are now on sale in New Zealand at a time when fewer people are upgrading their devices.
Last year saw the industry reach ‘‘peak smartphone’’, with sales stagnating as consumers hold onto their old devices for longer. However, smartphone manufacturers continue to release new devices, and Samsung’s Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are among the best available.
Here are nine things about the new phones if you’re considering upgrading.
Similar design
The 5.8-inch S9 and 6.2-inch S9+ look almost identical to the previous models. The most noticeable change is that the fingerprint scanner on the back has moved. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and the S9 is a great looking phone that has a highquality finish. The main downside is that it looks indistinguishable from many other phones on the market.
It’s expensive
While the phone has changed little, it has had a price rise. Prices in New Zealand start at $1399 for the S9 and $1599 for the S9+. That’s more than the Galaxy S8 ($1299) and S8+ ($1499) which were released last year.
High-end phones are getting more expensive as manufacturers squeeze more tech into them while also trying to increase their profit margins.
Great camera
Samsung’s phone cameras have always been excellent and the S9 continues that trend. The big new feature this year is the adjustable lens opening, which can let in more or less light.
The other new trick is slowmotion video. This means you can take a clip of a fast-moving subject and when you play it back, the footage is oh so slow. It looks great if you are close to the subject and there’s good light.
Overall, if you’re coming from a phone more than three years old, you’ll notice a significant improvement in image quality with the S9.
Animated emojis
These are the latest trendy gimmick for smartphones. Samsung’s version uses a scan of your face to create an animated emoji that sort of looks like you.
You can then record yourself and send it to others. It’s similar to the version Apple launched late last year. While it’s fun, it alone is not worth the investment in the phone.
Bixby gets smarter
Samsung’s virtual assistant is now a year old and offers more features, especially with the camera. For example, it can translate a sign that’s in a foreign language or you can point it at a piece of food and it can tell you the number of calories in it.
It doesn’t always work as intended but artificial intelligence is a work in progress so you’ll need to be patient.
Better battery
If your phone is a few years old, then you’ll be impressed by the battery life on new phones.
Samsung claims the S9 will last 14 hours while browsing online or 16 hours if you’re watching a video.
While those numbers aren’t always reflected in real life, you’ll easily get through a day and a bit with it.
It also has fast charging (included with phone) and wireless charging (you’ll have to buy a charging pad separately).
Staying secure
Samsung offers an abundance of options for unlocking your phone. You can use your iris, your face, your fingertip or a PIN number.
I like having all the options so you can choose. I still prefer the old school fingerprint scanner – which is now in a better position on the rear under the camera lens rather than beside it – as it’s reliable and fast. The face scanner works well and is handy if you use your phone dozens of times a day.
Sounds good
Speakers on a phone are often overlooked. Samsung has added a second speaker to offer stereo sound which will be appreciated by anyone who likes watching videos or using the speaker when talking.
Also, there’s a headphone jack – a feature that is slowly disappearing from many smartphones. Samsung also includes a pair of AKG earphones which is a nice touch.
S9 versus S9+
It costs $200 extra for the larger model, so what do you get for that despite a bigger display?
First, the S9+ has a second camera on the back with a telephoto lens. It’s also got a bigger battery that should get you a few extra hours of use, and more memory (6GB versus 4GB) but you probably won’t notice the difference.
It’s up to you whether that is all worth the extra cash.
Verdict
The S9 is an excellent phone packed full of all the latest features and is possibly the best high-end Android device available at the moment.
However, it’s not for everyone. While Samsung says about 20 per cent of its customers upgrade their phones every year, most people wait longer.
If you’re frustrated by your slow phone or it’s poor camera then it might be worth upgrading. But $1399 is a lot of money and while you get plenty of features there are some, such as animated emojis, that you may never use.
If you are looking to upgrade and like Samsung, then take a look at the recently released Galaxy A8 which costs $799 – it has everything the average user needs.