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Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus photo gallery
6.2" Super AMOLED
Snapdragon 845 / Exynos 9810
12MP+12MP Dual Rear
8MP Front Camera
64GB+6GB RAM
LTE Cat18
USB 3.1 Type-C
IP68 Water Resistant
3500mAh Battery
Fast Wireless Charging
189g, 8.5mm thick
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
6.2" Super AMOLED Display
2960 x 1440 (Quad HD+) resolution, 529 ppi
HDR10, Always-On Display, Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Snapdragon 845 / Exynos 9810
US: Snapdragon 845 (10nm), Adreno 630 GPU
EMEA: Exynos 9810 (10nm), Mali-G72 MP18 GPU
6GB LPDDR4X RAM
Dual 12MP OIS Rear Camera
Wide: f/1.5-f/2.4 variable aperture, dual pixel PDAF
Telephoto: f/2.4, 2x optical zoom
Super Slow-mo 960 fps, 4K60 video
3500mAh Battery
Fast wired charging (QC 2.0) - 15W
Fast wireless charging (Qi/PMA)
Non-removable Li-Ion
LTE Cat18, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.0
4×4 MIMO, CA up to 6CC, LAA
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4+5GHz, VHT80 MU-MIMO
GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo
64GB / 128GB / 256GB Storage
UFS 2.1, microSD up to 400GB
Nano-SIM + microSD (shared slot in dual-SIM models)
Timeline & Release Details
The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus was officially announced on February 25, 2018 during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Pre-orders began March 2, 2018, and in-store availability started March 16, 2018 through major US carriers including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, U.S. Cellular, and Xfinity Mobile, as well as retail partners Best Buy, Amazon, Costco, Sam’s Club, Target, and Walmart.
- Announced: February 25, 2018
- Release: March 16, 2018 (United States)
- Launch Price: US$839.99 (unlocked)
- Status (as per GSMArena): Discontinued
The product launched with Android 8.0 (Oreo) and received official updates up to Android 10 with One UI 2.5. Security updates have since ended.
Body & Build
The Galaxy S9 Plus retains the glass-and-metal design language of its predecessor, with a glass front and back protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and an aluminium frame. The rear fingerprint sensor is centred below the camera module.
- Dimensions: 158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5 mm (6.22 x 2.90 x 0.33 in)
- Weight: 189 grams
- IP68 rating: Dust tight and water resistant up to 1.5m for 30 minutes
- Note: One official support page lists IP67, but the primary press release and GSMArena confirm IP68; IP68 is treated as the authoritative specification.
Colours (US)
- Lilac Purple, Midnight Black, Coral Blue
Display System
The 6.2-inch display uses a dual-edged Super AMOLED panel with a Quad HD+ resolution and HDR10 support. The default resolution is set to Full HD+ to balance battery life.
- Type: Super AMOLED, HDR10, Always-On Display
- Size: 6.2 inches (158.0mm full rectangle, 154.5mm rounded corners)
- Resolution: 2960 x 1440 pixels (Quad HD+), 529 ppi
- Aspect ratio: 18.5:9
- Screen-to-body ratio: ~84.2%
- Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 5
- Other features: 3D Touch (home button), VR headset support
Camera System (Dual Rear)
The primary innovation is the variable aperture on the wide camera, switching between f/1.5 for low light and f/2.4 for bright scenes. The secondary telephoto lens enables 2x optical zoom, and both rear cameras feature optical image stabilisation.
Rear Camera Cluster
- Wide-angle: 12 MP, f/1.5-f/2.4, 26mm, 1/2.55", 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS
- Telephoto: 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm, 1/3.6", 1.0µm, AF, OIS, 2x optical zoom
- Flash: Dual LED, High CRI
- Video: 4K (UHD) @ 30/60fps, 1080p @ 240fps, 720p @ 960fps (Super Slow-mo), HDR, stereo sound, gyro-EIS/OIS
Front Camera
- Sensor: 8 MP, f/1.7, 25mm, 1/3.6", 1.22µm, AF
- Features: Auto HDR, 1440p video @ 30fps
- Iris scanner camera: 2 MP dedicated
Key Camera Software
- Super Slow-mo with automatic motion detection and 35 background music options
- AR Emoji - analyses 2D image to create a 3D model (AGIF file)
- Bixby Vision - real-time object detection, translation, purchase info, calorie tracking
Platform & Software
The Galaxy S9 Plus shipped with Android 8.0 Oreo and Samsung’s Experience UI. Over the product’s life, it received upgrades to Android 9 Pie and Android 10 with One UI 2.5. The chipset varies by region: the US and China use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, while Europe/EMEA uses the Samsung Exynos 9810.
- Operating System (launch): Android 8.0 (Oreo) with Samsung Experience 9.0
- Last official OS update: Android 10 with One UI 2.5
- Security updates: Ended after three years (no longer receiving monthly patches)
Regional Chipset Variants
- US/LATAM/China: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (10nm), Adreno 630 GPU
- EMEA/Global: Exynos 9810 (10nm), Mali-G72 MP18 GPU
- CPU (US): Octa-core (4×2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold + 4×1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver)
- CPU (EMEA): Octa-core (4×2.7 GHz Mongoose M3 + 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A55)
- RAM: 6GB LPDDR4X
- Storage: 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB UFS 2.1; microSD up to 400GB
Key Features & Ecosystem
Beyond the core hardware, the Galaxy S9 Plus introduced several platform-level features that were flagship-first at the time.
- Bixby: Integrated voice assistant with Natural Language commands; Bixby Vision in camera
- SmartThings app: First Samsung phone to support the new SmartThings app
- Samsung DeX: Desktop experience via DeX Pad or DeX Station (cooling fan, HDMI, USB ports)
- Samsung Pay: NFC and MST payment support; Visa/MasterCard certified
- Knox 3.1: Defence-grade security, Secure Folder, biometric locks (iris, fingerprint, face recognition, Intelligent Scan)
- Stereo Speakers: Tuned by AKG, Dolby Atmos surround sound
- Gear VR & Daydream VR: Compatible with Gear VR with Controller and Google Daydream View
Battery & Charging
The 3,500 mAh battery is non-removable and supports both fast wired and fast wireless charging. Charging speeds are capped at 15W wired.
- Capacity: 3,500 mAh (typical; rated 3,270 mAh)
- Wired charging: 5V/2A or 9V/1.67A (QC 2.0 compatible) - 15W
- Wireless charging: Qi / PMA (fast wireless charging supported with compatible pads)
- Battery life (GSMArena test): Endurance rating 86 hours (old test methodology)
- Standby time (AOD off): up to 342 hours; Talk time: up to 35 hours; Video playback: up to 20 hours
In the Box
- Handset
- Data cable (USB Type-C)
- Ejection pin
- Quick start guide
Note: Charger not listed in the raw bundle; source does not confirm inclusion of a wall adapter.
Connectivity & Sensors
The Galaxy S9 Plus offers comprehensive connectivity for its generation, including 4G LTE with carrier aggregation up to 6CC and LTE Cat18 speeds.
- Network technology: GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE
- LTE Cat18: Up to 1200/200 Mbps
- SIM: Nano-SIM; dual-SIM model (G965F/DS) uses shared SIM/microSD slot
- Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4+5GHz, VHT80 MU-MIMO, 1024-QAM, Wi-Fi Direct
- Bluetooth: v5.0 with LE up to 2 Mbps, aptX support
- Location: GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo (Galileo/BeiDou coverage may be limited)
- USB: USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 1 (charging, mass storage, OTG)
- Other: NFC, MST, ANT+, FM radio (USA & Canada only)
- Sensors: Iris scanner, fingerprint (rear), accelerometer, barometer, gyro, geomagnetic, hall, heart rate (HR), SpO2, proximity, RGB light, pressure
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus - Summary
The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus (SM-G965) was a flagship smartphone that introduced a dual aperture camera, a stunning 6.2-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED display, and IP68 water resistance. While its software support has ended, the hardware remains capable for everyday use, particularly for media consumption and photography at budget-friendly second-hand prices. The launch unlocked price of US$839.99 reflected its premium positioning; today it represents a discontinued legacy model.
| Launch Price (MSRP): | Current Market Price: |
|---|---|
| US$839.99 |