Samsung Enhances Galaxy S9, S9+ Smartphones Without External Redesign

At first glance, the new Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, introduced on Feb. 25 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, look little changed from last year’s model. That’s because nearly all the improvements are inside the handset’s case. The handsets come with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, improved cameras and a smarter Bixby digital assistant. They also boast fast wireless charging to ensure users can work all day long with little risk of running out of power. But whether the Galaxy S9 deliver enough advanced features compared to last year’s S8 line to justify their lofty price tags will be decided by smartphone buyers in the months ahead.

Samsung didn’t do much to change the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ design. Instead, the devices come with the same curved displays as last year’s models, as well as physical buttons to adjust volume, turn the smartphone on and off and access Bixby. The rear fingerprint sensor has moved to below the smartphones’ rear cameras and the Galaxy S9+ has a vertically-aligned dual-lens camera—the first Galaxy S to come with this feature.

Both Galaxy S9 models run on Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 845. According to recently released benchmarks about Snapdragon 845 power, the chip will deliver the fastest performance in the Android mobile device ecosystem. The processor also has improved power efficiency to safeguard battery life. Samsung’s Galaxy S9 offers 4GB of memory and the Galaxy S9+ runs on 6GB of RAM.

Samsung taught the Bixby virtual assistant some new tricks for the Galaxy S9 line. Bixby has improved augmented reality and deep learning features that will allow users to translate languages in real time. Bixby can also provide information about user surroundings and help users purchase products they point their cameras at. Bixby will even track users’ calories to improve their health.

Samsung said that the Galaxy S9 line comes with “reimagined” cameras. The Galaxy S9 has a single-lens camera that features a “super speed” 12-megapixel sensor. The camera supports super slow motion that can capture 960 frames per second and according to Samsung, will work well in low light. The Galaxy S9+ is the first Galaxy S smartphone to have a dual-lens array. One sensor is identical to the single lens in the Galaxy S9. Samsung also added a 12-megapixel telephoto lens in the Galaxy S9+. Like the Galaxy S9, the Galaxy S9+ also has low-light support and super slow motion.

The Galaxy S9 comes with a 5.8-inch screen featuring a quad-HD resolution and 570 pixels per inch. The Galaxy S9 has a 6.2-inch quad-HD+ screen with 529 pixels per inch. Both models have curved displays that can be used to access menus accessible only by swiping from the curves.

Like last year’s Galaxy S8 line, Samsung’s new Galaxy S9s come with several security features. On the back, users will find a fingerprint sensor that can be used to verify a person’s identity. On the front, users can take advantage of a face scanner and iris scanner. Those face and iris scanners can work together to create a new Intelligent Scan feature that will analyze both a person’s face and iris to verify the user’s identity. Samsung says Intelligent Scan is better than only using an iris or face scanner on its own.

Samsung’s Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ ship with 3,000mAh and 3,500mAh battery packs, respectively.  The smartphones also have QuickCharge 2.0 fast-charge support, which can be augmented with wireless charging. Those features, coupled with the power-efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, should translate to long-lasting battery life that can be recharged in no time.

In a bid to compete with Apple’s Animoji feature, Samsung’s smartphones will ship with what it’s calling the AR Emoji. The feature uses augmented reality and machine learning to create a 3D emoji of the person’s face. Users simply scan their faces and the Galaxy S9s will turn that into a graphic representation. The AR Emoji can then be sent to friends and family over text messages and social media platforms.

Samsung’s Galaxy S9s will ship with the customer’s choice of 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB of storage. The handsets also have a microSD card slot that can add another 400GB of storage to the device. Both models come with near-field communication for mobile payment support and a new Heart Load Factor feature that, with help from a built-in sensor, will help users identify how much “demand” is being placed on their hearts.

Samsung’s Galaxy S9 will be available for pre-order at carrier and retail stores on March 2. The handsets will be available in stores on March 16. They’ll be capable of running on all four major carrier networks in the U.S. Pricing will vary depending on the model customers buy and their carrier of choice, but look for pricing to range from $720 to more than $900.