Smartphones

Samsung Galaxy S9 | Specifications Review

Research has shown that the price of flagship smartphones can drop by up to 40% soon after the next flagship smartphone launches.

Well, the Samsung Galaxy S10 recently launched in Kenya and the general expectation is that the price of the S9 will begin to fall as retailers start clearing their inventory. That said, this is now the right time to begin shopping for the S9.

The Galaxy S9 is still one of the best Android smartphones you can buy right now. The smartphone packs a solid technical profile and Samsung had already begun seeding the Android 9.0 update to the phone and thus you will be able to run the latest software.

The Samsung S9 has a suggested retail price of Ksh. 69,999 (down from the Ksh. 84,999 price tag when the smartphone launched). At that price point the rivals of the S9 include the iPhone 7 Plus (Ksh. 68,999) and Huawei Mate 10 Pro (Ksh. 69,999).

That said, here is a quick review of the Samsung Galaxy S9.

Display

Samsung Galaxy S9 Design Purp

Display Size: 5.8 inches

Display Type: Super AMOLED

Screen Resolution: 1440 x 2960 pixels

Screen Resolution Density: 570 ppi

Screen Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 5

The Samsung Galaxy S9 packs a 5.8-inch Super AMOLED display. The display has a HD+ screen resolution of 1440 x 2960 pixels and a screen resolution density of 570 PPI.

The S9 display is in comparison with the S10 about 0.3 inches smaller and less sharp due to the lower resolution. The display is, however, still better than most mid-range smartphones.

Design

Samsung Galaxy S9 Design Purp

Dimensions: 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5 mm

The Samsung Galaxy S9 has an attractive ultra-premium concept. It’s one of those phones that people will notice when you pull out of your pocket.

The noticeable difference between the design of the S9 when compared to the S10 are the top and lower bezels. The punch hole camera feature is one of the highlights of the S10 and thus the feature is missing on the S9.

The other missing feature is the in-screen fingerprint sensor.

Performance

Operating System: Android 8.0 (Oreo) upgradable to 9.0 Pie

CPU: 2.7 GHzOcta-core

RAM: 4 GB

Internal Memory: 64/128 GB

Micro SD: Yes, up to 512GB

A 2.7 GHzOcta-core chipset powers the Samsung Galaxy S9 and this is coupled with some 4GB of RAM. The setup is quite good and is able to run graphic intensive games and applications.

In terms of storage, you get to choose between 64/128 GB as internal storage. The S9 also includes a memory card slot that supports up to 512 GB of memory.

Camera

Rear Camera: 12MP

Secondary Camera: 8MP

LED Flash: Yes

The Samsung Galaxy S9 offers a 12MP camera for general photography and an 8MP camera for your selfies and video calls.

Battery and Extras

Battery Capacity: Li-Ion 3000 mAh

The Li-Ion 3000 mAh keeps the lights on. The battery is large enough to last a day while on moderate usage.

Price in Kenya

The Samsung Galaxy S9 has a suggested retail price of Ksh. 69,999 in Kenya.

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