Samsung showcases Galaxy S9 series with stronger camera, AR features

SEOUL, Feb. 26 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. on Monday showcased the new flagship Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus smartphones, which boast improved cameras and augmented reality (AR)-powered features. During the showcase event on the eve of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, the South Korean tech giant unveiled the much-awaited 5.8-inch Galaxy S9 and 6.2-inch Galaxy S9 Plus, which elevated the capabilities of smartphone cameras to a new level by adopting top-notch technologies. "The Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9 Plus smartphones will bring optimized experiences to people in the era where they share messages and emotions visually," said Koh Dong-jin, who heads the IT & Mobile Communications Division of Samsung Electronics. The smartphones are capable of shooting better photos under low-light conditions, as the Galaxy S9's main shooter employs a variable aperture that can switch between F1.5 and F.2.4. A lower F-stop number indicates that a camera is capable of gathering more light, leading to better performance in dark settings and the excellent out-of-focus backgrounds preferred by many photographers. Ability to shooot at F2.4 with the same lens improves depth of field and can enhance edge-to-edge image quality. It compares to LG Electronics' V30 smartphone released last year, which boasts a fixed aperture of F1.6. The Galaxy S9 series comes with the super-speed dual pixel image sensor that can shoot 960 frames per second. Accordingly, the device is able to extend a 0.2-second of real time movement into six seconds of video. The Galaxy S9 comes with a single camera, and the Galaxy S9 Plus comes with the dual camera with one being a zoom. The main cameras come with optical image stabilization (OIS) that can further enhance low-light performance as well as the zoom capability. The resolution stands at 8-megapixel for the front camera that has a F1.7 non-OIS lens and 12-megapixel for the back camera. Samsung Electronics said the Galaxy S9 will also come with AR features. For instance, a user can generate an emoji by taking a selfie, which can also be sent through major mobile messengers, including KakaoTalk and Telegram. "Samsung lets users create an emoji that looks, sounds and acts like them. AR Emoji uses a data-based machine learning algorithm, which analyzes a 2D image of the user and maps out more than 100 facial features to create a 3D model that reflects and imitates expressions, like winks and nods, for true personalization," the company said. The company said it plans to join forces with The Walt Disney Company to create Disney character-themed AR emojis. The Galaxy S9 also comes with an improved artificial-intelligence (AI) platform Bixby. Users can select categories ranging from texts, shopping, or food, and take photos of objects, with Bixby then delivering related information to users. Taking advantage of this system, a S9 user can select "texts" and take photos of signs of menus in foreign languages, and Bixby can translate them. The program is capable of recognizing 54 languages, which can be translated into 104 languages. Taking photos of food can enable Bixby to find recipes and even calorie and nutrition information. Samsung said such features can also connect to health applications. Samsung also highlighted that the Galaxy S9 series improved the infinite display adopted by their predecessors. The 18.5:9 ratio QHD+ Super AMOLED display will allow users to enjoy vivid display even in outdoor environments, the company said. The devices will also come with stereo speakers powered by AKG under Harman International Industries. Supporting the Dolby Atmos technology, the smartphones will deliver more realistic sound, it added. Running on the Android 8.0 Oreo, the Galaxy S9 weighs 163 grams, and the Galaxy S9 Plus weighs 189 grams. It marks a slight increase from the Galaxy S8, which weighed 155 grams. The Galaxy S9 comes with a 3,000mAh battery, and that of the Galaxy S9 Plus power pack is a 3,500mAh unit. Both models support wireless charging. The device comes with a base 64 gigabyte (GB) of data storage with options to upgrade to 128 GB and 256 GB versions. Internal storage can be further expanded to 400 GB using a micro SD card. All S9 models are IP68 certified for resistance to both dust and water. The Galaxy S9, moreover, supports intelligent scanning system, which allows the smartphone to identify the face of the user even under very bright outdoor conditions, or by iris-scanning, which is effective in a darker environments. Samsung said it improved the Samsung DeX, or Desktop Extension, which allows users to use their smartphones like personal computers by connecting them to an external monitor. "With the DeX Pad, a new docking system, users can easily connect the Galaxy S9 and S9+ to a larger monitor, keyboard and mouse to expand the mobile experience with enhanced document editing or even full-screen gaming. Users can also transform the Galaxy S9 and S9+ into a Touch Pad with the DeX Pad," the company said. The new smartphones will also come with the SmartThings application, which can manage different Internet-of-Things products, from smart TVs to other home appliances. The smartphones will be released in black, gray, blue, and purple. The devices will hit shelves starting March 16 in major countries, and gradually expand scope down the road. No price details have been provided so far. colin@yna.co.kr (END)