Samsung has officially unveiled their latest flagship smartphone for 2018, the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+. As expected, these new devices come with improved specs compared to its predecessors – the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. But what has changed under the hood? Let’s find out in our specs comparison below:
| Samsung Galaxy S9 | Samsung Galaxy S8 |
|---|---|
| 5.8-inch WQHD+ (2960 x 1440) 18.5:9 Super AMOLED display, 568ppi | 5.8-inch WQHD+ (2960 x 1440) 18.5:9 Super AMOLED display, 568ppi |
| 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 |
| 4GB LPDDR4 RAM | 4GB LPDDR4 RAM |
| 64GB 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, 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) |
| 3,000 Li-Po battery, Fast Charging, Wireless Charging | 3,000 Li-Ion battery, Fast Charging, Wireless Charging |
| 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5 mm | 148.9 x 68.1 x 8 mm |
| 168 g | 155 g |
| Midnight Black, Lilac Purple | Midnight Black, Maple Gold, Orchid Grey, Coral Blue, Arctic Silver |
Summary of advantages
Samsung Galaxy S9:
* More powerful CPU and GPU
* Better rear camera with wider aperture and optical zoom
* Faster LTE modem
* Stereo speakers
* Android Oreo out of the box
Samsung Galaxy S8:
* Thinner and lighter
* More color options
Based on the specs above, the Galaxy S9’s advantages over its predecessor are mostly found under the hood. It has a newer and more powerful processor and GPU to handle demanding applications and new features. It also has a better LTE modem, but your speed would still depend on good your ISP is.
If you’re concerned with camera quality, the Galaxy S9 boasts an improved rear shooter with a wider aperture for better low-light performance and 2x optical zoom. We’re excited how it will score in DxOMark’s tests.
As a multimedia device, Samsung has finally equipped its flagship with better speakers powered by AKG and Dolby Atmos. So if you’re just casually watching movies or listening to music, expect good quality on this one.
The Galaxy S8, on the other hand, is thinner and lighter with more color options. Although we expect more colors for the Galaxy S9 in the coming months.
Is the S9 a worthy upgrade? If you’re coming from the S8, we suggest holding off for a while as it still has plenty of similarities to the S9. It would have swayed us for an upgrade if it had a larger battery but sadly, the capacity was retained. But if you’re coming from an older flagship like the S7, the S9 is worth it.
The Galaxy S9 is priced at Php45,990 (64GB). The Galaxy S8, on the other hand, launched in the Philippines for Php39,990 (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
