Galaxy S9 review

The Same Look, Now a Little Better — Samsung Galaxy S9

At first glance, the Galaxy S9 is almost a carbon copy of its predecessor. The 5.8-inch Super AMOLED display remains crisp and vibrant, and the overall silhouette is nearly identical. Samsung has made a few subtle tweaks, however. The phone is a hair shorter and thicker than the S8, and the fingerprint scanner has moved to a more sensible spot below the camera lens, making it far easier to reach. That single change fixes one of the biggest annoyances of the earlier model.

The frame feels more strong, and the dual speakers are a welcome addition for media consumption. Still, if you were hoping for a fresh design, you won’t find it here. This is very much an iterative update, and anyone coming from an S8 will feel right at home. The IP68 rating remains, so you don’t have to worry about splashes or dust. For buyers who value a compact phone with a headphone jack and microSD expansion, the S9 keeps those features alive when many rivals are dropping them.

You can browse our phone reviews to see how it stacks up against newer models.

A Camera That Tries Harder in the Dark — Samsung Galaxy S9

The headline feature here is the dual-aperture camera. The 12-megapixel sensor can switch between a wider f/1.5 aperture for low-light scenes and a narrower f/2.4 for brighter conditions. In theory, this should let in more light when you need it most. In practice, the results are mixed. Photos taken in dim settings do look brighter at first, but if you zoom in, edges can appear soft and details get smoothed away. The phone takes multiple shots and combines them to reduce noise, which sometimes leads to an over-processed look.

Shooting in RAW mode reveals more digital noise, so the software is clearly working hard to clean things up. On the plus side, daylight shots are sharp and colorful, and the camera is generally reliable for everyday use. The variable aperture is a clever idea, but it doesn’t always deliver the dramatic improvement Samsung promised. Still, for casual photographers, the S9’s camera is more than capable. If you want to compare it with other devices, check our phone directory for specs and alternatives.

Easier to enable, but Not Perfect — Samsung Galaxy S9

One of the biggest frustrations with the Galaxy S8 was its unreliable biometrics. The S9 addresses this with a repositioned fingerprint sensor and an improved facial recognition system. The fingerprint reader is now much easier to find by touch, and it works quickly and accurately. The face enable, meanwhile, is faster than before, but it can still fail in low light or if you’re wearing glasses. Samsung also introduced Intelligent Scan, which combines face and iris recognition, but its success rate is not consistent.

You may still find yourself tapping in your PIN more often than you’d like. Bixby, Samsung’s voice assistant, remains a weak point. It’s not as useful as Google Assistant, and its dedicated button is easy to press by accident. Battery life is another area where the S9 doesn’t improve. The 3,000mAh cell delivers about the same endurance as the S8, meaning you’ll likely need a top-up by evening with moderate use.

For a phone that costs $720 at launch, these shortcomings are noticeable, but if you find it at a discount today, the S9 still offers a solid experience for those who value its compact size and legacy ports.

Great for Media, with Speakers and Screen — Samsung Galaxy S9

Battery Life Stays the Same

If you’re coming from a Galaxy S8, the battery situation on the Galaxy S9 will feel remarkably familiar. Samsung equipped this phone with the same 3,000mAh cell found in its predecessor, and real-world endurance hasn’t budged. You can still expect to get through a full day of moderate use — checking email, browsing social media, taking a few photos — but don’t count on making it to bedtime after a heavy day of navigation or video streaming.

The phone supports 15W wired charging as well as Qi wireless charging, so topping up is convenient, but the lack of any major battery improvement is a notable miss. For some users, the identical battery life is a sign that Samsung focused its efforts elsewhere. If you’re the sort of person who needs phone finder tools to locate a device with all-day stamina, this model might feel a little shortchanged.

Samsung Galaxy S9 Review: Still a strong pick for Certain Buyers

The phone launched with Android, and its support record is check current samsung support status. Check the software version, app compatibility, security status, and regional network support before buying.

Is the Galaxy S9 right for you? — Samsung Galaxy S9

The Galaxy S9 is a phone that improves on its predecessor in meaningful but unexciting ways. The biggest new feature is the 12-megapixel camera with a variable dual-aperture lens that can switch between f/1.5 and f/2.4 depending on the lighting. In practice, this helps the phone capture brighter low-light shots, but the software tends to aggressively smooth out details, leaving edges looking soft when you zoom in. The fingerprint scanner has moved to a more sensible spot below the camera, making it far easier to reach than on the S8.

Samsung also introduced Intelligent Scan, which combines face and iris recognition, but reviewers found this feature had a high failure rate in less-than-ideal lighting. Bixby remains largely disappointing, offering limited usefulness compared to Google Assistant. The phone is IP68 water and dust resistant, giving you peace of mind around spills or rain. in the end, the S9 is a refined version of the S8 that adds a smarter camera and better ergonomics.

It’s most appealing if you’re after a compact phone with expandable storage and a headphone jack, and if you can find it at a lower price. Existing S8 owners, however, have very little reason to upgrade.