Samsung Galaxy S9+ review

The Samsung Galaxy S9+ (Check on Amazon.com) is undoubtedly one of the most interesting smartphones ever made.

Package

Inside the package we find a 9V/1.67A power adapter for quick charging, a USB/USB-C cable, a microUSB to USB-C adapter and a USB to USB-C adapter. In addition, we find the excellent AKG headphones.

Build and Ergonomics

Design remains the same. The phone sports a very thin metal frame that envelops two slightly curved glass covers on the edges. The profile changes slightly, just enough to improve ergonomics. It is definitely a very beautiful device. The fingerprint reader is now placed under the camera module which is certainly more convenient. Excellent the fact that the smartphone retains its IP68 certification for water and dust resistance.

Hardware

The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus differs (for the first time) from its smaller sibling. It has 6GB of RAM, two more than the S9 (Check on Amazon.com). The rest of the spec sheet remains the same: we have a 2.7GHz octa-core Exynos 9810 processor paired to a Mali-G72MP18 GPU. The extra RAM doesn’t seem to change the overall user experience, but in the long run, it could definitely benefit this model. The connectivity is great as always: we have Wi-Fi ac dual-band, Bluetooth 5.0 with two devices paired simultaneously, support for MirrorLink, USB-C video output, and LTE up to 1200Mbps. The internal memory starts at 64GB. There is also an NFC chip, support for Glonass/Galileo GPS and, above all, an audio jack. The only things missing are an infrared port and FM radio.

Last but not least we have to remember the presence of a front infrared sensor for the Iris unlock and the heart rate sensor on the back.

Camera

The main camera shoots at 12 megapixels but now has a variable aperture between ƒ/1.5 and ƒ/2.4. This is one of the best cameras ever in a smartphone. Images have good color, automatic HDR works well and we have great detail. The new slow motion with HD resolution at 960fps is just spectacular.

The new AR Emojis are also nice, but we seriously doubt that the average user will ever use them after testing them out. 4K video recordings at 60fps are also excellent although there is no optical stabilization. The footage is stable and has particularly pleasant colors. The front camera of 8 megapixel ƒ/1.7 behaves as it should. It is not the best selfie phone, but it can hold up to the competition. And it lets you record good videos in 2K.

The main difference between this and the Galaxy S9 is the secondary 12-megapixel rear camera equipped with 2x zoom. The versatility of this dual-camera array is remarkable, and a clear winner over the smaller model.

Display

The 6.2-inch QHD+ display uses SuperAMOLED technology and has very high contrast, truly remarkable colors and an amazing resolution. The Always On Display feature is really neat and the blue light filter was really well. We forgot to state that the display also supports HDR10.

Software

The Samsung Galaxy S9+ runs Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box and on top we find the latest version of Samsung Experience. The most notable features are window app (and icon) reduction, one-handed mode, edge notifications and the personal area to protect your files from prying eyes. You can also copy some popular apps and activate gaming mode (which improves performance and reduces chances to accidentally interrupt your game).

The software runs smoothly overall, but not as smooth as stock Android.

Autonomy

The Samsung Galaxy S9+ is equipped with a 3500mAh battery. The juice is enough to last you for a whole day. It also sports fast charging and fast wireless charging.

Price

The Samsung Galaxy S9+ costs (Check on Amazon.com) which is a bargain considering what you are getting.

Final Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S9+ is a great smartphone, complete and almost flawless: it has an excellent camera, excellent display, very complete software and it is also waterproof.