Galaxy S9 comes with better cameras

A visitor demonstrates the AR Emoji feature on a Samsung Galaxy S9 during the unpacked event in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

By Kang Seung-woo

BARCELONA, Spain ― There is already a buzz regarding Samsung Electronics’ new flagship smartphone ― the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus, unveiled Sunday.

Given its innovative features Samsung’s mobile chief Koh Dong-jin showed at the “unpacked” event on the eve of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Spain, the new high-end phones are anticipated to remain the “undisputed” top dog in the high-end smartphone category for more than half a year until its rival Apple’s new phone comes in September ― or probably for a longer period if the Apple phone has a less-than-expected device.

The Cupertino, California-based company is expected to retire its much-touted 10th anniversary phone ― the iPhone X ― before the device sees its first birthday in September due to weaker-than-expected sales.

Although the new Samsung phones saw the light of day with a bright outlook, consumers still will have to wait for about three weeks before getting their hands on them and experience the innovations the Korean tech giant has brought.

In this respect, the best thing to soothe the itching Galaxy devotees may be to show how the new product has improved from its predecessor and eventually find if it is worth paying nearly 1 million won ($930) to upgrade to the latest flagship phone.

According to the world’s largest-smartphone maker, the S9 is designed for the visual and social generation, offering powerful tools to transform how users capture special moments, express themselves and enjoy immersive entertainment.

To this end, Samsung has delivered its most advanced cameras yet that focus on image capture and messaging through personalized AR Emojis as well as an innovative low-light camera and super slow-motion video capabilities.

AR Emoji are Samsung's answer to the iPhone X’s Animoji, mirroring a user’s facial expression.

As part of creative communications, Samsung has adopted augmented reality to create moving 3D emojis that look, sound and act like users in video as well as stickers.

To its advantage, Samsung’s AR Emoji can be shared across most third-party messaging platforms. Animoji can only be used through iMessage.

“AR Emoji are fully customizable, can easily be shared with others and also used as wallpaper for the user’s home or lock screen,” said a Samsung official.

The dual-aperture setup is also an attractive feature that helps users snap stunning shots in any light ― the first among smartphone cameras.

Switching between F2.4 and F1.5 based on lighting conditions, the dual aperture lets in more light when it’s dark and less light when it’s too bright, taking photos that are crisp and clear.

The new ultra slow-motion video, named “super slow-mo feature,” is regarded as one of the optimized features to live up to Samsung’s goal of redefining the way users share contents.

The technology allows users to capture, in stunning detail, the epic, blink-or-you’ll-miss-it moments that occur in everyday life. It captures 960 frames per second (fps). For reference, the iPhone X’s slow-motion video is limited to 240 fps.

In addition, unlike other smartphones with video capability, the S9 series offers automatic motion detection allowing users to catch movement in the frame and automatically begin recording.

The Bixby virtual assistant on the Galaxy S9 is capable of live translation. / AP-Yonhap

Samsung’s intelligence platform, Bixby, is deeply integrated into the Galaxy S9’s camera, and uses augmented reality and deep learning technologies to provide users with a wide range of helpful, real-time information about the world around them.

Users can translate foreign languages and currencies in real time with Live Translation, learn about their surroundings, purchase products seen in the real world and track calories throughout the day.

The latest Samsung flagship phone has become the loudest-ever Galaxy device thanks to AKG-tuned stereo speakers that enable it to offer premium sound experience. The S9 also features Dolby Atmos that Samsung believes will bring the 360-degree, cinematic sound experience.

Samsung once again threw down the gauntlet to Apple, introducing its new security platform, or Intelligent Scan, in response to the success of the iPhone X’s Face ID system

It uses the collective strength of Samsung’s iris scanning and facial recognition technologies to create a seamless authentication solution that offers users secure access to their device in virtually any environment.