The Samsung Galaxy S 9 Plus Redux: A Testament to Innovation's Enduring Value

As I look back at one of the best smartphones from my recommendation list, it becomes clear why the Samsung Galaxy S 9 Plus has stood the test of time. What immediately strikes me is that it doesn't have a punch hole, a staple feature on recent Samsung flagships. Instead, it boasts a chin and forehead, which may seem outdated to some, but in my opinion, this design choice provides an uninterrupted display. The phone's 6.2-inch quad HD AMOLED display remains bright and beautiful, with no signs of degradation, still feeling very modern. This panel is not only sharp and crisp but also boasts a wide color gamut, making it perfect for watching videos or browsing the web.

The device's design has remained largely unchanged since its release two years ago. The classic curved glass sandwich layout with aluminum rails is still intact, along with a multi-camera array on the back, a USB C port, and IP68 water and dust resistance. These features are not only functional but also demonstrate Samsung's commitment to building high-quality devices that can withstand the rigors of daily use. Additionally, the phone still features a headphone jack, a rare physical capacitive fingerprint reader, and microSD expansion, making it an attractive option for those who value these features.

However, one area where the S 9 Plus falls short is its camera. While it has a multi-camera rear layout, adjustable aperture, portrait HDR, and night modes, it lacks two crucial features: a pixel binge sensor and an ultra-wide-angle lens. The absence of these features does limit the phone's versatility, particularly in terms of low-light photography and wide-angle shots. Furthermore, the time-of-flight sensor used in modern Samsung flagships to aid with live portrait mode is also missing from this device.

Despite these limitations, the S 9 Plus still delivers impressive image quality, thanks to Samsung's continued updates and improvements to the camera app via One UI. The addition of new features like Live Focus and Super Steady video stabilization have significantly enhanced the phone's photography capabilities. With the recent Android 10 update via the One UI 2.0, this smartphone has been given a fresh coat of paint, ensuring that it remains up-to-date and modern.

One of the most significant advantages of owning a device like the S 9 Plus is its value for money. Despite being two years old, the phone still receives timely software updates, including bug fixes, security patches, and feature enhancements. This level of support ensures that the device remains relevant and usable for an extended period. The spec sheet may seem dated compared to modern flagships, but this phone's performance is more than adequate for everyday use.

In conclusion, the Samsung Galaxy S 9 Plus has truly stood the test of time, offering a remarkable combination of design, performance, and value for money. While it may lack some features that are now considered essential, its camera, display, and overall build quality make it an excellent choice for those seeking a reliable and affordable smartphone. If you can live without certain features like a wide-angle lens or a punch hole, this phone is an absolute gem, proving that innovation's enduring value extends beyond the latest flagship devices.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwith the Galaxy S 20 just around the corner we thought why not look back at one of Samsung Mobile's most important devices of recent history the Galaxy S 9 plus is that chosen handset today sure it wasn't a massive change aesthetically that was the SH job what it was was a leap in camera performance and a very strong optimization for the rest of the device at around three hundred pounds or three hundred US dollars on eBay it's a phone that I've been recommending for some time now for its tremendous value proposition so let's look back at one of the best of the best devices and see what differentiates it from the current crop of flagship smartphones this is the Samsung Galaxy S 9 plus redux what's immediately apparent just by glancing at the device is that it doesn't have a punch hole a staple on recent Samsung flagships were instead welcomed by a chin and forehead I'll be a very small pair now they do look slightly outdated but in my opinion this is the better way to have things since you have an uninterrupted display and I believe this is why Samsung continued to use this design when other brands were using notches however in between the chin and forehead is a very up-to-date display a big bright beautiful 6.2 inch quad HD AMOLED display something that's not changed in the past couple of years and still feels very modern it's still a very sharp and crisp display and if you're coming from say a galaxy s 10 or an iPhone 11 Pro you're not going to be disappointed with this panel adding to that you could still pass this off as a slightly lower around 20/20 device it still got a curved glass sandwich layout with aluminium rails there's still a multi-camera array on the back a USB C port is still present and it's all there and functionally is the same story ip68 water and dust resistance USB 3.1 speeds microSD expansion and what's different between this and a 20/20 smartphone I would arguably call good and positive over negatives for example there's still a headphone port for all of you that want one and for those like me that prefer this you do get a rare physical capacitive fingerprint reader which is shown to be quicker accurate more reliable than the under display counterparts not to mention it being easier to find it in a pinch when you're not looking at your phone so far Samsung's Galaxy s 9 Plus is aged very well but and there is a but the biggest way to tell the difference between different ages and eras of smartphone is by its camera and the s9 plus is a bit hit-and-miss it has a multi camera rear layout on the back it has Samsung's adjustable aperture it has portrait HDR and night modes and it can shoot UHD video at 60fps on paper the s 9 plus is pretty much all there but there are two pretty big omissions one is a pixel binge sensor which granted isn't on modern Samsung smartphones yet but it's still a staple of a modern smartphone overall and two is the ultra wide-angle lens which is something that Samsung's have had through the 10 series bit the notes and the S and it's something that shows the age of a smartphone quite obviously that means that whilst you're still going to get very very good quality images from the smartphone's camera the versatility of it is a little bit crippled by the fact that it doesn't have those extra focal lengths what's more the time-of-flight sensor found in modern Samsung flagships to aid with live portrait mode in video is missing here as well that all being said this smartphone came out 693 days ago and images look much better now than they even did to start with due to the fact that Samsung has been adding more features into the camera app via one UI what that means is you're going to get better software processing now than you did when the phone came out which is pretty cool because it keeps this phone up-to-date modern and fresh the device just got Android 10 via the 1 UI 2.0 update and whilst this may take a couple of months to roll out to every single Galaxy S 9 plus across the world it's a really good sign that we're already seeing Android 10 on this platform if Samsung's track record is anything to go by we won't see another major Android upgrade for this phone that being said a phone supporting three versions of Android is not unheard of and is possible for the future aside from that we should get at least one more year of software updates including bug fixes security patches things like that and being that were only two years into the s9 plusses life the spec she is pretty stout making for a really good value for money smartphone I'd say the only obvious emissions are the wide-angle camera a punch hole and a big battery and if you can live without those you got a cracking device right here the galaxy s 9 plus has truly stood the test of time and by pretty much all accounts is still a fantastic smartphone going into 2020 what are your thoughts please do let us know down below in the comments and whilst you're down there please do hit like and subscribe if you're new around here - never miss a video like this one I've been Ryan Thomas with androids authority and I see you later pleasewith the Galaxy S 20 just around the corner we thought why not look back at one of Samsung Mobile's most important devices of recent history the Galaxy S 9 plus is that chosen handset today sure it wasn't a massive change aesthetically that was the SH job what it was was a leap in camera performance and a very strong optimization for the rest of the device at around three hundred pounds or three hundred US dollars on eBay it's a phone that I've been recommending for some time now for its tremendous value proposition so let's look back at one of the best of the best devices and see what differentiates it from the current crop of flagship smartphones this is the Samsung Galaxy S 9 plus redux what's immediately apparent just by glancing at the device is that it doesn't have a punch hole a staple on recent Samsung flagships were instead welcomed by a chin and forehead I'll be a very small pair now they do look slightly outdated but in my opinion this is the better way to have things since you have an uninterrupted display and I believe this is why Samsung continued to use this design when other brands were using notches however in between the chin and forehead is a very up-to-date display a big bright beautiful 6.2 inch quad HD AMOLED display something that's not changed in the past couple of years and still feels very modern it's still a very sharp and crisp display and if you're coming from say a galaxy s 10 or an iPhone 11 Pro you're not going to be disappointed with this panel adding to that you could still pass this off as a slightly lower around 20/20 device it still got a curved glass sandwich layout with aluminium rails there's still a multi-camera array on the back a USB C port is still present and it's all there and functionally is the same story ip68 water and dust resistance USB 3.1 speeds microSD expansion and what's different between this and a 20/20 smartphone I would arguably call good and positive over negatives for example there's still a headphone port for all of you that want one and for those like me that prefer this you do get a rare physical capacitive fingerprint reader which is shown to be quicker accurate more reliable than the under display counterparts not to mention it being easier to find it in a pinch when you're not looking at your phone so far Samsung's Galaxy s 9 Plus is aged very well but and there is a but the biggest way to tell the difference between different ages and eras of smartphone is by its camera and the s9 plus is a bit hit-and-miss it has a multi camera rear layout on the back it has Samsung's adjustable aperture it has portrait HDR and night modes and it can shoot UHD video at 60fps on paper the s 9 plus is pretty much all there but there are two pretty big omissions one is a pixel binge sensor which granted isn't on modern Samsung smartphones yet but it's still a staple of a modern smartphone overall and two is the ultra wide-angle lens which is something that Samsung's have had through the 10 series bit the notes and the S and it's something that shows the age of a smartphone quite obviously that means that whilst you're still going to get very very good quality images from the smartphone's camera the versatility of it is a little bit crippled by the fact that it doesn't have those extra focal lengths what's more the time-of-flight sensor found in modern Samsung flagships to aid with live portrait mode in video is missing here as well that all being said this smartphone came out 693 days ago and images look much better now than they even did to start with due to the fact that Samsung has been adding more features into the camera app via one UI what that means is you're going to get better software processing now than you did when the phone came out which is pretty cool because it keeps this phone up-to-date modern and fresh the device just got Android 10 via the 1 UI 2.0 update and whilst this may take a couple of months to roll out to every single Galaxy S 9 plus across the world it's a really good sign that we're already seeing Android 10 on this platform if Samsung's track record is anything to go by we won't see another major Android upgrade for this phone that being said a phone supporting three versions of Android is not unheard of and is possible for the future aside from that we should get at least one more year of software updates including bug fixes security patches things like that and being that were only two years into the s9 plusses life the spec she is pretty stout making for a really good value for money smartphone I'd say the only obvious emissions are the wide-angle camera a punch hole and a big battery and if you can live without those you got a cracking device right here the galaxy s 9 plus has truly stood the test of time and by pretty much all accounts is still a fantastic smartphone going into 2020 what are your thoughts please do let us know down below in the comments and whilst you're down there please do hit like and subscribe if you're new around here - never miss a video like this one I've been Ryan Thomas with androids authority and I see you later please\n"