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    Samsung S9 | S9+ gets officially unveiled, pricing and specs

    Overnight at World Mobile Congress, Samsung officially introduced the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+. The hard and fast reality is that this is a very similar phone to last year, with some important tweaks based on user feedback from the S8.

    The Galaxy S9 and S9+ offers an enhanced audio experience with stereo speakers that pickup the Dolby Atmos compliance, but its perhaps that Infinity Display that continues to make this phone unique in the market. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ will come with the new SmartThings app, which unites Samsung’s existing IoT services into one single, smart experience. It’ll be interesting to see what Samsung do here, as SmartThings is currently not available in Australia, the S9 and S9+ will be, so either they bring the smart home platform, or they ditch the app for Aussies.

    President and Head of IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics, DJ Koh said,

    “The way we use our smartphones has changed as communication and self-expression has evolved. With the Galaxy S9 and S9+, we have reimagined the smartphone camera. Not only do the Galaxy S9 and S9+ enable consumers to shoot great photos and videos anywhere, it’s a smartphone that’s designed to help them connect to others and express themselves in a way that’s unique and personal to them.”

     

    Camera Reimagined

    Samsung are pretty well know now for having great cameras and in the S9/S9+ iterates on that with some improved and new features. The biggest feature addition is probably the Animoji competitor, AR Emoji. This uses the camera to detect and track more than 100 points on your face, then overlays a 2D image that responds to your inputs like head movements or winks. Its one of those features that is likely to be fun to show your friends the first week you have the phone, but nobody should make purchasing decisions based on this.

     

    • Super Slow-mo: Make every day moments epic with dynamic, slow-motion video that captures 960 frames per second. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ also offer automatic Motion Detection, an intelligent feature that detects movement in the frame and automatically begins to record – all users have to do is set up the shot. After capturing the Super Slow-mo video, users can select background music from 35 different options or add a tune from their favorite playlist. Users can also easily create, edit and share GIF files with a simple tap in three playful styles of looping to watch the action over and over again.

     

    • Low Light Camera: Good lighting is the secret to any great photo. But often, photos are taken in less-than-ideal lighting conditions and most smartphone cameras have a fixed aperture that can’t adjust to low or bright lighting environments resulting in grainy or washed out pictures. Similar to the way the iris of a human eye expands and contracts, Samsung’s Dual Aperture (F1.5 / F2.4) automatically lets in more light when it’s dark and less light when it’s too bright, taking photos that are crisp and clear.

    • AR Emoji: Samsung lets users create an emoji that looks, sounds and acts like them. AR Emoji uses a data-based machine learning algorithm, which analyzes a 2D image of the user and maps out more than 100 facial features to create a 3D model that reflects and imitates expressions, like winks and nods, for true personalization. AR Emoji shares users’ real-life emotions not only in video but also with a range of stickers and uses a standard AGIF file format so users can share their emojis across most third-party messaging platforms.

     

    • Bixby: Samsung’s intelligence platform, integrated into the camera, uses augmented reality and deep learning technologies to provide helpful information about a user’s surroundings. With real-time object detection and recognition, Bixby instantly generates information directly on top of the image that the camera is pointing at. Users can translate foreign languages and currency in real time with Live Translation, learn about their surroundings, purchase products seen in the real world and track calories throughout the day.4

    Connected Lifestyle

    As the first smartphone to support the new SmartThings app, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ are the central hub to manage every facet of the connected lifestyle at home, at the office or on the go. The SmartThings app will be introduced with the Galaxy S9 and S9+ and will connect to other Samsung and non-Samsung devices.

    For those constantly on the move, the next-generation Samsung DeX empowers a mobile lifestyle by bringing a large, full-screen experience to the mobile handset. With the DeX Pad, a new docking system, users can easily connect the Galaxy S9 and S9+ to a larger monitor, keyboard and mouse to expand the mobile experience with enhanced document editing or even full-screen gaming. Users can also transform the Galaxy S9 and S9+ into a Touch Pad with the DeX Pad.

    Other features

    The S9/S9+ both come with IP68 water and dust resistance and wireless charging. The devices now support expandable memory of up to a massive 400GB using a Micro SD Card and is equipped with the latest premium application processors offering powerful performance and sophisticated image processing.

    In addition, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ give users the peace of mind knowing that their phone is protected by Knox 3.1, Samsung’s latest defense-grade security platform. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ support three different biometric authentication options – iris, fingerprint, and facial recognition – so users can choose the way they want to protect their device and applications. The devices feature Intelligent Scan, a new verification that intelligently uses the collective strength of iris scanning and facial recognition technology to quickly and conveniently unlock a user’s phone in various situations. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ also introduce Dedicated Fingerprint, giving users the option to use a different fingerprint to access Secure Folder than the one used to unlock the phone.

    The Galaxy S9 and S9+ almost improves things for the health conscious, with an improved optical sensor built directly into the device, providing richer, more accurate information on users’ health status. This sensor allows the Galaxy S9 and S9+ to keep track of users’ Heart Load Factor, a new measurement of the real-time demand placed on the heart.

    The Galaxy S9 and S9+ will be available starting in March 16, 2018 in select markets and will be offered in Midnight Black, Titanium Gray, Coral Blue and a new hue, Lilac Purple.

    Specifications

      Galaxy S9 Galaxy S9+
    OS Android 8 (Oreo)
    Display 5.8-inch Quad HD + Curved Super AMOLED,

    18.5:9[1],[2] (570ppi)

    6.2-inch Quad HD + Curved

    Super      AMOLED,      18.5:97,           8

    (529ppi)

     

    Body 147.7mm x 68.7mm x 8.5mm, 163g, IP68[3] 158.1mm x 73.8mm x 8.5mm,

    189g, IP689

    Camera Rear: Super Speed Dual Pixel 12MP AF sensor with OIS

    (F1.5/F2.4)

    Front: 8MP AF (F1.7)

    Rear: Dual Camera with Dual OIS  –      Wide-angle: Super Speed Dual Pixel 12MP AF sensor (F1.5/F2.4)

    –      Telephoto: 12MP AF sensor

    (F2.4)

    Front: 8MP AF (F1.7)

    AP 10nm, 64-bit, Octa-core processor (2.7 GHz Quad + 1.7 GHz Quad)[4]

    10nm, 64-bit, Octa-core processor (2.8 GHz Quad + 1.7 GHz Quad)

    Memory 4GB RAM

    64GB/128GB/256GB + Micro SD Slot (upto 400 GB)[5]

     

    6GB RAM

    64GB/128GB/256GB + Micro SD

    Slot (upto 400GB)11

     

    SIM Card Single SIM: Nano SIM
    Battery 3,000mAh 3,500mAh
    Fast Wired Charging compatible with QC 2.0 Fast Wireless Charging compatible with WPC and PMA
    Network Enhanced 4X4 MIMO / CA, LAA, LTE Cat.18
    Connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), VHT80 MU-MIMO, 1024QAM, Bluetooth® v 5.0 (LE up to 2Mbps), ANT+, USB type-C, NFC, Location (GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou)[6]
    Payment NFC, MST
    Sensors Iris sensor, Pressure sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint sensor, Gyro sensor, Geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor, HR sensor, Proximity sensor, RGB Light sensor
    Authentication Lock type: pattern, PIN, password

    Biometric lock type: iris scanner, fingerprint scanner, face recognition, Intelligent Scan:

    multimodal biometric authentication with iris scanning and face recognition

    Audio Stereo speakers tuned by AKG, surround sound with Dolby Atmos technology,

    Audio playback format: MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, WMA, AMR, AWB,

    FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, APE, DSF, DFF

    Video MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, WMV, ASF, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM

    Price

    Pre-orders of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ go live tomorrow in Australia. The device comes in 64GB and 256GB.

    Amaysim
    Currently let you go through an online configurator, but not order until tomorrow. They have announced pricing and are offering the choice to purchase the device outright (from RRP A$1,119 and S9 Plus from RRP A$1,349), or join a payment plan from $57/month over 24 months, or from $104/month over 12 months. All Samsung Galaxy S9 & S9+ purchases through amaysim also include a free wireless charger, valued from $119. Pre-sales are available from 26 February 2018 and will run until 15 March 2018. For more information about amaysim’s Samsung offer and plans, visit www.amaysim.com.au.

    Vodafone
    Also announcing their plans the Samsung Galaxy S9 Red Plans offer most affordable way to get your hands on the Samsung Galaxy S9 at $63 per month for Samsung Galaxy S9 4GB data (incl 2GB bonus) over 36 months. $80 per month for Samsung Galaxy S9 64GB including 22GB (incl 8GB bonus) over 36 months. $149 per month for Samsung Galaxy S9 64GB including 22GB data (incl 8GB bonus) over 12 months.

    Special offers:

    • Qantas Frequent Flyer online offer: Triple the included points on $50, $60, $80 global plans with Samsung Galaxy S9 purchase (offer end date: 31/03/2018)
    • Accessories offer: Bonus Samsung Wireless Charger Convertible when you purchase the Samsung Galaxy S9 or S9+ on any Red plan (offer end date: 15/03/2018)

    The full list of plans is available from the Vodafone website.

    Optus
    Currently there’s a countdown clock until pre-orders go live, its 16 hours, 35 minutes from now at the time of writing.

    Telstra
    On the home page Telstra links to a register your interest page, with pricing coming soon.

    For more information about the Galaxy S9, visit samsung.com/galaxy.

    Jason Cartwright
    Jason Cartwrighthttps://techau.com.au/author/jason/
    Creator of techAU, Jason has spent the dozen+ years covering technology in Australia and around the world. Bringing a background in multimedia and passion for technology to the job, Cartwright delivers detailed product reviews, event coverage and industry news on a daily basis. Disclaimer: Tesla Shareholder from 20/01/2021

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