It’s the new versus the old. This time, we’re comparing the Plus-sized flagship smartphones from Samsung – the recently unveiled Galaxy S9+ and last year’s Galaxy S8+. Find out what has improved by checking our specs comparison below.
| Samsung Galaxy S9+ | Samsung Galaxy S8+ |
|---|---|
| 6.2-inch WQHD+ (2960 x 1440) 18.5:9 Super AMOLED display, 531ppi | 6.2-inch WQHD+ (2960 x 1440) 18.5:9 Super AMOLED display, 531ppi |
| Gorilla Glass 5 (front and back) | Gorilla Glass 5 (front and back) |
| Samsung Exynos 9810 octa-core CPU (4 x 2.7GHz Custom CPU + 4 x 1.8GHz ARM Cortex A55) | Samsung Exynos 8895 octa-core CPU (4 x ARM Cortex A53 1.7GHz + 4 x Exynos M1 2.3GHz) |
| Mali G72-MP18 GPU | Mali G71-MP20 GPU |
| 6GB LPDDR4 RAM | 4GB LPDDR4 RAM |
| 64GB, 128GB, 256GB UFS 2.1 internal storage | 64GB internal storage |
| microSD card slot (uses SIM 2 slot) | microSD card slot (uses SIM 2 slot) |
| 12MP f/1.5-f/2.4 Dual Pixel, OIS, 2x optical zoom + 12MP f/2.4 dual pixel, OIS, wide-angle, dual-tone LED flash | 12MP f/1.7 Dual Pixel, OIS, dual-LED flash |
| 2160p @ 30fps video recording, Slow-mo 960fps @ 720p (0.2 secs) | 4K @ 30fps or 1080p @ 60fps video recording, Slow-mo 240fps @ 720p |
| 8MP f/1.7 front-facing camera | 8MP f/1.7 front-facing camera |
| Dual-SIM (nano, hybrid) | Dual-SIM (nano, hybrid) |
| 4G LTE Cat. 18 6CA 1.2Gbps | 4G LTE Cat. 16 4CA |
| WiFi 802.11ac | WiFi 802.11ac |
| Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX | Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| NFC | NFC |
| Iris scanner | Iris scanner |
| Heart rate scanner | Heart rate scanner |
| Fingerprint scanner | Fingerprint scanner |
| USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| GPS with aGPS, GLONASS, BeiDou | GPS with aGPS, GLONASS, BeiDou |
| IP68 dust and water-resistance | IP68 dust and water-resistance |
| Dual AKG speakers, Dolby ATMOS | Single speaker |
| Samsung Bixby, Bixby Vision 2.0 | Samsung Bixby, Bixby Vision |
| Android 8.0 with Samsung Experience 9 | Android 7.0 Nougat (upgradable to Oreo) |
| 3,500 Li-Po battery, Fast Charging, Wireless Charging | 3,500 Li-Ion battery, Fast Charging, Wireless Charging |
| 158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5 mm | 159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1 mm |
| 189 g | 173 g |
| Midnight Black, Lilac Purple, Coral Blue | Midnight Black, Maple Gold, Orchid Grey, Coral Blue, Arctic Silver |
Summary of advantages
Samsung Galaxy S9+:
* Newer and more powerful CPU and GPU
* Larger 6GB RAM
* up to 256GB storage
* 12MP dual rear cameras
* Faster LTE modem
* Stereo speakers
* Android Oreo out of the box
Samsung Galaxy S8+:
* Thinner and lighter
* More color options
Like the S9 and S8, the S9+ and S8+ have plenty of similarities, but if we’re looking at more power under the hood, the S9+ has a lot. There’s the newer and more powerful processor and GPU, RAM has increased to 6GB, and they’re offering larger storage options, specifically 128GB and 256GB.
The camera department is where the S9+ blows everything out of the water, even its smaller sibling the S9. It has dual-rear cameras just like the Galaxy Note8, with 2x optical zoom and other features that two sensors can offer. Like the S9, the aperture can go as wide as F/1.5 for better low-light shots, as well as OIS.
Connectivity-wise, the LTE modem is faster but the experience still depends on your provider. There are the stereo speakers powered by AKG and Dolby Atmos which is good for casually watching movies or listening to music.
As for the software, it comes with Android 8.0 Oreo with Samsung Experience 9 out of the box. Battery capacity, though, has been retained at 3,500mAh.
The Galaxy S8+, on the other hand, doesn’t have a lot of advantages to offer aside from the thinner and lighter build and plenty of color options.
With everything that has been mentioned, the Galaxy S9+ gives more incentives if you’re planning to upgrade from the Galaxy S8 or older. What’s interesting to see is how it will stack against the Galaxy Note8. Find out in our next comparison.
The Galaxy S9+ is priced at Php52,990 (64GB), Php55,990 (128GB), Php60,990 (256GB). The Galaxy S8+ launched in the Philippines for Php45,990 (64GB).
Check out more stories from our Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ coverage:
Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ now official
Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ price and pre-order in the Philippines
Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ in-depth Hands-On
Samsung Galaxy S9 Review
7 Best Features of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+
WATCH: Samsung Galaxy S9 vs Samsung Galaxy S8 Comparison
WATCH: Samsung Galaxy S9 vs iPhone X Comparison
INFOGRAPHIC: Evolution of the Samsung Galaxy S series
Specs Comparisons:
• Samsung Galaxy S9 vs Samsung Galaxy S8
• Samsung Galaxy S9 vs OnePlus 5T
• Samsung Galaxy S9 vs Google Pixel 2
• Samsung Galaxy S9+ vs Samsung Galaxy Note8
• Samsung Galaxy S9+ vs mate 10 pro
• Samsung Galaxy S9+ vs Samsung Galaxy S8+
• Samsung Galaxy S9+ vs Razer Phone
• Samsung Galaxy S9+ vs Google Pixel 2 XL
