Samsung launches Galaxy S9, S9 Plus with greater focus on smartphone photography

Posted:
in General Discussion edited February 2018
Samsung has revealed its new flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus, at its launch event at Mobile World Congress today, with the South Korean giant this time focusing on photography and improved imaging efforts in its latest attempt to beat Apple's iPhone X and iPhone 8.




Revealed during its Samsung Unpacked event in Barcelona, the Galaxy S9 family follows on from the preceding Galaxy S8 in having an OLED display that fills most of the front of the device. Revealed in earlier leaks, this is a 5.8-inch curved sAMOLED screen with a Quad HD+ resolution and a pixel density of 570ppi for the S9, while the S9 Plus has a 6.2-inch curved sAMOLED display with a similar resolution and a 529ppi pixel density.

The main draw for these devices are the rear camera arrangements, which primarily consists of a "Super Speed Dual Pixel" autofocus camera, which is capable of shooting at two different apertures. The fixed aperture of normal smartphone cameras are not able to adjust the amount of light entering the sensor, an issue Samsung believes to have fixed by switching between between F1.5 and F2.4 apertures, with the change helping improve picture quality.

The S9 Plus adds in a second 12-megapixel autofocus camera sensor on the back, with a fixed aperture of F2.4 meant for telephoto shooting. All of the rear cameras also have optical image stabilization to minimize the effects of camera shake when taking a photograph.




Samsung has also included a super slow motion function that is capable of capturing at 960 frames per second, a considerable jump in frame rate previously only seen in the camera sensor used in the Xperia XZ Premium last year. An automatic motion detection system is added to simplify the process, detecting movement in the frame and automatically recording once the the activity commences.

After creating the video, users can then set suitable background music from a selection of 35 tracks, or one from their own playlist, with the video also able to be edited and created into an animated GIF for sharing online.

On the front of both the S9 and S9 Plus is an 8-megapixel F1.7 camera with autofocus. While it does not have the same camera array of Apple's iPhone X, Samsung does still use the front camera for a fun new feature it calls AR Emoji.

Analyzing a 2D image of the user's face, AR Emoji uses machine learning to map out more than 100 facial features to create a 3D model, in turn producing an animated character based on the device owner. Able to be shown performing a number of emotes, such as winks and nods, it can turn these animations into a video, a GIF, or a sticker that can be used in most third-party messaging platforms.

While it is distinctly different from Apple's own Animoji, it is likely to come under fire for seemingly attempting to copy Apple's iPhone X feature by having a somewhat similar name.




Driving the phones is a 64-bit Octa-core processor made on a 10nm process. Depending on the market, this will include either four high performance cores clocked at 2.7GHz or 2.8GHz, matched with another four 1.7GHz cores.

Both models will be offered with options for 64, 128, and 256 gigabytes of internal storage, with expansion of up to 400 gigabytes offered by the microSD slot. While the Galaxy S9 will have 4 gigabytes of RAM, the S9 Plus instead includes 6 gigabytes of memory.

Samsung has included both wireless charging and fast wired charging in the new flagship smartphones, with the former compatible with WPC and PMA, and the latter with QC 2.0 connections. The Galaxy S9 houses a 3,000mAh battery, but the larger S9 Plus uses a 3,500mAh version.




Biometric security consists of three different recognition methods, including iris recognition using an emitter and a sensor located near the front camera, facial recognition using the camera, and the rear fingerprint reader. Intelligent Scan combines the iris and facial recognition methods together for fast unlocking, while the Dedicated Fingerprint allows users to create a secure folder on the device opened by only one specific fingerprint, different from ones used for unlocking.

Audio is provided by stereo speakers tuned by Harman subsidiary AKG, with it also including support for Dolby Atmos. For connectivity, support for dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 5.0 LE, ANT+, USB type-C, NFC, and assorted global positioning systems, with both models including IP68 dust and water resistance.

Samsung is expecting to ship the Samsung S9 and S9 Plus from March 16 in select markets, in a choice of Midnight Black, Titanium Gray, Coral Blue, and Lilac Purple color options. Pre-orders will commence March 2, with the S9 starting from $719 unlocked while the S9 Plus will start at $839.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 44
    thrangthrang Posts: 1,007member
    I honestly have never picked a Galaxy up, much less really studied one. But is that the fingerprint sensor on the back right beneath the camera? Who thought that would be a good, smudge-free idea?
    anton zuykovracerhomie3magman1979SpamSandwichchasmwatto_cobra[Deleted User]
  • Reply 2 of 44
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,858administrator
    thrang said:
    I honestly have never picked a Galaxy up, much less really studied one. But is that the fingerprint sensor on the back right beneath the camera? Who thought that would be a good, smudge-free idea?
    It is the fingerprint sensor, yes.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 44
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member
    Eh...whatever! Is this really the best Samsung can do? See its hard when you're not copying the iPhone feature for feature, including the design. Yes, they took some things such as Animoji's, but they should be able to do a lot more. What about putting the fingerprint reader under the screen instead of on the rear, exactly where it shouldn't be IMO. To me, this is just another standard Android phone. Nothing really special.
    magman1979macseekerchiawatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 44
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,192member
    Does the iris scanner still cause eye pain and is it still flakey?
    Is facial recognition acceptable for authenticating EMV credit card transactions?
    edited February 2018 chasmwatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 44
    Meh.

    magman1979SpamSandwichpeterhartanton zuykovwatto_cobraravnorodom
  • Reply 6 of 44
    I use a Note 8 for work to keep a foot in the Android world. The iris scanning requires you to pick the phone up and actually stare at it. The pure facial recognition doesn’t work consistently. Apple crushed Samsung on this front with the iPhone X. FaceID is infinitely better. Plus apps that adopted FaceID on iOS lag behind on Android and only work with fingerprint. 
    wonkothesanechasmpeterhartanton zuykovracerhomie3watto_cobraredgeminiparavnorodomlostkiwi
  • Reply 7 of 44
    dsddsd Posts: 186member
    Samsung S9 video on you tube 

    https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQBpW-zWMXY&ab_channel=Slashleaks


    Best comment

    chaosawaits
    Lady just leaves her passport out in the open while she's on the phone though? "So glad my phone is secure! No one can steal my identi... Ummm... Where's my passport?" 1:35
    watto_cobralostkiwi
  • Reply 8 of 44
    Impressive on the camera front, can’t wait to see some sample pics. iPhone is really lagging behind in camera.
  • Reply 9 of 44
    How’s that battery life, Sammy?  :|
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 44
    mwhitemwhite Posts: 287member
    rinosaur said:
    Impressive on the camera front, can’t wait to see some sample pics. iPhone is really lagging behind in camera.
    And how many Android phones are being used to shoot professional movies on?????? TROLL
    mike1chiachasmlolliverpeterhartbrucemcLukeCagewatto_cobraredgeminipa
  • Reply 11 of 44
    I use a Note 8 for work to keep a foot in the Android world. The iris scanning requires you to pick the phone up and actually stare at it. The pure facial recognition doesn’t work consistently. Apple crushed Samsung on this front with the iPhone X. FaceID is infinitely better. Plus apps that adopted FaceID on iOS lag behind on Android and only work with fingerprint. 
    Also don’t forget that iOS apps that haven’t updated for Face ID still work great with it, bc when they call for Touch ID, Face ID takes over and finishes the request. Very seamless.
    caladanianlolliverwatto_cobrammatzflashfan207redgeminipa
  • Reply 12 of 44
    thrang said:
    I honestly have never picked a Galaxy up, much less really studied one. But is that the fingerprint sensor on the back right beneath the camera? Who thought that would be a good, smudge-free idea?
    The S8 had the scanner to the side of the lens so that depending on style of use, either right or left handed users were likely to smudge the lens, with this new arrangement Samsung has made it so that whether it is used right or left handed both are equally likely to smudge the lens.
    andrewj5790watto_cobraredgeminipa
  • Reply 13 of 44
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,275member
    I'm all for improvements to the camera, but I do think it's completely legit (ie not just Apple fanboyism) to say that putting the fingerprint detector directly under the camera lens is a terrible design decision. Hopefully the lens is recessed enough to prevent constant smudging. Also, I'd recommend users avoid the iris scanning -- my optometrist has told patients that regular use of it is damaging to the eye.

    Otherwise, my usual motto applies: competition is good, and I wouldn't want a market where only Apple (or only Samsung) sold all the phones -- that would lower the incentive to innovate.
    edited February 2018 lolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 44
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,905member
    thrang said:
    I honestly have never picked a Galaxy up, much less really studied one. But is that the fingerprint sensor on the back right beneath the camera? Who thought that would be a good, smudge-free idea?
    I rather use finger print front(iPhone) than back(Samsung) to get in.That's how God intended to use for most.
    edited February 2018 watto_cobrammatzlostkiwi
  • Reply 15 of 44
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,905member
    One thing that seems different from past Galaxy is 3 internal storage 64GB/128GB/256GB choices. About Samsung's camera enhancements shouting loud, wait for reliability than few tricks here and there.
    edited February 2018 watto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 44
    wood1208 said:
    thrang said:
    I honestly have never picked a Galaxy up, much less really studied one. But is that the fingerprint sensor on the back right beneath the camera? Who thought that would be a good, smudge-free idea?
    I rather use finger print front(iPhone) than back(Samsung) to get in.That's how God intended to use for most.
    Finger print reader on the front means there's a trade off - either you have a massive bezel or you have to develop it under the screen. The large screen to body ratio on the Galaxy phones is one of the reasons people pick them. 
  • Reply 17 of 44
    Really this is Samsung’s answer to iPhone X. Granted I haven’t seen the keynote yet, but this seems incredibly boring. They didn’t even bother to try and match FaceID, just went ahead with using two poorly implemented existing technologies in tandem! Then poorly copied perhaps the lamest iPhone X feature. I thought Doulby Atmos was a format for like 100 plus speaker setup, bet it sounds wicked awesome when output through two smartphone speakers /s. No information on battery life, in the article at least. I didn’t bother to seek out the demensions, but since it has the 3.5mm jack it’s going to be at least that thick. These weren’t priced the same as iPhone X, because they know even rabbids Android fans would view that as a poor value proposition.
    watto_cobraredgeminipa
  • Reply 18 of 44
    The only thing cool about this phone is being able to create an emoji from the selfie camera. Apps like Bitmoji are really popular. Apple should add something like this to Animoji.
  • Reply 19 of 44
    It's pretty absurd for pundits to accuse Apple of lacking innovation when their closest competition is only offering a watered down copycat device nearly 6 months later.

    Even the layout of the animoji copycat is identical to iOS (as is much of their UI/UX overlay) - I wonder how many of their users realise that the Samsung's UI/UX overlay is basically a poor mans copy of iOS.
    peterhartwatto_cobraredgeminipalostkiwi
  • Reply 20 of 44
    The iPhone has been out for a decade now and the press and most folks still insist to compare Samsung to Apple iPhones more than any other brands. The real competition for Samsung is not Apple anymore, its more Google itself now with its own line of Phones. Even tho the Pixel only sold 4 million last year, i bet the majority of those phones were from Samsung users. If Google even starts to sell more slowly each year those aren’t Apple users switching those are other Premium Android flagship users. At this point people are locked into there ecosystems of either Apple or Android, and i can buy only on iOS phone, where Adroid you can switch anytime. Samsung just loves to take shots at Apple and bring them up in commercials or keynotes wherever they are because it make them seem like there on par with the iPhones if they keep comparing it to Apple its keeps them in the news. I almost think samsung want to fanboys to argue and rile them up like the notch commercial they ran for months last fall during the holdidays. I mean at this point, thats not going to attract Apple users by making fun of them, Samsungs just trying to hold onto the fan base they already have. It’s the Pixel they have to worry about because I don’t think Google will stop this time making phones, But I’m sure there’s a contract where they cant make fun of the Pixel at all during events or in commercials because Samsung uses Android to begin with.
    watto_cobra
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