Android Central: Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ launch in India: Everything you need to know

Monday, March 5, 2018

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ launch in India: Everything you need to know

Samsung has launched the Galaxy S9 and S9+ in India just one week after their global debut at Mobile World Congress.

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S9 and S9+ at Mobile World Congress nine days ago, and now the manufacturer is launching both phones in India. This is the fastest we've seen Samsung's flagships make their way to India, and the launch highlights Samsung's commitment to win back the top spot from Xiaomi. We've seen that earlier this year with the Galaxy A8+, and the Galaxy S9 and S9+ are a continuation of those efforts.

The Galaxy S9 and S9+ will go on sale starting March 16 in India — the same day as the U.S — and Samsung is incentivizing the arrival of its latest flagships with several launch-day offers. Samsung is also launching its loyalty program, Samsung Rewards, in India. Here's what you need to know about the Galaxy S9 and S9+ in India.

Galaxy S9 and S9+ specs

The Galaxy S9 and S9+ are powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 845 platform in the U.S., but in India both phones will be featuring Samsung's own Exynos 9810 instead. Samsung offers Exynos-powered models in most Asian markets, and there aren't any major differences between the two platforms. In fact, both the Snapdragon 845 and Exynos 9810 are manufactured on Samsung Foundry's 10nm node.

Samsung is offering both phones with 64GB of internal storage in the U.S., but Indian customers also have the option of choosing the 256GB storage variant. And while all three color variants are available at launch, you'll have to go with the Midnight Black option if you're interested in the 256GB model. Here's a look at the hardware powering the Galaxy S9 and S9+:

Category	Samsung Galaxy S9	Samsung Galaxy S9+
Operating system	Android 8.0 Oreo Samsung Experience 9.0	Android 8.0 Oreo Samsung Experience 9.0
Display	5.8-inch AMOLED, 2960x1440 (18.5:9)	6.2-inch AMOLED, 2960x1440 (18.5:9)
Chipset	10nm 64-bit Samsung Exynos 9810	10nm 64-bit Samsung Exynos 9810
Storage	64GB/256GB	64GB/256GB
Expandable	microSD up to 400GB	microSD up to 400GB
RAM	4GB	6GB
Primary camera	12MP Super Speed Dual Pixel, OIS, f/1.5 or f/2.4	12MP Super Speed Dual Pixel, OIS, f/1.5 or f/2.4
Secondary camera	n/a	12MP, f/2.4
Front camera	8MP, f/1.7, auto focus	8MP, f/1.7, auto focus
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11ac MIMO, 1.2Gbps (Cat 18) LTE, Bluetooth 5.0 LE ANT+, NFC, GPS, Glonass	Wi-Fi 802.11ac MIMO, 1.2 Gbps (Cat-18) LTE, Bluetooth 5.0 LE ANT+, NFC, GPS, Glonass
Audio	Stereo speakers Dolby Atmos 3.5mm jack	Stereo speakers Dolby Atmos 3.5mm jack
Battery	3000mAh	3500mAh
Charging	USB-C Fast Wireless Charging	USB-C Fast Wireless Charging
Water resistance	IP68	IP68
Security	Fingerprint sensor Iris scanning Face unlock	Fingerprint sensor Iris scanning Face unlock
Dimensions	147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5 mm 163 g	158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5 mm 189 g
Colors	Midnight Black, Lilac Purple, Coral Blue	Midnight Black, Lilac Purple, Coral Blue

It's all about the camera

The highlight with the Galaxy S9 series is a new imaging module with adjustable aperture — the first in a phone. The camera module is present on both phones, and the Galaxy S9+ gets a secondary camera that doubles up as a telephoto lens, the same as the Galaxy Note 8.

Galaxy S9/S9+ price in India

The 64GB variant of the Galaxy S9 starts off at ₹57,900, the same price as last year's Galaxy S8. Samsung is clearly looking to be more aggressive in India this year, and the pricing of the Galaxy S9 series highlights just that.

Here's the breakdown of Galaxy S9 and S9+ pricing in India:

64GB Galaxy S9: ₹57,900 ($890)
256GB Galaxy S9: ₹65,900 ($1,000)
64GB Galaxy S9+: ₹64,900 ($1,015)
256GB Galaxy S9+: ₹72,900 ($1,120)

Several launch-day offers available

Like previous years, Samsung is rolling out a slew of launch-day offers to incentivize initial sales of the Galaxy S9 and S9+. The launch offers include a ₹6,000 cashback when picking up the phone via Paytm Mall. HDFC credit and debit card customers can also avail a ₹6,000 cashback when picking up the device.

If you're looking to pick up the phone on Airtel, you'll be able to do so by paying just ₹9,900 upfront followed by monthly payments of ₹2,499 for 24 months. Those on Jio can get an annual plan for ₹4,999 and get a terabyte of data.

Sales kick off March 16, pre-orders now live

Galaxy S9 and S9+ pre-orders are now live on Flipkart and direct from Samsung India, and the phones will be making their way to hundreds of thousands of retail stores across the country later this month.

What do you think of the Galaxy S9/S9+ in India? Let me know in the comments below.

See at Flipkart