What Has Changed Between the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S9?

More than an incremental upgrade?

With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S9, some people (especially Galaxy S8 owners) think that the new model is an incremental upgrade to last year’s flagship. While there’s a mixed opinion regarding this, let’s do a quick look at the changes between the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S9.

To start off, let’s take a quick look at their specs:

Samsung Galaxy S8

Samsung Exynos 8895 octa-core processor/Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 octa-core processor
ARM Mali-G71 MP20 GPU
4GB RAM
5.8-inch WQHD Super AMOLED display, 2960 x 1440 resolution, dual curved edge
64GB expandable storage, via microSD
12-megapixel rear camera, f/1.7 aperture, Dual Pixel, OIS
8-megapixel front camera, f/1.7 aperture, AF
Dual SIM
3G, LTE
Fingerprint scanner, iris scanner, facial recognition, heartbeat sensor, IP68 certification, USB Type-C port, Bixby AI
3000mAh battery with fast charging
Android 7.0 Nougat (TouchWiz UI)

Samsung Galaxy S9

Samsung Exynos 9810 octa-core processor/Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 octa-core processor
ARM Mali-G71 MP20 GPU
4GB RAM
5.8-inch WQHD Super AMOLED display, 2960 x 1440 resolution, dual curved edge
64GB expandable storage, via microSD
12-megapixel rear camera, f/1.5 and f/2.4 variable aperture, with Dual Pixel, OIS, 960FPS Super Slo-Mo video
8-megapixel front camera, f/1.7 aperture, AF
Dual SIM
3G, LTE
Fingerprint scanner, iris scanner, facial recognition, heartbeat sensor, IP68 certification, USB Type-C port, Bixby AI, 3D Emojis
3000mAh battery with fast charging
Android 8.0 Oreo (TouchWiz UI)

Similarities: Battery, Display, RAM, Internal Storage

One of the major reasons why most people consider the Galaxy S9 as an incremental upgrade is because it shares almost the same specs as with the Galaxy S8, from the battery, display, RAM, to internal storage.

Minor changes: Slightly smaller body

While it is difficult to notice from afar, Samsung did shave a few millimeters off the Galaxy S9, resulting in a phone that is slightly smaller than its predecessor.

Major change 1: The processor

While they almost share the same specs, one of the major differences lies in the processor, as the Galaxy S9 uses a newer Exynos 9810 (for global models) / Snapdragon 845 (for US models) processor that is said to be more powerful and more efficient compared to the Exynos 8895 / Snapdragon 835 found on the Galaxy S8.

Major change 2: The rear camera

Samsung has big claims on the Galaxy S9’s camera, and it’s for a good reason: It is one of the first phones to sport a variable aperture that automatically adjusts according to shooting condition. We will have to test this new camera design on the S9 to see if it lives up to it being a game changer.

Major change 3: The relocated fingerprint scanner

A very welcome design change on the S9 (and S9+ as well) is the updated fingerprint scanner location, which is now at the bottom of the camera instead of being beside the camera. This design change means that S9 users will less likely smudge the camera lens when using the fingerprint scanner.

Are the updates on the S9 worth its asking price? Comment down below!

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