Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+: Hong Kong release date, prices, first impressions
New flagship handsets don’t look much different from 2017 models, but have some big improvements – that annoying off-centre finger reader placement has gone and the camera has some novel features and, on the S9+, dual lenses
They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, and that is definitely true for the just unveiled Samsung Galaxy S9 and the larger S9+.
As earlier rumours and leaks had suggested, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ don’t look much different from last year’s S8 and S8+. In fact, were it not for the new fingerprint reader placement – now below the rear camera and in the centre of the phone, instead of off-centre, a placement many found annoying on the 2017 handsets – most people would not be able to tell the difference between them at first glance.
That has led to some early disappointment – tech geeks are notoriously hard to please – but after quick tests of both the S9 and S9+ at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, I can report that this year’s new phones, while lacking the immediate “wow” factor of last year’s, are worthy updates.
The Galaxy S9 and S9+ will be released in Hong Kong on March 16. Prices: HK$5,998 (US$765) for S9 (64GB) and HK$7,998 for S9 (256GB); HK$6,998 for S9+ (64GB) and HK$7,398 for S9+ (128GB). The S9 (64GB), S9 (256GB) and S9+ (64GB) come in purple and black; S9+ (128GB) comes in purple, black and blue.