SMARTPHONE S9+ DAZZLING REFINEMENTS
With scores of
small improvements, Samsung’s new Galaxy S9+ is an evolution rather than a
whole new device. But as Hitesh Raj Bhagat explains, that’s hardly a bad thing
It’s a game of leapfrog — a few months in the smartphone
space translate into way better tech and ultimately, better phones for the
people that can afford them. Right now, it’s Samsung turn with the brilliant
new Galaxy S9. Samsung usually pulls out all the stops for the Galaxy and Note
line. These devices get the innovations first, which then trickle down to lower
prices over the course of a year.
At first glance, there’s nothing wildly different
when you compare the S9 to last year’s S8 — but that’s a good thing. Only when
you put them both side by side is when you’ll notice that the chin and forehead
on the S9 are slightly smaller. The gorgeous amoled screen is even better than
before (we hardly thought it possible) and it feels every bit the premium,
well-built flagship that it is.
Some improvements that’ll go unnoticed are the
tougher, 7000 series aluminium and a thicker Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and
rear. This means that there’s a higher chance of survival in case of a drop.
But it can break and most users will opt for a case. It’s almost a shame to put
this beautiful design in a case, but Samsung does include a nice soft (clear)
case in the box. It’s a good mix of aesthetics and protection that you can
start using right away. Also in the box, you’ll find a USB C to full size USB
adapter, fast charger with cable and exceptional set of AKG earphones with
braided cable.
All About The Camera
The single biggest improvement is the camera. Samsung
has always pushed the bar higher with flagship cameras and the S9 doesn’t
disappoint. You can always measure how good a camera is by how effortless it is
to capture good results. Dual aperture makes an appearance for the first time
in a smartphone. The primary lens has a physical aperture to control the amount
of light entering the lens. You can see it in action as it switches between
f1.5 (which is incidentally the widest aperture in any smartphone) and f2.4. In
auto mode, the phone decides when to switch but you can always go into Pro mode
and control this setting manually.
Thanks to that ultra-wide aperture, the Galaxy S9 is
the undisputed low light champion. In many other scenarios, the results are
comparable with iPhone X and Pixel 2 XL. The super slow motion 960fps (at 720p
HD) is an engineering feat because most other phones can only do slow motion at
240fps. Seeing normal motion slowed down to this level uncovers detail you
never saw originally. However, keep in mind the limitations: you need lots of
light (daylight, outdoors is best) and it only records 0.2 seconds of action
(which stretches out to 6 seconds of footage @960fps).
Better Sound, AR Features
Both S9 & S9+ get stereo speakers tuned by AKG,
with Dolby audio enhancements. The standard speaker remains in its usual place
while the earpiece doubles up as a loudspeaker to create a stereo effect. The speakers
are way louder and clearer than before, which makes for an awesome multimedia
and gaming experience.
AR Emoji is Samsung’s take on Apple’s Animoji. The
camera can create an animated version of you that sort of mimics your movement
and lips (while talking). We say sort of because Apple’s iPhone X does a better
job thanks to its various sensors. The S9 just uses the front camera which
means accuracy suffers. Samsung’s version can also create a bunch of animated
GIFs that you can share in any messaging or social app, which is nice.
The DeX Dock
The DeX or Desktop Experience is a Samsung accessory
(sold separately, ₹6,399) that
converts the Galaxy S9 into a mini PC.
We tried out a previous version of the DeX dock (for
the Galaxy Note 8) and the functionality remains roughly the same.
The dock includes full size USB and HDMI out — you
connect a keyboard, mouse and monitor for a desktoplike experience. In this new
version, the phone screen becomes the mousepad.
Hitesh.Bhagat
ET19MAR18
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