It’s time to catch-up with Samsung’s 2018 flagship.
It seems like just yesterday the Galaxy S9 was the hottest and most popular Android smartphone on the market. However, here in 2020, it’s over two years old. That’s not a lot of time in the grand scheme of things, but in the smartphone world, it’s the equivalent of a lifetime.
The Galaxy S9 stands out as one of the most refined and complete phones Samsung’s ever released, even if it wasn’t the most exciting or intriguing.
If you need a refresher on what’s going on with the Galaxy S9 or are searching for some tips on how to use it to its fullest potential, you’ve come to the right place.
- Time for an S9 history lesson
- Here are our reviews
- It’s now running Android 10
- If it’s how-to’s you’re after
- S9 accessories are plentiful
- The Galaxy S20 is the new hotness
The latest
Samsung Galaxy S20
$999 at Samsung
$800 at Best Buy
Samsung’s 2020 flagship is worth a look
The Galaxy S9 has lived a long and fulfilling life, but now it’s time for the S20 to take its place. As you’d expect, the S20 delivers a lot of meaningful upgrades over the S9. Whether it be the 120Hz AMOLED display, three rear cameras, blazing-fast performance, or large battery, the S20 gives you a lot for your money.
A quick history on the Galaxy S9
To understand where the Galaxy S9 is today, we should take a look back on when it was announced and what the mobile landscape looked like then.
The S9 and S9+ were released in March 2018 as successors to the Galaxy S8 and S8+. The S8 was one of the most revolutionary phones Samsung’s ever created, ushering in a brand new design language and starting the endless war on bezels.
By comparison, the S9 was pretty underwhelming at first glance. It had a nearly identical design to the S8, with it focusing on further refining the experience as much as possible. It had the latest specs for the time, an excellent camera, gorgeous hardware, and there was still a headphone jack. Even now in 2020, the S9 looks and feels like a phone that could have just come out this year.
Should you buy a Samsung Galaxy S9 in 2020?
Check out our reviews
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As hinted at above, the S9 was (and still is) a pretty fantastic device.
We gave the phone high praise in our initial 4.5-star review, with some of the highlights being its terrific display, fast performance, great camera, etc. Samsung’s software at the time wasn’t the best on the market and battery life was just average, but all-in-all, the S9 offered one of the best Android experiences in 2018.
Revisiting the S9 three months after its release, we were still every bit as thrilled with it. It proved itself to be a reliable and trustworthy handset, though the Samsung Experience software continued to be one of the worst parts of the phone.
Finally, we decided to re-re-review the Galaxy S9 in March 2020 in honor of its two-year birthday. The S9’s 3,000 mAh battery and single rear camera certainly show their age, but the latest update to Android 10 has given the phone a new lease of life. Samsung’s AMOLED display also holds up admirably well, as does the design and biometric combo of a capacitive fingerprint sensor and iris scanning.
Samsung Galaxy S9 review: A fantastic phone for the masses, but not an exciting one
Samsung Galaxy S9 review, 3 months later: Holding the high standard
Galaxy S9 review, two years later: The best of new and old
It’s now running Android 10 / One UI 2.0
Speaking of Android 10, that’s what powers the Galaxy S9 in 2020. The phone shipped with Samsung Experience 9.0 based on Android 8.0 Oreo, but it now has One UI 2.0 based on Android 10.
The software of the S9 has aged beautifully, with the One UI interface being a huge upgrade over the slow and bogged-down Samsung Experience. It’s more visually-pleasing, there’s a cohesive design language, and the many features Samsung offers are presented in a much neater fashion.
It remains unclear if Samsung will update the Galaxy S9 to Android 11 once it’s made available later this year, but we’re certainly keeping our ears to the ground to learn more about this.
Samsung One UI and Android 10 update: Everything you need to know
How to get the most out of your phone
Whether you’ve had your Galaxy S9 since launch or just recently picked it up on sale, there are likely some settings and features you don’t know how to use. No judgment, here!
There’s a lot going on with the S9, and if you take some time to learn all of its ins and outs, you can make it be an even better device for your wants/needs.
You’ll find plenty of how-tos below that explain how to get the most out of your Galaxy phone, so feel free to give as many (or little) of them a look as you wish.
- How to enable Dark Mode on Samsung Galaxy phones: Android 10 and One UI 2
- How to change notification settings on Galaxy Phones in One UI (Android Pie)
- How to show all notifications on Galaxy S and Note lock screens running One UI (Android Pie)
- How to get the most from the navigation bar on Samsung Galaxy phones running One UI (Android Pie)
- How to use split-screen multitasking on Samsung Galaxy phones running One UI (Android Pie)
- How to set up RCS Chat on Samsung phones with Samsung Messages
- How to completely disable Bixby on a Samsung Galaxy Phone
- How to remap the Bixby button on your Galaxy S or Note phone
- How to disable and delete Samsung Pay
- How to measure blood oxygen saturation levels with a Samsung phone using Samsung Health
- How to update the software on your Samsung Galaxy phone
- How to get Samsung software updates faster using Smart Switch
There are some great accessories out there
Samsung crafted the Galaxy S9 to be perfectly capable on its own, but as the story goes for any smartphone, it’s not complete without the right accessories.
Since it’s been out for so long, there are tons of cases, screen protectors, and more available for the S9. Whether you want to keep it protected in the event of a drop or add a personal touch, there are ample ways to take your S9 experience up a notch.
- Best Samsung Galaxy S9 Accessories in 2020
- Best Galaxy S9 Screen Protectors in 2020
- Best Galaxy S9 Cases in 2020
- Best Galaxy S9+ Cases in 2020
- Best Clear Cases for Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ in 2020
- Best Thin Cases for Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ in 2020
- Best Leather Cases for Galaxy S9 and S9+ in 2020
- Best Wallet Cases for the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ in 2020
- Best Workout Cases for Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ in 2020
- Best Battery Cases for Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ in 2020
The Galaxy S20 is the latest and greatest Samsung flagship
It’s quite admirable how well the Galaxy S9 has held up over the years, but at this day in age, it’s far from the newest Samsung phone on the market. Now, that title belongs to the Galaxy S20.
Samsung launched the S20 series in March 2020, consisting of the Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra. All three phones offer massive improvements over the S9, ranging from their 120Hz AMOLED displays, multiple rear cameras, huge batteries, and much, much, more.
The phones aren’t perfect, but if you’re shopping for a new Android right now, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more complete package than any of these devices.
- Samsung Galaxy S20: Everything you need to know!
- Samsung Galaxy S20 review: A near-perfect, pocket-friendly powerhouse
- Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus review: The best phone for most people
- Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra review: Too much of a good thing
The latest
Samsung Galaxy S20
$900 at Samsung
$800 at Best Buy
Samsung’s 2020 flagship is worth a look
The Galaxy S9 has lived a long and fulfilling life, but now it’s time for the S20 to take its place. As you’d expect, the S20 delivers a lot of meaningful upgrades over the S9. Whether it be the 120Hz AMOLED display, three rear cameras, blazing-fast performance, or large battery, the S20 gives you a lot for your money.
