Samsung unveils the Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ with face recognition and first dual-aperture camera
Samsung has officially unveiled the its new flagship device, the Galaxy S9. The device was unveiled at the Mobile World Conference on Sunday with an improved camera and augmented (AR) reality capabilities, probably to take on Apple’s iPhone X.
Samsung released two versions of the device: a 5.9-inch Galaxy S9 and a 6.2-inch Galaxy s9+. Both the two devices feature almost bezeless display, similar to what we saw on the Galaxy S8 that was released last year.
Both smartphones also feature stereo speakers that are tuned by AKG and support Dolby Atmos. The phone has face recognition and iris scanner, along with wireless charging, support for high-speed LTE networks, and the latest SoCs to keep things running smoothly.
The S9 runs Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 processor with a 4GB (S9) and 6GB (S9 Plus). The S9 comes with 64GB of storage and support for microSD card with a 3,000mAh while the S9 Plus packs 3,500mAh battery capacity. Both devices are IP68 dust and water resistant; and supports both fast wired and fast wireless charging.
The big, highlight is however the S9’s new camera system, which comes as a single lens on the S9 and a dual camera on the S9 Plus. Samsung says it has redesigned the phone with a new Dual Aperture lens that powers an innovative low light camera, Super Slow-mo video capabilities and personalized AR Emoji.
“The way we use our smartphones has changed as communication and self-expression has evolved,” said DJ Koh, president and Head of IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics. “With the Galaxy S9 and S9+, we have reimagined the smartphone camera. Not only do the Galaxy S9 and S9+ enable consumers to shoot great photos and videos anywhere, it’s a smartphone that’s designed to help them connect to others and express themselves in a way that’s unique and personal to them.”
Below are the specs.
| Galaxy S9 | Galaxy S9+ | ||
| OS | Android 8 (Oreo) | ||
| Display | 5.8-inch Quad HD + Curved Super AMOLED, 18.5:9 (529ppi) | 6.2-inch Quad HD + Curved Super AMOLED, 18.5:9 (570ppi)
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| Body | 147.7mm x 68.7mm x 8.5mm, 163g, IP68 | 158.1mm x 73.8mm x 8.5mm, 189g, IP68 | |
| Camera | Rear: Super Speed Dual Pixel 12MP AF sensor with OIS (F1.5/F2.4)
Front: 8MP AF (F1.7) |
Rear: Dual Camera with Dual OIS
– Wide-angle: Super Speed Dual Pixel 12MP AF sensor (F1.5/F2.4) – Telephoto: 12MP AF sensor (F2.4) – Front: 8MP AF (F1.7) |
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| AP | 10nm, 64-bit, Octa-core processor (2.7 GHz Quad + 1.7 GHz Quad)
10nm, 64-bit, Octa-core processor (2.8 GHz Quad + 1.7 GHz Quad) |
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| Memory | 4GB RAM
64GB/128GB/256GB + Micro SD Slot (upto 400 GB)
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6GB RAM
64GB/128GB/256GB + Micro SD Slot (upto 400GB)
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| SIM Card | Single SIM: Nano SIM
Dual SIM (Hybrid SIM): Nano SIM + Nano SIM or MicroSD slot |
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| Battery | 3,000mAh | 3,500mAh | |
| Fast Wired Charging compatible with QC 2.0
Fast Wireless Charging compatible with WPC and PMA |
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| Network | Enhanced 4X4 MIMO / CA, LAA, LTE Cat.18 | ||
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), VHT80 MU-MIMO, 1024QAM, Bluetooth® v 5.0 (LE up to 2Mbps), ANT+, USB type-C, NFC, Location (GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou) | ||
| Payment | NFC, MST | ||
| Sensors | Iris sensor, Pressure sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint sensor, Gyro sensor, Geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor, HR sensor, Proximity sensor, RGB Light sensor | ||
| Authentication | Lock type: pattern, PIN, password
Biometric lock type: iris scanner, fingerprint scanner, face recognition, Intelligent Scan: multimodal biometric authentication with iris scanning and face recognition |
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| Audio | Stereo speakers tuned by AKG, surround sound with Dolby Atmos technology,
Audio playback format: MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, WMA, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, APE, DSF, DFF |
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| Video | MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, WMV, ASF, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM | ||
The Galaxy S9 and S9+ will be available starting in March 23, 2018 in select markets and will be offered in Midnight Black, Titanium Gray, Coral Blue and a new hue, Lilac Purple.
Following the global launch pre-orders in Kenya will start from 2nd March and end on 22nd March, 2018. When a customer pre-orders, they will get a free fast charge wireless charger plus 4GB free data. Pre Orders will be available at Samsung Experience Stores, Safaricom Shops, FoneXpress, Naivacom, Tuscom, Phonelink and all authorized dealers countrywide. In terms of pricing, the S9 will retail for $719.99; S9 Plus for $839.99.
