BARCELONA, KOMPAS.com - Lama dinanti, Samsung akhirnya mengumumkan duet flagship Galaxy S9 dan Galaxy S9 Plus , pada Minggu (25/2/2018) waktu setempat, serangkaian dengan ajang Mobile World Congress (MWC) di Barcelona, Spanyol. Lini tersebut membawa beberapa fitur baru, antara lain super slow-motion (960 fps pada 1080p) untuk meningkatkan efek dramatis pada sebuah video, aperture f/1.5 yang bisa diandalkan untuk membidik objek pada kondisi remang-remang, serta animoji untuk meningkatkan pengalaman berkomunikasi virtual. Lantas, berapa harga Samsung Galaxy S9 dan S9 Plus? Corporate Marketing Director Samsung Indonesia, Jo Semidang, mengatakan keduanya akan dilepas mulai Rp 11,5 juta hingga Rp 14,5 juta. Lebih detail, Samsung membanderol Galaxy S9 di Indonesia dengan harga Rp 11.499.000 untuk model dengan RAM 4 GB dan memori 64 GB. Sedangkan harga Galaxy S9 Plus terdapat dua versi, Rp 12.999.000 untuk model RAM 6 GB/memori 64 GB dan Rp 14.499.000 untuk model RAM 6 GB/memori 256 GB. Baca juga : Apa Bedanya Galaxy S9 dan Galaxy S9 Plus? Patokan harga Galaxy S9 dan S9 Plus ini lebih tinggi dibandingkan pendahulunya Galaxy S8 dan S8 Plus, yakni masing-masing secara berurutan Rp 10,5 juta dan Rp 12 juta. "Barang baru, teknologi baru. Kalau orang Indonesia yang target marketnya seri S sebenarnya bukan soal harga, tapi value barangnya apa," kata Jo Semidang pada KompasTekno setelah acara peluncuran Galaxy S9 di Barcelona, Spanyol, Minggu (25/2/2018). Galaxy S9 dibekali kamera utama berkualitas 12 megapiksel dengan bukaan (aperture) yang bisa diatur secara mekanik, antara f/1.5 dan f/2.4. Galaxy S9 Plus dibekali kamera berkemampuan sama, hanya saja ditambah kamera kedua dengan lensa telephoto. Spesifikasi lain dari Galaxy S9 antara lain layar AMOLED berukuran 5,8 inci, prosesor Exynos 9810 atau Snapdragon 845, RAM dan memori 4GB/64GB, serta baterai 3.000 mAh. Sementara itu, varian Plus lebih besar dengan layar AMOLED 6,2 inci, prosesor Exynos 9810 atau Snapdragon 845, kapasitas RAM dan memori 6GB/128GB, serta baterai 3.500 mAh. (Baca juga: Spesifikasi Lengkap Galaxy S9 dan Galaxy S9 Plus ) VIDEO Baca juga: Melihat Galaxy S9 dan Galaxy S9 Plus dari Berbagai Sisi
BARCELONA, KOMPAS.com - Berbulan-bulan menjadi buah bibir, Samsung Galaxy S9 dan S9 Plus akhirnya resmi meluncur dalam acara bertajuk "Galaxy Unpacked 2018", Minggu (25/2/2018), beriringan dengan ajang Mobile World Congress (MWC) di Barcelona, Spanyol.
Acara dimulai pukul 18.00 waktu setempat atau 00.00 dinihari pada Senin (26/2/2018) di Indonesia.
Di atas panggung peluncuran, CEO Samsung Mobile, DJ Koh, mengatakan, tahun 2017 lalu ada 1,2 triliun foto yang dijepret, 10 miliar video, dan lima gigaliun emoji yang dibagi via smartphone. Ini menunjukan bagaimana komunikasi visual dibangun di smartphone dan memengaruhi kebiasaan kita.
"Kami berikan kepada Anda Galaxy S9 dan S9 Plus," kata DJ Koh sambil memamerkan dua smartphone terbaru Samsung tersebut untuk kali pertama.
DJ Koh mengatakan, duo flagship ini dirancang untuk menjawab kebutuhan masyarakat modern akan smartphone premium yang elegan.
Fatimah Kartini Bohang/KOMPAS.com CEO Samsung Mobile DJ Koh memamerkan smartphone Galaxy S9 dan Galaxy S9 Plus untuk pertama kalinya di Barcelona, Spanyol, Minggu (25/2/2018). CEO Samsung Mobile DJ Koh memamerkan smartphone Galaxy S9 dan Galaxy S9 Plus untuk pertama kalinya di Barcelona, Spanyol, Minggu (25/2/2018).
Galaxy S9 mengusung layar AMOLED berukuran 5,8 inci, sementara Galaxy S9 Plus lebih jumbo dengan layar 6,2 inci. Keduanya mengandalkan "jeroan" flagship Exynos 9810 atau Snapdragon 845, tergantung wilayah penjualan.
Kapasitas RAM dan memori Galaxy S9 dirasa cukup dengan perpaduan 4 GB/64 GB. Sementara itu, varian Galaxy S9 Plus lebih garang dengan kapasitas RAM dan memori 6 GB/256 GB. Jika kurang, pengguna bisa mengekspansi hingga 400 GB melalui kartu microSD.
Galaxy S9 memiliki kamera utama berkualitas 12 megapiksel dengan dual-aperture f/1.5 dan f/2.4. Ini adalah yang pertama kali diterapkan pada kamera smartphone dan diklaim mampu menghasilkan gambar yang apik di segala kondisi, terang maupun gelap.
Fitur lainnya pada komponen kamera adalah perekaman video “super slow-motion” dengan frame rate 960 fps di resolusi 720p atau 240 fps dengan resolusi 1080p. Video 0,2 detik bisa diperpanjang menjadi enam detik.
Kemampuan super slow-motion tersebut diklaim setara dengan yang tertera pada kamera profesional. Pengguna mampu meningkatkan efek dramatis pada momen-momen berharga.
Galaxy S9 Plus dibekali kamera serupa, tetapi ditambah kamera kedua untuk telephoto. Ini adalah kali pertama Samsung memberlakukan kemampuan kamera yang berbeda pada seri Galaxy S varian standar dan Plus.
Lensa telephoto Galaxy S9 Plus memungkinkan penjepretan dengan efek bokeh untuk objek-objek portrait. Modul kamera dan pemindai sidik jari pada Galaxy S9 dan Galaxy S9 Plus disusun secara vertikal di punggung perangkat, bukan horisontal seperti pada Galaxy S8 dan Galaxy S8 Plus.
Fitur andalan lainnya dari lini Galaxy S9 dan S9 Plus termutakhir ini adalah "My Emoji". Seperti yang diprediksi sebelumnya, My Emoji merupakan emoji super fleksibel yang bisa disesuaikan dengan wajah asli pengguna. Diharapkan komunikasi virtual antar-pengguna bisa lebih ekspresif dan relevan.
Dari segi audio, Galaxy S9 dan S9 Plus akan dilengkapi dengan speaker buatan vendor audio AKG. Lebih menariknya lagi, Galaxy S9 dan Galaxy S9 Plus tetap mempertahankan colokan earphone 3,5 mm.
Belum diketahui harga dan ketersediaan Galaxy S9 dan S9 Plus di Indonesia. Merujuk pengalaman yang sudah-sudah, biasanya seri Galaxy S diboyong sebulan setelah rilis resmi atau sekitar Maret mendatang. (Update: Ini Harga Samsung Galaxy S9 dan Galaxy S9 Plus di Indonesia)
Baca juga: Melihat Galaxy S9 dan Galaxy S9 Plus dari Berbagai Sisi
Samsung just added major fuel to the ongoing battle for the best smartphone camera.
The South Korean tech giant on Sunday unveiled the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the world's largest phone show.
While the phones are about the same size as the previous versions, the Galaxy S8 and S8+, the screens are brighter and slightly bigger. They have an advanced camera and stereo speakers, along with fun new tools, such as AR emoji, photo language translation and improved slow-motion video.
"Consumers are expressing themselves more," Suzanne De Silva, Samsung director of product strategy and marketing, said at a media event in New York ahead of the launch.
"We don't really call each other as much as we text, and that text has gotten richer. We're adding images and emojis [to everything]," she said.
Related: Samsung is cashing in on bitcoin mining
Like other Samsung Galaxy phones, the S9 is water resistant and touts an infinity display, wireless charging, and a headphone jack. It also features enhanced facial recognition to better compete with the iPhone X.
The device will initially be available in black, blue, and purple, with a gray option coming later.
Pre-orders start on Friday March 2, and the new phones will be available in stores on March 16. The S9 costs $720 for an unlocked device, while the S9+ is available for $840.
Although the Samsung Galaxy S9 builds on where the Galaxy S8 left off, does it have enough wow factor?
It's certainly not a revolutionary model, but fans may be convinced to upgrade for the camera, better audio for video streaming, and other unique features like ultra-slow motion video.
The camera
The brightest spot of Samsung devices has long been its camera. Its latest smartphone is no exception.
The new camera can take sharper photos in challenging lighting conditions than previous models. It has a dual camera and a new dual aperture that works like a human eye to adjust to bright or dark lighting. It makes sure photos are crisp and clear even in difficult lighting, and the aperture can switch between F2.4 and F1.5 to let in more or less light.
A fun slow-motion tool lets users take videos that are 32 times slower than traditional video. This can give you quirky, shareable shots that the phone automatically matches with music. For example, when someone throws confetti in slow motion, the phone pairs the video with upbeat music. (The music can be changed if Samsung misses the mark).
AR emoji, translation tools
In a bid to take on one of the buzziest new iOS features, Animoji, Samsung's new AR emoji mirror your facial expressions. But the difference is that Samsung's version turns you into a cartoon based on a selfie, similar to the concept behind Snapchat's popular Bitmoji app.
You can customize features like hair and clothing, and add accessories like glasses. They'll appear in 18 pre-set GIFs attached to your keyboard. Users can turn themselves into characters like a bunny or cat, too.
While the personalized AR emoji feature does a solid job of mimicking, the bunny or cat characters were less accurate and expressive during our tests.
The S9 also has a useful live language translation feature that lets scan objects like a sign or a menu. While the tool is virtually the same as an existing feature on Google Translate's app, adding it to Samsung's camera could lead to wider consumer use.
You can hold the camera up to an object and get a fast translation. But the coolest part about it is that it's not giving you subtitles. It overlays the object and virtually deletes the original text, replacing it with your native language via Google Translate. It's available in 54 languages.
Facial recognition
Although Samsung has offered facial recognition on its Galaxy devices for a while, it's ramping up its efforts even more to compete with the iPhone X's new Face ID feature.
Its new "intelligent scan" tool blends its facial recognition and iris scanner. Depending on the lighting, the tool determines whether to unlock the phone with its iris scanner or facial recognition. The iris scanner, which allows you to open the phone with your eyes, has had challenges working in direct sunlight.
The takeaway
It will be easy for the Samsung Galaxy S9 to stand out at the mobile conference in Spain this week because other major smartphone brands such as Huawei and LG are not expected to launch new flagship phones, according to Thomas Husson, vice president at research firm Forrester.
"Samsung has a great marketing window of opportunity to claim innovation leadership on the high-end smartphone segment," he said.
Related: Samsung is flying high. Here's what could bring it down to earth
Samsung (SSNLF) has surpassed a number of challenges in the past year and a half, including faulty batteries in its Galaxy Note 7 phones and Lee Jae-yong, the company's de facto leader, being found guilty of bribery and other corruption charges. Nevertheless, the company has reported record earnings of $50 billion in 2017. It's also the world's largest smartphone manufacturer and chipmaker.
"The Note 7 debacle seems to be firmly behind it," said David McQueen, research director of consumer devices and strategic technology at ABI Research. "This doesn't seem to have damaged the brand."
Samsung just announced the Galaxy S9, and now we’re getting details on how much retailers and wireless carriers are going to charge for it. The cheapest way to get the phone (without a trade-in) is through Samsung itself. But pricing gets surprisingly more complicated when you bring in wireless carriers: AT&T and Verizon are charging extra, but they’re also offering trade-in discounts that can more than offset the price increase.
Here are the details we have so far — we’ll be updating with more info as it comes out. In all cases, preorders start March 2nd and sales start March 16th.
Buy it outright: S9 for $719.99; S9 Plus for $839.99.
Monthly installments: $30 per month for 24 months for the S9; $35 per month for 24 months for the S9 Plus. Prices are a cent more expensive than buying it outright.
Trade in: $50 to $350 off when you trade in a smartphone. You’ll have to trade in last year’s Galaxy S8 or an iPhone 8 or X to get the full $350 (which isn’t a great deal), but you can still get $300 off for an S7 or iPhone 7, and $150 off for an S6 or iPhone 6. The full list of phones is here. One nice bonus — it looks like Samsung will let you get the discount outright, rather than divvying it up by monthly payments.
Buy it outright: S9 for $790.20; S9 Plus for $915.
Monthly installments: $26.34 per month for 30 months for the S9; $30.50 per month for 30 months for the S9 Plus. Those come to the same prices as buying the phone outright.
Buy it outright: $800 for the S9; $930 for the S9 Plus.
Monthly installments: $33.33 per month for 24 months for the S9; $38.74 per month for 24 months for the S9 Plus. You save a few cents paying this way instead of buying outright.
Trade-in: $100 to $350 off the S9 or S9 Plus when you buy it on an installment plan and trade-in a working phone in good condition. In order to get the $350, you have to trade in a Galaxy S8, iPhone 8, or newer (so realistically, only very serious Samsung fans will take this trade-in offer). Other flagships from last year fetch $300; and you can get $200 off for two to three year old phones. Phones like the iPhone SE and Galaxy S5 get $100. The trade-in value is broken up across the life of your payments, so you’re still looking at two years of bills.
Monthly installments: $30 per month for 24 months for the S9; same for the S9 Plus, but it also requires a $120 down payment. That’s $720 in total for the S9; $840 for the S9 Plus.
Trade-in: Up to $360 off an S9 or S9 Plus when purchased on an installment plan. You can trade in flagship phones as far back as an iPhone 6S or a Galaxy S7 and get $360 off. T-Mobile will also give $200 off for trade-ins of flagships as far back as the iPhone 5S and Galaxy S4. The discount comes with bill credits, so you’ll have to stay with T-Mobile to get the full offer.
Monthly installments: $33 per month for 24 months for the S9; $38 per month for 24 months for the S9 Plus. That comes to $792 and $912, which is more expensive than through Samsung.
Trade-in: Sprint says it’s offering up to $350 off with an eligible trade in, but it doesn’t list which phones are eligible. It appears you’ll get the discount spread across your monthly payments for the phone.
Promo: $100 off if you preorder through Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint on March 2nd only. After that, Best Buy is advertising a discount of “up to $100,” which suggests different carriers might receive different discounts.
Trade-in: $150 to $350 off when trading in specific smartphones. You’ll get the most for last year’s top Apple and Samsung phones, and you’ll get the least for the iPhone 6 an Galaxy S6.
Xfinity Mobile
Buy it outright: $719.99 for the S9; $839.99 for the S9 Plus.
Monthly installments: $30 per month for 24 months for the S9; $35 per month for 24 months for the S9 Plus. Prices are a cent more expensive than buying it outright. (They’re also the same as what you’ll get from Samsung itself.)
Trade-in: $200 to $350 off when you trade in an eligible phone. One of the nice perks here is that you can get this discount even if you choose to buy the phone outright — you’re not required to take it month by month on an installment plan that keeps you locked in.
