I few weeks ago, after a long history of purchasing Samsung phones (S4, S6, s7 edge plus) because of the good hardware, I got an S8+ after my S7e+ abandoned me. This was the turning point where I decided I could no longer accept such awful software experience. Now there is even a physical button for their garbage assistant. The Android notifications are broken in favor of small things that do not allow you to read the message from Whatsapp or Telegram or whatever, and so forth. I returned the S8+ and switched to a Google Pixel 2 XL and it is <i>the best phone</i> I've ever had. Samsung needs to get its shit together and understand that even if in their fantasy world where the management live they want to compete on services, it is totally impossible and actually they are just destroying the Android experience. If it was not for the software approach Samsung takes, I bet we could have far less Apple iPhone users.
<a href="https://www.samsung.com/us/smartphones/galaxy-s9/" rel="nofollow">https://www.samsung.com/us/smartphones/galaxy-s9/</a> for US site.<p>Small question: Do people still buy $800 phones, and why? If you care about security, these probably won't receive security upgrades for more than a few years (S3 went from ICS to Kitkat. S4 went from Jelly-Bean to Lollipop, S5 went from KitKat to Marshmallow, S6 went from Lollipop to Nougat, so I don't expect this to make it past Android Q[1] (which should come out in two and a half years)), and unlike older models, custom ROM support is quite bad for modern Samsung models (S6 Lineageos just came out. S8 isn't supported yet).<p>Wouldn't it make more sense to get a slightly worse quality phone, but upgrade it every two years or so?<p>[1]. Unless Treble will make it so much easier to port to S9.
Oh FFS. I don't need a fancier camera. I don't need animated emojis. I need a battery that lasts all day without having to keep the phone in low-power mode all the time. And I want it removable so when it wears out I can replace it myself. Samsung is jumping the shark.
I can understand that Samsung's target market doesn't consist of users who may install Lineage or other ROMs, but what's their motivation for selling a phone with a locked bootloader? Samsung sells excellent hardware, and as an S8 owner I've found their version of Android is acceptable. But why not allow users to unlock the bootloader: what's the risk to Samsung by allowing this?
Nice device, horrible software. If Samsung did another Google Play edition like they did with the S3, I'd buy one.<p>I've been looking for an upgrade to my current Android phone for a little minute. I just want vanilla Android and an aesthetic device. I don't care about the camera, bigsby, or face/touch unlock.<p>The Pixel 2 feels great, with it's super stock Android, but it's design is very lackluster. If I am spending a thousand dollars (Australia), then I don't want to make any compromises.<p>As a consumer, I'm feeling let down by the selection of phones. Honestly, the iPhone has never looked better to me.
Interesting, if there is one thing I hope Apple takes away from this, it is the adjustable aperture. But time will tell whether a moving part will last long on a smartphone.<p>Though I fear that, like with Google's dual CMOS, they are too committed to the multiple cameras and removing one may come off as a downgrade to consumers whether or not a single one can satisfy all the same functions.
The s8 is slippery as hell and very fragile. My screen cracked after just a month. Replacement is crazy expensive.
Unless s9 changes that, don't buy it!
Unfortunately comes with Samsung's crapware that cannot be removed, and even a non remappable button to trigger it. I will be patiently waiting for an exploit to be found in the bootloader so we can reflash this with a ROM without Samsung anything. At that point in time, it will probably be a good contender for second best Android phone. After the pixel
Having been with Samsung since the S3, my current S7 will be my last. It is THE most fragile phone I have ever owned - replaced 3x already, at $150/pop even with the insurance. I've never had to get a case for any other Samsung before, but this is unacceptable. My next phone will be a Purism.
Of all the things you would want to make a "me too" product out of, the iPhone X sure isn't one I would pick. It's sad that AR emojis and face recognition made the key new features list. Those two sounded like a gimmick when they were announced, and after actually using the iPhone X I can't say my opinion has changed.<p>The sooner Samsung either steps up their software game or quits it altogether, the better off their users will be.
This would be very nice. IFF they just allowed me to throw out their bloated software, put Lineage on the thing and still be able to use any of the non-standard hardware features.
Frankly, the "biometrics" stuff in these phones is such an anti-feature IMHO...
Wow, the camera is f1.5 and the results look very nice. Blurring the background is neat and the results look good. Not perfect (check out the wisps of hair on the model disappear) but its so much better than the average photo i see shared on facebook. Bokeh filters are a bit of fun, but i can't imagine anyone i know will notice them or care about them.<p>Draw password with your eyes? Weird.
I was hoping to hear something about the imminent Gear watch (S4?). I guess Apple is the only company that bundles their various releases into a single event?
How did Samsung it was a good idea to round the glass edges of a screen to the point that it warps displays colour & creates glare from indirect light?<p>It looks to be as big of a problem as on their 8 which I’ve observed people experience frustration with.
They don't mention if it is splash proof and whether it is toast if you ever drop it, but it looks nice. :-)<p>EDIT: I see from the Verge video that they did retain the splash resistance.