The Galaxy S9 has a launch date, will it be the phone you jump to?

[Richard Devine]

I mean, we all knew it was coming, but it's not official until its official. The Galaxy S8 was a big device for Windows fans and folks moving away from Windows phones for the first time.

A year on we can expect yet another great phone from Samsung. But whether you're on a Windows phone right now or not, is it the one you've been holding out for?

Samsung Galaxy S9 will debut on February 25 at MWC

 

[jmshub]

I recently bought a LG G6. It's a solid phone, I've been mostly happy with it, but the camera has been disappointing. However, I haven't yet taken the opportunity to take a bunch of pics to compare and get used to the camera.

So, I am happy to see that someone is going to be concentrating on making a sea change improvement on the camera, because I don't think there's a phone out there that can currently compete with a five year old Nokia designed WP.

 

[libra89]

Nope. Not interested in it at all.

 

[camaroz1985]

Nope. Not interested in it at all.

Love the hardware/screen, but nothing else about it interests me. If they ran pure Android I would be more intrigued.

 

[RaRa85]

I really can't wait to see this bad boy. With their beautiful screens, lightning fast auto focus speeds, and this new camera reimagined stuff are really piquing my interests. Really love LG but this may be the year for me to give Samsung my love. Variable aperture and stereo speakers?! Come on. It's gonna be awesome.

 

[Lee Power]

Waiting to see the S9, Nokia 9 & whatever Sony have planned for MWC before i make my mind up about jumping over to the Android dark side.

 

[lpaso]

Short answer : no.

Long asnwer ? Not at all.

Can't stand Google, I do my best not using their services.

If no Surface whatever is introduced this year, I'm stick with my 950/950XL (I've bought 2 spares at a bargain).

 

[Xaxxus]

Nope.

I switched to a oneplus after my lumia 950. From my oneplus i have switched to an iPhone X. Never looking back to android. Its just a far better experience on iOS.

If andromeda isnt a complete flop, ill probably return to windows. But ill be waiting at least half a year after its release to see how its fairing.

 

[thalin80]

My 950 was starting to show signs of dieing again after I already received a refurbished one from at&t, so I decoded the time was right to bite the bullet and switch to android. I got the LG v30 and have been extremely happy with the phone. The Samsung phones were just too odd of an aspect ratio and I disliked where the fingerprint reader was placed.

 

[NYCMetsPDX]

I do appreciate the Samsung Hardware but I can't get used to TouchWiz. Sounds like Samsung is cutting back on some of the older bloat which is great so I'll sit on the sidelines and see how it does on the S9. I would consider one though as I finally replaced my still functioning, but looking super ratty MS Band 1 with a Samsung Gear Sport, which is an awesome device but not all features (or apps) are available to non Samsung phone folks.

 

[kaktus1389]

Nope, I'm sticking with my 950 until September at least. I started getting random reboots a month or two ago so I am a bit worried that it's going to die. My next phone will likely be an iPhone, as I need a phone that works, not a phone I need to spend hours on to customize only to see it crash a few minutes later (that was my most recent experience with Android).

 

[Kimmo Toivanen]

No. Nothing personal against Samsung in general.

When the time comes, I can get a phone meeting my requirements at very much lower price
Second hand S6/Edge is entering reasonable price range, potential upgrade for son, although they may need new batteries...

Update: brand new S7 at 299€ - one happy boy after Alcatel

 

[the_craze]

I will be. I've gone from the Samsung Focus in 2010 to the Lumia 950 and as much as I never thought I'd ever switch, as soon as Samsung officially announces the S9, that will be my next.

 

[nate0]

Not intereseted in Android at all right now. Plus, it will basically be the same thing as last year with minor asthetic improvements and a new chipset. But folks will jump on the Galaxy band wagon as usual to have it just to have it I suppose. I cannot jump to conclusions though since I would do the same if a new hot Windows mobile device came out...But why waste money though when the S8/+ will be cheaper and a perfectly viable device still?

 

[RumoredNow]

Do. Not. Like. Samsung.

My wife runs nothing but, so it isn't like I never use one. I am her IT guy after all.

If they ran pure Android I would be more intrigued.

Right. I hate most of the skins. They have to be not only "light," but useful as well. If they have features that can be muted down or shut off entirely that is a bonus. Also, see below.

Can't stand Google, I do my best not using their services.

Right. Intrusive as the century is long. They think they are a "helper" dog. Really they just dog your every move and keep pestering you for "treats" (read personal data). They don't have a monopoly on usefulness, though they want you to believe they do. No Google Maps, I like Here. No Gmail, I like Outlook and prefer them managing my Email/Contacts/Calendar. HATE their news service. Etc.

I'm recently converted to Blackberry Android. Privacy forward and security conscious. The features they add in (skin) are useful or easily scaled back or shut down. BB Hub is fantastic. Using the Hub I have all my Outlook on there and Google has no part, completely quarantined. I do have a Gmail I'm signed into on the phone only for Play Services. Everything else that is Google is disabled on my phone.

Cortana is my default assistant. Some might complain you can't use "Hey Cortana." Me? I'm done allowing assistants to passively listen to my background. I think we are giving away too much for free when we do this. I'm over it. I can push a button when I want assistance.

 

[rmark66]

The camera better be better than the S8+, because the only way the S8+ camera is better than the Lumia 950XL is in speed of taking pictures and this is because is it a lower MP and faster CPU/GPU. Samsung needs to improve dramatically there since the Lumia 950XL is an older phone! That is the second biggest disappointment for me in switching from W10M. The biggest is in having to switch at all!

 

[RaRa85]

Not intereseted in Android at all right now. Plus, it will basically be the same thing as last year with minor asthetic improvements and a new chipset. But folks will jump on the Galaxy band wagon as usual to have it just to have it I suppose. I cannot jump to conclusions though since I would do the same if a new hot Windows mobile device came out...But why waste money though when the S8/+ will be cheaper and a perfectly viable device still?

Once again, how many phones you know will have variable aperture and stereo speakers and maybe super slow motion video capture 480fps at 1080p?(thats if rumors stand)

 

[nate0]

Once again, how many phones you know will have variable aperture and stereo speakers and maybe super slow motion video capture 480fps at 1080p?(thats if rumors stand)

If that interests you go for it. I am not interested.

BTW I think Sony has already been there and done that. But I could be mistaken.

 

[RaRa85]

If that interests you go for it. I am not interested.

BTW I think Sony has already been there and done that. But I could be mistaken.

I think you are mistaken as far as Sony goes. Nokia did a while back on a flip phone I think and I would absolutely wait for a Lumia 1020 successor but no one seems to care what I want.lol I mean just imagine that 41mp sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and smarter algorithms and dual pixel autofocus. Anyway, I love smartphone photography and I think Samsung will really deliver and I love the option to shoot in manual built-in the camera app and not have to rely on a third party app like on the Pixel phones.

 

[nate0]

I think you are mistaken as far as Sony goes. Nokia did a while back on a flip phone I think and I would absolutely wait for a Lumia 1020 successor but no one seems to care what I want.lol I mean just imagine that 41mp sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and smarter algorithms and dual pixel autofocus. Anyway, I love smartphone photography and I think Samsung will really deliver and I love the option to shoot in manual built-in the camera app and not have to rely on a third party app like on the Pixel phones.

The Galaxy is a fast shooter. I owned the S8+ and like what that camera has to offer. Sony came close 720p 960fps but no variable aperture. I am not a camera buff so a lumia with Zeiss OIS is good for me any day...
The one thing I was not fond of a whole lot was Samsungs camera app UI. For one, at the time Bixby would not leave me alone and I disliked that. It seemed that the App quality/usability just was not what I hoped from Samsung. Then again, they have a very large crowd to attend to and some things are tailored because of that.