Tag: Samsung Galaxy S9

Samsung Galaxy S9 & S9+ Cameras Receive Night Mode With Latest Update

Samsung used to be rather infamous for its slow update cycles in the recent past. However, with the adoption of the One UI, this trend has changed for the better, with a lot more diverse range of devices receiving Android Pie. The Korean giant is releasing a new software build that will update the last years’ flagships the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+. Following the update, both handsets will receive the Night Mode feature which allows in capturing well lit pictures in dark lighting conditions.

The latest build will carry the Galaxy S10 camera feature via an OTA update. Samsung freshly reworked its ‘Bright Night’ camera mode into a standalone Night mode feature, similar to that Google’s Night Sight and Huawei’s Night Vision. Previously, the camera software analyzed the ambient conditions and toggled the Night mode automatically but over an update, the feature can also be manually activated.

In addition to the camera functionality, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ are also receiving June 2019s Android Security patch with the said update. Night mode, a dedicated long-exposure feature that lowers shutter speed for brighter images in low light conditions, can now be toggled by swiping across the camera UI. A new background blur intensity bad for the selfie camera in Live Focus mode is also included in the update. Samsung is also seeking to improve the stability of inbuilt apps such as Messaging, Contacts and Gallery. The changelog has pointed at the company improving overall system security with over 11 vulnerabilities being checked in the software.

Also Read: WhatsApp To Take Legal Action Against Businesses Abusing Its Platform

Updates for the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ carry the version number G965FXXU5CSF2 and is reported to be sized around 570MB. The update will initially roll out in countries like Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines, and should soon make an appearance to the global audience including India.

June 12, 2019
Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ Launched In New Red Colour Variant

Samsung launched the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ in February 2018. The smartphones are still one of the first flagship devices to run on the Snapdragon 845 chipset (in the US and South Korea only). The South Korean tech giant has launched a new red colour variant of its latest flagship phones in China. Samsung has, historically, launched new colour variants of its flagship smartphones in lesser markets. The red colour variant is currently only available in China and is unlikely to make its way to other countries for the time being.

Even though the Galaxy S9 was one of the top-selling smartphones of the first quarter of 2018, Samsung expects weaker demands of the smartphone. Launching a new colour variant so soon after the official launch could be one of Samsung’s marketing push in the world’s largest smartphone market, China. Launching a red colour device in China also makes sense since the colour red is considered lucky in Chinese culture.

The images on the Samsung China website also reveal that Samsung is pushing to promote the new Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ among the women. The devices are being promoted by Chinese celebrities and comes with matching Red Yves Saint Laurent lipstick. This is a clear attempt strategy by Samsung to position the Galaxy S9 as a luxury smartphone among the women in China. Some might argue that boiling down women’s choices in 2018 to makeup products is not the most progressive thing to do. However, that is the company’s prerogative.

Samsung recently launched the Burgundy Red Galaxy S8 in India, a couple of months after the launch of the Galaxy S9. This means that the company might not be keen on launching the new red colour Galaxy S9/S9+ in India anytime soon. Similarly, Samsung launched Rose Pink Galaxy S8 in the UK, South Korea etc but, never launched it extensively in all markets. It will be interesting to see how Samsung plans out the launch pattern of different colour variants to keep the interest in the smartphones alive.

May 8, 2018
Apple iPhone X Was The Best Selling Smartphone In Q1 Of 2018

Launched in September of 2017 for a whopping US$ 999 starting price, the Apple iPhone X had its fair share of doubters. The new design complete with a notch initially did not impress many. The iPhone X also did not have the famed Touch ID and was replaced Apple’s own facial recognition system, now known as Face ID. With so many changes and a record high price, the iPhone X was still the best selling smartphone of Q1 of 2018.

In a new report by Strategy Analytics, Apple sold 16 million units of the iPhone X in the quarter, making it the best selling smartphone. Apple did announce record profits for the quarter and Tim Cook claimed that the Apple iPhone was the best selling smartphone in many markets. Apple announced quarterly revenue of US$ 61.1 billion, a year-over-year growth of 16% which is much higher than its street estimates.

Must read: Apple iPhone SE 2 Renders With Face ID And iPhone X Style Notch Leaked

A close second on the list of best selling smartphones was the iPhone 8 with 12.5 million units. The iPhone 8 Plus, launched along with the iPhone 8 and iPhone X was the third best selling smartphone with 8.3 million units sold. At number four on the list was the iPhone 7, a smartphone launched in 2016, with 5.6 million units sold during the quarter.

iPhone 8, 8 Plus

Xiaomi’s “Desh Ka Smartphone” Redmi 5A was fifth on the list with 5.4 million units sold. Credit has to be given to the Samsung Galaxy S9 for coming in sixth on the list. The smartphone was launched in late-February and went on sale in March. In all, the top six smartphones accounted for 1 in every 7 smartphones shipped in the world during the quarter.

Redmi 5A

It is a mind-boggling statistic that the top five best selling smartphones were from the same company, Apple. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, which were believed to be unimpressive when compared to the iPhone X managed to be among the best selling smartphones of the quarter. This report also contradicts many claims from analysts that the Apple iPhone X is not in demand anymore and the Apple is planning to stop the production of the iPhone X.

Must Read: OnePlus 6 Price In India Leaked, Starts At Rs 36999

Samsung Galaxy S9

With smartphones like the OnePlus 6 launching in May, more smartphones would be thriving to enter that list for the coming quarters of 2018.

May 5, 2018
Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ Red Bull Ring Edition Launched

Samsung had launched the Galaxy S9 and S9+ at an event in Barcelona on the 25th of February. Both the flagship smartphones subsequently went on sale in India in March. Now, Samsung has launched a special edition of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ in association with Vodafone in the Netherlands. The Galaxy S9+ and S9 Red Bull Ring Edition will be available in the Netherlands until the 27th of April.

The name of the new Galaxy S9 Red Bull Edition is a reference to the Austrian Grand Prix track. The retail box of the Galaxy S9 Red Bull Edition will include a special Red Bull Ring case along with the usual stuff like AKG earphones and a wall charger. Interestingly, the case inside the bundle provides much more than just branding or protection to your Galaxy S9/S9+. It has an NFC chip that triggers a change in theme of the Galaxy S9 to a Red Bull theme featuring shots of its F1 cars.

Apart from the NFC chip cover, the Galaxy S9 Red Bull Edition comes pre-loaded with information about each track. The Galaxy S9 Red Bull Edition owners will also have access to free clips from the Ziggo Sport Formula 1 Cafe and exclusive race images. It is worth noting that the Galaxy S9/S9+ Red Bull Ring Edition is only available in the 64GB storage variant.

Galaxy Note8 Pyeongchang

Unlike the Galaxy Note8 PyeongChang 2018 edition which had the Olympics logo embossed on the phone, the Galaxy S9 Red Bull Edition does not have any design changes. The NFC case is a nice addition but, apart from that, it does not really differentiate from the regular Galaxy S9 or S9+.

April 17, 2018
Possible Samsung Galaxy S9 Mini Leaked Online

Samsung’s last known mini flagship smartphone was the Galaxy S5 Mini. After which, the company has been launching a standard variant and a plus variant of its flagship phones. However, this might soon change as a possible Samsung Galaxy S9 Mini has been listed on TENAA. There are a good number of reasons to claim that SM-G8850 belongs to the flagship S series from Samsung. First, Samsung reserves it’s QHD+ Super AMOLED display for its flagship phones and this device has a QHD+ display. And also. the smartphone runs on the Exynos 9810 Octa-core chipset, which is the chipset used on the Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+.

Samsung Galaxy S9 mini: A Compact Flagship

According to the TENAA listing, the Galaxy S9 Mini has the same 5.8 inch display as the Galaxy S9. However, the Galaxy S9 Mini might skip on the Iris Scanner, which will reduce the cost of manufacturing. Additionally, the Galaxy S9 mini might also miss out the wireless charging capability. The smartphone has an iPhone X style dual camera setup with a fingerprint scanner placed in the top middle portion of the smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy S9+

According to the TENNA listing, the Samsung Galaxy S9 Mini has a 5.8 inch QHD+ 2960 × 1440 px Super AMOLED Display. The compact phone runs on the Exynos 9810 Octa-core chipset and has both 4GB and 6GB RAM options. The listing does not reveal any storage information. However, considering current flagship smartphones from Samsung, the device might have either 64/128GB onboard storage with an optional memory expansion up to 400GB via a micro SD card.

The phone is listed with a dual rear-camera setup with a two 12MP sensors. However, the listing does not mention the presence of variable aperture similar to that on the Galaxy S9. There is however, an 8MP front-facing camera similar to the Samsung Galaxy S9.

If launched, the Galaxy S9 mini is expected to compete against the likes of the OnePlus 6, Honor 10 and the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2s, especially in large growing markets like India.

April 12, 2018
Samsung Smartphones With Always-On Displays Get Support For GIFs

Samsung has silently added support to showcase GIFs on its smartphones with Always on Display (AOD). Always On Display is a feature where the phone’s screen is off, except for the clock and notification icon. This features required an AMOLED panel, and it only works in the Samsung flagship series smartphones.

To get this feature working, you should have AOD application version 3.2.26.4. If you are running on the latest version, then select ‘set always on display image’ and select a GIF. However, note that the app can only rear GIF formatted pictures, not .webp. Similarly, if the GIF is too long, the app will recommend it to trim down to a specific time frame.

Once, you lock your smartphone, the GIF will animate for a once and will stay in the fixed frame after that. Additionally, one can also set a super slow motion video recorded on the Galaxy S9/S9+ as an AOD picture as well.

This feature will work on devices including, the Samsung Galaxy S9/s9+, Galaxy S8/S8+ and the Galaxy Note 8. If you are yet to receive this update and you don’t want to wait. Then, click on this link to manually download the APK and sideload it. However, we don’t recommend sideloading third-party apps as they might goof-up your smartphone.

March 31, 2018
Some Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ Units Suffering From A ‘Dead Spot’ Issue

Samsung recently launched the Galaxy S9 and S9+ in India at a starting price of Rs 57,900. Though there was nothing new about their design, the smartphones were praised for their camera capabilities. Now, some owners of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ have started to report display input issues. A handful of these devices have failed to register touch input and are being affected by ‘Dead Zone’. It looks like the issue was predominately found in the Galaxy S9+.

According to reports on Samsung community and Reddit, the users have described that the device failed to register the touch input in certain spots. In fact, the issue is unresolvable even after a hard reset. According to some reports, the display was unresponsive in the bottom half and for some, the top half was unresponsive.

We tested out our review unit thoroughly and we didn’t find any ‘Dead Zone.’ This could be a hardware issue related to quality control and Samsung is yet to respond.

Samsung Galaxy S9+ Specs

The Galaxy S9+ has the same screen size as the Galaxy S8+. It sports a 6.2 inch Super AMOLED display with a 2960 x 1440 px resolution. Under the hood, the device has the Exynos 9810 chipset. The Galaxy S9+ is available in 6GB RAM/64GB storage and 6GB RAM/256GB models in India. Similarly, the storage is expandable up to 400GB.

Out of the box, the Galaxy S9+ runs Android 8 Oreo with Experience 9.0 on top. Powering the smartphone is a 3500 mAh battery, just like the Galaxy S8+. The smartphone will support wireless charging as well. The Galaxy S9+ also has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.

The Galaxy S9+ has one wide-angle 12MP camera with an f/1.5 aperture and the other is a 12MP telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture. On the front of the smartphone is an 8MP camera with an f/1.6 aperture and records 4K videos. Additionally, the mobile can record slow-motion videos at 960fps with 720p resolution.

March 22, 2018
Mickey And Minnie Mouse AR Emojis Now Available For The Galaxy S9 & S9+

Over the years, emojis have become an integral part of one of the most common daily tasks, texting. Smartphone makers have now started incorporating AR with emojis for an even more personalised experience. It all with the Apple iPhone X and its Animojis. Apple used its 3D sensors for some very accurate AR emojis that have become quite famous. Samsung jumped aboard the bandwagon with Galaxy S9 and AR Emojis.

To add more customisation options, the company has introduced Minnie and Mickey Mouse emojis as well. However, unlike Animojis, the AR Emojis doesn’t match the standard set by Apple, in terms of replicating the expression. In fact, we tried the AR emojis on the Galaxy S9+ and it doesn’t look anything similar to reality. This is possibly due to the lack of hardware required for accurate AR experience that the iPhone X possesses.

One can download the Mickey and Minnie Mouse emojis using the camera on the Galaxy S9 and the S9+ for free of cost. Similarly, the company will add other Disney characters like The Incredibles, Zootopia, and Frozen in the coming days.

The company launched the Galaxy S9 and the S9+ in India on the 6th of March 2018. While the overall design remains identical to its predecessors, there are are some major camera upgrades.

What is AR Emojis?

AR Emojis are animated characters, that can replicate a user’s facial expressions. According to Samsung, it works on:

Deep learning and facial recognition technology to map more than 100 facial features to produce a 3D replica, allowing users to create fun, customized messages to send to friends.

Unlike Apple iPhone X, these AR emojis can be shared with other smartphone users, who don’t have a Galaxy S9 or S9+. To make the sharing process simpler, the smartphone creates 18 custom AGIF file format. However, Mickey and Minnie Mouse emojis do not support this feature. This means that these emojis are not very customisable, however, can be shared with everyone. One can also pin the AR emojis to the lock-screen (always on display) as well.

March 17, 2018
Samsung Galaxy S10 Could Feature An In-Screen Fingerprint Sensor

Samsung launched the Galaxy S9 and the S9+ in India on the 5th of March. The Galaxy S9 devices are the latest flagship smartphones from the company that features a variable aperture for the first time ever. The smartphones went on sale today (16th March) and rumours about its successor have already started surfacing. According to a report, the Galaxy S10 will have an in-screen fingerprint sensor with 3D facial recognition.

While it is fair to assume that the Galaxy S9 successor will be the Galaxy S10, nothing is certain right now. As the company might take the Apple route and end up calling it something else.

The in-screen fingerprint scanner was expected to debut with the Galaxy Note 9. However, the technical challenges appear to have forced Samsung into pushing forward the technology for the Galaxy S10. This is because the company is seemingly working on the technology to eliminate its drawbacks.

Galaxy S10 Expected Features

The Galaxy S10 will have an in-screen fingerprint scanner with 3D facial recognition. The facial-recognition will be similar to the Apple iPhone X‘s Face ID. However, instead of placing it in a notch, the company will retain the bezels to house the required set of sensors.

Render image of the Galaxy S10

The Samsung Galaxy S10 will be the first smartphone to offer 5G. The Galaxy S10 will be the worlds first chipset based on the 7nm manufacturing process. The company has signed a strategic relationship agreement with Qualcomm, which means Galaxy S10 could be the first smartphone to deploy 5G using Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 855 chipset.

March 16, 2018
Samsung Galaxy S9 Is Tougher To Repair Than Apple iPhone X
Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ were launched in Barcelona on the 25th of February. While it is tough to figure out key differences between the S8 and S9 from the outside, the story doesn’t change much once you tear it down.

The folks at iFixit have posted a detailed teardown of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ and the results are not too different from what we expected. The 2018 flagship smartphones get a score 4/10, just like the S8, while the Apple iPhone X got a score of 6/10. The higher the number, the easier it is to repair the device.

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According to the teardown, the iris scanner found on the Galaxy S9 isn’t all too different from the one found on the S8. In fact, the front camera is comparable with its predecessor as well. This is an interesting revelation considering the company has hyped up its new “Intelligent Scan” feature. If almost the same hardware is used, then a future software update could introduce this feature on the likes of Galaxy S8 and Note8.

Apart from that revelation, this is quite standard for an all glass and metal smartphone. While the industry is fast moving towards an all-glass build for a lot of devices, this does mean that more smartphones will be fragile. Subsequently, iFixit notes that:

Display and rear glass increase the chance of breakage, and make repairs difficult to start. Replacing the screen requires removing the glass rear panel and disassembling the entire phone while battling tough adhesive.

While the iPhone X does score a higher repairability score, the results are nothing to ride home about. In fact, in its teardown of the iPhone X, iFixit said:

Glass on front and back doubles the likelihood of drop damage. If the back glass breaks, you’ll be removing every component and replacing the entire chassis.

This just reiterates that with a premium smartphone, comes great responsibility. While the Galaxy S9 and S9+ cost lesser than the iPhone X, repair costs will differ.
- 5.8 inch/6.2 inch Super AMOLED display
- 2960 x 1440 px resolution, 18.5:9 aspect ratio
- Exynos 9810 chipset
- 4GB/6GB RAM, 64GB/256GB storage
- Android 8 Oreo
March 13, 2018
Unboxing The Samsung Galaxy S9+
Samsung has launched the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ in India at a starting price of Rs. 57900. Both the smartphones will go on sale via Flipkart and Samsung.com from the 16th of March. However, the preorders began a day after its official global launch. The Samsung Galaxy S9+ and S9 succeed the highly popular S8+ and S8 from early-2017. So, do the new Galaxy S9 flagship smartphones have enough to replicate the success of 2017?

Let’s unbox the Samsung Galaxy S9+ and see what we get:
- Samsung Galaxy S9+
- Documentation
- Sim Ejector Tool
- AKG Earphones
- Wall Charger
- USB Type C Cable
Samsung Galaxy S9+ First Impressions

The first noticeable aspect of the S9+ is its familiarity. If you’ve ever held a Galaxy S8+, this device won’t feel all too different. The screen size is the same while the bezels have been ever so slightly trimmed. The infamous Bixby button retains its place on the left side of the Galaxy S9+. The power button can be found on the right while the volume rockers are situated just above the Bixby button.

Bixby Button

One of the most requested changes in the Galaxy S9+ and S9 is the placement of the fingerprint sensor. In our review of the Galaxy S8 and S8+, we mentioned the unusual placement of the sensor which prompted many users to use the iris scanner instead. This time around, the fingerprint sensor is placed below the camera module. While there was barely any difference between the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, things are a bit different this time around.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 has a single camera on the back while the Galaxy S9+ has a dual-camera setup, similar to the Galaxy Note8. Despite its large 6.2 inch display, it isn’t cumbersome to hold the S9+. One-handed usage will be tough for people with smaller hands and ghost touch is still an issue. Although Samsung has optimised its software to prevent accidental touches, it isn’t foolproof yet.

Samsung Galaxy S9+ Specifications

As is with its smaller sibling, the Galaxy S9+ has the same screen size as the Galaxy S8+. It sports a 6.2 inch Super AMOLED display with a 2960 x 1440 px resolution.

Under the hood, it is powered by the Exynos 9810 chipset.The Galaxy S9+ is available in 6GB RAM/64GB storage and 6GB RAM/256GB models in India.

Intelligent Scan

Out of the box, the Galaxy S9+ runs Android 8 Oreo with Experience 9.0 on top. Powering the smartphone is a 3500 mAh battery, just like the Galaxy S8+. The smartphone will support wireless charging as well. Similar to its predecessor, the Galaxy S9+ also has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.

The main difference between the two S9 models this year is in the camera department. Unlike its predecessor, the Galaxy S9+ has a dual-camera setup on the back. The Galaxy S9+ has one wide-angle 12MP camera with an f/1.5 aperture and the other is a 12MP telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture. The telephoto lens is the same one found on the Galaxy Note8, which means it has OIS. On the front of the smartphone is an 8MP camera with an f/1.6 aperture and records 4K videos.
March 6, 2018

Samsung Galaxy S9 Vs LG V30+ Vs Sony Xperia XZ1: Specs Comparison

Samsung launched the Galaxy S9 in India on the 6th of March, for the starting price of Rs 57,900. The latest flagship offering from Samsung has a premium glass design with new hardware. In fact, this is the first smartphone to have a camera with variable aperture. The smartphone is powered by the Exynos 9810 Octa-core chipset with 4GB RAM and 64GB or 256GB storage. Similarly, the storage is also expandable up to 400GB using a micro SD card.

The LG V30+ is the one smartphone, that can match the premium Samsung flagship smartphone design. The smartphone is priced at Rs 44,990 and offers a premium glass design with an aluminium mid-frame. The LG V30+ is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage. Just like the Galaxy S9, the storage of the V30+ is expandable using a micro SD card. One of the main features of the smartphone is its IP68 certification with MIL-STD 810G military certification.

Another smartphone that is priced close to the LG V30+ is the Sony Xperia Xz1. Though the smartphone has an outdated boxy design, it has an impressive camera. The smartphone is powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset with 4GB RAM and 32GB storage. The Sony Xperia Xz1 is priced at Rs 44,200 and available across the e-commerce websites.

Specifications	Samsung Galaxy S9	LG V30+	Sony Xperia Xz1
Price	Starting at Rs 57,900	Rs 44,990	Rs 44,200
Display	5.8 inch Super AMOLED	6 inch POLED display	5.2-inch HDR Display
Resolution	2960 x 1440 px 18.5:9 570 ppi	2880 x 1440 px 18:9 537 ppi	1920 x 1080 px 16:9 424 ppi
Chipset	Exynos 9810	Snapdragon 835	Snapdragon 835
RAM	4GB	4GB	4GB
Storage	64GB 256GB Expandable up to 400GB	128GB Expandable up to 2TB	32GB Expandable up to 256GB
Battery	3000 mAh Fast charging	3300 mAh QuickCharge 3.0	2700 mAh QuickCharge 3.0
Primary Camera	12MP Dual Pixel f/1.5 to f/2.4	16MP f/1.6 Primary + 13MP f/1.9 wide-angle	19MP f/2.0 aperture
Primary Camera Video	3840 x 2160 px @ 60fps 1280 x 720 px@ 960fps 1920 x 1080 px @ 240 fps	3840 x 2160 px @ 30fps 1920 x 1080 px @ 60fps	3840 × 2160p @ 30fps 1240 x 720p @ 960fps
Secondary Camera	8MP f/1.7	5MP f/2.2	13MP f/2.0 aperture
Ad-Ons	Fingerprint Sensor IP68 Certification Wireless Charging Intelligent Scanner Samsung Pay	Fingerprint sensor Facial and Voice Recognition Wireless charging ESS Quad DAC	Fingerprint Sensor 3D Scanning Mode

March 6, 2018

Top Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ Pre-Booking Offers In India

Samsung has officially launched the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ in India on 6th of March. However, the devices will go on sale from the 16th of March via offline authorised sellers, Flipkart, and Samsung India’s official website.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ will be available in Lilac Purple, Midnight Black, and Coral Blue. Here are the detailed Pre-booking offers on these smartphones.

Model Storage Price

Samsung Galaxy S9 64GB Rs 57,900

256GB Rs 65,900

Samsung Galaxy S9+ 64GB Rs 64,900

256GB Rs 72,900

Cashback for HDFC Card Holders

If you pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S9 or the Galaxy S9+ using an HDFC credit card, you get Rs 6,000 cash back on all four models.

No Cost EMI

Samsung is offering no-cost EMI on all four variants for users, who opt for 3/6/12 months of EMI plans. This offer is applicable for credit card users from leading banks, as well as Bajaj Finance.

Cashback on Paytm Mall

Paytm Mall is offering Rs 6,000 cashback for those who purchase the smartphone from Paytm Mall.

Exchange offer

For exchange offers, Samsung is offering Rs 6000 plus the value of your current smartphone. Ex: if your old smartphone is worth Rs 5000, the total cash back value will be Rs 11,000. However, it is worth noting that the exchange is only applicable on Samsung smartphones.

Galaxy S9, S9+ Colour Variants

Special telecom offers

Airtel offers double data plans for postpaid users on Rs 499 and Rs 799 plans up to 30 months. This also includes a 1 year of Amazon Prime subscription with unlimited voice calls and SMSs.

Jio has announced a special Rs 4999 annual subscription pack, which comes with 1 year of validity with 1TB data and complementary Jio streaming services.

Vodafone offers a free subscription to Netflix for 12 months, for the users with Vodafone RED plan with 75GB LTE data per month.

March 6, 2018
Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ Launched In India At Rs. 57,900

On the 25th of February, Samsung officially launched the Galaxy S9 and S9+ at an event in Barcelona. The two flagship smartphones from Samsung have now been launched in India at a starting price of Rs. Both the smartphones will be Flipkart-exclusive and go on sale from the 16th of February along with the rest of the world. The pre-orders on Flipkart begin at 2 pm on the 6th of March. However, the 256GB variant of Galaxy S9+ will be sold exclusively at Reliance Digital stores, Samsung exclusive stores and on Samsung Shop.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 will start a price of Rs. 57,900 and the 256GB variant will be priced at Rs. 64900. The Galaxy S9+, however, will start at Rs. 65,900 and the 256GB model will retail for Rs. 72,900. To put things into perspective, the Galaxy S8 was launched at a price of Rs. 57900 and the S8+ for Rs. 64900.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and its bigger sibling, the Galaxy S9+ succeeds the Galaxy S8 and S8+ as the 2018 flagship phones. Unlike the previous generation, the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ have more differences than just the display and battery sizes. Samsung has made the Galaxy S9+ a bit more feature-packed to justify the higher price tag.

As expected, the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ look extremely similar to their predecessors. The bezels are slightly thinner but, it is hard to differentiate between the two generations, at least from the front. To the back of the devices is where you see the difference. While the Galaxy S8 and S8+ were two of the most successful Android smartphones of 2017 and were lauded for their looks, there was an issue with the design.

Due to the decreased bezels, Samsung had to move the fingerprint sensor to the back of the phone. However, the execution left a lot to be desired as the sensor was placed next to the camera module. It looks like Samsung took the criticism into consideration. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ come with a fingerprint sensor placed below the camera module. This is a much more ergonomic placement for a rear-facing fingerprint sensor.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ have a new feature similar to Apple’s Animojis. It is called AR Emoji. Basically, the smartphone captures the face data, analyses it, which allows users to make animated versions of themselves. These can later be customised further.

Samsung Galaxy S9

The Samsung Galaxy S9 has a 5.8 inch Super AMOLED display with a 2960 x 1440 px resolution. This translates to an 18.5:9 aspect ratio, which means it is slightly taller than the usual bezel-less smartphones.

Depending on the market, the Galaxy S9’s chipset will vary. For the US and South Korean market, the S9 will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ are the first-ever smartphones launched with the new flagship chipset. For India, it will be powered by the new Exynos 9810 chipset. Coupled with the chipset is 4GB of RAM and 64GB or 256GB of onboard storage. Similar to a lot of Samsung smartphones, the storage will be expandable up to 256GB via a MicroSD card.

Out of the box, the Samsung Galaxy S9 will run Android 8 Oreo with Experience 9.0 on top. Powering the smartphone will be a 3000 mAh battery, just like the Galaxy S8. The smartphone will support wireless charging. Similar to its predecessor, the Galaxy S9 also has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. The Galaxy S9 also has a dual stereo speaker system tuned by AKG and Dolby surround sound.

The Galaxy S9 has a single Dual Pixel 12 MP sensor with dual /1.5 and f/2.4 apertures. In bright lighting conditions, the camera will use the f/2.4 aperture, while the wider f/1.5 aperture is used in dark lighting conditions. It also captures 720P videos at 960fps and 4K videos at 60fps, similar to the Apple iPhone X. On the front of the smartphone is an 8MP camera with an f/1.6 aperture and records 4K videos.

Samsung Galaxy S9+

As is with its smaller sibling, the Galaxy S9+ has the same screen size as the Galaxy S8+. It sports a 6.2 inch Super AMOLED display with a 2960 x 1440 px resolution.

Under the hood, it will either be powered by the Exynos 9810 chipset. Unlike the Galaxy S9, the S9+ will be available in 6GB RAM/64GB storage and 6GB RAM/256GB models in major markets across the world.

Out of the box, the Galaxy S9+ will also run Android 8 Oreo with Experience 9.0 on top. Powering the smartphone will be a 3500 mAh battery, just like the Galaxy S8+. The smartphone will support wireless charging. Similar to its predecessor, the Galaxy S9+ also has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.

The main difference between the two S9 models this year is in the camera department. Unlike its predecessor, the Galaxy S9+ has a dual-camera setup on the back. The Galaxy S9+ has one wide-angle 12MP camera with an f/1.5 aperture and the other is a 12MP telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture. The telephoto lens is the same one found on the Galaxy Note8, which means it has OIS. On the front of the smartphone is an 8MP camera with an f/1.6 aperture and records 4K videos.

March 6, 2018
Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ To Launch In India On 6th March

On the 25th of February, Samsung launched the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ in Barcelona. In India, the devices will be launched on the 6th of March and go on sale on the 16th of March. While the prices of the smartphones will be unveiled at the launch event, they are already up for pre-orders on the official Samsung India website.

However, days before the official launch, the price of the devices was leaked yesterday. The Samsung Galaxy S9 will start a price of Rs. 62,500 and the 256GB variant will be priced at Rs. 71000. The Galaxy S9+, however, will start at Rs 70,000 and the 256GB model will retail for Rs 79000. In fact, the Galaxy S8 was launched at a price of Rs 57900 and the S8+ for Rs 64900. The smartphones will be sold online via Flipkart and the official website of Samsung India.

Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+

From the Galaxy S8 to S9 devices, the physical changes are very minimal. The fingerprint sensor is now at a much better placement and the smartphones have a dual stereo speaker system tuned by AKG. The Samsung Galaxy S9 has a 5.8 inch Super AMOLED display with a 2960 x 1440 px resolution. The Galaxy S9+ sports a 6.2 inch Super AMOLED display with a 2960 x 1440 px resolution.

The Galaxy S9 and S9+ will be the first-ever smartphones launched in India with the new Exynos 9810 chipset. Coupled with the chipset is 4GB of RAM and 64GB/256GB storage for the Galaxy S9. The S9+, however, will be available in 6GB RAM/64GB storage and 6GB RAM/256GB models in India.

The Galaxy S9 has a single Dual Pixel 12 MP sensor with dual /1.5 and f/2.4 apertures. Unlike its predecessor, the Galaxy S9+ has a dual-camera setup on the back. The Galaxy S9+ has one wide-angle 12MP camera with an f/1.5 aperture and the other is a 12MP telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture. On the front of the smartphones is an 8MP camera with an f/1.6 aperture and records 4K videos.

February 28, 2018