Spec review: All you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

Samsung Galaxy S9 was announced some days back at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The wait for its unveiling had been exciting, thankfully, the device did not disappoint. The 2018 flagship of the South Korean smartphone markers, towers over most of its competitors. On the spec sheet, the Galaxy S9 is a beast in every way. Masterfully cut to fit the palm without feeling bulky and providing a good grip.

Specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

The device has a tiny upper and lower bezels and in-between there is a 5.8-inch Super AMOLED display with a Quad HD+ resolution (1440 x 2960). That is equivalent to 567 pixels per inch, which assures a super-crisp and clear picture for the high-end flagship device. Again, the screen has an 18.5:9 screen to body ratio, which allows the same screen size like the Galaxy on a slimmer body.

Under the devices metal frame, there is a 4GB RAM fused with 64GB inbuilt storage. And as usual, we have two processor options, the Snapdragon 845 and Samsung’s proprietary Exynos 9810 processor. They are both available to some regions while others get one version. If you need more RAM size, you would have to opt for the bigger Galaxy S9+. The device sports 6GB RAM, both variants are expandable via MicroSD card up to 256GB.

Away from the processor options, the spotlight is on the cameras of the device. Samsung promised to unveil a game-changing camera and that seems to be the case on paper. The Galaxy S9 arrived with a single lens on the front and back. The front camera sports an 8MP lens with F/1.7 aperture. The rear camera features a first of its kind dual aperture technology which allows users to take pictures in low light and bright light conditions. The camera automatically switches between apertures depending on the lighting condition. The F/1.5 lens is designed for low light capture while the F/2.5 works best in normal lighting conditions. Both cameras are equipped with LED flash and have OIS (optical image stabilisation).

Another great feature of the Samsung Galaxy S9 is its slow Mo capturing capability. The device can capture 960 frames per second, which is four times slower than the Galaxy S8 and also meets the industry standard set by Sony phones.

A 3,000mAh battery with fast charge capabilities powers the Galaxy S9. The battery capacity is not different from last year’s S8, however; the company promises a more efficient energy consumption due to the energy efficient tech used in building the device. Hence, the battery is expected to power the device along on a daily basis. The battery can be charged via USB or by wireless charging. So users have a variety of ways to get their battery charging.

Other notable features

Other notable features of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ is the fingerprint scanner housed on the device’s rear. The device has IP68 water and dust resistance  certification, which means it can survive occasional drops in water. Well, fingerprints are a standard mid-end smartphone features nowadays, so the AR emoji features are the notable feature we will look at. In explaining the inspiration behind this feature, Samsung says it believes people are communicating more with images than ever before, so it created the AR emoji feature. AR stands for augmented reality and this feature uses the front camera to take a selfie and make an emoji based on your looks.

Samsung Galaxy S9 is available in 4 colours; Midnight Black, Lilac purple, coral blue, and the Titanium gray. As for pricing and availability, the device will cost $719 that is approximately #237,000 based on a #335 exchange rate. Preorders are currently being accepted, however, shipment of the device will not begin until March 16.

Well, that is the most important details about the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+. What do you love about the gadget? For us at the AndroidNigeria, the camera specs won us over. Share your impressions of the device in the comment box below.