Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ launched with first dual-aperture camera
Samsung has launched its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S9, with a familiar all-screen design but its re-invented camera system could be a game-changer.
Announced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Sunday, the new top-end Android device comes in two varieties, following in the footsteps of last year’s popular Galaxy S8 in both look and feel. They have glass front and back, metal frames, curved edges, are water resistant, have wireless charging and a headphone socket.
The Galaxy S9 will have a 5.8in screen, while the larger S9+ will have a 6.2in screen. Both 8.5mm thick smartphones have curved screens, thin bezels, stereo speakers and reduced top and bottom non-screen elements compared to last year’s models. This year the S9+ will come with more memory and storage compared to the smaller S9, and will also have a dual-camera system similar to that fitted to Samsung’s larger Note 8, which includes a telephoto camera.
Revamped all-screen design brings new AR emoji, stereo speakers, new 960fps slow-mo and potentially game-changing camera
But it is the wide-angle camera fitted to both models that marks the biggest change for the smartphone. The 12-megapixel camera has the first variable aperture fitted to a smartphone, which physically switches between an f-stop of 1.5 for low-light photography and an f-stop of 2.4 for shooting outdoors.
The new camera also has a new super slow-motion function capable of shooting at an incredible 960 frames per second, turning a 0.2 second event into six seconds of normal film. Rivals such as Apple’s iPhone X and Google Pixel 2 shoot at a maximum of 240 frames per second.
Samsung has also taken a page out of Apple’s book with animated AR emojis, which instead of Apple’s animojis that map your facial expressions on to cartoon images of foxes, robots or even the poo emoji, the S9 will map expressions on to cartoon versions of your face, a bit like live Bitmoji. Users can have up to 18 different expressions with your choice of apparel. But unlike some competitor’s additional messaging functions, the emoji will work in your choice of messaging app.
Samsung has also improved its face and iris recognition system so that both biometric systems can be used at the same time, while the placement of the fingerprint scanner on the back – now below the camera module not along side it – has improved the ergonomics of the phone.
Whether Samsung has done enough to entice buyers of its previous smartphone to upgrade remains to be seen. The two phones look nearly identical, making the S9 a revision of the more radical S8 from 2017. But Samsung’s design and feature set are still likely to be considered class leading this year, at least compared to Android rivals and similarly priced models of the iPhone, discounting the more expensive iPhone X.
The Galaxy S9 and S9+ will ship with Android 8 Oreo and come in three colours, black, blue or purple. It will be available for pre-order from today and will begin shipping from March 16 onwards.
Prices for 64 GB Unlocked Versions :
Galaxy S9 4 GB – Rs. 87,900
Galaxy S9+ 6GB – Rs. 99,900
Samsung Galaxy S9 Full Specification
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 octa-core (Exynos outside the US)
- Display: 5.8 inch 2960×1440 pixels resolution Super AMOLED
- Operating system: Android 8 Oreo
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 64/128/256GB internal with microSD card slot
- Cameras: Super speed dual pixel 12 megapixel with OIS and mechanical dual aperture (f/1.5 and f/2.4). Front 8 megapixel camera, f/1.7.
- Battery: 3000 mAh with fast wired and wireless charging
- Water resistance: IP68
- Wireless connectivity: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi, NFC, Bluetooth 5, ANT+, NFC, GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, MST
- Audio: Dual stereo speakers tuned by AKG with Dolby Atmos, 3.5mm headset jack
- Sensors: Iris, pressure, Accelerometer, barometer, fingerprint, gyro, magnet, heart rate, proximity, RGB light
- Dimensions: 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5 mm and 163 grams
- Samsung Galaxy S9 Price in Nepal : Rs. 87,900
Samsung Galaxy S9+ Full Specification
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 octa-core (Exynos outside the US)
- Display: 6.2 inch 2960×1440 pixels resolution Super AMOLED
- Operating system: Android 8 Oreo
- RAM: 6GB
- Storage: 64/128/256GB internal with microSD card slot
- Cameras: Super speed dual pixel 12 megapixel with OIS and mechanical dual aperture (f/1.5 and f/2.4) and 12 megapixel f/2.4 telephoto camera. Front 8 megapixel camera, f/1.7.
- Battery: 3500 mAh with fast wired and wireless charging
- Water resistance: IP68
- Wireless connectivity: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi, NFC, Bluetooth 5, ANT+, NFC, GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, MST
- Audio: Dual stereo speakers tuned by AKG with Dolby Atmos, 3.5mm headset jack
- Sensors: Iris, pressure, Accelerometer, barometer, fingerprint, gyro, magnet, heart rate, proximity, RGB light
- Dimensions: 158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5 mm and 189 grams
- Samsung Galaxy S9+ Price in Nepal : Rs. 99,900
Difference between Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+
Customers willing to purchase Galaxy S9 and S9+ can log on to http://www.s9prebooking.com/ and pre-book these smartphones via online portal. These smartphones will be available in Nepali market starting from March 23,2018.
