Debuted in February 2018 at the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona, the Samsung Galaxy S9 is the sequel to the widely successful S8.
Quick Details
- Network: 2G / 3G / 4G
- Display: 5.8 inches, Super AMOLED Touchscreen display — (1440 x 2960 pixels)
- Software: Android v8.0 (Oreo)
- Processor: Octa-core CPU — 4×2.7 GHz & 4×1.8 GHz (Samsung Exynos 9810 Octa)
- Memory: 4GB RAM | 64/128/256 GB ROM
- Cameras: Front — 8 MP (f/1.7, autofocus, 1440p@30fps video, Auto HDR) | Rear — 12 MP (variable aperture — f/1.5 – f/2.4, PDAF, OIS, LED Flash)
- Battery: 3000 mAh
Software, Design, Display
The Samsung Galaxy S9 is a dual SIM (optional) Android device running on the Oreo flavor (version 8.0) of the operating system right out of the box.
For connectivity, the device, as expected, is an LTE device which supports all the LTE bands our network providers employ.
Design-wise, 85% of the Galaxy S9 looks identical to last year’s S8 — the form factor still comprises an Aluminum frame which is sandwiched between a front and back glass which are Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protected, and as far as certifications go, the S9 is still fully dust and water resistant keeping its IP68 rating.
The display upfront is still a 5.8-inch Super AMOLED Touch display having a 1440 by 2960p resolution (567 PPI) with the tall 18:9 aspect ratio and, as expected, is an infinity display.
Performance, Hardware, Cameras
Under the glass sandwich, the Samsung Galaxy S9 (or at least the model that would be officially retailed down here in Nigeria) features Samsung’s Exynos 9810 Octa Soc.
By virtue of the chipset, the device is an octa-core device with two CPU clusters — a quad-core cluster clocked at 2.7 GHz and another quad-core cluster clocked at 1.8 GHz — having a Mali-G72 MP18 GPU for handling graphics.
Memory-wise, the Galaxy S9 features 4GB of RAM and can be picked up in various memory options — including, 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB.
If you’d be looking expand the available onboard storage on whichever memory-model you end up picking, you can do that with a microSD card (supported capacities up to 400GB).
The Cameras
The cameras on the S9 are what, reportedly, took a huge leap forward over its predecessor.
The front-facing shooter is an 8MP lens having a wide aperture of f/1.7, supports Auto HDR, and can shoot 1440p videos at 30 frames per second.
The rear camera has a stand-out feature — a variable aperture.
By virtue of a mechanical system embedded within the camera module at the back, the S9 can mechanically switch from an aperture width of f/1.5 (when external lighting is paltry to let more light in — e.g. at night) to a relatively smaller f/2.4 (when lighting condition is just perfect — outside, during the day).
Asides the mechanical aperture switching system though, the rear camera features what we’ve come to expect from a high-end Samsung device — phase detection autofocus when shooting, 4-axis Optical Image Stabilization, and LED flash and ability to shoot slow-mo and super slow-mo videos.
Powering all the features the device packs is a 3000 mAh non-removable Li-Ion battery which can be juiced up really quickly since the device supports Quick Charge.
Other important things to note about the S9 include:
- There’s a rear-mounted rectangular-shaped fingerprint reader placed directly beneath the camera — no longer awkwardly to the side,
- Bluetooth 5.0 is here as well,
- The device now produces sound via stereo speakers,
- There’s still a headphone jack, Wi-Fi is dual-band,
- Apart from unlocking the device using the Fingerprint reader, Iris scanning is also available,
- Wireless charging is still supported,
- Samsung Bixby Assistant has refused to go away and it still has a dedicated button,
- There’s still Samsung Dex if you’re into that sort of thing,
- Samsung Pay still works, too.
Samsung Galaxy S9 Price in Nigeria
| Store/Model | Price |
|---|---|
| MSRP | ₦285,000 |
| Online Stores | From ₦215,000 |
| Offline Stores | From ₦220,000 |
Samsung Galaxy S9 Full Device Specifications
Here are the full essential details about the device…
Network and Software
| 2G | Yes |
| 3G | Yes |
| 4G | Yes |
| SIM | Dual SIM |
| Operating System | Android v8.0 (Oreo) |
Design and Display
| Dimensions | 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5 mm |
| Weight | 163g |
| Build | Front/Back Glass with Aluminum frame, Dust & Water Resistance (IP68) |
| Colors | Coral Blue, Lilac Purple, Midnight Black, Titanium Gray |
| Display Size | 5.8 inches |
| Display Type | Super AMOLED Touchscreen |
| Display Resolution | 1440 x 2960 pixels |
| Display Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
Performance and Hardware
| Processor Name | Samsung Exynos 9810 Octa |
| Processor Type | Octa-core CPU — 4×2.7 GHz & 4×1.8 GHz |
| GPU | Mali-G72 MP18 |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Internal Memory | 64/128/256 GB |
| SD Card Support | Yes (up to 400GB) |
Cameras
| Front Camera | 8 MP (f/1.7, autofocus, 1440p@30fps video, Auto HDR) |
| Rear Camera | 12 MP (variable aperture — f/1.5 – f/2.4, PDAF, OIS, LED Flash) |
Battery
| Battery Capacity | 3000 mAh |
| Type | Li-Ion |
| Fast Charging | Yes (Quick Charge 2.0) |
Connectivity and Multimedia
| Bluetooth | Yes (5.0) |
| WiFi | Yes (a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band) |
| GPS | Yes |
| USB | USB Type C |
| OTG | – |
| Music Player | Yes |
| Video Player | Yes |
| FM Radio | – |
| Loudspeaker | Yes (Stereo) |
| Headphone Jack | Yes |
MIsc
| Other Features | Iris Scanner, Fingerprint Scanner, Samsung Dex, Wireless Charging, Samsung Bixby Assistant, Samsung Pay |