Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus: All you need to know

The Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus are no longer Samsungs flagship phones having been eclipsed by the newer and shiny Samsung Galaxy S10 series. Even so, the S9 duo still packs some punch and brings a lot of style on the table. Since the two are high-end phones, you also get some of the best cameras and functionality on any device in its price range.

Whether you already own the Galaxy S9/S9 Plus and you are looking to make it better or you want to buy a new one now that the product is discounted, this page has all you need to know about the duo.

Latest news

February 22, 2019: The Bixby button has been one of the most controversial additions to the Galaxy line of flagship phones. While most people wouldn’t mind having the button, what bothers them is why Samsung wouldn’t let them use it for anything else other than launching Bixby.

After years of playing hard, the Korean company has finally caved in to the demands of users, allowing for the ability to remap the Bixby button to perform other tasks. This will come as part of a future software update to the S9 duo. More on this story here.

February 18, 2019: Reports coming in suggest the U.S. unlocked variants of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ are now receiving their updates to Android 9 Pie. The two were used for testing the beta version in the country, but as usual, they come in last after all carriers did their part.

Yes, there’s more to this story here, if interested.

February 14, 2019: The update to Android 9 Pie with One UI arrived on T-Mobile a few days ago, but for some reason, it was halted. Today, the Magenta carrier has resumed rolling out the update to the S9 and S9+, becoming the last major carrier in the country to do so.

Sprint, AT&T and Verizon Wireless have already updated the S9 pair to Pie.

Specifications

Samsung Galaxy S9

5.8-inch Super AMOLED, 18.5:9 aspect ratio, QHD+ resolution
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (Exynos 9810 – global variant)
4GB RAM
64/128/256GB expandable storage
12MP main camera
8MP front camera
3000mAh battery
Android 8.0 Oreo
Extras: Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, LTE, 3.5mm audio jack, IP68, iris scanner, face recognition, rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, AKG-tuned stereo speakers and fast wired and wireless charging, etc.

Samsung Galaxy S9+

6.2-inch Super AMOLED, 18.5:9 aspect ratio, QHD+ resolution
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (Exynos 9810 – global variant)
6GB RAM
64/128/256GB expandable storage
Dual 12MP + 12MP main camera
8MP front camera
3500mAh battery
Android 8.0 Oreo
Extras: Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, LTE, 3.5mm audio jack, IP68, iris scanner, face recognition, rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, AKG-tuned stereo speakers and fast wired and wireless charging, etc.

Check out: Galaxy S9 and S9+ are a bit thicker and wider, and slightly smaller than the S8 and S8+

Galaxy S9 features

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ are flagship phones that are feature-rich, but do you know all that the duo packs? While we haven’t exhausted every bit of feature these devices have to offer, we do believe we have dug out some of the best and most useful ones for you and some spoilers too.

Price

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ were unveiled in March 2018 priced between $720 and $800 for the base model of the former and $870 and $915 for the base model of the latter. Since the arrival of Samsung Galaxy S10, the prices of the S9 duo have been dropping everywhere, with different outlets going further to offer some crazy deals spur clearance sales.

The table below has details of where you can buy the Galaxy S9 or S9+ right now, but of course, prices may vary from one retailer to the next.

Device	Where to buy	Price
Galaxy S9	Samsung shop, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Best Buy	$400-$600
Galaxy S9+	Samsung shop, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Best Buy	$500-$700

Tip: Best Buy currently has the best deals for the unlocked S9 ($400) and S9+ ($500), but we can’t say whether these prices are permanent or not.

Tips and tricks

Most feature-packed phones like the Galaxy S9 and S9+ are hardly put to the full test. This is mostly because most users rarely get to know everything these phones have to offer, but in the links below, we have some of the best tips and tricks you can use to get the most out of your S9 or S9+ handset.

Software update

With no hardware changes expected, the only way Samsung can introduce changes to the Galaxy S9 and S9+ is through software updates. Usually, this may happen via small updates released on a monthly basis or via a major OS upgrade that comes out once every year.

The S9 and S9+ come preinstalled with Android Oreo and have since been upgraded to Android Pie with Samsungs One UI. Another update to Android Q is also on the way, but we still can’t say when it will arrive.

To keep an eye on these developments and many others related to the S9 and S9+ software, check out their respective pages below.

While at it, you may also want to check out these:

Firmware download

Below are links to each of the phones stock firmware download pages, where you also find guidelines of how to install the software. With these ROMs, for instance, you can fix issues in version B by installing the older version A that worked without issues or install the newer version C that contains fixes to issues in version B, only that the OTA has yet to arrive on your device.

Best accessories

Check out some of the best accessories available for the Galaxy S9 and S9+ handsets below.

Best cases

Not everyone likes having a case on their beautiful phones, but considering the Galaxy S9 and S9+ are mostly made of glass, you’ll probably be better off slapping one on the device.

To help you make the best picks, here are the best cases available for your Galaxy S9 or S9+.

And finally, do Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus cases and covers work on the Galaxy S9 and S9+?

Problems and solutions

With over a year since launch, wear and tear is becoming more evident on the Galaxy S9 and S9+, both on the outside and inside. While taking care of external problems may require a technician and/or replacement of parts, not all internal problems need spare parts.

In fact, most Galaxy S9 and S9+ problems can be fixed via software updates or by playing around with the settings. To give you a helping hand, we’ve put together all the problems we know about the S9 duo alongside their possible solutions.