Samsung spent 2017 delivering fantastic flagship after flagship. But a lot of that momentum was lost when Apple joined the bezel-less party with the iPhone X. Now, Samsung is back with a worthy response.
Unlike years past, where Samsung throws everything but the kitchen sink into its new phones, the Galaxy S9 is much more even-keeled. Sure you get the cutting edge Snapdragon 845 processor, 4GB of RAM, 12MP camera and 5.8-inch QHD+ display, but you also get the fingerprint scanner in a more natural position, reduced bezels and a slew of new color options.
The iPhone X was a big shift in design for Apple. In many ways, it followed Samsung’s lead. Apple finally answered Samsung’s best with an equally (or better) device, complete with a 5.8-inch OLED display, dual camera setup, glass and metal design, and wireless charging.
Which one is better? Both are fantastic devices options that will deliver. Check out out the head to head spec breakdown below for a more in-depth comparison.
Samsung - Galaxy S9 | Apple - iPhone X | |
---|---|---|
Display Size | 5.8-inch, 1440 x 2960 pixel display (568 ppi) | 5.8-inch, 1125 x 2436 pixel display (463 ppi) |
Resolution X | 1440 | 1125 |
Resolution Y | 2960 | 2436 |
Display Type | Quad HD + Curved Super AMOLED | Super Retina HD |
Operating System | Android 8 (Oreo) at launch | iOS 11 (at launch) |
Processor | 10nm, 64-bit, Octa-core processor (2.8 GHz Quad + 1.7 GHz Quad) | A11 Bionic chip with 64-bit architecture |
RAM | 4GB | 3GB (unofficial) |
Storage |
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|
External Storage | Yes | No |
External Storage Specs |
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|
Main Camera (Back) | 12MP | 12MP |
Secondary Camera (Front) | 8MP | 7MP |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 (LE up to 2mbps) | Bluetooth 5.0 |
Battery | 3000mAh | N/A |
NFC | Yes | Yes |
Connectivity |
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|
Sensors |
|
|
GPS |
|
|
Height | 147.7 mm (5.81 inches) | 5.65 inches (14.35 cm) |
Width | 68.7 mm (2.70 inches) | 2.79 inches (70.9 mm) |
Depth | 8.5 mm (0.33 inches) | .30 inches (7.6 mm) |
Weight | 163 g (5.75 oz) | 6.14 oz (174 g) |
Colors | Midnight Black, Coral Blue, Lilac Purple | Space Gray Silver |
Supported Audio Formats | MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, WMA, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, APE, DSF, DFF | AAC-LC, HE-AAC, HE-AAC v2, Protected AAC, MP3, Linear PCM, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital (AC-3), Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC-3), and Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+) |
Supported Video Formats | MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, WMV, ASF, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM | HEVC, H.264, MPEG-4 Part 2, and Motion JPEG |

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