Samsung Galaxy S9 review: predictably great, predictably flawed

There comes a point in most successful products’ existences where they become predictable. The new model, building off of the triumphs of its prior version, maintains the same look and feel while introducing more subtle enhancements. Apple’s used this tack with the iPhone and iPad for multiple generations, and Microsoft has done the same with the Surface Pro in recent years. Don’t rock the boat; don’t fix what isn’t broken.

And so, if you’ve seen last year’s Galaxy S8 from Samsung, you’ve seen this year’s Galaxy S9. Content with the design and appearance of the S8, Samsung focused its efforts on small, mostly unseen changes that result in a better overall experience, but not a dramatically different one. Of course, Samsung being Samsung, there are a bunch of new gimmicky features crammed into it so there’s something to show on commercials.

That isn’t to say the Galaxy S9 and the larger S9 Plus are bad phones; the S8 was an excellent phone last year, and the S9 builds on that. If you’re planning to buy a new phone in 2018 and are willing to spend between $700 and $900 (the unlocked S9 sells for $719.99, while the S9 Plus goes for $839.99; carrier pricing varies), the S9 or S9 Plus will surely be one of the best options available. They will be the most popular Android smartphones released this year, without a doubt.