Reviewed: Samsung Galaxy S9+ is Bigger And Better

Samsung Galaxy S9+

RM3,579.00

9.4

Performance

9.5/10

Price

9.0/10

Camera Quality

9.8/10

Functions

9.0/10

Design

9.8/10

Pros

• Waterproof
• Slim design
• AMOLED
• High performance
• Awesome camera

Cons

• Expensive
• Smudge magnet

In May, I did a review on the Samsung Galaxy S9. And then early last month, I got my hands on the big brother – the Samsung Galaxy S9+. I gave an awesome review on the little brother whereby I enjoyed using the S9 while being outdoors and underwater. I am not going to write about that with the Samsung Galaxy S9+ because it’s basically the same but I’m gonna talk more about the overall performance and daily usage.

Look and Design

What I like about the Plus version is the screen size (obvious difference). Although the display is 6.2″ in size, it doesn’t feel big at all unlike the older Galaxy such as the Galaxy Mega. Similar screen size but waaaay bigger. You can slap someone back to prehistoric time with the Galaxy Mega.

The S9+ has a big display but small footprint. It feels slim and still manageable with one hand. The Super AMOLED screen is beautiful to look at. That has been the Jack of all trades by Samsung all these years. And the guys at Samsung Malaysia are very kind to let me give the Samsung Galaxy S9+ a try for a few weeks.

Ergonomically it is a comfortable and stunning looking phone. Having a big screen with a slim design really made a lot of difference when it comes to handling. Easy single handed operation is essential for those who are always on the move (but don’t do it while driving ya). And if you’re a vain person who loves taking selfies, it is still easy to handle the S9+ with one hand.

The S9+ comes with a similar slim design just like the S9 as well as the S8 series. Of course, the S9+ is considered a slight evolution from the S8+ series in terms of design but with huge improvements in the camera department. And I can safely say that I fell in love with the S series since last year’s S8 launch. Samsung have truly amazed me with their latest phone designs.

Android 8.1

In terms of the S9 and S9+ OS, I find that it is a well thought system throughout including the User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX). Based on Android Oreo 8.1, Samsung’s own interface is very user friendly and it’s easy for me to find the settings that I need. I have other phones in hand for review but I find those to be a little bit messy.

I like the fact that Samsung have ditched the old habit of having too many bloatwares installed in the phone by default. Instead, they gave an option whether you want to install those extra wares or remove those you don’t need. I actually installed a few just to test out. And it doesn’t use much resourses anymore.

Moving on to the main highlight – Camera

This is what everyone is looking forward to when someone is reviewing a phone. Other than performance, we all look forward to the camera tests. Correct? Don’t worry, I do that too.

The S9+ comes with a dual lens camera at the back unlike the smaller sibling, the S9. The main shooter is 12MP with f/1.5 aperture opening while the second shooter is also a 12MP sensor but with f/2.4 aperture opening and 2x optical zoom. So if you want to shoot something far away, use the second camera.

The front camera is also one of the biggest feature in the S9 series. It comes with tons of cool features in the camera software. Augmented Reality is the in-thing at the moment and Samsung is pleasing those who loves to utilize that feature. The effects are cool and cute. Creating a 3D cartoon of yourself is a whole lot of fun in both the S9 and S9+.

Below are some camera samples that I have taken with the S9+.

Camera quality from the Galaxy S9+ is solid. I can’t find one photo that is blurred or out of focus. Colours are vibrant without being over-saturated. Images are sharp and in full detail.

I really enjoyed taking tons of photos with the S9+ but my laptop hard disk went bonkers the other day and most of the photos that I have saved were gone. Luckily I have some that I managed to sync in Google Photos (above photos). That was really a bummer for me. Lesson learnt. From now on I will turn on the auto-sync to Google Photos, just in case.

Overall Usage and Conclusion

When I review a phone, I will use it every single day so that I can fully test the features and power. The S9+ glides through the day as though there are no obstacles along the way in a 100m hurdle.

Using the S9+ is a joy, just like the previously reviewed S9. It all comes back to the improved OS customisations by Samsung. The battery on the S9+ last a lot longer than the S9. On a full charge, the S9+ can last me around 36 hours before it hits 10%. The S9 last me up to 30 hours, give and take.

Other than the camera and battery life on the S9+, it is more or less the same in terms of performance with the S9 hence why this review is a little shorter than my usual. I have already covered the extended camera and performance in the S9 review and as I have said earlier, this will only be about the key features of the S9+.

I love the size, I love the display and I love the camera quality. Everything that I totally need for my daily usage is in the S9+. I don’t mind saving up most of my monthly salary to buy one, really…I would. Not that I’m trying to butter up with Samsung here but that is my honest opinion.

The S9 is good with gaming expecially now that I’m addicted to PUBG Mobile. But with the S9+, it got waaay better. Screen is larger and everything else looks stunning. Game time got bumped an extra half hour with the S9+. Maybe more. So yeah, those who loves gaming, this is for you too.

That concludes my review on the Samsung Galaxy S9+. It is one heck of a solid phone. Priced begins at RM3,579.00 at Samsung’s official Lazada page.