Science & Technology Correspondent
It is mid-March and in the mobile world that can mean only one thing.
Just weeks after they were first unveiled at Mobile World Congress, a number of
high-end smartphones are being released onto the market around now.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 hits retailersâ shelves around the country today, the
latest update of the South Korean manufacturerâs flagship range.
But is it worth its â¬800+ price tag? Weâve been trying it out.
DESIGN:
If you were hoping that the Galaxy S9 would arrive with a major design refresh,
then you are going to be disappointed.
To the untrained eye the device is virtually indistinguishable from its
predecessor, the Galaxy S8, which launched a year ago.
Thatâs not necessarily a bad thing though. The S8 undoubtedly marked the
start of a new era of expansive near bezel-less displays and curved edges.
In adopting a similar design, the S9 hasnât lost any of that style and
remains eye catching.
There are a few subtle variations though, which are worth pointing out.
First, the fingerprint scanner has moved underneath the camera away from the
lens which is good, because on the S8 they were too close together, leading to
the potential for smudging.
The S9 also has Gorilla Glass 5 added, as well as stronger aluminium, both of
which should make it more robust.
The headphone jack also survives another upgrade, which will be welcomed by
many.
Three colours are available - Midnight Black, Coral Blue and a new hue, Lilac
Purple
All told, the design changes alone certainly wonât be enough to entice people
to upgrade.
But the device remains premium, attractive and worthy of a flagship.
DISPLAY
Samsungâs top-end phones have always led the way when it comes to screen
quality and performance and the S9 is no different in that regard.
On paper the near bezel-less 5.8-inch Quad HD + Super AMOLED display, with its
18.5:9 aspect ratio and 570 pixels per inch density, is among the best
available.
In practice it lives up to that billing too.
The technology may not have changed significantly since the S8, but DisplayMate
has still crowned it the best screen available today, which is high praise
indeed.
And it is not without foundation.
The S9âs Infinity display is pin sharp, with excellent colour reproduction
and clarity, deep blacks and brilliant whites, and all from a range of viewing
angles.
It is also Mobile HDR Premium certified and like its predecessor it has edge
displays built in.
There is also an Always On Display option for the main screen which can be
customised with widgets, themes and other content.
Out of the box, the display is set at a resolution of FHD+ or 2220x1080, but it
is worth jacking that up to the full resolution, WQHD+ or 2960x1440 to get the
most out of the display, although it might impact your battery life to do so.
CAMERA
If the changes to the display and to the design are modest, the same canât be
said for the camera.
Samsung has overhauled the imaging on the S9 considerably and the result is one
of the best smartphone cameras on the market, particularly in low light.
Ironically, one of the small number of other smartphones that offers better is
the S9âs big brother, the S9+ and only because it has a dual camera set up.
In the case of the S9, the main camera only has one sensor â a dual pixel
12MP chip that has dedicated processing power and memory, as well as autofocus
and optical image stabilisation.
The big addition is that the aperture can now automatically adapt from f/1.5 to
f/2.5, depending on the lighting conditions.
The result is excellent performance in low brightness on top of its already
strong ability when there is plenty of light around.
The modes have also been finessed to offer more options to those who want to
tinker.
Thereâs a super Slow-mo mode which captures video at 960fps and has built in
motion detection that triggers the effect when the camera spots movement.
Features already available on other competitor phones, like the portrait mode
effect on the iPhone X, have also been built in.
Thereâs also a Selective Focus mode and a Food mode for those who like to
snap their nosh.
But if your preference is to shoot on automatic, youâll rarely be
disappointed with the outcome.
The selfie camera has an 8MP sensor with autofocus, as well as a "Wide Selfie"
mode that enables you to squeeze more people into your shot by scanning left
and right to capture them.
The phone can record video at up to 4K resolution.
The marketing hype around the S9 focused on a "reimagined" camera. That might
be pushing it a tad, but nonetheless the imaging capabilities of this device
are extremely good.
PERFORMANCE
The smartphone is powered by a 64-bit Octa-Core Processor , coupled with 4GB of
RAM.
This is more than enough oomph (thatâs a technical term) to drive even the
most demanding of software on the device.
Apps open and close with lightening speed, processing of images is really quick
and the device rarely if ever stalls or hangs.
If thereâs one thing that does let the S9 down a little itâs that it only
comes with 64GB of memory installed.
Sure, that can be expanded to 400GB using MicroSD. But really, for over â¬800
youâd really expect and want more thrown in.
The device runs Android 8.0 Oreo, with Samsungâs skin on top of it.
The interface is slick and easy to navigate, and not overly cluttered. Although
some of the menus are pretty jam-packed with options, which is probably more of
a reflection on the range of functions on the phone than a bad UI.
The S9 has a 3,000mAh battery, the same capacity as the S8.
Performance on the whole isnât bad, but perhaps could be better given that
the new processor should be more efficient.
You can, in general, expect to make it through a day of average to heavy use
without having to top up, but persistent heavy use will have you reaching for
the USB-C charging cable late in the afternoon.
The device does also support wireless and fast charging.
OTHER FEATURES
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and Samsung was obviously
impressed by the quirky features of the iPhone X.
Among them, Animojis, animated emojis that replicate your facial movements.
Samsung has added its version to the S9 and named them AR Emojis.
They essentially do the same thing as Animojis with more options, but just not
quite as well executed.
One aspect that is fun though is that you can build and personalise your own AR
Emoji version of yourself.
The avatar likeness isnât brilliant, but it is fun to play with.
The biometrics on the S9 are also a step up from the S8, where they were
disappointing.
The phone can be unlocked with facial, iris or fingerprint scanning, or a combo
of iris, facial recognition and machine learning, known as Intelligent Scan.
The result is a leap ahead from what went before it â verification is quick
and reliable â and with multiple options it gives it an edge over the iPhone
X.
Audio is pretty good too. The AKG tuned stereo speakers now face the front and
have Dolby Atmos, giving an improved experience.
The S9 is, of course, waterproof too, which is now really an expectation and
also comes with Samsungâs new SmartThings app, which brings together the
manufacturerâs existing Internet of Things and smart home services into one
single app.
CONCLUSION
The Galaxy S9 has much new to offer.
It has a class leading camera, much improved biometrics, lightning performance
and plenty of quirks like AR Emojis for example.
But there are a number of aspects of the device where there has been little or
no improvement, like the design for example and the display (even though it is
very good).
For those for whom money is no object, the S9 wonât disappoint.
But if you have to justify an upgrade to yourself or your employer, then it
could be a more difficult proposition.
If you are stepping up from an S7 or iPhone 7 for example, the rationale of an
upgrade to the S9 is clear.
But if your current device is an S8 or iPhone 8, you wonât get much more bang
for your buck.
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