Samsung - Galaxy S9+ 64GB - Sunrise Gold (AT&T)

First, I need to be upfront. I am a Windows Phone/Mobile user since Windows Mobile 2003 SE right up to the last real phone, the Lumia 950(There was a Blackberry Curve in there somewhere) Windows phone revival was officially cancelled a few days ago, I decided it was time to pull the band-aid off. I have had the S9 Plus for a few days now and I have to say that the hardware seems to be top notch. Screen looks great, no stutters bouncing around and the few pics I have taken look good. Aside from not being used to the hard-button placement, I can spot nothing wrong with this device. However.... I have spent more time than I care to admit converting this in to a Window Phone replica(Launcher10, Edge, Bing, Cortana, Office, OneDrive, etc.). And I was reasonably successful in doing so but It's still Android underneath. The best I can say is that the app selection is unlimited. After that, boy does this thing feel sloppy coming from the Win-Phone environment. Settings are all over and a mess. Widgets and alerts pop up all over the place. Constant "virus alert" pop up while browsing. Tons of "junk" to uninstall. Had a hard time convincing Bixby to leave me alone. His button now opens Bing :-)… I imagine that once I get used to some of these annoyances, I'll be fine. - Final summary: If you come from the Android world, this is a really nice phone. If you come from Windows and probably Apple, be prepared for some adjustments. I won't take away any stars because of my own adjustment.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 is my fifth Galaxy after my S2, S4, S6 and S7. It is simply the best solution for me. As a camera it excels. The S7 was nearly there but the front camera wasn’t quite what I wanted. The S9 now does it all. Perfect in low light, fabulous portraiture, sharper output than any camera lens I own and versatile for 95% of photography. I use it for all product shots on eBay and it has made my life a lot easier. As a portable computer it organizes my 7,000 database records with ease in the Contacts folder. Battery life is excellent and wireless charging is spot on. The audio input jack is a continuing bonus and this makes for a versatile audio recorder in all situations. USB C connection is great. Speakers are terrific, the screen is great for video playback. The S9 is a powerhouse with intuitive, useful software that is quick to use in any situation. Build quality and waterproofing are first rate. The size is perfect for me which is why I chose it over the S9+. It can nearly replace any other camera I use professionally but it can’t handle ultra wide interior photography. It is missing the 3:2 format which is what I prefer, so I hang onto other cameras for this purpose. But given that it is always on me, means there is the matter of convenience and confidence knowing that I can make do at a pinch. Multi tasking means making a phone call, sending a text and dealing with email all at the same time. Android software means it is an open system that is constantly being developed so I don’t feel I am being held hostage to proprietary software. From a productivity point of view, it is a compliment to a powerful laptop and camera systems that lets me develop my imagination, express my creativity and do everything I want that was still impossible, as recently as two years ago. There are cheaper alternatives starting to come out of China that are similar but for the time being I am sticking with Samsung Galaxy, as they have never let me down. This factor alone never makes me wonder about the top price proposition that is being paid. What is the point of saving money if what you buy can’t do what you want? With an S9 I don’t have to wonder. If I didn’t have it I would use my S7 because that was nearly as good.

It was time to retire my S5 so I upgraded to the S9+. The main thing I wanted was a great camera, and I got it! I got the Sunrise Gold color which is more of a light copper. Very cool and shows up great through my clear Otterbox cover. So why not a rating of 5? There are some things that my S5 did that this one does not do - like being able to touch the screen anywhere to take a picture. Samsung, this was a great feature so why take it away? There is a floating camera button you can put on the screen and that helps, but I really miss being able to touch the screen anywhere to take a photo. Makes it handy when taking pics while riding the horses or riding my bike. Picture quality is great though! I am still learning the features and how they work but so far I am happy with the camera itself. I need to figure out how to make folders. The S5 had a Studio folder already set up so any time I would edit a photo it would save to the Studio. If I edit now it saves it right next to the original. I don't like that so need to figure out what I have not learned yet. The phone part works - after all, it is a phone. Texting...that has been a challenge but I don't think it has anything to do with the phone - I think it has to do with the screen protector doing too good a job and not making it easy to type. I tried the voice text for the first time and it spelled everything right! I prefer to type though...so I just need to get used to having to tap the screen instead of lightly touch. The reboot is very fast and it charges quickly. I don't have a crazy amount of apps on my phone but the few I do have work great. Everything opens quick and operates quickly. I have not had it for two full weeks yet so I am still learning. Bottom line is I might get growly about missing some of the stuff my old phone did and I might get growly about the learning curve but I would make this purchase again in a heartbeat knowing what I know now.

I kept my Galaxy S5 as long as I could. I only upgraded because the battery was draining in just a few hours. I bought several "new" ones for it, but none helped. Transferred all apps and pics and contacts, etc. Disappointing was my favorite game did not carry my 2700+ levels over (I don't think any game carried that info over). Had to start at one, again. My fear of this was the main reason I did not upgrade sooner. The S9+ is very fast compared to the S5. Of course, I skipped a few models in between, so it is more noticeable. I had it for a few weeks, now. It takes a bit to learn the vast amount that the phone has to offer. Actually, I find it is easier, or faster, to just use old methods as opposed to learning the new way, or the "new feature" way. As an example, I thought the edge panel would be very useful, however, I find I am not using it. I am accessing all of those things on it the way I did on my old phone. There is just so much more on this phone that I will be learning it probably until it's time to get the next upgrade because the battery will not hold a charge again. Or, maybe because the phone can't keep up with the new stuff that's put on it and it takes a lot of power (battery life) for it to even make it happen. Anyway, the Samsung Galaxy S9+ is a super great phone. I heard a lot of good about it before I upgraded to it. Everything I heard was true.

I kept telling myself I wasn't going to buy a new phone yet. I was just going to stick with my S6, but decided to go all in when I saw I was able to a second S9 for my parents for free if I got this. Now, I'm kind of wishing I had waited (of course, that's what I always say when I get a new phone). The dual-cameras and all of their options are amazing, but the tiny fingerprint sensor is right under the lenses, and I've ended up smudging them several times while reaching for it. It's much less convenient having to reach around back to unlock my phone than having it right on the front. If you're coming from a smaller phone (like my S6), this one might take some time to get used to, since it's so huge. It's as close to a phablet as you can get, and I wasn't comfortable using it at first. Still, it's powerful, fast, has a huge screen, stereo speakers, SD card slot, and a headphone jack (*cough cough*...APPLE...*cough*). My big complaint is the annoying Bixby button...Why did Samsung make a dedicated button, especially right under the volume??? I've hit that thing a million times, thinking I was lowering the volume. Fortunately, I discovered that you can deactivate it, but having it in that spot is a terrible design flaw, and it just gets in the way. Since it's now almost November, if you need a new phone, I'd say just wait a few months for the S10 to appear. The S9+ is very nice, but it's not the huge jump from the S6 that it was made out to be.

My old S5 finally pootered out...it was time for a new phone. I love Samsung products and finally decided on the S9+. I am still amazed how a phone can be a mini computer! I don't put a lot of apps on my phone...just a few. When running them everything seems to run very quick. It takes an extra memory card which is very handy considering I take a lot of pictures. One of the features that was VERY important to me was the camera. I am still learning and playing...but so far so good! I ride horses and my bicycle so there are a lot of places I am snapping pictures...while moving. Why not a 5 rating? My S5 was able to take pictures with a touch on the screen - anywhere. No button...just tap the screen. I was able to put the 'floating button' on this phone but it isn't the same. I really wish Samsung would bring back the touch screen pic taking feature. I am not understanding why you would give us something so awesome then take it away? The other thing is the curved edge. Typing on this phone is very different...the keyboard is very close to the curved edge so I have to hit things just right. Could the screen protector be causing this? Will never know because I am not taking it off to find out. Would I buy the phone again? Yes I would!

I have had many Samsung phones, including the S8+ right before this one. I decided to upgrade and turn my phone back into my carrier to get the newest one. I would say this is not a necessary upgrade if coming from an s8, but, this phone is much more than meets the eye. Samsung took customer feedback into consideration and changed a few but crucial things. Fingerprint reader has a much better location. Stereo speakers sound amazing (although not the best out there). The display of course is the best ever on a smartphone. They kept a headphone jack! The 6GB of RAM paired with the need 845 chipset is a noticeable improvement and mitigates some of the laggy Samsung UI problems. A few features in Oreo that I've been using for years were removed so that's a tad frustrating. I hope it's fixed in future updates. I went bold and got the lilac color. I usually get black, but I'm really enjoying the lilac. It's beautiful and is a welcome change Overall, if you're already a Samsung fan you will love this device. It's no pixel 2, but they did an impressive job. I would rate an 8.5/10

If you're like me you don't like the restrictiveness of Apple and don't like the low-quality feel of some other brands which leaves only Samsung. Fortunately this time around they don't fail or disappoint by changing the fingerprint sensor updating a camera features and other software this phone is an absolute Powerhouse. This phone for me was upgrade from a ZTE zMAX2. And although I had been rocking the budget phone for many years the S9 plus was a much-needed upgrade. My only quarry with this phone is it has an all glass body with a titanium Rim I wish they had an option with a metal back. Although the glass makes it look slim it is a fingerprint magnet and does not give you the confidence to take your phone out of the pocket without a death grip. This phone is not for the faint of heart if you are clumsy. The sound quality of music and for making calls is amazing, both front and back cameras are beyond what I expect the phone to be able to do, plus the customization capabilities of an Android platform make this phone and absolute must buy for 2018.