Unpacked events - Samsung's giant press conferences - are always impressive affairs, no matter how big or small the proposed development. And at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the biggest event of its kind, everyone was pointing to the new Galaxy S9 and S9+ (the XL version) as one of the expected big stars.
After numerous leaks and a year-on-year rhythm of new products, it came as no surprise that the new model was not far removed from its predecessor, the S8, which marked a major leap forward, particularly in terms of design. And despite the succession of enthusiastic speeches on the huge central stage of the big American-style show, we can only see this new model as a gentle evolution of its predecessor. Firstly, aesthetically: at first glance, it's impossible to really distinguish an S9 from an S8. It's less obvious when you turn it over, because on the back, the fingerprint sensor is now under the photo sensor rather than next to it, a location that had been heavily criticised. Identification can now also be done by facial recognition or iris scan, depending on the ambient lighting.
The design is therefore extremely similar to the S8, although it seems that all the parts are new, according to a brand spokesperson. The design and build quality are still top-notch, with the magnificent 5.8" and 6.2" Infinity Super Amoled ultra-high resolution quad HD display, available in the S9 and S9+ versions respectively.
The latter is also distinguished by a dual photo sensor, which allows shots to be taken at two different focal lengths (like a wide angle and a zoom) as well as creating a blurred effect in the background, even after the photo has been taken. In both versions, in addition to the IP 68 waterproof protection, the main camera has two apertures, and this is the big innovation. You can choose a very wide aperture at f/1.5 (a record of its kind) or f/2.4, allowing greater flexibility, particularly in low light. The S9 also features a 'super slow-motion' mode at 920 fps, with a welcome automatic shutter release, although this recording is extremely limited in time.
In terms of sound, the S9 has the now rare merit of retaining its headphone jack, and offers two speakers for stereo and Dolby Atmos sound. The good news is that its Bixby personal assistant - a rival to Apple's Google Assistant and Siri - will be available in French by the end of the year.
More anecdotally, the S9 also inaugurates a new generation of the famous Emoji, the animated evolution of smileys, here configurable in 3D according to one's own face. Fun, but not very serious for adults, unlike the security issues, which are given particular attention here. The Knox security system ensures the integrity of your data, and the device can be upgraded remotely by an IT manager, so that all the devices in a group or company can be upgraded together.
In addition, the Dex system is evolving, making it even easier to connect your smartphone to a monitor, with the S9 becoming a PC equivalent (albeit with a lighter performance). A new feature is that, once installed in a dedicated stand, the smartphone's screen can be transformed into a trackpad.
So here we have a hyper-complete, high-performance and seductive model at an elitist price of over €800. It's not really innovative or new, but it's evolving well to perfect its refinements even further.
