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Samsung recently introduced its new flagship Galaxy S9 and the S9+ to the world, with high-end tech consumers already starting the comparisons. Does the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus deserve its moniker and hefty price tag, or is the S9 good enough for government work? Let’s take a look.
Pretty Samsung Galaxy Smartphones
The S9 and the S9 Plus definitely turned heads because of their refined design features. Both iterations boast Samsung’s signature curve, with the front and back panels set apart by a gorgeous aluminum frame. The S9 and the S9+ are also smaller than the S8, giving the ninth generation of the Galaxy phone series a more streamlined and chic appeal. Both are slightly heavier than their predecessors, adding to their gravitas.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 highlighted Mobile World Congress 2018. Photo copyright Samsung.
Samsung Galaxy Durability Reviews are Mixed
Unfortunately, the new Samsung phones share a regrettable characteristic of many posh accoutrements: they are incredibly fragile. They scuff easily, and the Gorilla Glass 5 top layer will wear away rather quickly, especially if you are the type to keep your phone in a tight pants pocket.
They are, however, water and dust resistant, and rated as such by the IP68 standard. This means that your Samsung will be able to come up breathing after dropping it in no more than 1.5 meters of fresh water for up to half an hour.
The Quad HD Infinity Display
Samsung is known for its unique way of creating deep, engaging color schemes in all of its displays, and the S9/S9 Plus are no different. You get a great look from a wider variety of angles, and the Infinity Display provides even deeper immersion. Although your image no longer bleeds all the way to the edge of the curved glass, you actually gain a bit of functionality from this. The Infinity Display was criticized for the accidental palm presses that it created when the image bleed was maximized to the edge.
The first major difference between the Samsung Galaxy S9 and the S9 Plus is the slightly larger screen size of the Plus (6.2 in compare to 5.8 in). You get a striking 18.5:9 aspect ratio for both phones. The max resolution is also striking – 2960 x 1440 Quad HD+ with downscale capacity for slightly more battery life.
The Galaxy S9 Plus boasts Superior Performance
The S9+ offers more RAM than the S9 (6 MB to 4 MB). The added boost of power seemed to take the S9 to another level of performance when running multiple apps. The S9 had a bit of lag in some places, while the Plus had none.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 powers the S9/S9+. You get 64 GB of onboard storage with both phones, with the ability to expand out to 400 GB using microSD cards.
Samsung wisely decided to keep the headphone jack on the S9/S9+ as well.
Checking your mobile Internet speed on a mobile device is a good idea – to make sure your hardware isn’t lagging your connection. You can get this done easily and accurately at bandwidthplace.com. Do it before you throw away that warranty paperwork.
The Bottom Line
Samsung did a lot of great work with its eighth generation Galaxy – the S9 is no slouch. The Plus adds a bit of bang for the buck, and is certainly worth the extra money for heavy Internet/business users.
Paul Williams
Paul Williams brings a wide range of experiences to his writing. He worked extensively in technology, as a software engineer, technical writer, and now a technology writer. Known as the leader of one of the top American Spacerock bands, his forward-looking music continues to be heard all over the world.