Are you looking for an excuse to splash out on a new phone? Well, here are nine reasons why you should consider treating yourself to the new Samsung Galaxy S9…
- Samsung Screen
The Samsung Galaxy S9’s screen is nothing short of genius. The curved glass wraps the display neatly around the sides of the phone, delivering the ‘Infinity display’. This, in combination with a clean aluminum frame, really gives the device a luxury quality.
In the 5.8-inch screen, the AMOLED panel depicts incredibly vibrant, bright and accurate colors. The S9 has a Quad HD+ (2,960 × 1,440 pixel) resolution, which means it’s actually sharper than its larger S9+ counterpart because it packs more pixels in (570 pixels-per-inch to be exact).
- New and improved Software
The curved display proves excellent not only when viewing stunning photographs, but also when viewed with the advancements in the S9’s software, especially with regards to watching TV and Gaming. The S9 supports HDR10, so apps like Netflix, YouTube, and HBO with HDR10 content look their absolute best on this phone and the Snapdragon 845 chip boasts bigger graphics improvements. Games run without a hitch and the phone doesn’t get too warm after you’ve been playing for a while.
The Snapdragon 845 also truly shines with fast performance across the board; whether you are playing graphic-intensive games or simultaneously using Multi Window and Android Oreo’s floating window for YouTube playback, the Galaxy S9 won’t fail to keep up. In summary, this is the fastest phone made by Samsung to date.
- Easy to handle
It’s really easy to get your hands on the S9. Thanks to the small and compact 5.8-inch display and smooth curved edges, the S9 is easy and comfortable to use in one hand. However, due to the elongated 18.5:9 aspect ratio, this device still offers a lot of screen to look at. The handling of this device is further improved by the conveniently placed power button on the right edge, Bixby button on the left edge and most importantly, the new location of the fingerprint sensor. Now, the fingerprint scanner and camera are setup vertically, as opposed to horizontally as we saw with the S8, making it easier to swipe the sensor and not the camera. But, if you prefer a ‘the bigger the better approach’ the S9 Plus is the phone for you.
For those who are used to older phones with physical controls, the pressure-sensitive virtual home button provides a familiar feeling; making the transition to on-screen keys feel more natural.
- Great Durability
The materials used to produce this phone are an improvement on those of the S8. The screen maintains the high resolution display using the bright and vibrant Super AMOLED panel. The upgrade is the use of Gorilla Glass 5; this is a big step forward in the device’s durability. This screen is more capable than its predecessor at enduring the knocks and drops of everyday life. In addition, the aluminium frame creates a more robust construction.
The device is also water and dust resistant; great for peace of mind if you enjoy the outdoors… or you’re clumsy! IP (Ingress Protection) is a universally accepted measure of dust and liquid resistance and with the S9 and S9+ having a rating of IP68, it’s safe to say your phone can be protected from adventurous conditions.
- Fantastic Photos and Super Slow Motion Video
The Plus offers a dual-camera system that has features such as 2x optical zoom and a Portrait Mode for a blurred background effect. The Live Focus and Selective Focus features are also superior on the S9+. However, these benefits come at a price.
Even though the S9 has one lens instead of two like the S9+, it sure does pack quite a punch. The killer single 12-megapixel camera with variable aperture takes stunning photographs. At f/1.5, the S9 features the widest aperture available on a smartphone currently; meaning it can absorb more light and produce high quality images. You can manually switch apertures in the camera’s Pro mode and the default aperture setting is generally f/2.4. But, when the camera detects low light, it will automatically switch to f/1.5 aperture (the lower the number the wider the aperture). This feature helps makes the S9’s camera superior in comparison to many other smartphones on the market today; its ability to capture noticeably brighter, high quality photographs.
The Super Slow motion video feature is remarkable with this phone. You can slow down a video clip to 960 frames per second at 720p resolution for 0.2 seconds; that’s 32 times slower than real life! The S9 camera lens will automatically detect action in a frame and will slow it down for you – simple! Alternatively, you could use the manual mode to do it yourself. The most exciting part about this feature is the variety of things you can do with the video after it’s been shot. You can loop the clip, swing it back and forth or reverse it.
- Intelligent scan
The S9 offers a triple threat of identity authentication; iris scanning, facial recognition and fingerprint sensor. The new improvements in this feature are the relocation of the finger scanner and the introduction of ‘Intelligent scan’. Now, facial and iris scanning are combined, so if one fails the S9 will simply default to the other saving you the trouble of having to start again!
- Make it your own!
The S9 has done a stellar job in creating an attractive array of glossy colours and hues for you to choose from. Midnight Black, Coral Blue and Lilac Purple are stand-out and will have you admiring your phone more than you realise possible.
If these colours aren’t enough for you, the S9’s customisation options for graphics and layouts are endless and allow for true personalisation. From the size of your apps to the font and colour of the time icon, you can add your artistic flare to every aspect of this phone.
- Bonus features
This phone will make your life easier – wave goodbye to the burden of iPhone dongles… the S9 has a headphone jack! The S9 has also developed to cater to those who prefer to listen to music out loud with the new stereo sound speaker. The top earpiece works with the speaker at the bottom of the device, AKG-tuned, Dolby Atmos audio is said to be 1.4 times louder than the S8. Music is easily room-filling, with a rich and clear sound and when you watch Atmos-optimized content, the audio seems to physically surround you.
- Won’t burn a hole in your pocket
At £739 and £869, the devices save you around £200 when compared to their closest rival – the iPhone X! With interesting software, design and a superior camera, it’s fair to say that you get your money’s worth with this phone.
