The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus phones have been unveiled in Barcelona. You can watch a replay of Samsung's press conference on YouTube, but we already have all of the new details on the new phones, including specs, pricing and initial hands-on impressions.
Samsung Galaxy S9: The baseline version of Samsung's new superphone has a 5.8-inch screen, runs the latest Android Oreo operating system and puts the focus squarely on its new variable aperture camera, which is designed to maximize low-light photos. The S9 also moves the rear fingerprint sensor to a more sensible position -- below the camera, rather than next to it. The S9 hits March 16 staring at $720, but it will cost more on some carriers. Preorders begin March 2.
Now Playing: Watch this: Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus: Our first look
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus: This year, bigger really is better. In addition to a larger 6.2-inch screen and a bigger battery, the S9 Plus adds a dual rear camera not found on the smaller S9. Of course, it will cost more: Pricing starts at $840.
Hands-on and full details: Galaxy S9 Plus hands-on: 3 ways it tops the Galaxy S9
Samsung DeX Pad: Following up on last year's DeX Dock, the DeX Pad is a dock that turns a Galaxy S9 or S9 Plus into a desktop PC (once you connect a keyboard and monitor). The phone's screen doubles as a touchpad if you don't have a mouse handy. It's intended for corporate customers. Pricing hasn't yet been set.
Specs comparisons and buying advice:
Hands-on video and analysis:
Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus: Hands-on with Samsung's iPhone X fighters.
MWC 2018: All of CNET's coverage from the biggest phone show of the year.
SAMSUNG Galaxy S9 akan diluncurkan Senin 26 Februari 2018 ini, dan pada dasarnya, setiap aspek dari telefon tersebut telah bocor.
Samsung Galaxy S9 adalah kelanjutan dari kesuksesan panjang Galaxy S8 tahun lalu. Dengan seri ponsel Galaxy S miliknya, Samsung biasanya memanfaatkan konferensi Mobile World Congress (MWC) tahunan di Barcelona sebagai ajang perkenalan.
Perusahaan tersebut biasanya meluncurkan telefon satu atau dua hari sebelumnya. Namun tahun ini berbeda , bos Mobile Samsung telah mengkonfirmasi bahwa debutnya akan terjadi di MWC 2018.
Tahun ini, MWC 2018 akan dimulai 26 Februari sampai 1 Maret dan konferensi pers Samsung Galaxy S9 dilaksanakan satu hari sebelum nya, pada tanggal 25 Februari.
Samsung Galaxy S9 mungkin tidak langsung tersedia di toko setelah peluncuran. Seperti Galaxy S8 tahun lalu yang belum mulai dijual sampai tiga minggu setelah diluncurkan.
The Sun menyebut, menurut sumber terpercaya dan jurnalis teknologi Evan Blass, Samsung baru akan membuka pemesanan pada 1 Maret dan tanggal rilis yang pasti adalah tanggal 16 Maret.
Samsung Galaxy S9 akan menjadi ponsel kelas atas yang berarti akan memiliki desain apik dan fitur terkini.
Untuk desain, banyak yang berharap bisa melihat gaya yang serupa dengan Galaxy S8. Hal itu berarti layar depan dengan bezel yang lebih tipis yang Samsung sebut “Infinity Display”.
Rumor dari sumber di industrinya menunjukkan bahwa layar Super AMOLED 5,8 inci yang sama akan dipertahankan juga dengan rasio aspek 18,5: 9 yang unik untuk boot.
Hasil akhirnya bisa menjadi ponsel space-age ramping dengan rasio layar 90% yang luar biasa, naik dari 84% di Galaxy S8.
Beberapa ahli percaya Samsung bisa menggunakan teknologi baru dari Qualcomm atau Synaptics untuk menempatkan pemindai sidik jari di bawah layar.
Hal itu bisa memuaskan penggemar yang menginginkan Samsung memindahkan sensor ke bagian belakang ponsel.
Penempatan sensor yang kurang tepat membuat pengguna sering mendapati dirinya mengecap kamera dengan jari mereka.
Kamera Samsung Galaxy S9 diperkirakan akan mengalami perubahan besar-besaran seperti diumumkan dalam ajang resmi MWC 2018 di Singapura. Perusahaan tersebut mengatakan akan "mencermati ulang" fotografi smartphone.
ET News Korea melaporkan, Samsung sedang mengerjakan pengambilan video gerakan lambat yang luar biasa.
Ternyata, raksasa teknologi Korea Selatan itu sedang mengembangkan kamera yang bisa merekam video dengan kecepatan 1.000 frame per detik dan akan mengalahkan pesaingnya. Sebagai perbandingan, iPhone baru milik Apple X hanya memotret video slow-mo 240 frame per detik.
Kinerjanya mungkin akan menjadi besar juga. Ponsel ini kemungkinan menggunakan prosesor Exynos 9810 milik Samsung sendiri atau Snapdragon 845 yang juga kuat dari Qualcomm.
Snapdragon 845 adalah chip inti okta yang beroperasi di 2.8GHz dan dikatakan menawarkan dorongan kinerja 30% dari pendahulunya.
Dominic Sunnebo, Global Director di Kantar Worldpanel ComTech memperkirakan pemenang dalam pertempuran para raksasa: Galaxy S9 melawan iPhone X.
Menurut Dominic Sunnebo, iPhone X "bermain mempertipis ketertinggalan" dengan Galaxy S8 tahun lalu, tetapi Samsung harus tetap berada di depan untuk bersaing dengan merek Apple yang kuat.
"Hampir pasti bahwa Galaxy S9 akan menampilkan kamera dual-lens dan prosesor Exynos in-house terbaru untuk menggabungkan kemampuan Qualcomm 845 yang baru, yang memungkinkan pengisian baterai 50% hanya dalam 15 menit," Katanya.
Untuk sementara kami tidak akan tahu harga resminya, tapi cukup adil untuk mengatakan bahwa harga Samsung Galaxy S9 mungkin akan sangat mahal.
Galaxy S8 tahun lalu dijual dengan harga yang sangat tinggi yaitu 689 Poundsterling, naik drastis dari Galaxy S7. Harga Samsung Galaxy S8 lebih sesuai dengan rivalnya, iPhone 8 seharga 699 Poundsterling.
Rumor terbaru menunjukkan bahwa kita bisa membeli Galaxy S9 seharga Rp 19 juta atau mahal dari model tahun lalu. Dominic Sunnebo memperkirakan bahwa harga produk terbaru ini adalah 789 poundsterling.
Dominic Sunnebo memperkirakan harga Samsung Galaxy S9 akan jauh lebih mahal.
"Galaxy S8 menjadi penawaran premium Samsung sampai saat ini dan tersedia di Inggris dengan harga 869 Poundsterling ," kata Dominic Sunnebo.
"Rilis seri Galaxy S biasanya harganya di bawah Samsung Galaxy Note. Jadi, kita memperkirakan harga peluncurannya sekitar 829 Poundsterling ," ujarnya. (Umi Soliha)***
Another camera-related feature is AR Emoji -- Samsung's answer to Apple's Animoji. So far, I find the S9's version more fun, mostly because it creates an emoji of my face and not an impersonal, generic one (although I do love me some talking poop). You can use the S9 to create a cute cartoon version of yourself by taking a photo of you staring straight forward. The phone was better at reproducing my likeness than Bitmoji or any other app I've used.
But the replication didn't work as well for everyone. The avatars for some other journalists or Samsung's own reps, looked nothing like them. For these people, AR Emoji might be less fun, but I was definitely sucked into styling up my avatar with great hair, a cool outfit and cute glasses. After you're done customizing your emoji, the S9 auto-generates a set of animated stickers that you can insert from within the Messaging app's keyboard (other apps can find these from the Gallery).
There are a plethora of options right from the get-go, and their resemblance to actual gestures I would do in real life is uncanny. You can also make facial expressions, and the S9's front cameras will pick them up to be conveyed by your avatar -- just like you can do with Animoji.
Bixby
Another area where Samsung made major changes is Bixby -- specifically in the augmented reality Vision section. Besides interface tweaks that make Bixby Vision look more in tune with the camera app, Samsung also added three new modes -- Live Translate, Makeup and Food. The previously available shopping and landmark recognition features are now individual modes, too.
The Live Translate tool uses Google's Translate service, and that has worked well for me in the past. So I'm not surprised that Bixby was able to quickly and accurately translate text in images in real time. What impressed me was Bixby's ability to read handwritten words -- especially when it correctly interpreted my ugly Chinese characters.
Although I had way too much fun playing with the new Makeup feature, I wasn't impressed with its performance. Like a slew of other selfie-makeup apps, it lets you apply digital makeup in real time and buy products you like without leaving the app. Bixby has a limited offering of color and pattern options, though, which limits its appeal. Still, this is something that's easily addressed by software updates over time.
Another new Bixby feature is its ability to estimate the number of calories in food you point the S9 at. Samsung teased this at CES, but we only saw a preview version on a Note 8 then. Now, the software is more mature and was able to accurately identify an onion bagel, showing that it contained 270 calories. Based on a quick Google search, that count is pretty accurate.
During our hands-on, Bixby struggled to identify dishes that contained more (and mixed) ingredients. It mistook a cup of granola parfait, which included berries and yogurt, as just a cup of granola alone. Because of that, it also provided an incorrect calorie count. Again, this is an issue that can be fixed over time as Samsung's software team figures out how to differentiate components of a meal, and when it works, it provides a nifty service.
As before, Bixby Vision recognizes objects like your fresh new sneakers or favorite watch and displays a card in the viewfinder to show you its make, model and price. This feature is still hit-or-miss, though. It correctly identified Velazco's Adidas kicks, but not my DKNY Minute watch, mistaking it for a Rolex (I wish). It works well with things like wine bottles or artwork, though. Vision can also display information about places of interest when you point it at landmarks.
One final update on the camera -- the front 8-megapixel camera and the iris scanner now work together for more reliable unlocking via what Samsung calls "Intelligent Scan." According to the company's reps, the iris scanner isn't as effective in bright light as it is in the dark. With the new system, the S9 will try to sign you in with your eyes by default, but when that fails, it will use facial recognition. Unfortunately, we didn't get to test out this feature during our demo, so we'll have to wait till we get our hands on a review unit to try it.
