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Samsung Galaxy S9 vs S8: Here are the differences

S9 Plus

Samsung has finally revealed the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+.

The phones appear similar to the company’s previous S8 and S8+ models, with a couple of key differences.

Samsung Galaxy S8

Samsung Galaxy S8+

Samsung Galaxy S9

Samsung Galaxy S9+

Display

5.8-inch Super AMOLED display, 18.5:9 aspect ratio

6.2-inch Super AMOLED display, 18.5:9 aspect ratio

5.8-inch, Super AMOLED display, 18.5:9 aspect ratio

6.2-inch Super AMOLED display, 1440 x 2960 pixels, 18.5:9 aspect ratio

Processor

Snapdragon 835 (Exynos 8895 in Europe and other regions)

Snapdragon 835 (Exynos 8895 in Europe and other regions)

Snapdragon 845 (Exynos 9810 in Europe and other regions)

Snapdragon 845 (Exynos 9810 in Europe and other regions)

RAM

4GB of RAM

4GB of RAM

4GB of RAM

6GB of RAM

Storage

64GB (expandable up to 256GB)

64GB (expandable up to 256GB)

64GB (expandable up to 400GB)

64GB (expandable up to 400GB)

Dimensions (in.)

148.9 x 68.1 x 8.0mm

159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1mm

147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5mm

158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5mm

Weight

152g

173g

163g

189g

Rear Facing Camera

12-megapixel (f/1.7, OIS)

12-megapixel (f/1.7, OIS)

12-megapixel (variable: f/1.5 - f/2.4, OIS), dual-LED flash

12-megapixel (variable f/1.5 - f/2.4, OIS) + 12-megapixel (f.2.4, OIS) dual-LED flash

Front Facing Camera

8-megapixel (f/1.7)

8-megapixel (f/1.7)

8-megapixel (f/1.7)

8-megapixel (f/1.7)

OS

Android 8.0 Oreo

Android 7.0 Oreo

Android 8.0 Oreo

Android 8.0 Oreo

Battery

3,000 mAh

3,500 mAh

3,000mAh

3,500mAh

Network Connectivity

GSM/HSPA/LTE

GSM/HSPA/LTE

GSM/HSPA/LTE

GSM/HSPA/LTE

Sensors

Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Heart Rate Sensor, Proximity Sensor, RGB Light Sensor, Iris Sensor, Pressure Sensor

Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Heart Rate Sensor, Proximity Sensor, RGB Light Sensor, Iris Sensor, Pressure Sensor

Iris scanner, fingerprint (rear-mounted), Intelligent Scan, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2

Iris scanner, fingerprint (rear-mounted), Intelligent Scan, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2

SIM Type

Nano SIM

Nano SIM

Nano SIM

Nano SIM

Launch Date

March 29, 2017

March 29, 2017

March 16, 2018

March 16, 2018

Misc

Colours: Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver, Coral Blue and Maple Gold| Bixby, IP68 certified water-resistant, 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C.

Colours: Black, Orchid Gray, Silver, Gold and Blue| Bixby, IP68 water and dust resistance, 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C.

Colour: Titanium Gray, Lilac Purple (in Canada) | IP68 water/dust resistant, 18:9 aspect ratio, wireless charging, USB type C

Colours: Titanium Gray, Lilac Purple (in Canada) | IP68 water/dust resistant, wireless charging, USB, type C, Bluetooth 5.0

Display

Samsung Galaxy S8

5.8-inch Super AMOLED display, 18.5:9 aspect ratio

Samsung Galaxy S8+

6.2-inch Super AMOLED display, 18.5:9 aspect ratio

Samsung Galaxy S9

5.8-inch, Super AMOLED display, 18.5:9 aspect ratio

Samsung Galaxy S9+

6.2-inch Super AMOLED display, 1440 x 2960 pixels, 18.5:9 aspect ratio

Processor

Samsung Galaxy S8

Snapdragon 835 (Exynos 8895 in Europe and other regions)

Samsung Galaxy S8+

Snapdragon 835 (Exynos 8895 in Europe and other regions)

Samsung Galaxy S9

Snapdragon 845 (Exynos 9810 in Europe and other regions)

Samsung Galaxy S9+

Snapdragon 845 (Exynos 9810 in Europe and other regions)

RAM

Samsung Galaxy S8

4GB of RAM

Samsung Galaxy S8+

4GB of RAM

Samsung Galaxy S9

4GB of RAM

Samsung Galaxy S9+

6GB of RAM

Storage

Samsung Galaxy S8

64GB (expandable up to 256GB)

Samsung Galaxy S8+

64GB (expandable up to 256GB)

Samsung Galaxy S9

64GB (expandable up to 400GB)

Samsung Galaxy S9+

64GB (expandable up to 400GB)

Dimensions (in.)

Samsung Galaxy S8

148.9 x 68.1 x 8.0mm

Samsung Galaxy S8+

159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1mm

Samsung Galaxy S9

147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5mm

Samsung Galaxy S9+

158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5mm

Weight

Samsung Galaxy S8

152g

Samsung Galaxy S8+

173g

Samsung Galaxy S9

163g

Samsung Galaxy S9+

189g

Rear Facing Camera

Samsung Galaxy S8

12-megapixel (f/1.7, OIS)

Samsung Galaxy S8+

12-megapixel (f/1.7, OIS)

Samsung Galaxy S9

12-megapixel (variable: f/1.5 - f/2.4, OIS), dual-LED flash

Samsung Galaxy S9+

12-megapixel (variable f/1.5 - f/2.4, OIS) + 12-megapixel (f.2.4, OIS) dual-LED flash

Front Facing Camera

Samsung Galaxy S8

8-megapixel (f/1.7)

Samsung Galaxy S8+

8-megapixel (f/1.7)

Samsung Galaxy S9

8-megapixel (f/1.7)

Samsung Galaxy S9+

8-megapixel (f/1.7)

OS

Samsung Galaxy S8

Android 8.0 Oreo

Samsung Galaxy S8+

Android 7.0 Oreo

Samsung Galaxy S9

Android 8.0 Oreo

Samsung Galaxy S9+

Android 8.0 Oreo

Battery

Samsung Galaxy S8

3,000 mAh

Samsung Galaxy S8+

3,500 mAh

Samsung Galaxy S9

3,000mAh

Samsung Galaxy S9+

3,500mAh

Network Connectivity

Samsung Galaxy S8

GSM/HSPA/LTE

Samsung Galaxy S8+

GSM/HSPA/LTE

Samsung Galaxy S9

GSM/HSPA/LTE

Samsung Galaxy S9+

GSM/HSPA/LTE

Sensors

Samsung Galaxy S8

Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Heart Rate Sensor, Proximity Sensor, RGB Light Sensor, Iris Sensor, Pressure Sensor

Samsung Galaxy S8+

Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Heart Rate Sensor, Proximity Sensor, RGB Light Sensor, Iris Sensor, Pressure Sensor

Samsung Galaxy S9

Iris scanner, fingerprint (rear-mounted), Intelligent Scan, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2

Samsung Galaxy S9+

Iris scanner, fingerprint (rear-mounted), Intelligent Scan, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2

SIM Type

Samsung Galaxy S8

Nano SIM

Samsung Galaxy S8+

Nano SIM

Samsung Galaxy S9

Nano SIM

Samsung Galaxy S9+

Nano SIM

Launch Date

Samsung Galaxy S8

March 29, 2017

Samsung Galaxy S8+

March 29, 2017

Samsung Galaxy S9

March 16, 2018

Samsung Galaxy S9+

March 16, 2018

Misc

Samsung Galaxy S8

Colours: Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver, Coral Blue and Maple Gold| Bixby, IP68 certified water-resistant, 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C.

Samsung Galaxy S8+

Colours: Black, Orchid Gray, Silver, Gold and Blue| Bixby, IP68 water and dust resistance, 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C.

Samsung Galaxy S9

Colour: Titanium Gray, Lilac Purple (in Canada) | IP68 water/dust resistant, 18:9 aspect ratio, wireless charging, USB type C

Samsung Galaxy S9+

Colours: Titanium Gray, Lilac Purple (in Canada) | IP68 water/dust resistant, wireless charging, USB, type C, Bluetooth 5.0

On the outside

Both the S9 and the S8 feature 5.8-inch displays, while the S9+ and the S8+ share a 6.2-inch screen size. However, the newer handsets are smaller than Samsung’s previous models. That’s due to the S9 and S9+ featuring smaller bezels and a greater screen-to-body ratio.

All four handsets make use of the company’s Super AMOLED display technology and feature an 18.5:9 aspect ratio.

Another major difference is the placement of the S8 and S8+’s fingerprint scanner. With the S8 and S8+, Samsung placed the fingerprint scanner to the right of the rear camera. Now the S9 and S9+’s fingerprint sensors are located below their cameras, making them more reachable.

Camera

Camera-wise, both phones are very different than their predecessors. The S9 uses a 12-megapixel camera sensor, similar to the S8 in terms of pixels, but has a variable aperture lens. A camera with a variable aperture lens has the ability to switch between multiple aperture settings. The S9 specifically can change from a f/1.5 aperture to a narrower f/2.4 aperture. However, unlike a DSLR lens, the phone lacks aperture sizes between f/1.5 and f/2.4. The S8’s 12-megapixel camera is limited to a f/1.7 aperture.

Meanwhile, the S9+ uses a dual rear camera setup with two 12-megapixel sensors, one of the lenses is also a variable aperture with the ability to switch to either a f/1.5 aperture or a f/2.4 aperture, while the other is fixed at a f/2.4 aperture.

The S9 and S9+ are also capable of recording video at a super fast 960fps.

Specs and features

The Galaxy S9 and S9+ both use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 chipset in Canada, which is a step above the Galaxy S8 and S8+’s processor from last year. The S9+, however, uses 6GB of RAM while the S8+ only has 4GB.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ both have a new Animoji-like feature that Samsung calls AR emoji. Unlike Apple’s Animoji, the phone maps the user’s face through a process that takes approximately 20 seconds. The handsets then transform the 2D image into a cartoony 3D replica that looks similar to the user.

The S9 and S9+ also uses a feature called “Intelligent Scan,” which combines the handset’s iris scanning capabilities and face recognition, replacing either unlock

Samsung’s new handsets also use Dolby Sound giving the phone stereo sound output.

For more on the Galaxy S9 and S9+ check out MobileSyrup’s hands-on here.

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