Ziqiang Zhao
Staff Writer
Samsung’s Galaxy S9 has attracted much attention from people all over the world since the beginning of 2018, and details of the new phone were revealed at its launch on Feb. 25. Although people are already exploring the unveiled features of the Galaxy S9, they are still expecting other surprising secrets from the new device.
Basic characteristics of the S9 unveiled on Feb. 25 include a headphone jack that maintains compatibility with standard 3.5mm connectors, unlike the iPhone X. Thus, users do not need to buy expensive USB-C earphones and can still enjoy the easiness of traditional audio output. “A lot of Galaxy S9 owners are probably going to enjoy the small delight of popping headphones right in without some sort of adaptor,” said Dani Deahl, according to The Verge.
The external design of the new S9 and S9+ will not have much difference than the S8 and the S8+, which also have the familiar glass-on-glass screens. The “Infinity Displays” of the S8, which go from nearly edge-to-edge of the screen with a 2960 x 1440-pixel resolution, were already well-received by the public and reviewers. Four colors are available for the S9: Midnight Black, Lilac Purple, Coral Blue, and Titanium Gray, which are simple, clean, and attractive.
Exciting news for shutterbugs is the addition of dual 12-megapixel rear cameras. With that rear camera, users can choose from f/1.5 and f/2.4 apertures in order to satisfy different situations. With a f/1.5 setting for lower light and a f/2.4 in the more focused lighting, the S9 will enable users to take better photos under virtually any condition.
The battery of the S9 plus is still the 3500mAh power pack; however, the new battery will reportedly be more stable with a longer running time. A Reddit user going by the name BihPandamonium wrote, “I got the S9 and S9+ rev 1.1 so it’s very close to the final product and I would say if you are going to buy the S9 it looks on par with the S8 and performs like with normal use but if you are going with the plus it has dual lens camera and about a 1.5 day battery life.”
In addition to the improved battery life, upgraded facial recognition is also the top selling points of the new phone. The “Intelligent Scan,” according to Samsung, is a combination of “iris scanner and face recognition together for better results even in low or very bright light.”
In addition to the traditional facial recognition, S9 adopts a brand-new iris scanner that can be used in both day and nighttime. People can unlock the phone and validate purchases made using mobile payment service Samsung pay with their unique iris. Therefore, the “realistic face-tracking filters” provide stronger security for unlocking devices.
Another new feature of S9 is the animated emoji, which resembles a 3D character that can track the facial movements of the user and imitate them. Although iPhone X users already have this type of emoji, known as the Animoji, this new feature in Galaxy S9 still interests Samsung customers.
According to Matt Burns of TechCrunch, the weak fingerprint sensor is one of the major problems for S8 users because the sensor is positioned where the fingers can easily touch the camera lens. The redesigned fingerprint reader of the S9 will fix this problem by moving the sensor in the center of the phone.
Among Samsung Galaxy S8 users, Luay Ahmed, a third year chemical engineering student at Miami University, suggested that Samsung needs to work on system stability because there are occasional moments where the phone will cease functioning. However, the iris recognition of S9 really caught his eyes ,and he is looking forward to hearing some user experiences after it launches.
By employing these new features, the Samsung Galaxy S9 should be noted as a significant competitor to Apple’s massively popular iPhone.