Samsung Galaxy S9 Philippines Price, Specs, Release Date, Actual Unit Photos

The 2018 iteration to Samsung Mobile's best-selling flagship Android smartphone line has just been officially launched via the company's Unpacked event at this year's Mobile World Congress.

The all-new Samsung Galaxy S9 offers a slew of enhancements coming from the 2017 Samsung Galaxy S8 from design and internal hardware all the way to imaging capabilities and video recording performance.


Subtle Design Improvements

Although the Galaxy S9 has the exact same screen size and resolution - 5.7-inch Curved WQHD Infinity Display, IP68 Water and Dust Resistant build, as well as over all footprint of its predecessor, this new model nonetheless has a more reassuring heft when you hold it, giving it an overall better feel in the hand.

Also, the Fingerprint Scanner has been re-positioned a bit closer to the middle of the rear to make it easier to reach using the pointer finger when holding the device.


Refined Imaging Capabilities

Over all, this fresh release represents a notable improvement in snapping images coming from the older model.

The 12MP rear cam with f/1.5 Aperture, Optical Image Stabilization, and Dual Pixel PDAF performs far better in low light and delivers better color replication as well as sharpness. The shutter speed is now also faster so you won't miss that precious moment when snapping subjects in motion.


On top of that, it has a variable aperture feature that allows you to shoot better images in various conditions. When there's little ambient light, you can widen the aperture to let in more illumination and when you're snapping landscape photos in broad daylight, you can make the aperture smaller to make details more crisp.

Look: There's barely any camera bump.

The 8MP front cam with f/1.6 aperture now allows you snap AR Emojis and AR Avatar videos as well as Selfie Focus with beautiful background blur.


Super Slo-Mo Video Recording

One of the coolest new features that Samsung gave the Galaxy S9 is its super slow motion video recording, which sure comes in handy for creating fun and amazing B-Rolls.

To be specific, this model can shoot 720p HD videos at a whopping 960 frames per second for that luscious slow-mo effect!


Better Security Features

The Galaxy S9 has what's called Intelligent Scan that makes use of both the Iris Scanner and Facial Recognition for unlocking the device to add a veritable layer of privacy and security for the user.


Improved Internal Hardware

Samsung Galaxy S9 runs its Android 8.0 Oreo operating system (skinned by Samsung Experience interface) with the company's most powerful chipset ever - the Exynos 9810 Octa that incorporates Mali-G72 MP18 GPU, has 4GB of RAM, and comes with 64GB of onboard storage that's expandable via the hybrid nanoSIM slot that can also take in microSD cards.

While the smartphone could have more RAM - when we compare it to its competitors in the market, I think this set of internal specs is good enough to deliver ultra-smooth 3D gaming performance and stutter-free overall touch experience.

The 10nm processor is also more energy-efficient than the older Exynos 8895 Octa, which should improve the uptime even if the fast-charging Li-Ion battery still has the same 3,000 mAh capacity.


More Powerful Loud Speaker System

Unlike the previous flagship, Galaxy S9 has two AKG loud speakers - one at the bottom and the other, incorporated in the earpiece section - to deliver a more compelling audio experience. In fact, this model delivers more or less 40% louder sound than the Galaxy S8.


Samsung Galaxy S9 TechPinas Video Feature

Watch my exclusive interview with Mr. Ivan Pua, Head of Product Marketing for Mobile and IT, on the all-new Samsung Galaxy S9's key capabilities and main selling points.


Price and Availability in the Philippines

Samsung Galaxy S9 will be officially launched in the Philippines on March 16, 2018 but the company will already start to take pre-orders starting Tuesday - February 27, 2018. The official suggested retail price of this fresh model is Php 45,990 and it will be out in three colors, namely, Lilac, Midnight Black, and Coral Blue. This top-of-the-line smartphone will also be available as a bundled handset with Smart Postpaid Plans.

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specifications Table
Product Name Samsung Galaxy S9
Main Category Flagship-Level Android Smartphone
Dimensions 147.6 x 68.7 x 8.4 mm
Weight 163 grams
Display 5.8 inches, Curved Infinity Display, WQHD 1440 x 2960 pixels, 18.5:9 Aspect Ratio, SuperAMOLED, 568 ppi
Screen-To-Body Ratio 84.2%
Screen Protection Curved Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Protection Against Elements IP68 Certified Dust-and-Water-Resistant
Front Camera 8 MegaPixels, f/1.6 Aperture, AutoFocus, Auto-HDR
Rear Camera 12 MegaPixels, f/1.5 Aperture, 26mm, 1/2.5", 1.4 µm, Dual Pixel, Optical Image Stabilization, Dual Tone LED Flash
Video Rear: 2160p 30fps, 1080p 60fps, 720p 960fps
Front: 1440p 30fps
Operating System Android 8.0 Oreo
User Interface Samsung Experience
Chipset Exynos 9810 Octa
GPU Mali-G72 MP18
RAM 4GB
ROM 64GB
microSD Card Slotvia Secondary nanoSIM slot, Up to 256GB
Battery Non-Removable 3,000 mAh Li-Po, Fast Charging, Wireless Charging Support
Charging Port USB Type C 3.1
WiFi802.11 b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 5.0
4G LTE LTE-A, Cat18
Dual SIM Capability Yes, 2X nanoSIM
Gyroscope Yes
Fingerprint Scanner Yes, Back
Facial Recognition Yes
Highlighted Features Multi-Windows
Samsung DEX
Bixby Live Translation
AR Readiness
App Pairing
IP68 Water-Resistance
Samsung Knox 3.0
Biometric Authentications

Enterprise Edition:
Knox Configuration
Samsung Fimware Over The Air Updates
Extended Device Warranty
Security Updates for Up to 4 Years
Shell Material Aluminum, Glass
Colors Lilac Purple, Coral Blue, and Midnight Black
Price Php 45,990, Official SRP in PH
Availability in The Philippines February 27, 2018 (Online Pre-Order)
Official Release Date: March 16, 2018
TechPinas Key Remark Samsung Galaxy S9 continues the flagship-level excellence of Samsung Mobile, building upon the success of previous top-of-the-line models.

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