It won't be long before Samsung takes the stage to unveil the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, and like every year, we've got a pretty good idea of what to expect from the company's next flagship(s) thanks to numerous leaks and rumors. Samsung says it is “reimagining” the camera with the S9, but there's likely to be a lot more the Galaxy S8 successor will bring to the table. Much of the discussion here at SamMobile these days revolves around the Galaxy S9, including talk about the features that we're hoping to see on the device.
In this article, we've put together our thoughts on what we're looking forward to with the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, and we want you to join in as well! Check out what we think, and get a discussion going in the comments section by telling us what you are hoping to see on the Galaxy S9.
Adnan Farooqui
Given what we know about the Galaxy S9 so far, it's not going to be a significant upgrade compared to the Galaxy S8 as far as the design is concerned. This means that some of the new software features will be the biggest selling points. Given rumors that the Galaxy S9 may have a dedicated chip for artificial intelligence-related tasks, I'm interested in seeing what sort of innovative AI features the Galaxy S9 might bring to the table.
I'm also interested to see how Samsung improves iris and facial recognition on the new handset. Iris and facial recognition are bound to be compared to the iPhone X's Face ID regardless of any improvements or lack thereof. Samsung may offer a new “Intelligent Scan” feature that may combine the iris scanner and facial recognition features, and it will be unlike anything we've seen on last year's flagships.
Abhijeet Mishra
Dual rear cameras are at the top of my list of things I'm looking forward to with the Galaxy S9. Or should I say S9+, because the 5.8-inch S9 is expected to have a single rear camera? Until a couple of weeks ago, I was using a Galaxy Note 8 review unit as my primary device, and I realized how much I miss the 2x zoom option on the Note 8 after I switched to the Galaxy S8+ to check out the Oreo beta (followed by a move to the Galaxy A8+). Live Focus isn't so important for me, but being able to zoom in on a scene with the tap of a button is something I want on all my phones.
I'm also hoping to see improvements to software performance. The Galaxy S8+ irritated me to no end with stutter and lag that developed not long after I started using the phone. Oreo has fixed things to an extent, but the Note 8 on Nougat is still more consistently smooth and fast. For some reason, Samsung is unable to make its primary flagship function as a flagship should after a few months, and it's a shame that many cheaper devices perform better in day-to-day life.
Martin Reinders
Another year, another Galaxy S flagship, and I'm quite excited for this one. This year would be my first with a phone with dual cameras, and I'm eager to put the Galaxy S9 to the test as I take a lot of pictures of my son and my family. I'm also looking forward to stereo speakers, which look set to debut on Samsung's flagship lineup with the S9. A lot of my time is spent watching YouTube, and a single loudspeaker (especially a bottom-firing one that can easily be covered by your hand) just isn't done in this day and age.
Naresh Nekkanti
With the Galaxy S8, Samsung pushed smartphone design to what is currently possible with the available technology. So I understand that the Galaxy S9 won’t be dramatically different from its predecessor in terms of design. I am hoping that Samsung will instead focus on AI and camera features to differentiate the Galaxy S9.
I am particularly interested to see if Samsung can use AI to improve the long-term performance of its new devices. Along with the overall device performance in general, I am hoping that Samsung will improve the performance and functionality of the default launcher. I find it baffling that third-party launchers made by one or two developers often perform better than the default launcher on Samsung devices.
Lastly, I am keen to see what improvements Samsung will bring to its DeX feature. As someone who was eagerly waiting for ‘Windows Continuum for Phones' to take-off, I am now pinning my hopes on Samsung to make the dream of turning a phone into a PC a reality. If the DeX implementation on the Galaxy S8 is any indication, then Samsung is already off to a good start.
Landon Affo
First and foremost, I am very hopeful of seeing Bixby 2.0 launch with the S9, as I am an avid Bixby user. With the possibility of only having to address Bixby once time, it should make for an enhanced AI experience unseen by the likes of Siri, Alexa, or Cortana. Also, I would like to label the recent comments calling for the death of Bixby on the Galaxy S9 by other publications and experts as asinine.
The second feature that I am looking forward to is the potential addition of “intelligent scan”, as this will more than likely be faster and more secure than just iris scanning. I am also excited because it seems just downright awesome. Of course, the “camera reimagining” will be a very nice addition, as well as the stereo speakers, but those are not the main features behind my surefire preorder of the Galaxy S9+.
