I finally got a hands on with the Samsung Galaxy S9Plus and it didn't disappoint. Featuring a solid gorilla glass 5 body sandwiching a metallic core that features the Snapdragon 845 (Exynos 9810 octa outside US) with 6 GB RAM and standard 64 GB storage. It's got Octa-core speeds of 4 x 2.7 GHz. It now features an aluminum 7000 series frame that holds the glass together. The body feels nice and light, with curvy edges that allow for a more relaxing and firm hold. The beauty is in the Quad HD+ Super AMOLED screen infinity edge to edge display at 2960 x 1440 @ 529 ppi with HDR compliance with an aspect of 18.5:9. Colors are vibrant, crisp and bright. The high contrast ratio displays the blackest blacks, as expected from Sammy's excellent AMOLED panels. The 6.2" screen is also smaller than the Note 8, but is 90% screen on the front so that has more screen to body than the Apple iPhoneX. The bezels have almost disappeared. It is also comfortable in the hand, more so than the iPhone X.
Sammy provides this phone with Dolby Atmos SRS speakers while retaining the headphone jack. A USB-C port is available for charging. One of the best features I always look for is an SD card slot and the S9+ has one. The display and speakers are good enough for gaming and watching streaming videos. With all these features, the S9+ has a high capacity battery at 3300 mAh with fast charging and wireless charging capabilities. The fingerprint sensor is now placed in a more easily accesible location on the back of the phone. Other biometric security authentication supported includes face and iris recognition. It still allows for password and PIN to lock/unlock, which are still good security measures. The S9+ runs the Android Oreo 8.0 version, very well supported when it comes to apps. Bixby only gets better with assisting users on using their S9+, though Google Assistant appears the better assistant for searching information on the Internet. What makes the UX better is the multi-tasking and split windows that allows a similar experience with desktop computers, though not exactly the same. Nontheless, running multiple windows on a smartphone is just great for switching between apps.
What Sammy can boast about the S9+ is it's dual aperture camera system, which can automatically adjust the rear wide-angle lens between f/1.5 and f/2.4. The other lens is a telephoto f/2.4 as part of the rear dual camera system that are both 12 MP. The forward facing camera is an 8 MP f/1.7. This is the BEST CAMERA on a smartphone at the moment based on the DxOMark ratings for quality and specifications. The camera has video capable of 4K @ 60 fps and Super Slo Mo in 720p @ 960 fps or 1080p @ 240 fps. The camera video and stills were stunning even in low light. The OIS helps to stabilize the lenses while the phase detection autofocus keeps the images sharp and focused. I would say the results are more similar to the Pixel 2 in quality, but more colorful and vibrant.
I am truly impressed that this is the smartphone of 2018 so far. Brilliant modern and stunning design with features to please the most demanding users. There are many customization features, like the Edge Panel, that allow users to get the most out of their expensive hardware. I have to say it like it is, the S9+ beats out the iPhone X in many aspects of aesthetics, features, ergonomics and functionality. NO UGLY NOTCH! The screen keeps the display what it is supposed to be, a display. I give the best design award for mobile device to this one. While the iPhone X has a considerable performance boost thanks to the A11 Bionic SoC, the Snapdragon 845 provides it's own features to give the S9+ an edge. What I didn't like about the S9+ was the AR emoji. I thought Sammy may have been trying to be like Apple's better looking Animojis. The AR emoji's looked horribly funny, or terribly scary. As for the S9+ body, since it is made from glass, it is more brittle, so it can crack badly if takes a bad fall. A protector case is always recommended. Overall this is one coveted flagship that can only get better, if not the best Android flagship, and we still have yet to see the Note 9.
