9 things you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

The Galaxy S8 has been our favourite phone in the world over the last year or so – but now Samsung has announced the Galaxy S9, mostly sticking to what worked so well for last year’s handset. Want to get up to speed with what’s new (and what’s not) with these incoming flagships? Here are the nine things you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+.

1) THE PLUS GETS DUAL CAMERAS

Samsung didn’t put two back cameras on the Galaxy S8 phones last spring but we’re now seeing it on the Galaxy S9+ – just the Plus model, though. The standard Galaxy S9 sticks with one main sensor. The dual-camera array on the Galaxy S9+ largely mirrors that of the Galaxy Note 8, albeit now with vertically-arranged sensors, both at 12 megapixels.

2) BOTH HAVE ADJUSTABLE APERTURE

The main sensor on both the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ offers adjustable aperture, which means the camera can automatically swap between two aperture settings based on the amount of light you’re working with. The default is f/1.5, already the widest aperture we’ve seen on a smartphone, but it can swap to a narrower f/2.4 if you have plenty of light available.

3) THE FINGERPRINT SENSOR MOVED

The fingerprint sensor’s placement was one of the only real design issues with the Galaxy S8 models. The Galaxy S9’s move isn’t dramatic, but it seems like enough to make a big difference: now it’s right below the back camera(s), which is a more natural position for your finger, plus it feels a little more distinct from the camera compared to where it was before.

4) MORE SPEED AND EXTRA PLUS RAM

The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ pack in the latest and greatest Android processors around. We’ll see the new Exynos 9810 system-on-a-chip, which will power both handsets in many parts of the world and deliver top-end Android performance. Americans will see the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 instead, and benchmarks show a slight dip in processing power. The Galaxy S9 is sticking with the same 4GB RAM as before, while the Galaxy S9+ is bumped up to 6GB RAM.

5) THE DEX PAD IS NEW

Last year’s original DeX station was a neat idea, but the execution wasn’t fantastic. This time around, the Galaxy S9 lays flat on the new DeX Pad, meaning you can use it as a touchpad and virtual keyboard. That’s a significantly more useful approach, and should help make the DeX a more appealing accessory.

6) SAMSUNG HAS AR EMOJI

Apple’s iPhone X Animoji have led to a lot of talk of copycat versions, but Samsung’s AR Emoji are a bit different. Essentially, it scans your face to create a 3D avatar in your likeness, and is very Nintendo Mii-like in its execution. They look a little unsettling, to be honest – not like the joyful pandas and poop spit out by the iPhone X.

7) MUCH HASN’T CHANGED

While the aforementioned tweaks and changes are noteworthy, much of the experience hasn’t changed significantly from the Galaxy S8. They keep the same sleek core design as before, plus they keep the dazzling Quad HD curved Super AMOLED displays at 5.8in and 6.2in, respectively. They also have the same size batteries – 3,000mAh for the S9 and 3,500mAh for the S9 Plus – as before, and still offer wireless charging.

8) THEY HAVE ANDROID OREO

Samsung’s rollout of Android Oreo on the Galaxy S8 has been slow and hardly hitch-free, but at least you can look forward to getting Android 8 on the Galaxy S9 right out of the gate. Both S9 models will feature Oreo from the start, providing the latest OS enhancements.

9) WE’LL HAVE THEM SOON

Both Galaxy S9 phones were just officially unveiled at MWC 2018 in Barcelona, and it won’t be very long before they’re out in the open: Samsung will release both phones on 16 March, with Midnight Black, Titanium Gray, Coral Blue, and the new Lilac Purple colour options available. While Samsung’s unlocked prices are the same as the S8 in North America, both phones are seeing price bumps in the UK: the Galaxy S9 will sell for £739, while the Galaxy S9 Plus will weigh in at £869.