Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ India release: 10 reasons to buy Android flagship

• The Galaxy S9 Plus is the highest rated camera phone in the market. DxOMark has given 99 points to the Samsung Android flagship
• The Galaxy S9 series is the first ever phone to get an A+ grade and set new benchmarks in all of DisplayMate's lab test and measurement categories

The Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ are finally available in India (from March 16), and its the first Samsung flagship series to release in tandem with developed markets, thanks to stiff competition from rival Chinese brands.

Both the Galaxy S9 series will come in Coral Blue, Lilac Purple, and Midnight Black, and be available in stores –online (Flipkart & Samsung e-store) and authorized retail outlets from Friday.

The Android marquee series don't come cheap. Indeed, they are the most expensive Galaxy S series to date in India. The base models of Galaxy S9 and the S9+ are priced Rs 57,990 and 64,990, respectively.

Here's why the Galaxy S9, S9+ is a smart buy despite their hefty price-tag:

Samsung Galaxy S9 series comes with the state-of-the-art camera and gorgeous AMOLED display, the new gold standard in the mobile industry (as per Display Mate). Besides these features, the processor, battery life, smart assistant are also praiseworthy.

Below, we have listed 10 reasons that make the Galaxy S9 series a smart buy despite its exuberant price-tag.

1. Camera:

The USP of the Galaxy S9 series is the camera. It boasts Dual Aperture feature.

With this option, Galaxy S9 series can shift between F1.5 and F2.4 apertures depending on the lighting environment. The former aperture value will allow the camera to take in more light during indoor or dark conditions, while the latter can be used for bright sunny conditions.

What's more interesting is that the Dual Aperture comes with the automatic and manual option. If the former is enabled, the phone's camera intuitively switches between F1.5 and F2.4 apertures depending on the lighting condition. 

Currently, the Galaxy S9+ is the best camera phone available in the market. World-renowned rating agency DxOMark has awarded 99 points to the Samsung device, making it the highest-rated camera phone in the world. Previously, it was held by Google Pixel 2, which had secured 98 points, one above the Apple iPhone X (97).

Another key aspect of the Galaxy S9 series camera is its slow-motion video mode. It can capture 720p (HD) video with 960 frames per second, which is an ultra slow-mode.

The Galaxy S9 and S9+ also offer automatic Motion Detection, an intelligent feature that detects movement in the frame and automatically begins to record in slow-mo – all you need to do is —point and shoot.

After capturing the Super slow-mo video, users can select background music from 35 different options or add one of their favorite tunes from their playlist. Users can also easily create, edit and share GIF files with a simple tap in three playful styles of looping – Reverse Loop, Forward Loop, and Swing – to watch the action over and over again, the company claims.

2. Design:

Samsung Galaxy S9 is a refined version of the Galaxy S8, which by the way was the most beautiful-looking phone in 2017. The only flaw was the positioning of the fingerprint sensor. It was a way too up in the rear-side and also was placed just beside the primary camera lens. This apparently caused users to accidentally touch the camera lens leaving it with a sweaty finger smudge.

Now, the company has moved it much below the camera module in the Galaxy S9 series. With the placement at almost in the middle, it not only avoids the accidental smearing of the fingers but also makes it more accessible.

3. Build quality:

The new Galaxy series' build quality is as good as any other top-end phone in the market, if not the best. The company has used high-grade metal shell on the back and the rim around the edges, and also an additional layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5 shield on both the front and the back.

Furthermore, the new phone comes with the IP68 rating, which means the phone can also take a dip in a swimming pool other than an accidental splash of water or drizzle. Also, underwater photography is now possible with the new phone.

However, it has to be noted that it can stay functional (tested under lab condition) underwater for close to 30 minutes and up to five feet (3 meters) deep water.

4. Display:

In 2017, Samsung's Galaxy S8 and the Note8 were rated the top flagship smartphones with the best display. This year too, the Galaxy S9 series with Infinity Display design features top-notch screen consisting of super Array Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diodes (sAMOLED) with QHD+ (2960x1440p) resolution, which guarantees rich cinematic viewing experience.

As per globally acclaimed screen rating agency DisplayMate, the Galaxy S9 series' has the world's best display quality. It is also the first ever phone to get an A+ grade and set new benchmarks in all of DisplayMate's lab test and measurement categories.

The sAMOLED used in the Galaxy S9 series is also very power efficient, as it consumes very less energy to reproduce color on the screen, compared to conventional Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) used in phones of rival brands. Thus, Galaxy S9 series owners are guaranteed a longer viewing time compared to others.

5. Processor, storage, and RAM:

In India, both the Galaxy S9 and the S9 Plus will come packed with Samsung's proprietary 10nm Exynos 9810 octa-core CPU.

As far as the memory configuration is concerned, the standard Galaxy S9 will be offered in two storage variants — 64GB and 256GB with 4GB RAM, whereas the bigger screen Galaxy S9+ model will be available in 64GBand 256GB storage options with 6GB RAM. With such big storage, users need not worry running out of space. 

As for the Exynos 9810 capabilities, it is quite a performer. A lot of benchmarks scores have surfaced online and it's on par with Qualcomm Snapdragon 845.

Exynos 9810 will make sure your Galaxy S9 works flawlessly, be it during the normal day-to-day chores (likes using multiple apps simultaneously on the split screen, playing graphics-intensive games) or using the slo-mo video session.

6. Biometric security:

Besides the primary camera, the Galaxy S9 series' front camera is also feature-rich.

The company has incorporated 'Intelligent Scan' system, wherein it uses both the in-built Iris (eye) and facial recognition sensors to unlock the phone's screen. It is said to be more advanced than the Galaxy S8 series and boast faster recognition capability with less FRR (False Rejection Rate).

7. AR Emoji:

The front-camera integrated with advanced biometric sensors is capable of capturing the detailed impression of the users face and recreate the Augmented Reality (AR) emoji in 3D.

Though Samsung denies the AR emoji feature is a rip-off of Apple iPhone X Animoji[REVIEW], the South Korean giant has to be credited for making the fun feature compatible in the all messaging apps and social media sites.

Whereas, the Apple's utility is only limited to the iMessage app.

8. Battery:

Samsung Galaxy S9 and the S9 Plus feature a 3,000mAh and the 3,500mAh capacity batteries respectively, same as the Galaxy S8 series. However, the new devices come with power-efficient super AMOLED screen and most importantly, they house the new-age Exynos 9810 processor, which optimizes the power utilization and make sure that the device lasts a full day if not more under mixed usage.

9. Smarter Bixby:

Samsung's proprietary digital assistant Bixby first made its debut with Galaxy S8 in early 2017 and since then it has come in Galaxy Note8 and few other mid-range phones. Now, the smart assistant has undergone several enhancements to offer a better experience.

Samsung has even collaborated with Google to integrate with Google Translator inside the Bixby and user will be able to perform quick real-time language translations.

For instance, you have traveled to Japan and happen to go a local restaurant and having trouble understanding the menu, you can simply point the camera and tap the Bixby vision (icon resembling a human eye), you will be able to get the fully translated script on your phone screen in no time.

Also, the Bixby Vision can be used to find information of a monument or hotel menu, just by pointing the camera to it and will retrieve information faster than before.

10. India region-specific advantage of owning Galaxy S9 series:

Samsung India has partnered with Airtel and Reliance Jio to bring LTE Carrier Aggregation, for higher bandwidth, high-speed streaming and quicker downloads making them the fastest smartphones on 4G networks in India.

With this, the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus owners can stream data close to 250 Mbps, which is 2.5 times faster than the average smartphone connected to the same network.

Samsung Galaxy S9, S9 Plus launch offers in India:

Samsung, in a bid to lessen the burden, is offering lucrative offers for early bird consumers.

Under the Samsung Upgrade program, Samsung Galaxy S series owners are eligible to get an additional Rs 6,000 bonus over the regular exchange price when they upgrade to the Galaxy S9 or the Galaxy S9 Plus.

Furthermore, the company is offering additional Rs 6,000 cashback on Paytm Mall and HDFC Bank cards.

Even your data costs will come down with the Galaxy S9 series:

Prospective Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9 Plus consumers can avail a 'Double Data' offer on Airtel's popular Infinity Postpaid plans. With Infinity 499, users are entitled to get 80 GB of data and unlimited calling.

With Infinity 799, users get 120GB of data, unlimited calling, a one year Amazon Prime membership and one 'free child' connection. Both plans also offer a free subscription to Airtel TV and Wynk Music. A special Prepaid Pack at Rs 199 with 1.4GB data per day and unlimited calling for 28 days is also being offered. Furthermore, Samsung is offering one year Amazon Prime membership worth Rs 999.

The Galaxy S9 and S9+ users with Reliance Jio subscription are eligible for an exclusive offer of 1 Terabyte of high-speed 4G data with unlimited voice and SMS for one year worth Rs 15,000 at only Rs 4,999.

The users can also enjoy uninterrupted digital services without any daily data usage limit. Additionally, users are entitled to complimentary Jio Prime Membership as a part of this offer.

The Galaxy S9 and the S9 Plus users, who are new or existing customers of Vodafone, are eligible for a free subscription to Netflix for a year on Vodafone Red plans starting Rs 999 till April 30, 2018. Also, prepaid users who recharge with Rs 199 get unlimited voice and 1.4GB/day and an additional 10GB free data every month for their next 10 recharges.

Key specification of Samsung Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+:

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