When Samsung Galaxy S9 rumours started circulating, all of them share one common point: it’s more of the same. Often times, it does sound like it’s a bad thing.

Having used the Samsung Galaxy S9 for a week, I can confirm that it’s a step up from its predecessor. In fact, the first 24 hours already left very deep positive impressions.

 

Solid and Slim

Full disclosure: the last Samsung Galaxy flagship review I did is the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge. So having jump to the Samsung Galaxy S9 is, personally, a real eye-popping experience.

I did spend a short while fiddling with the Samsung Galaxy S8 at one random Samsung showroom. Using the Infinity Display then, along with the ultra-slim bezel design, really left me wanting. Once you get the full 18:9 display experience, it’s very hard to go back to the 16:9 format.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 rocks a build with metal and glass elements; it’s a huge departure from what I usually use. The matte metal frame that runs along the sides of Samsung Galaxy S9 pairs perfectly with the front-and-back edged-glass. This gives the next-gen flagship a nice hand-holding experience. In fact, the size alone – thanks to its super-slim form factor – the 5.8-inch display didn’t feel unwieldy. In fact, it feels very comfortable holding the Samsung Galaxy S9.

 

Impressive View

I have plenty to share about the Infinity Display; from its visual performance to how the content look with the dual edge sides.

This is my first ‘long-time’ experience with the near bezel-less screen. Besides being in awe of the 18:9 ratio, the hue and saturation mix is nothing short of impressive. Adaptive display is on by default and so is auto-brightness, meaning I didn’t fiddle with them. Indeed, the Samsung Galaxy S9 is able to quickly determine how to produce the right colour balance for its screen. Visuals on this 5.8-inch is awesome and the edge sides, while odd for some content, didn’t compromise the viewing experience.

Design wise, Samsung did it right this time as it adds a dark overlay on all its front sensors. When the screen blacks out and goes to standby, the Samsung Galaxy S9 looks like a perfectly seamless slab up-front. It’s a nice touch.

 

Refined Usage

The previous Samsung Galaxy flagships have picked up plenty of mixed feedback in regards to the user interface (UI). Using Samsung TouchWiz and now moving onto the Samsung Experience 9.0 platform – personally, the change is amazing!

Using Google Android 8.0 as its base, the new UI is super smooth and ultra responsive. The Samsung Edge Panel now has two columns, something I wondered about in the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge review. There is Samsung Bixby now too, a feature that I will explore further in a separate review. Suffice to say, this new artificial intelligence service is somewhat more intuitive than its immediate rivals.

Even more impressive is how Samsung has put out more intuitive UI features, thanks to Google Android 8.0 integration. The notification bar now has a first three notification row with small dots to represent the rest. This reduces the clutter in that space. Apps with badges now have pop-up status updates too. Just long-press the icon until the handy side-panel opens and there’ll be a notification bubble below the command options.

As for the usual control experience of the Samsung Galaxy S9, it is very much like stock Android 8.0. Swipe up to open the app drawer and notifications, along with default apps, are now less intrusive.

 

Big on Performance

Specs wise, the Samsung Galaxy S9 is all-new, featuring the Samsung Exynos 9810 System-on-Chip with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. This is the only specs variant available to Malaysia. The next-gen hardware within work to ensure the Samsung Galaxy S9 runs smoothly at all times. From boot up to dealing with multiple apps at the same time, nothing slows down this new Samsung flagship down.

Launching games that eat up resources did not challenge this flagship one bit; not even than three dozen tabs in Google Chrome could dint the performance. Indeed, there are other titles besides the visually intense games like Asphalt 8 and some Japanese RPGs. This includes titles like Fate/Grand Order and the Sega Classic emulator games.

The little things that are on the Samsung Galaxy S9 surprise me even more. Like the security measures and sound stage, even the configuration pages, all of them have been truly delightful to use.

 

Smart Security

Personally, the Intelligent Scan and fingerprint scanner are impressive in their own right. In fact, both fully complement and don’t one-up over each other.

For optical biometrics, the Samsung Galaxy S9 uses more than just the iris scanner now; unlike the Samsung Galaxy S8, the facial recognition is now part of the protection suite. While not as comprehensive as its immediate rival, the face scanning –  using a comprehensive 2D process – works well enough; it takes about two seconds to unlock. When paired with the iris scanner, it takes about a second to get going.

There is one slight flaw – both need proper lighting or they won’t be able to detect the face or eyes. That’s where the fingerprint scanner comes into play.

Unlike its immediate predecessor, the fingerprint reader is no longer on the side of the camera. Instead, it’s new location is below the camera unit. Of course, the move makes this feature more intuitive and user friendly. Interestingly, it works better than Intelligent Scan, taking a micro-second to open up the protection layer.

Fun Emoji

Emotive icons are now a huge deal, so much so that various hardware vendors want a piece of it. In Samsung’s case, it didn’t re-invent the wheel; instead it makes do through some ingenuity. Since there is a facial recognition on-board, it makes sense to give it other roles besides being a protective feature.

That is how AR Emoji came to be. It doesn’t offer full 3D scanning but it works to a certain point. Thanks to the 100 or so facial tracking markers, digitising one’s face and capturing expressions after are on point. Not as impressive as what the rival flagship offers, but it does the job. Personally, the animation renders are nicer because it feels like a legit cartoon emoji.

 

True Clarity

Beyond the exceptionally vivid 5.8-inch Infinity Display, the Samsung Galaxy S9 packs in a stereo sound system. Finally, the Korean tech giant is listening to its users; it’s an in-thing that two specific Google Android brands are now masters at.

Does it perform as well as the flagships that Taiwan and Japan put out?

Well, for starters, it is a step up from the Samsung Galaxy S8. Where the predecessor only had a tinny speaker driver that decently performs, this new flagship trumps all that. From having better audio clarity and excellent sound staging, it produces amazing sound performance on every level.

Playing action movies, to K-Pop music videos, orchestra sets, even movie trailers with the proper optimisations – everything sounds awesome! High octane car chases and deep thumps of a Harley Davidson, to vocal intricacies of famous songstresses; all of them have the right balance of clarity and impact. There are no audio interference or distortion whatsoever.

 

Audio Boost

The chassis, using the right mix of glass and metal, acts as the perfect amplifier; this acts as a passive booster for the Samsung Galaxy S9 sound staging.

Just think of mini Bluetooth speakers and the reflector panels it uses over its tiny drivers to amplify sound. That is what the Samsung Galaxy S9 body does. Somehow, there is enough resonance going around inside to raise the volume of the sound stage beyond the normal limits.

Samsung uses this amplification to further empower the Dolby Atmos feature of the Samsung Galaxy S9. The sound amplification and unique placement of the speakers fully enable the Dolby feature to maximise its offerings.

As the concept is about creating a 3D-esque audio field, does it work? On some level it does! With proper Dolby Atmos content, and having the right hand-holding placements, it can create a pseudo 3D sound stage. The speakers’ placements emulate the Dolby Atmos concept, hence the necessity of holding the device in a certain way.

It’s good but it really cannot out-perform a proper sound-bar or cinema.

 

Sharp Shooter

Honestly, I like the main camera on the Samsung Galaxy S9. While I didn’t try the previous flagship, I did fiddle with the rear-facing shooters of other flagships, including Apple. Comparing them, Samsung blows them all out of the water.

The Dual Aperture is the main highlight for this flagship; complementing that are the Super Speed Dual Pixel and optical image stabilisation (OIS). Both ensure all snaps are always steady and turn out sharp.

According to Samsung, the Dual Aperture feature will automatically switch between f/2.4 and f/1.5, depending on lighting levels. Dark means, the larger aperture will come out to play, while the smaller format engages in brighter settings.

Taking shots in daytime, it is very obvious that the camera sensor on the Samsung Galaxy S9 is very versatile. Be it in noon-time or under a shade, even a well-lit room, all the pictures look vibrant and exceptionally sharp. Details on food and macros are high, though there is a slight vignetting for faraway objects in landscape shots.

The f/1.5 does its job well, drawing in enough light to ensure dark environments are not overly dim. Even rooms with proper lighting get a brighter overlay thanks to the lens taking in more light. Food photography and family photos in dim rooms will never be the same.

 

Worth Every Dime

There is a lot more to say about the Samsung Galaxy S9, like how Samsung Bixby has loads to offer. The camera has a boatload of functions, like Bixby translate and super slow-mo too.

Even games get some performance tweaks with the new Samsung Game Launcher. Not to mention, there is the inevitable comparisons to the Samsung Galaxy S9+ as well. Alas, a full 360 review needs even more time to produce.

Don’t fret though, there will be a couple of focus features coming up, so look out for that.

All in all, the Samsung Galaxy S9 is the flagship to beat in 2018. Can any flagship killer take it on? Nothing has toppled the Samsung Galaxy S8 yet. Only some have come marginally close, so it’s an easy bet for Samsung Galaxy S9.

 

Samsung Galaxy S9 Benchmarks

 

Samsung Galaxy S9 Pictures (Click images for full resolution)