Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus 256GB

Primary camera: 12 MPFlash: LED FlashSecondary camera: 8 MP

Dimensions: 158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5 mmWeight: 189 gramsWhen the S9/S9+ are kept next to their predecessors, you could find it tough to tell them apart. Not that it's a bad thing, as Samsung has popularised the glass-based design with metallic reinforcement along the edges. Add to it the Infinity Display up front which curves towards the sides, and the Samsung Galaxy S9+ is a stunning smartphone. Another factor distinguishing the device from the crowd is its Coral Blue and Lilac Purple hues along with the regular black or grey options.On noticing closely however, the S9 duo feature even slimmer bezels at the top and bottom as compared to their previous avatars. With the display panel turned off, the smartphone seems to have a full-screen front as it seamlessly blends with the bezels which cleverly hide the sensors, and only the earpiece and the front-facing camera is visible up top.The placement of ports and controls remains the same and thankfully, that means there's a 3.5mm socket at the base. Sadly, the device retains a dedicated button to launch the Bixby smart assistant, and the key can't be mapped to anything else. Thankfully, Samsung has addressed the biggest gripe we had with its last year's flagships – the positioning of the fingerprint scanner. On the Samsung Galaxy S9+, the scanner is now conveniently located beneath the camera module, making it easier to reach along with ensuring that the sensors don't get smudged. The camera module is accompanied by the LED flash and a heart-rate sensor.You might not really need the fingerprint reader though, and that's because the Galaxy S9+ offers Intelligent Scan. Unlike the Apple iPhone X, the Galaxy S9+ doesn't have any hardware implementation for face unlock, but the Intelligent Scan capability combines the facial authentication mechanism with iris recognition. What this means is that depending upon the lighting conditions, the device chooses the more appropriate unlocking method on its own. In dim environments for example, the iris scan is used to unlock the smartphone, since it can work with less light. However, the downside is that intelligent scan isn't as fast as facial unlock on many smartphones.The rear panel of the Galaxy S9+ is a shiny slab of glass, which looks really eye-pleasing with its light-reflecting characteristics, but gathers fingerprints and smudges. The good thing however, is that even though it's smooth, the phone doesn't feel slippery even after long sessions of usage. Samsung is also thoughtfully bundling a soft transparent case to protect it. I used the handset without the case for a couple of days to get the in-hand feel and the glass didn't get scratched. However, using a case is advisable to make sure the sheen can stay for long periods.While the Samsung Galaxy S9+ is marginally thicker than its predecessor – 8.5mm vs 8.1mm, it doesn't seem that way, thanks to curved edges at the front and back. In fact, the device also weighs more at 185g versus 173g of the S8+, and yet doesn't feel heavy as the weight has been distributed well across the body. Ergonomically, the smartphone offers a good in-hand feel and it can even be operated single-handedly, provided one has large hands. Unlike previous smartphones with curved edges from the Korean brand, the display sloping towards the edges is much more refined and thus, reduces the chance of inadvertent touches.The Corning Gorilla Glass 5-protected display continues to offer QHD+ resolution. And while I couldn't have thought this was possible, the Samsung Galaxy S9+'s 6.2-inch Super AMOLED panel looks even better than its previous iteration. It's sharp, bright and vibrant, and can easily be seen under harsh sunlight. The display is also certified for Mobile HDR Premium, allowing it to offer more contrast while watching compatible videos. The always-on display feature also gets an update as there are quite a few templates to show date and time, and you can utilise just the edge screen for the same if you want.Of course, the Galaxy S9+ continues with the dust- and water-proofing feature, all thanks to IP68 protection. The device can survive in 1.5m deep water for up to 30 minutes.

CPU: Quad core, 2.7 GHz + Quad core, 1.7 GHz, Samsung Exynos 9 OctaGPU: Mali-G72 MP18RAM: 6 GBMemory: 64 GB + Up to 400 GBSIM Slots: Dual SIM , GSM+GSMLike always, Samsung's newest flagship comes equipped with the latest and greatest. The Galaxy S9+ is powered by a 10nm Exynos 9810 processor. The SoC is clocked at 2.8GHz for the four high-end cores, while the remaining four power-efficient scores are tuned at 1.7GHz. Combined with a Mali-T880 graphics engine and 6GB of RAM, the phone is a true powerhouse. From basic tasks of switching between apps to running heavy ones, or even playing graphics-intensive games, the smartphone performs like a hot knife on butter. The thermals are also managed well. Even after an hour of playing Middle-earth: Shadow of War or CSR Racing 2, the handset doesn't heat up. The same remains the case even while using GPS, though the phone does get slightly warm while charging, which is quite normal anyway.Even though the performance is a delight, some lag does creep in here and there on the Samsung Galaxy S9+. While scrolling the multitasking menu or swiping left to access the Bixby screen for example, you'll find traces of jitter creeping in. That said, the software is quite refined and hasn't crashed on me yet.Talking about software, the Galaxy S9+ boots the latest Android 8.0 Oreo layered with the custom Samsung Experience 9.0 layer atop. As such, it's not much different from previous iterations of the skin. The custom interface and icons can be themed the way you want. While Samsung has definitely reduced the laundry-list of features it used to offer with its software, it still continues with duplicate apps (from both Samsung and Google - two browsers, two app stores, etc.) and there are preinstalled titles from Microsoft as well. Having said that, I liked the fact that I can access the pair of apps that were previously opened in split-screen mode directly in the multitasking menu. Speaking of which, the S9+ gets the App Pair mode from the Galaxy Note8, allowing you to automatically set two apps to open simultaneously using a single tap from the Apps Edge. Another small-but-useful feature is that when you're using the multitasking mode in landscape orientation, then the homescreen and app menu rotate accordingly.Bixby has also got some updates on the S9+. And while it's no Google Assistant, it does come in handy in quite a few scenarios. For Bixby Vision, the camera now comes with nine preset modes, letting you translate text, scan a QR code or get the calorie information for the food in front. All of these are useful, since normally, you'd need separate apps for similar functionality. On the storage side of things, the Samsung Galaxy S9+ ships with 64GB of memory (there's a 256GB storage variant as well). End users will get around 50.5GB for their personal use, and if that's not enough, one can always slide in a microSD card of up to 400GB to add more.

Capacity: 3500 mAH, Li-ion, Non removableTalktime: Up to 25 Hours (3G)Standby Time: Fuelling the Samsung Galaxy S9+ is a 3,500mAh battery, which is the same capacity as its predecessor. It ensures that the device can comfortably last an entire working day, but if you're a heavy user, it'd require juicing up by night. With my usage of streaming music via Bluetooth, watching YouTube videos for an hour, using 4G for messaging on WhatsApp and browsing, and of course, a few calls, the device had less than 10 percent left by the end of the day. On an average, the phone is able to offer about four hours of screen-on time. This is when the screen was pushing 1,080 x 2,160 pixels and wasn't set at QHD+ resolution. In our video loop test however, it gave impressive results as it drained just 10 percent in an hour of HD video playback with both brightness and volume levels at 50 percent. You can, of course, use the battery saving modes to prolong usage time as and when required. With the bundled charger, the S9+ can be juiced up from 10 to 100 percent in about 90 minutes. The phone also supports fast charging with the optional wireless charger.Complementing the immersive display for multimedia lovers are stereo speakers tuned by AKG. While one speaker is placed at the bottom, the earpiece doubles up as another, offering loud sound output. The audio is also much richer thanks to Dolby support.The Samsung Galaxy S9+ comes with a full suite of connectivity options, ranging from dual-SIM support (the secondary slot is hybrid) to Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC and GPS. It supports 4G VoLTE with Carrier Aggregation (CA) to offer faster data speeds, and thanks to Bluetooth 5.0, it can also stream music to two devices at the same time.

Is the Samsung Galaxy S9+ perfect? NoIs it the best Android smartphone one can buy? Without a doubt. It's a great all-rounder that impresses in almost every aspect and doesn't miss out on anything crucial feature either.If you're in the market for a flagship smartphone, then you should know that the Galaxy S9+ is more affordable than the iPhone X (review), which costs nearly a lakh for the base model. While the iPhone X will certainly make more sense for those who are invested heavily in the Apple ecosystem and/or want a no-fuss smartphone, the S9+ surely gets my recommendation for its price and features like Dual Aperture and Super slow-mo video recording. Another strong contender in the Android category is the Google Pixel 2 XL (review), which is still slightly better in terms of the camera capabilities, and also the software (as it comes with stock Android and promises regular updates). However, if you're looking for an all-rounder smartphone that won't leave you wanting for more, then the Samsung Galaxy S9+ is a better choice.

Gorgeous IP68-protected designImpressive high-res curved displayFantastic camera, even in low lightAbility to capture super slow-mo videosPowerful performanceAKG-tuned stereo speakersFeatures such as 3.5mm port and dual-SIM support

The intelligent scan isn't fast enoughAR Emojis are barely usefulAverage battery life Photos by Raj Rout