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Specs Comparison: Samsung Galaxy S9 vs Samsung Galaxy S8

Samsung has officially unveiled their latest flagship smartphone for 2018, the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+. As expected, these new devices come with improved specs compared to its predecessors – the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. But what has changed under the hood? Let’s find out in our specs comparison below:

Samsung Galaxy S9	Samsung Galaxy S8
5.8-inch WQHD+ (2960 x 1440) 18.5:9 Super AMOLED display, 568ppi	5.8-inch WQHD+ (2960 x 1440) 18.5:9 Super AMOLED display, 568ppi
Gorilla Glass 5 (front and back)	Gorilla Glass 5 (front and back)
Samsung Exynos 9810 octa-core CPU (4 x 2.7GHz Custom CPU + 4 x 1.8GHz ARM Cortex A55)	Samsung Exynos 8895 octa-core CPU (4 x ARM Cortex A53 1.7GHz + 4 x Exynos M1 2.3GHz)
Mali G72-MP18 GPU	Mali G71-MP20 GPU
4GB LPDDR4 RAM	4GB LPDDR4 RAM
64GB UFS 2.1 internal storage	64GB internal storage
microSD card slot (uses SIM 2 slot)	microSD card slot (uses SIM 2 slot)
12MP f/1.5-f/2.4 Dual Pixel, OIS, 2x optical zoom, dual-tone LED flash	12MP f/1.7 Dual Pixel, OIS, dual-LED flash
2160p @ 30fps video recording, Slow-mo 960fps @ 720p (0.2 secs)	4K @ 30fps or 1080p @ 60fps video recording, Slow-mo 240fps @ 720p
8MP f/1.7 front-facing camera	8MP f/1.7 front-facing camera
Dual-SIM (nano, hybrid)	Dual-SIM (nano, hybrid)
4G LTE Cat. 18 6CA 1.2Gbps	4G LTE Cat. 16 4CA
WiFi 802.11ac	WiFi 802.11ac
Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX	Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX
NFC	NFC
Iris scanner	Iris scanner
Heart rate scanner	Heart rate scanner
Fingerprint scanner	Fingerprint scanner
USB Type-C	USB Type-C
GPS with aGPS, GLONASS, BeiDou	GPS with aGPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
IP68 dust and water-resistance	IP68 dust and water-resistance
Dual AKG speakers, Dolby ATMOS	Single speaker
Samsung Bixby, Bixby Vision 2.0	Samsung Bixby, Bixby Vision
Android 8.0 with Samsung Experience 9	Android 7.0 Nougat (upgradable to Oreo)
3,000 Li-Po battery, Fast Charging, Wireless Charging	3,000 Li-Ion battery, Fast Charging, Wireless Charging
147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5 mm	148.9 x 68.1 x 8 mm
168 g	155 g
Midnight Black, Lilac Purple	Midnight Black, Maple Gold, Orchid Grey, Coral Blue, Arctic Silver

Summary of advantages

Samsung Galaxy S9:
* More powerful CPU and GPU
* Better rear camera with wider aperture and optical zoom
* Faster LTE modem
* Stereo speakers
* Android Oreo out of the box

Samsung Galaxy S8:
* Thinner and lighter
* More color options

Based on the specs above, the Galaxy S9’s advantages over its predecessor are mostly found under the hood. It has a newer and more powerful processor and GPU to handle demanding applications and new features. It also has a better LTE modem, but your speed would still depend on good your ISP is.

If you’re concerned with camera quality, the Galaxy S9 boasts an improved rear shooter with a wider aperture for better low-light performance and 2x optical zoom. We’re excited how it will score in DxOMark’s tests.

As a multimedia device, Samsung has finally equipped its flagship with better speakers powered by AKG and Dolby Atmos. So if you’re just casually watching movies or listening to music, expect good quality on this one.

The Galaxy S8, on the other hand, is thinner and lighter with more color options. Although we expect more colors for the Galaxy S9 in the coming months.

Is the S9 a worthy upgrade? If you’re coming from the S8, we suggest holding off for a while as it still has plenty of similarities to the S9. It would have swayed us for an upgrade if it had a larger battery but sadly, the capacity was retained. But if you’re coming from an older flagship like the S7, the S9 is worth it.

The Galaxy S9 is priced at Php45,990USD 784INR 66,437EUR 746CNY 5,707 (64GB). The Galaxy S8, on the other hand, launched in the Philippines for Php39,990USD 681INR 57,770EUR 649CNY 4,963 (64GB).

Check out more stories from our Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ coverage:
Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ now official
Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ price and pre-order in the Philippines
Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ in-depth Hands-On
Samsung Galaxy S9 Review
7 Best Features of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+
WATCH: Samsung Galaxy S9 vs Samsung Galaxy S8 Comparison
WATCH: Samsung Galaxy S9 vs iPhone X Comparison
INFOGRAPHIC: Evolution of the Samsung Galaxy S series
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