OK, so I will post some thoughts about the S9.
All I will say before you read any further is, I returned the S9 earlier and (reluctantly) went back to an iPhone X.
I really liked the S9, but it was apparent quite quickly that I wasn't going to get last long term with it for a few reasons.
Firstly, I like but I don't LOVE the design of the Samsung S series. It's certainly one of the better looking phones right now, and I like that there's no notch (kudos Samsung), but I just don't feel any sort of instant attraction to it like I do with other devices.
Putting to that to one side though, there are bits I loved about it. The back of the device is gorgeous, love the blue and even the pink is nice. Not fussed on black.
Finger print scanner is finally in a decent position, and worked flawlessly. Glad they re-positioned it.
The screen is a strange one for me. I didn't really like it. I find Samsung screens a little bit neon. Retina burning almost. It reminded me of the OG Pixel I had which was the same - way way too over saturated. Obviously, take my opinion with a pinch of salt as most people love Samsung screens and think they're the best around.
I like that they give you the option to choose a style of screen though. I went for 'basic' (I think it was called that) which muted everything slightly, albeit then a bit too much.
After I set everything up, I noticed some lag. Bear in mind I've been using a Pixel (well, Pixels
) since January and they are sensationally fast.
The lag wasn't anything crazy, and nothing to put me off the device, but it was there. Just the odd little stutter and stammer in certain apps and moving around the OS.
I quickly learned that I don't like the Samsung design language. The on screen navigation buttons for instance, and the Samsung app designs - that line design? I really don't like it.
I also didn't enjoy the actual app designs in the stock launcher. They're a bit all over the place unless you add the background to the apps, but then I didn't really like that either. App icon packs are pretty hard to come by for the stock launcher too.
This morning, I downloaded a Pixel 2 launcher, and I kid you not the lag I was seeing intermittently (and rarely) just vanished. I had zero lag and slow down manouvering round the phone with a different launcher. It also looked so so much better. I could then choose the style of my icons and I ended up with something I was much happier with.
That extended to the app 'drawer' / tray or list (whatever you want to call it!).
I almost didn't like how the app tray could be amended like an iPhone - and you could move apps to where you wanted in the stock launcher. An alphabetical list is more preferential for me.
The orange notification button was a bit in your face - especially over things like Spotify which just looked strange. I know you can turn these off app by app (again, thank you Samsung) but it was just an odd setup.
With the Pixel Launcher I got those lovely dots - which I didn't realise how much I liked until I had them back!
I also like my app drawer with a white background, and with a lighter wallpaper, the Pixel 2 launcher gave me that. So much cleaner.
Beauty of Android though - you can have what you want essentially!
Battery life was abysmal for me today. I got 3 and a half hours screen on time and I needed my charger at home time. It's not Pixel 2 levels of bad with the problems, but it didn't seem right. I know thats not the 'norm' for this device, but it's worrying. I didn't help myself by cranking the screen resolution up, turning off auto brightness and using it most of the day, but it seemed like the battery could have been a bit better.
Still, I had only used it with one full charge so I wouldn't take my experience as much here.
I did like lots about it though - it's not all doom and gloom haha.
When my battery was draining, I had a notification to say that Instagram was using more battery than it should and it gave me an option to then fix this. Very nice.
Samsung's version of Android has some fantastic things thrown in. I don't think I even managed to scractch the surface with the additional benefits over stock but I will tell you my favourite thing and it almost made me keep te phone for it (you will all think it's crazy haha).
Listening to music. When I listen to music on my Pixel (or any other Android device), I
detest the fact that the album artwork is not only then plastered all over your lock screen, but it's plastered in a magnified view which looks absolutely awful. I don't choose a nice lock screen wallpaper to have my music app (and it's all music apps - Spotify, Play Music etc) stretch the art work out over it.
It can't be turned off either, the only way around it is to disable all notifications for the app but then you lose the lock screen / notification tray playback controls.
Samsung though? Your lock screen wallpaper stays, and you just get the controls on it - along with the playback controls and artwork coloured box. THANK YOU SAMSUNG.
So so so much love for them doing this.
I hardly got to test the camera - sadly, as I didn't have it long enough. I took one snap just point and shoot on my walk back from the work canteen.
I only needed that to know that this was a truly fantastic camera. I know I'd have loved using this absolutely no question.
Then played about with the portrait style mode on my pink highlighter in the office lol.
I tried this AR emoji. Quite frankly - it's creepy. Creepy is a word I've heard a lot of tech reviewers use in relation to this. I can't help but agree.
Here's mine...
In fairness, it kinda got the hair right, and the eye colour and the stubble, but it's a bit weird!
Other things I liked, well I love that in the stock launcher you can swipe down from the screen anywhere to get into the notification shade thing. Really love that. It's not a big phone, so I wouldn't struggle pulling down from the top, but why bother shifting my grip slightly when Samsung have built that in. Again, thanks Samsung. For a phone like the Pixel 2 XL, stock could benefit from that kind of thing.
As always, the Samsung store for themes, wallpapers etc was lovely. Rivalling Sony's Xperia store for me if not slightly better.
That's the kind of additional stuff I really like.
All in all, the phone is brilliant. I can see why people love Samsung phones and prefer them over other Android devices. For me though, whilst it's brilliant in packing itself with useful OS features and handy extras over stock, it then loses a certain polish that stock brings.
Whilst it has certainly made me look at stock Android a bit differently now and wishing there were more Samsung esque features in it, I still would choose that over what Samsung currently offer every day of the week. But that album artwork is a huge one. Whoever at Android thinks this is still a great option and won't provide users with the option to at least disable it, needs firing immediately.
I personally think I could have continued to use the S9 and grown to appreciate it much more. But rather than do that, and enjoy it until the next new Android came to then sell it, I've decided to go back to iOS with the X where I know exactly what I am getting and where I know I will be happy.
Ideally, I'd still be rocking my Pixel 2, but there we are! Sorry for the longish post, I wanted to at least try and explain my very short time with the S9 and note a couple of thoughts seeing as I've not been a Samsung user for a while. Sometimes it's good to read from differing perspectives I guess!
