Compare the Samsung Galaxy S9 to the S8
New: the Samsung Galaxy S24 series
Samsung has released the Samsung Galaxy S24 series. As a result, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S9 are no longer available. Aside from the Samsung S24, the S24 series also includes the Samsung S24 Plus and S24 Ultra. You can view these new high-end smartphones here.
In short
The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus has
- Depth-of-field effect in your photos
- Very sharp photos in both low-light and brightly lit conditions
- Record super slow motion videos
- The most powerful sound
- Safely unlock your phone without your PIN code day and night
Camera
The cameras on the S8 and S8 Plus differed very little from those on the S7, their predecessor. The S9 (Plus)'s camera is groundbreaking, however. The phones set themselves apart from the competition because of their variable aperture, which means the lens adapts to any kind of light. Whether there's lots of light or little, you'll capture crystal-clear pictures.
Next to each other
S9 and S9 Plus: variable aperture and super slow-mo
Like the S8 and S8 Plus, the S9 features a single 12-megapixel camera. The number of number of megapixels for the selfie camera is unchanged as well. What's new about the selfie camera, is that you can blur the background of your selfies with the selfie focus function. Prefer to record videos? Good news. The S9 (Plus) has a super slow-mo video camera. It lets you record a movement's every detail. The S9 Plus is the only one with a dual camera that lets you take pictures with a depth-of-field effect.
S8 (Plus): sharp photos and videos
The S8 and S8 Plus have a 12-megapixel camera that lets you take clear pictures. Thanks to the optical image stabilization, your photos will be sharp even if you accidentally move the phone. The big aperture of f/1.7 lets through a lot of light, allowing you to also take beautiful photos in low light. Thanks to the 8-megapixel selfie camera with autofocus, you can take a clear photo of yourself as well. Are you more into recording videos? The S8 (Plus) lets you record in razor-sharp 4K resolution.
Looks and performance
The S8 series and the S9 series are almost identical in terms of screen and design. Still, the backs of the S9 and S9 Plus are different as the fingerprint sensor has been moved. There are some changes under the hood as well. For instance, the new models have an improved camera, upgraded iris scanner, and better stereo sound.
Next to each other
S9 (Plus): same appearance as the S8 (Plus)
The design and Infinity Display of the S8 have been continued on the S9 (Plus). What's different on the S9 (Plus) is the position of the fingerprint sensor, which is now below the camera instead of next to it. The iris scanner has been replaced with Intelligence Scan. It scans your eyes when it's dark, and your face during the day. That way, you'll always be able to unlock your device quickly and securely. Enjoy watching series or movies on your smartphone? Thanks to the dual stereo speakers, the movie soundtrack will sound powerful and clear.
S8 (Plus): new design
The appearance of Samsung's S8 (Plus) marked the end of their familiar smartphone design. The phones have an Infinity Display, glass housing, and the fingerprint sensor is located on the back next to the camera. The downside of the location of the fingerprint sensor is that it could lead to greasy fingerprints on the camera. You can also unlock the S8 (Plus) with your eyes thanks to the Iris scanner. In short, a big step towards the future for Samsung.
Conclusion
With its new looks and almost bezel-less screen, the S8 (Plus) beats all expectations. The design was appreciated by many, so it's not surprising that the S9 and S9 Plus look a lot like their predecessors. If you check out what's inside on the other hand, you'll see that the camera has gotten a massive upgrade. Is taking photos and recording videos important to you? In that case, I'd certainly go for the S9 or S9 Plus.
