Samsung Galaxy S9+ first impressions: Is this the best camera on a smartphone, how do those AR Emojis work and is that Lilac Purple worth it? We answer some of those questions.
Samsung Galaxy S9+ is here with a camera that claims to be the best in business, ahead of the arch-rivals Apple iPhone X and Google Pixel 2 XL. The Galaxy S9 might not be radically different from the previous Galaxy S8 series, but there are some major tweaks on the inside with camera being the main differentiator.
The Galaxy S9+ in one of the first phones to tout a dual variable aperture on the camera, with f/1.5 and f/2.4 aperture, which gets automatically adjusted based on lighting. The Galaxy S9 series also includes a super slow-motion video option. But what else does the Galaxy S9+ offer and is it a drastic leap in terms of camera performance? We have been using the S9+ for the last two days, testing out its camera and some of the newer features. Here is what we have learnt about the phone.
Samsung Galaxy S9+: The best camera on a smartphone?
Let us start with the camera and whether that dual aperture really makes a difference in low-light? Yes, and it is obvious in some cases. I could see the difference in some photos, which were taken in pitch darkness or no lighting source at all. One can see the object clearly. Does this mean more details and sharper images? Not necessarily, but it’s not such a big negative, given this is a smartphone and not a DSLR.
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus camera: The best on the market without a doubt.
However, when it comes to indoor photos where the lighting is good, the Galaxy S9+ is one of the best options and certainly ahead of its rivals. I took one photo from the Pixel 2 XL and another from the Galaxy S9+ indoors and clearly preferred the one from the latter. The colours are brighter, the details are clear and it is a better image overall. With bright vivid colours, the Galaxy S9+ camera is outstanding and there is no doubt of that. Yes, the Note8 and S8 had excellent cameras, but the Galaxy S9+ is offering something better with its low-light performance and more detail in the images.
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus sample taken in a room with no lights on. The picture looks a lot brighter and clearer, despite the lack of lighting. (Image resized for web)
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus camera sample (Image resized for web)
Two Bokeh images taken from the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus. (Images cropped, resized for web)
The bokeh mode is similar to what we saw in the Galaxy Note 8. The ‘Live Focus’ option in the camera is the bokeh/Portrait mode and users can adjust background blur after taking the photo. There’s also the option of converting the photo into wide-angle or sticking with the close-up. The Live Focus mode does result in some stunning images. It works better with bigger objects, people, etc, and if the timing is right you can get some stunning images.
Photo taken on Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus in indoor lighting. (Image resized for web)
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus Bokeh sample. (Image resized for web)
There’s no doubt that when it comes to the camera department, Galaxy S9+ is definitely one step ahead of the competition.
Samsung Galaxy S9+: The super slow-motion is not for indoors
Samsung Galaxy S9+ can shoot videos at 960fps at 720 HD resolution. The video is then saved as a short clip with some background music added, though users can change it. Yes, super slow-motion is a really cool idea. But it does not quite work out. I would call this ‘carefully orchestrated and planned’ super slow motion and here’s why.
When one switches to this mode in the camera, you will see a yellow box appear on the camera screen. The trick is to make sure that the motion takes place within this box, so the camera can capture this and convert it into super-slow motion. Making sure the motion stays within the box is tricky to achieve unless you have carefully planned the whole action, which might not always happen.
Super slow-motion on the Galaxy S9 Plus is tricky to get right.
I tried capturing some super-slow-motion videos of my dog with the S9+ and I admit it was a task holding the phone steady while trying to capture the video. Even in outside light, the super-slow-motion video does not look so sharp and the 720p resolution leaves you wanting for more. Indoors you can forget about super-slow-motion video because the LED lights will result in a flickering movement in the back and it is just too pixelated to enjoy. But it works well with the right lighting and timing.
Samsung Galaxy S9+: AR Emoji is here, but is it for everyone?
It is officially Emoji season in the smartphone world. Sony, Asus, and Samsung are all offering their own version of the AR-powered emojis, and one does not know why. These human-style emojis make the poop Animoji on the iPhone X look acceptable.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus and S9 both have AR Emoji as a mode in the camera. It will scan the user’s face to create this avataar. It reminds me of a more cartoonish form of Bitmoji, which I think is much better when it comes to accuracy. On the Galaxy S9+ users can tweak the AR Emoji including features like clothes, the hairstyle, or put on a pair of spectacles.
AR Emojis on Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus. There are 18 pre-set expressions and these get saved in a GIF format in the gallery.
One can also drag the AR Emoji to the camera and it will take over that and try and capture your expressions, though it does an accurate job of getting these. Once an Animoji is created, 18-fixed expressions are saved as GIFs in the gallery. One can then send these as MMS or a message on Facebook or WhatsApp, etc via the keyboard which worked fine. My main issue with the AR Emoji is that it looks nothing like the person, and while Samsung says accuracy is not the aim here, it is not clear to me why this would be an enjoyable experience. I would say Samsung’s AR Emoji is not for everyone.
Samsung Galaxy S9+: Bixby vision, Intelligent scan work just fine
Samsung Galaxy S9+ comes with improved Bixby vision and the company is pretty determined to keep its digital assistant going, which it envisions will have a bigger space than just smartphones. Bixby Vision now includes the option of Live Translate, which is powered by Google Translate, it can recognise a Place and give more details about it, and Bixby can even recognise wine for those who fancy this.
The Live Translate works with a number of Indian languages and I able to get it correctly convert English text into Hindi. When it comes to food, the Bixby camera managed to recognise sliced apples and gave nutritional information around them. However, a packet of Little Hearts biscuits had the camera stumped though it was eventually categorised as a cracker, which is accurate.
The Galaxy S9+ might not have a drastically different design, but that Lilac purple colour is definitely raising some eyebrows.
Samsung has also introduced something called Intelligent scan for unlocking the phone, where both the face and iris are required to unlock the device which is accurate and works well. Of course, the Intelligent scan still requires that I remove my spectacles every single time. I preferred the iPhone X’s Face ID, which was just so smooth, spectacles or no spectacles.
Samsung Galaxy S9+: The Lilac Purple colour, single SIM, price, and other stuff
The Galaxy S9+ might not have a drastically different design, but that Lilac purple colour is definitely raising some eyebrows. Opinion will be divided on this colour and not everyone will be comfortable flaunting a purple phone. I love it and think it looks stunning. If only I could find a cover to protect the S9+ while showing off the colour, because let’s be real, all that glass surface is glossy and slippery. There are others on my team who thinks Lilac Purple and smartphones should just stay away from each other.
The Galaxy S9+ is still a stunning phone in terms of how it looks. The display in particular will make every other smartphone screen look dull in comparison. Also the unit we have a comes with a single-SIM slot with a dedicated microSD slot with 400 GB as a capacity. So it looks like Samsung is not launching these with dual-SIM options in India. The price of the Galaxy S9+ is Rs 64,900 for the 64GB variant and the 256GB variant will cost Rs 72,900.
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