S9 (non-plus) 1 week in....

[neil74]

A week into owning the S8 (non-plus) and I thought I'd post some thoughts. As a self confessed phone junkie I'm really not sure but have resisted switching my SIM back to the 2xl. Anyway in no particular order.....

+ Much better FPS. For some people the S8’s placement was not a big deal, it was for me so this more sensible placement is very welcome. It's quick too
+ Screen is terrific
+ I like the size, imo the better than the plus and not a burden at all to use and carry.
+ Headphone jack and I like the audio I’m getting out of this phone on BT too. I’d sacrifice this though if they used the space to beef up the battery.
+ Camera seems good but not really tested it properly yet

- Battery life is a disappointment, depending on your use you may get a day but for heavier users I’m not sure you will. In particular standby battery is poor imo vs. the competition, I have improved it slightly from out of the box by installing BK disabler but my overall feeling is that there is so much bloat baked in that there is only so much you can do to improve things. Once you start using the S9 though it also drops very quickly.

- I have the exynos version and performance is fine but still not as smooth as the Pixel 2 XL or for that matter the oneplus 5t. This is hard to explain and only those who have used the pixel will understand what I am saying here

- One handed typing is not as comfortable as I'd like for a small phone. It actually digs in my little finger as I type and leaves an indent. Could just be me this one.

- 8.0 not 8.1. This is the big test of project treble for me but if the S9 is still stuck on 8.0 come the Summer then that will not be a good sign. Are they even going to bother trying? Will be interesting to watch.


Ultimately though it may be the battery life that proves to be the show-stopper in the end for me as I just do not think it is good enough, it also feels worse than the S8 . Also having to use an app like BK disabler does make me a little nervous and I would rather not but I do see a benefit to it both in terms of battery and overall smoothness so I do.

The Pixel 2XL was almost perfect but it left enough gaps for me to still be interested in the S9, mostly an SD card and just not having to worry about storage space at all (a 256gb pixel would solve this), wireless charging (less so these days though but still a nice to have) and the fact that the 2XL feels like it is larger than it really needs to be for a 6” phone. I’d say too that if the OP6 launches with a 256gb option that would be a pretty compelling device.

Anyway a bit of a mind dump but how I currently feel, really nice phone in so many ways but not a slam dunk for me yet.

 

[geraldem]

your experience with the battery is exactly why I went with the S9+. Far better...I can make it full day with no problem. Yesterday for example, 2+ hours of calls, almost 4 hours of SOT, 2 hours using bluetooth for Apple Music..etc. ...still had 40% at 11:30pm. took off charger at 6:30am. happy with that!

 

[djrakowski]

Very well written... Thanks for sharing!

It seems that there are no real compelling features for owners of the previous generation. I have the S9 (US version with Qualcomm SOC and locked to T-Mobile), and I'm impressed by most everything with the minor exception of battery life. I'm comparing it to my daily driver, which is an iPhone 8 Plus, which is a bit unfair I suppose, as it seems to last forever in a charge.

The S9 has a beautiful display - better overall, in my opinion, than the iPhone. The dual speakers sound great, too. The tall aspect ratio is a bit awkward to manage, but that's mitigated a bit by turning on the swipe gesture to access the notification area from anywhere on the screen.

Samsung Experience is MUCH better than I remember on my S7 edge a few years ago. I can't see any reason to switch to Nova, and that's usually the first app I install on new Android handsets. Transitions are smooth - I haven't noticed a single hitch in swiping between homescreens.

I don't like what's happened to notification badges, though. Badges shouldn't clear when clearing the notification area. That seems to be Google's fault, though.

Bottom line: I'm impressed, and I'm glad T-Mobile offered me a generous trade-in offer on my iPhone SE to entice me to make the purchase!

 

[neil74]

The thing is that the S9+ is basically the same size as the 2XL (and slightly narrower I think) but for some reason it feels bigger in the hand and more of a burden, I think it is the extra weight as the 2XL is quite light.

I purchased the S9 from carphonewarehouse in the UK so no chance of swapping it for the plus even if I wanted to. Best Buy they are not!

The ergonomics thing is something I have noticed more and more too, think it is because I do not use a case but after any extended 1 handed typing it is uncomfortable and I am left with a dent in my finger that takes a few minutes to go away. The edges are quite sharp vs the S8 and other phones

 

[djrakowski]

The ergonomics thing is something I have noticed more and more too, think it is because I do not use a case but after any extended 1 handed typing it is uncomfortable and I am left with a dent in my finger that takes a few minutes to go away. The edges are quite sharp vs the S8 and other phones

Yes, I noticed that as well... Long-ish typing sessions aren't particularly comfortable. My little finger aches if I use it too long.

 

[zerospace-net]

I too have an S9 (not +), but I can't say I have the same experience with the battery. Mine gets fantastic battery life in standby -- maybe the issue is apps? I'm ridiculously picky about what I install, and even though I have a handful of apps that I will not permit the OS to put to sleep, I still do just fine. Definitely better than my 2 year old S7, and certainly on par with what that phone got in the beginning, too.

Ergonomics are fine for me, as well -- I'm coming from an S7, and the S9 is narrower than it was plus has the curved edges. I have very small hands (petite, female), so this is usually a huge issue for me. I'm finding the S9 to be quite pleasant for one-handed use.

I disable a lot of bloatware. I also disabled the edge screen (found it annoying). I do run a 3rd party launcher and keep NFC off unless I'm using it.

 

[callihan_44]

now that i have everything somewhat arranged and downloaded my battery life is pretty good, i make it to the end of the day with 20-30% battery depending on how much i play with the phone. I thought about turning off the always on display since I dont look at it much. The led blinking does the job for me

 

[neil74]

The always on display is one of my favourite new android features. Samsung's implementation though seems more battery hungry than Google's or LGs.

The edge screen would be more useful if you could directly launch something by swiping. Right now it's swipe then click which makes it no different to just swiping to the next page and selecting an app

 

[djrakowski]

The always on display is one of my favourite new android features. Samsung's implementation though seems more battery hungry than Google's or LGs.

Agreed. I turned it off and rely on the notification LED instead.

 

[claykin]

Project treble? SD versions can't even get the latest security patch. Don't hold your breath for Oreo 8.1. 8.1 was out in December, Samsung easily could have gone with 8.1 for launch.

 

[qz0xr3]

Nice assessment. I upgraded from an S6. My biggest issue with the S6 was the deteriorating battery life. I don't consider myself a heavy user, nor do I have a ton of apps installed, but rarely could I make it through the day without having to recharge or at least top off the phone. I had tried the V30+ and it had great battery life. However, i wasn't as pleased with the camera as I had hoped and also had an issue with callers hearing me. I returned it and went back to the S9. I've only had it for a couple of days and while battery life is better than the S6, it's not as significantly better as I had hoped. Overall though, compared to the S6, I'm pleased.

 

[neil74]

I'm already eyeing the p20 pro!

 

[neil74]

Project treble? SD versions can't even get the latest security patch. Don't hold your breath for Oreo 8.1. 8.1 was out in December, Samsung easily could have gone with 8.1 for launch.

That's my point, I fully expect Samsung to fall at the first hurdle with project treble. It's been out for months so really the S9 should have launched on 8.1

 

[Jdroids]

Anandtech posted review of S9 with Exynos vs Snapdragon 845. For some reason SD845 version lasts longer than S8 but Exynos version got worse than S8 counterpart. If this is correct, your battery experience seems in line with that.