Samsung officially launches the Galaxy S9 and S9+ at MWC2018

The storied and long awaited Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ finally make their official debut today at Mobile World Congress 2018. While the plethora of leaks and reveals ahead of its launch have given pundits plenty of insight into what the new phones will offer, it’s today that everything sees the light of day and finally gets officially confirmed.

In a grand launch, DJ Koh, Samsung President of Mobile Communications took to the stage and showcased both the Galaxy S9 and the S9+ to thousands of journalists and invited guests.Even with the host of leaks, Samsung still has plenty of surprises to offer.

Externally, both the Galaxy S9 and S9+ don’t wander all too far from its predecessors the Galaxy S8 and S8+ with a similar wide-angle 18.5:9 aspect ratio Infinity display up front, rounded edges and a smooth glass-backed finish on the rear.

What differentiates them externally from their predecessors though is that the fingerprint reader is now plonked directly beneath the camera, which makes it ergonomically easier to reach for by touch. The Galaxy S9+ also has a vertically stacked, dual rear-camera array on top of being an all-around larger phone than the S9. Both the S9 and S9+ have IP68 water resistance which means they can survive a dunk for up to 30 minutes in 1.5 meters of water.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ will both come with either the Exynos 9810 processor or the Snapdragon 845 processor depending on region. For Malaysia, users will get the Exynos variant. Both phones will have stereo speakers tuned by AKG and Dolby Atmos support for cinematic virtual surround sound, a first for a Galaxy series phone and will have a front-facing 8-MP selfie camera with an f/1.7 aperture.

Where both phones differ from each other is in terms of their displays, their rear cameras, their storage configurations, RAM and battery sizes with the S9+ inching out in all aspects by a notch.

Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ official specifications

The Galaxy S9 comes with a 5.8-inch Super AMOLED Quad HD, 2,960 x 1,440 pixel display, 4GB RAM along with a single 12-MP rear-facing camera with an automatic mechanically variable Dual Aperture (more on that shortly). It also has a 3,000mAh battery and wireless charging too.

The Galaxy S9+ has a larger 6.2-inch Super AMOLED Quad HD, 2,950 x 1,440 pixel display, 6GB RAM as the stock configuration along with a dual rear camera that mimics that seen in the earlier Note8 albeit with significant improvements.

In terms of storage options, both phones will come in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB denominations that will vary by region.

The centrepiece – the Galaxy S9 and S9+ rear cameras

 

The rear cameras on the S9 and S9+, which have been an area of emphasis by Samsung in all of their marketing so far are impressive affairs.

The S9 12-MP rear camera uses their Dual Pixel imaging tech first seen on the Galaxy S7 but with algorithm improvements, packs optical image stabilisation and has the aforementioned Dual Aperture that has the impressive ability to automatically and mechanically change the aperture from f/1.5 to f/2.4 depending on light conditions. It can also be manually switched in Pro mode if needs must.

The camera also integrates a DRAM memory chip for slo-mo 960 fps 720p video capture on top of 4K video too. Better yet, the camera can also capture slo-mo video in reverse, save it as a lock screen or even loop it as an animated GIF too. Slo-mo mode can also be automated, such that you can designate an area on the screen and if something moves into that area, it will trigger slo-mo mode.

The Galaxy S9+ takes things up a notch as it  has a second camera placed just beneath the first one. The S9+’s primary 12-MP rear camera is identical to the S9 and also has dual aperture tech that can change the aperture automatically and on demand. The S9+’s additional camera has a fixed f/2.4 lens with optical zoom for their vaunted Live Focus mode that offers a depth of field effect when taking portraiture and for zoomed in shots. Both of the S9+’s cameras have optical image stabilisation for judder free video and stills.

Of note with both phones is that they will offer facial recognition on top of using your iris and the usual fingerprint to unlock the phone. The cameras are rather sophisticated in that they integrate augmented reality functionality this time around with the ability, much like the iPhone X to create animated emoji that they’ve dubbed as AR Emoji based off your facial features with the option to create a cartoon version of yourself or to default to a cute bunny and, in a surprising bonus, the option to use Disney’s Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse or members of the Incredibles family as your avatar.

Of more practical use is the ability, combine with Bixby, to translate foreign text on the fly which will come in handy if you have to read street signage or a menu in a language that you are not familiar with. You’ll still need a live connection for this feature to work though.

Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ launch and prices in Malaysia

 

In terms of colours, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will debut globally in four different hues – Midnight Black, the new shade of Lilac Purple, Coral Blue and Titanium Grey.

For Malaysia, both phones will arrive on store shelves on March 16. Preorders will begin before that from 1 to 4 March with buyers enjoying a Harman Kardon Onyx Mini speaker thrown in on the house.

Malaysia will be getting the S9 with 64GB storage as an entry level option and the larger Galaxy S9+ will be coming in 64Gb, 128GB and 256GB storage sizes.

According to Lowyat.net, who spoke to Yoon Soo Kim, President and Managing Director of Samsung Malaysia Electronics, the prices for the Galaxy S9 and S9+ for Malaysia are as follows:

Galaxy S9 64GB: RM 3299
Galaxy S9+ 64GB: RM 3699
Galaxy S9+ 128GB: RM 3999
Galaxy S9+ 256GB: RM 4399

As prices go, they sound pretty reasonable as far as flagship phones go, matching last years launch prices for the S8 and S8+ and even with all the high-end hardware they pack, the preorder bonus of the free speaker sweetens the pot by quite a bit. Details are scarce at the moment but the global launch also announced trade-in programmes so you can likely knock down the price tag by a bit more by trading in your old phone.

For Malaysia, both the S9 and S9+ will launch in three different colours – Coral Blue, Midnight Black and the new Lilac Purple. Stay tuned for more updates!