Samsung Announces the Galaxy S9 With a Dual Aperture Camera, AR Emojis (arstechnica.com)

Samsung has taken the wraps off of its latest flagship, the Galaxy S9, at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The S9 features a familiar body with an upgraded camera, relocated fingerprint scanner, and newer processor. As usual, there are two versions: the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. Ars Technica reports: The S9 is one of the first phones announced with the new 2.8Ghz Snapdragon 845 SoC in the US, while the international version will most likely get an Exynos 9810. Qualcomm is promising a 25-percent faster CPU and 30-percent faster graphics compared to the Snapdragon 835. The rest of the base S9 specs look a lot like last year, with 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a 3000mah battery, and a 5.8-inch 2960x1440 OLED display. The S9+ gets the usual bigger screen (6.2 inches @ 2960x1440) and bigger battery (3500mAh), but one improvement over last year is a RAM bump to 6GB. Neither RAM option is really outstanding for a phone this expensive, considering the much cheaper OnePlus 5T will give you 6GB and 8GB options for RAM at a much lower price. Both S9 models have headphone jacks, MicroSD slots, a new stereo speaker setup (one bottom firing, one doubles as the earpiece), IP68 dust and water resistance, wireless charging, and ship with Android 8.0 Oreo.

Both the Galaxy S9 versions are getting a main camera with two aperture settings. Just like a real camera, the Galaxy S9 has a set of (very tiny) aperture blades that can move to change the amount of incoming light. On the S9 they're limited to two different positions, resulting in f/1.5 and f/2.4 apertures. In low light the aperture can open up to f/1.5 to collect as much light as possible, while in normal or bright light it can switch to f/2.4 for a wider depth of field. Samsung is also answering Apple's Animojis with "AR Emoji." They work just like Apple's Animoji: using the front sensors to perform a primitive version of motion capture, the phone syncs up a character's facial expressions to your facial expressions. The Galaxy S9 clocks in at $719.99 and the S9+ is going for $839.99. In the U.S., preorders start March 2 at all four major carriers, and the phones ship out on March 16.

Comments

Re:AR Emojis?!

[93 Escort Wagon]

I see it somewhat differently. If Animoji and AR emoji are really what passes for cutting edge new features that differentiate flagship phones now, it means there’s very little reason to upgrade your phone anymore - unless it breaks.

Now, get off my lawn.

Anyone who...

[ckatko]

Anyone who pays $1000 for a phone, I don't care if they get a deal or ripped off. You're still blowing a grand on something that will become less useful than a toaster in 5 years.

I cannot fathom--for the life of me--how people can convince themselves to spend a grand on something that sends text messages and snaps selfies. You can buy a fucking 4K TV >65" for a grand. I should know, I bought a Samsung 55" for ~$800.

A thousand bucks buys you an insanely good guitar, violin, or damn near anything else. You could buy a full VR setup. But somehow, for a phone that does what everyone else's does (but it loads Facebook 25% faster! omg!) and will become trash within 5 years... how... what... is EVERYONE RICHER THAN ME? Does no one have to make careful decisions about where to spend their money? I can live in my rental _house_ for two months (1/6th of the year!) for the price of one of those phones. I could build an amazing PC for a grand. I could buy a pretty damn good laptop for a grand and it would be USEFUL for at least ten years. My wife's old i5 laptop her grandparents bought her for school 6+ years ago is still fast enough to run 4K YouTube, games, and more.

Re:Anyone who...

[thegarbz]

You're still blowing a grand on something that will become less useful than a toaster in 5 years.

Yep just like my laptop. And just like every* desktop PC from the 80s to the mid 00s.

If history is anything to go by then people would have no problem spending that money. Especially when you consider it is the device they will interact with most in any given day.

* LOL Just kidding, we never got a desktop PC for that cheap.

I cannot fathom--for the life of me--how people can convince themselves to spend a grand on something that sends text messages and snaps selfies.

Oooh I get it. You don't know what a mobile phone is. Here, let me educate you by going the opposite extreme: https://www.theregister.co.uk/.... You may just send text messages and snap selfies, but a lot of us do far more than that.

A thousand bucks buys you an insanely good guitar, violin

Oh god. Spend all that money for something that I need to put years of effort into to play decent music with a single instrument? Personally I just use my $1000 smartphone to stream music from far more talented people than I to a nice soundsystem, when I'm not listening directly on the device in an airplane where fellow passengers may complain about the noise if I started playing guitar. *side note: I actually play instruments and I use my phone to tune my guitar.

You could buy a full VR setup.

Indeed. For $99 you can convert your shiny smartphone via Samsung Gear VR. Wait you were thinking this was a point against the smartphone weren't you? Sorry.

But somehow, for a phone that does what everyone else's does (but it loads Facebook 25% faster! omg!)

Actually it doesn't load Facebook any faster. That's no where near the most challenging task for a phone.

and will become trash within 5 years

I still don't understand why you think it will become trash for any reason other than being replaced by something better.

how... what... is EVERYONE RICHER THAN ME?

Wow what? How did we make that leap? How poor do you have to be to not be able to get a phone like this on a 2 year plan. Jeebus there's people on foodstamps with shiny smartphones. Get some perspective.

Does no one have to make careful decisions about where to spend their money?

Yes we do. And what better way to spend your money than a device that provides connectivity, social interaction, gaming, entertainment, music, movies, functionally help you through your work, office applications, and combined with something like Dex turns the phone into a full on PC in your pocket. Frankly I'm struggling with what else could give me better bang for buck.

I can live in my rental _house_ for two months (1/6th of the year!) for the price of one of those phones.

And we do that anyway.

I could build an amazing PC for a grand.

Uah why would you. Stick yourself to your desk? Sounds horrible.

I could buy a pretty damn good laptop for a grand and it would be USEFUL for at least ten years.

LOL you clearly know as much about laptops as you do mobile phones.

My wife's old i5 laptop her grandparents bought her for school 6+ years ago is still fast enough to run 4K YouTube, games, and more.

I'm sure it is. My 6 year old smartphone still does all the things it was originally capable of too. I'll wager my current smartphone is far more useful than some 6+ year old laptop as well. Plus I challenge you to buy a modern laptop under $1k that will actually last. In case you haven't seen build quality of modern devices. As for games... hahahahah yeah I'll stick with my modern phone over your 6

Re:Anyone who...

[DNS-and-BIND]

LOL spotted the guy who bought an expensive phone and is super insecure about it.

Wow! What features!

[Opportunist]

AR Emojis! And a relocated fingerprint scanner! And all for merely the price of a new laptop!

In case you wondered why people stop buying phones like crazy...