Sections
- Page 1 Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus Review
- Page 2 Performance and Software Review
- Page 3 Camera Review
- Page 4 Battery Life and Verdict Review
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus – Battery life
Aside from the overall size, price and camera, the biggest difference between the two Galaxy S9 flagships are the size of their batteries. The 3500mAh cell inside the Galaxy S9 Plus is a nice upgrade over the 3000mAh cell in the regular S9, but considering it has that much bigger 6.2-inch display, you’ll still be reaching for that charger every night.
Major advances in battery life have basically died for Samsung since the Note 7 fiasco, and the S9 Plus offers the same endurance as its predecessor.
You might find that you can stretch the device beyond that, depending on how you use the phone and which settings you tweak. If you want to eke out more juice, you can reduce the resolution (it’s set to 1080p by default) or limit performance when you’re playing games. In addition, there are some fantastic power-saving modes on offer, which make a real difference if you can live with the sacrifices.
Related: Best Android Phones 2019
Also beware of modes that drastically reduce the battery life. For example, the Video Enhancer mode boosts the brightness of the display to create a faux-HDR effect when using apps such as YouTube, Netflix or Google Play Movies. With this on, however, an hour of video watching depletes the cell by nearly 20%.
Charging is via the USB-C port on the bottom of the device, or through a Qi wireless charging pad – an accessory you’ll have to buy separately. Charging is about 50% faster through a cable, but the convenience of just popping the phone down on a charging pad is great.
Why buy the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus?
There’s no doubt the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus is only a minor update on the Galaxy S8. There are important tweaks and changes in certain areas, but if you’re happy with your S8 then there isn’t much here to get excited about.
The pictures taken with the updated camera might not match those of the Google Pixel 3 all the time, but there’s so much more to the S9 Plus’ camera that I can forgive that. Just leave AR Emoji alone. Battery life is good, if not amazing, and Samsung’s software remains bloated and laggy in some areas.
Nevertheless, this is a great phone – and I’m sure this device will be up there with the best Android phones come the end of the year. It has a gorgeous screen, lovely design and includes everything most people will want in a high-end phone.
Verdict
The screen is stunning and the camera is clever; but this is still only a minor update in the Galaxy series.
Trusted Score
Score in detail
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Performance 8
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Camera 8
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Design 9
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Battery Life 8
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Value 7
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Software 7
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Calls & Sound 7
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Screen Quality 10
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Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.