Create and Construct

The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus has a glass-and-metal design that is more delicate, with Gorilla Glass 5 both at the front and back, combined with an aluminum frame. The size is 6.22 x 2.91 x 0.33 inches (158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5 mm) and the weight is 6.67 ounces (189 g), so it’s a bit bigger but more elegant when you hold it. It supports Lilac Purple, Midnight Black, and Coral Blue, and the curved Infinity Display is the monitor's highlight. The physical home button is nowhere to be found; instead, it features a rear fingerprint sensor for security and uses on-screen navigation.

• Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass 5
• IP68 water and dust resistance (1.5m for 30 min)
• Rear fingerprint sensor
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• USB-C port
• Physical SIM and microSD slot (up to 400GB)

The S9 Plus is equipped with wireless charging support and has a 3.5mm headphone jack which is still one of the features preferred by music lovers. The iris scanner and facial recognition are giving you more options for protecting your data, but a fingerprint scanner is still the best method for that.

Galaxy S9 Plus Display

The 6.2-inch Super AMOLED display of Galaxy S9 Plus shows around 529 PPI pixel density along with a resolution of 2960 by 1440 pixels, and it supports HDR10. The curved Infinity Display provides engaging visual experience, whereas the peak brightness reaches ~1000 nits. The 60Hz refresh rate, though, is the same as that in traditional, obsolete displays.

• 6.2-inch Super AMOLED
• 2960 x 1440 resolution
• HDR10 support
• ~1000 nits peak brightness
• Gorilla Glass 5
• 60Hz refresh rate

The display is striking and high in definition, which is great for media, although the smoothness of the picture could be better. The edge-to-edge design remains a standout feature.

Software and Processor

S9 Plus, with Snapdragon 845 at its core (in Exynos 9810 in some regions), delivers an experience of a 10nm 8-core CPU and 6GB of RAM. The device runs multi-window and overlays gaming without a problem. You can choose from storage capacities of 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB, with a possibility of further expansion via microSD. It has Android 8 Oreo as its OS (which can be upgraded to Android 10) and comes with Samsung’s Experience UI. The new 2020 chips have beaten it in many aspects such as efficiency and AI-related tasks, even though it has not become obsolete in the performance context.

• Snapdragon 845 (Exynos 9810)
• 6GB RAM
• Storage: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB
• Android 8 Oreo (upgradable to Android 10)

Snapdragon 845 is a reliable performer, but it is a bit behind on the software updates compared to the latest devices. The functionalities of Bixby and AR Emoji are beneficial even though some users may consider them annoying.

Camera System

The S9 Plus is equipped with a dual rear camera that features a 12MP primary (f/1.5-2.4, 26mm, OIS) with variable aperture and a 12MP telephoto (f/2.4, 52mm, 2x zoom, OIS). The 8MP front camera (f/1.7) is equipped with autofocus. Video recording can be done up to 4k resolution at 60fps or 720p resolution slow motion of 960fps. Its native features are Super Slow-Mo and AR Emoji.

• Rear: 12MP main, 12MP telephoto
• Front: 8MP
• Video: 4K at 60fps, 720p at 960fps
• Modes: Super Slow-Mo, Portrait, Pro

While the variable aperture is of course highly suitable for low light, the absence of an ultra-wide lens certainly restricts the versatility in comparison with the new models.

Battery Specifications

The S9 Plus has a 3500mAh battery which means it could serve you for 18 hours of video playback and around 14 hours in real-world tests. It can be charged with a 15W wired charger (50% in about 40 minutes) and also supports wireless charging. Battery life is not excellent but it is alright.

• 3500mAh battery
• Up to 18 hours video playback
• 15W wired charging
• Wireless charging
• USB-C cable included

Connectivity

The Galaxy S10 and S10+ models do not support 5G. Samsung has a 5G variant of the Galaxy S10, but it is nearly impossible to find. It is like the S10+ in terms of size but the set of features is different and a slight bit and is only available at Verizon.

• 4G LTE (Cat.18)
• Wi-Fi 5
• Bluetooth 5.0
• Physical SIM and microSD
• NFC
• GPS: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo