The best portable document scanner

By Amadou Diallo

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After putting in more than 100 hours for research and hands-on testing since 2013, we think the Epson ES-300W is the best portable document scanner for digitizing documents without taking up half of a desktop. It combines scan speeds usually found on full-size scanners with extremely accurate text recognition. And thanks to its built-in Wi-Fi and battery, you can use it almost anywhere—even with a phone or tablet.

Who this is for

If you have stacks of documents and receipts filling up filing cabinets or cluttering your desk, using a document scanner to digitize your files not only frees up physical space, but it also makes your information much easier to find and backup. On both Windows computers and Macs you can do word searches that include the contents of searchable PDF files. Unlike desktop scanners, portable scanners are designed to fold down into an even more compact form when not in use.

If you already own a document scanner, even one that’s a few years old, our general advice is to keep on using it. Scanners have a very long shelf life by tech standards, and software hasn’t changed much either. And if you need to scan only on a very rare basis, there are several Android and iOS apps that can turn photos shot with your phone into PDFs.

How we picked and tested

Our latest round of scanner testing included the Epson ES-300W, Epson ES-200, Epson FastFoto FF-640, and Fujitsu S1300i. Photo: Amadou Diallo

A good document scanner can save scans as searchable PDFs, using OCR (optical character recognition) software to “read” the document and convert its text so you can search and copy/paste just as you would with any other PDF file. A great document scanner is duplex, meaning it can scan both sides of a page at the same time, and folds down into a more compact form when not in use.

To find the best document scanners, we started by looking through all of the models available on Amazon and other online retailers. This left us with a large list of scanners, which we narrowed to a handful of promising contenders by looking for key features like duplex scanning, portability, and compatibility with Mac computers.

While testing, we focused on text accuracy, speed, and software usability. We ran dozens of test pages, business documents, tax forms, a variety of receipts, business cards, and photographs through the scanners to see how the machines measured up, and tested the accuracy of each machine’s OCR software. We also measured speed by loading a 20-page double-sided business document into each scanner and timing the process using various settings.

Our pick

Photo: Michael Hession

The Epson ES-300W offers just about everything we could want in a portable document scanner, making it an easy recommendation as the best choice for digitizing your analog paper trail. In our tests it (along with its sister model, the ES-200) delivered the fastest scans we’ve seen from a portable unit, with flawless text recognition with fonts as small as 6 points when using the bundled ABBYY software. All of the necessary drivers and software are included with the installer package, available for download from Epson’s site, so you don’t need a CD drive.

Scan speeds were virtually identical under both USB and AC power, making the included power brick largely unnecessary unless you have an older laptop fitted with USB 2 ports (USB 3 is required for supplying power). Even more impressively, there was no speed penalty when scanning over Wi-Fi versus a USB connection on computers, phones, and tablets (paired with a free iOS or Android app).

Runner-up

Photo: Michael Hession

If you’re always able to connect to a computer via USB, you’ll find Wi-Fi support and battery power of little use. And if that’s the case, you can save yourself about $50 (at the time of this writing) and buy the Epson ES-200. It lacks a battery and Wi-Fi support but is otherwise identical in features to our top pick. The units are so similar that they even share the same user manual. Our tests, however, revealed a notable shortcoming: Powered by only its USB port, the ES-200 slowed to scan speeds nearly three times as long as those of our top pick. To get the same impressively fast results we saw with the ES-300W on this model, you’ll need to plug in the ES-200’s AC adapter.

For photo scanning

Photo: Michael Hession

If you’re looking for a document scanner that can also scan photos without bending and crumpling them in the process, we recommend the Epson FastFoto FF-640. In addition to being a competent document scanner, it can accurately scan photos without damaging them thanks to a reconfigured scan head and roller design that doesn’t bend documents as they pass through the scanner. With a maximum resolution of 600 dpi, it can convert a 4-by-6 photograph into a roughly 8.5-megapixel JPEG in 3 to 4 seconds. It can also detect notes written on the back of your photos. However, it costs more and is significantly larger than any document-only portable scanner.

The FF-640 isn’t cheap. The average scan price of the services we researched in our photo scanning guide was 40¢ per photo. We estimate you’d have to scan about 1,500 photos with the FF-640 before it’s more economical than outsourcing. But if those numbers work for you—and you value your money more than your time—the FF-640 is the closest thing we’ve seen yet to pain-free photo scanning.

This guide may have been updated by Wirecutter. To see the current recommendation, please go here.

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OnePlus 5T will only play HD Netflix if you send it in for service

Good news: the OnePlus 5 and 5T can finally play Netflix in HD… if you’re willing to go through a convoluted process. OnePlus has launched an update program to enable the higher-resolution video streaming, but the “security processes” involved in enabling HD require that you send your phone in. As it revolves around the WideVine copyright protection used to allow Netflix playback, OnePlus has to perform the update with a wired connection to an “authenticated PC” — thanks, movie industry.

The company will cover the shipping costs if you’re in one of its official support areas, but you could be without your phone for up to 5 business days. Also, while Netflix hasn’t been available in HD on earlier OnePlus phones, you’re out of luck if you aren’t using one of its 2017-era handsets.

Yes, it’s somewhat ridiculous that you have to go without your phone for a while just to watch Altered Carbon at the same visual quality as your friends. At the same time, OnePlus is addressing a longstanding issue at its own expense — a good step for a company that’s still fighting to earn your trust after a series of missteps.

Via: Android Police

Source: OnePlus Forums

ZTE Blade V9 and V9 Vita are here, we go hands-on

ZTE released the Blade V8 about a year ago, bringing dual-cameras and an octa-core processor to its mid-range line of devices. While these phones won’t have customers rushing to pre-order, they provide quite a bit of value for the price.

This year, ZTE is looking to up the quality of this line even further, producing what it thinks is the best Blade device yet. The new Blade V9 has a similar general shape to last year’s model, but the quality of the build has improved substantially. ZTE is employing a new shimmering material they call “Aurora Glass” to give the V9 a premium look and feel. The Vita doesn’t get this same treatment, but its unibody shell feels similar to the OnePlus 5, which is not at all a bad thing.

Both devices are getting much better screen-to-body ratios this year. The Blade V9 screen takes up 84 percent of the phone and the Vita’s takes up 81 percent. These screens are fairly decent for devices in this price range. Both are Full HD quality, which isn’t incredibly high for a smartphone, but also looks perfectly fine. We wouldn’t discount them just because they didn’t have 1,440p displays.

The Blade V9 and V9 Vita’s software feels like the software on the Google Pixel

Both devices run Android Oreo, with a new skin ZTE is calling “Stock Plus.” This name is quite fitting. It feels essentially like stock Android on a Google Pixel. You can always throw your launcher of choice on this device to get a specific feel, but these devices honestly felt just fine with the stock launcher, which is rare with midrange devices.

The Blade V9’s 3-4 GB of RAM and 32-64 GB of storage, but the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 is the spec that unveils this is really a budget device. This won’t hold up well compared to newer Snapdragon chips on the market today, but for someone that cares more about design and uses their device for simple tasks, the Blade V9 should hold up just fine.

The V9 Vita is more obviously mid-ranged. It’s sporting 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage along with a Snapdragon 435 Mobile Processor, showing it was obviously made for the ultra-budget users in mind. This phone will more than likely make its way to Cricket Wireless or a similar carrier under a different name, so it makes sense have have more basic specs inside.

Both devices have a 13 MP dual camera, 3,100 mAh battery, microSD compatibility, a 3.5 mm headphone jack and charging via microUSB, so there really isn’t a whole lot to differentiate these devices on the outside. Internal power and build quality is what really sets the Blade V9 and V9 Vita apart, along with their respective price points.

The face unlock feature seemed fairly reliable in our hands-on time, but we always worry about the security of these things.

Both phones are getting a new face-unlock feature as well. In our hands-on time with the device this seemed fairly reliable, but we always worry about the security of these things. We would likely recommend using the included fingerprint reader instead, but face unlock is always nice to have either way.

The Blade V9 features an 8 MP front-facing camera (up to 13 MP interpolated), while the V9 Vita sports a 5 MP front-facing camera (up to 8 MP interpolated).

ZTE has not announced pricing or availability for the Blade V9 or V9 Vita, but we’ll be sure to update you when we know more.

Do either of these phones sound appealing to you? ZTE has definitely stepped up their build-quality since the last Blade, so it’s good to see consistent improvement.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus hands-on: Express yourself

Another year, another Samsung Galaxy S flagship. How do you take a flagship device that’s nearly perfect and improve it in any meaningful way? This is the conundrum Samsung faced creating the Galaxy S9, but the company seems to have found a few areas to improve its popular handset.

The Galaxy S8 was nearly perfect. It delivered an immersive smartphone experience, thanks to the Infinity Display, and pushed the boundaries of smartphone design more than ever before. The camera improved a little over the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S8 Plus was a big phone for those who wanted something a little larger.

Further reading: Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus are here: the best just got better

With the Galaxy S9, Samsung has kept similar design but tweaked it to create a better overall experience. There are two devices again this year. While the form factor and display size are the same as last year, both devices have a slightly smaller overall footprint. The Galaxy S8 Plus especially was a pretty tall device but the Galaxy S9 Plus is a little more manageable in the hand; by reducing the bezels above and below the display, Samsung has managed to shave 1.2 mm off the height of the Galaxy S9 and 1.4 mm off the Galaxy S9 Plus.

The displays themselves have also been tweaked a little, offering 15 percent higher peak brightness. The Galaxy S8 topped out at around 600 nits, while the Galaxy S9 is expected to achieve closer to 700 nits. For those bright sunny days, this extra brightness should help with overall legibility. The phones’ curves are not as steep as the S8 line, nor do their displays run all the way to the edge. Samsung says this is designed to prevent accidental touches along the edge of the screen and it will hopefully also address the light banding issue when watching a video.

The Galaxy S9 also bring stereo speakers to a Samsung smartphone for the first time. After its acquisition of Harman Kardon last year, the Korean manufacturer set about improving the audio on its devices, previously one of the poorest experience on any smartphone. This year, there are two speakers — a forward facing one joins the bottom-firing speaker from last year.

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Both have been tuned by AKG. As a result, the speakers are noticeably louder. Samsung says the overall output is 1.4 times louder than the Galaxy S8. Samsung also partnered with Dolby to add the Atmos codec to the Galaxy S9 — once enabled, it offers spatial sound playback which helps to add to the overall immersive experience.

The most controversial part of the Galaxy S8 family was the fingerprint sensor, which Samsung chose to place right next to the camera in a very awkward position. The company has finally addressed this in the S9 by moving it to the center, beneath the camera. The new positioning works well enough and means the sensor is useful again. On the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8, the positioning was awkward enough to be uncomfortable.

Those are the small improvements over the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, but the big improvements are in the camera. As part of its theme of being able to express yourself, the Galaxy S9 camera brings a collection of new camera features, as well as some tweaks to the Galaxy S8 camera.

The Galaxy S9 camera features the same hardware as the Galaxy S8 with a 12 MP super speed dual pixel sensor with optical image stabilization. The Galaxy S9 Plus also features the secondary camera found on the Galaxy Note 8, a 12 MP telephoto lens with OIS and f/2.4 aperture. Both devices feature 8 MP front-facing cameras with f/1.7 aperture.

More: Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus specs

The low light performance on Samsung phones previously let down the camera experience, but the Galaxy S9 looks to improve this with dual aperture and multi-frame image processing. The Galaxy S9 has a mechanical lens that opens and closes. For bright scenes, it’ll use the tighter f/2.4 aperture and for low light scenes, it’ll use a wider f/1.5 aperture. As a result, Samsung says there is 28 percent more light coming into the system than the Galaxy S8, which should improve the low light camera performance. The mechanical aperture is hardware based and doesn’t offer any aperture stops between the two. By default, the Galaxy S9 automatically picks which aperture to use but in Pro mode, you can control it.

The Galaxy S9 takes the detail and information from 12 photos to create one excellent photo

The multi-frame image processing is also new to the Galaxy S9 and it’s designed to help with noise reduction. The Galaxy S9 comes with DRAM on the camera sensor itself, which means the camera can capture four times as many photos at four times the speed. In a split second, the camera takes 12 images which are then sorted into batches of four. The software then uses all the detail and information for processing and noise reduction. It does this three times to give you the best three photos from each batch. The software then does it one more time on the three photos to get the overall best photo.

The DRAM isn’t just used for multi-frame image processing, but also for super slow-motion video. The Galaxy S8 offered 720p super slow-motion video at 240 fps, but the Galaxy S9 now offers it at 960 fps. This isn’t new to smartphones but the automatic mode is definitely a step above other devices. Instead of having to time exactly when to press record, the Galaxy S9 will also do it for you and all you have to do is press record.

The automatic mode works rather well and once you take a super slow-motion video, it also saves several shareable GIFs including effects such as loop and reverse. For those who want to relive a great super slow-motion video, you can save the video as your lock screen wallpaper. The software also automatically adds background music to the video, which you can then change to one of the preset sounds or a song from your music library.

Don’t miss: Top 9 features on the Samsung Galaxy S9

The Galaxy S9 follows the lead of the iPhone X and brings a new feature called AR Emoji. This feature captures your face, analyzes it, and allows you to make an animated version of yourself which can be customized further. The customization options include two different types of animation, either more life-like or more cartoon-like. You can also change the hair, skin tone, glasses, clothes of the image. After you’ve finished customizing your AR Emoji, it’ll save 18 GIFs to your phone’s gallery, as well as the Samsung keyboard, so you can easily share it with your friends. AR Emoji lets you record either photos or videos. While you can talk and move your head, it’s doesn’t seem to pick up as many facial expressions as the iPhone X.

Camera aside, the Galaxy S9 also brings a series of other improvements to Bixby, connectivity, and security. Bixby has gained a new food mode, which allows you to point the camera towards a piece of food and get nutritional information about it. Using the selfie camera, the new makeup mode allows you to try on makeup from Sephora or CoverGirl and buy it straight from Bixby.

The Galaxy S8 had two different biometric security options — Face Unlock and the Iris Scanner. The Galaxy S9 combines these into a new feature called Intelligent Scan. Samsung says both of these were great in certain scenarios and by combining them, it gets around the issues faced especially by the Iris Scanner. Intelligent Scan uses Iris Scanning as the primary security option for applications that need higher levels of security, like banking apps or Samsung Pay. For day-to-day unlocking of your phone Intelligent Scan uses the convenient super-fast experience of Face Unlock. How well does it work? This remains to be seen but we’ll find out in our Galaxy S9 review in the near future.

The Galaxy S9 is the first smartphone powered by the Snapdragon 845 processor and brings Gigabit LTE support. The regular Galaxy S9 comes with 4 GB of RAM, while the Galaxy S9 Plus has 6 GB of RAM. Both devices are IP68 water and dust resistant, offer fast wireless storage, and have a headphone jack. Both come with 64 GB of internal storage, which can be expanded by up to 400 GB using a microSD card.

The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus will launch in three colors in the U.S. — Midnight Black, Lilac Purple and Coral Blue. The fourth color — Titanium Gray — isn’t coming to the U.S. It’s not entirely certain how much they will cost, but pre-orders launch on March 2, ahead of its March 16 release. Samsung is also offering its first-ever global pre-order offer called Trade Up and Save, allowing you to get up to $350 off the cost of the Galaxy S9 when you trade in last year’s flagship from any manufacturer. Trade Up and Save offers tiers so those with a Galaxy S7 or two-year-old flagship from another OEM will receive a little less.

Related: Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus pricing and availability | Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus color comparison

What do you think of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus? Let us know your views in the comments below!

Nokia 8 Sirocco hands-on: Android One goes sexy and expensive

The most expensive Android One phone yet, and a darn good looking one at that.

Nokia is riding a solid hype machine with tens of millions of phones sold in 2017 and a resurgence of affinity for the brand name. But it’s all been on the back of very affordable phones, ranging from $200-400 where it’s all about value and not necessarily getting a combination of the best possible specs, design and materials.

The Nokia 8 Sirocco, announced at MWC 2018, changes all of that. It’s a €749 phone, which takes aim at some of the best-selling phones from the biggest companies out there. Consequently, it launched just an hour before Samsung’s new Galaxy S9, which is almost the exact same price — now that’s stiff competition.

When I pick up the Nokia 8 Sirocco, I immediately get flashbacks of the Galaxy S6 edge and S6 edge+. It’s extremely thin, and with curved glass on both sides the edges come down to an even finer point. It also has a 16:9 aspect ratio display, so it’s rather wide feeling in this ocean of 18:9 phones. So just like the Galaxy S6 edge+, it’s honestly a bit awkward to get your hand around it. Nokia wore the fact that the Sirocco is 95% glass on the outside as a badge of pride, but it means you basically have nothing of substance to get your hands on. And as an added consequence, the volume and power buttons on the right side are quite shallow and tough to find and press without looking — all in the name of style, I suppose.

Nokia’s designers were clearly given freedom, and used it well.

The phone built every bit as well as I’d expect for €749. The stainless steel body gives the phone a solid, consistent feel throughout and the glass is perfectly sculpted. Using what I’m sure are not full-production devices here at MWC 2018, everything was tight and well manufactured. No matter what angle or distance you’re at, the thing is just gorgeous. Nokia’s designers were clearly given the liberty to try new things, and took it.

Having not used the phone for long I can’t say for sure, but I’m worried that the pOLED display can live up to the same scrutiny we apply to other phones of this price range — particularly ones with curved sides that show off OLED flaws with colors and viewing angles. Looking at the phone straight on you see a pretty significant color shift on the sides where the curves are tightest. I wonder how great the display is overall compared to the Nokia 7 Plus, for example, which has a traditional IPS LCD that looks great.

Android One pairs well with this level of hardware — and I think it’s a differentiator.

Having an Android One software experience is a huge benefit of this phone from my perspective. The other Android One phones I’ve used to this point have been great, and I’m sure the software absolutely flies when paired with a Snapdragon 835 and 6GB of RAM. And speaking of specs, Nokia goes pretty well all-out here with lots of extras that are great to see: 128GB of storage, 3260mAh battery, Quick Charge 4.0, Qi wireless charging and IP67 water resistance. There’s a pair of Zeiss-branded cameras on the back, with a 12MP 1.4-micron sensor and f/1.75 lens as the primary and a 13MP 1-micron sensor with f/2.6 telephoto lens as the secondary — I’ll reserve judgement there until I’ve used the phone longer, but that’s one area where Nokia has to absolutely nail it if it wants to charge this much for a phone.

And that’s the really big question. Nokia’s rebirth under HMD Global has been a success, but it’s all been at lower price-point phones that can get by with having a few issues on account of their overall great value. When you’re charging the same amount for the Nokia 8 Sirocco as the latest Galaxy S9, you’re playing a dangerous game — one that other companies have lost in the past few years. But I sure do welcome Nokia’s attempt, and the 8 Sirocco is a wonderful phone.

This case turns your iPhone into a modular device

The modular phone trend hasn’t taken off as fast as companies like Motorola would have hoped, what with devices like the Moto Z and Moto Z Force not exactly being a hit. But, that doesn’t mean there aren’t others trying to mimic that style, even if they aren’t doing it with their own phone. Here’s where Bay Area-based startup Vibes Modular comes in, as it has built a smartphone case that turns your non-modular iPhone or Android device into one that is. So far, the company has a made a Bluetooth speaker and an external charger that attaches to its cases (compatible with 30 different phones), and in the future it plans to roll out a small projector and a drone.

The speaker module itself is waterproof, has a microphone for conference calls and lasts up to 12 hours. Being waterproof is neat because that means you can remove it from the case and take it into the shower to listen to some tunes or make a call, if you’re into that sort of thing. As for the charger attachment, Vibes Modular says it can charge most iPhones and Android smartphones “up to three times,” and it also comes with a micro USB port that lets you charge a second device.

You can get the Vibes Modular case for $40 in black or white colors, with the speaker and charger modules priced at $100 and $200, respectively. If you decide to buy into the startup’s ecosystem, it says the projector and drone should be coming later this year.

Catch up on the latest news from MWC 2018 right here.

Watch Nokia’s MWC 2018 event in under 10 minutes

It’s good times for Nokia. Or rather HMD Global, the Finnish company that now owns the beloved Nokia brand. After a successful holiday season the phone maker has marched into Mobile World Congress with a bevy of new devices in tow. The Nokia 8 Sirocco is a stylish-looking Android flagship, while the Nokia 8110 Reloaded is a throwback to the classic 90s slider. For the average consumer there’s also the entry-level Nokia 1, mid-range Nokia 6 and 6-inch Nokia 7 Plus. For a full rundown of the company’s announcements, check out our 10-minute press conference supercut.

Catch up on the latest news from MWC 2018 right here.

Galaxy S9 US pre-orders focus on trade-in deals

Now that Samsung’s Galaxy S9 and S9+ are official, American carriers are tripping over themselves to offer launch details ahead of March 2nd pre-orders… and trade-in deals are a common theme this time around. T-Mobile, for instance, is promising $360 off the price of the S9 or S9+ if you turn in an eligible phone (typically a high-end Apple, LG or Samsung phone from the past couple of years). Verizon, meanwhile, is offering between $100 to $350 in credit if you hand in a qualifying phone from Apple, Google, HTC, LG, Motorola or Samsung. Comcast’s relatively new Xfinity Mobile is getting in on the action as well, with promises of at least $200 and as much as $450.

There are other promos, as you might expect. Verizon is offering $100 off a Gear S3 smartwatch if you activate it on a 2-year plan, and promises a $150 prepaid card if you’re switching networks. Xfinity Mobile, in turn, is offering a $250 prepaid card to anyone who buys a Samsung phone and opens a new line between now and March 22nd.

Regardless of who you choose, it’s obvious why providers are encouraging trade-ins — as with the S8, the S9 isn’t cheap. AT&T is offering the S9 and S9+ for a respective $26.34 per month and $30.50 per month on a 30-month Next plan, which works out to $790 and $915. Verizon is pitching the duo on 24-month plans, with the S9 going for $33.33 per month ($800 outright) and its S9+ sibling going for $38.74 per month ($930). Sprint is promising very similar deals at $33 and $38 per month ($792 and $912) with two years of payments. T-Mobile may offer the sweetest deal of the major carriers so far. You can buy the S9 for $30 per month on a 24-month installment plan ($720 outright), and the S9+ for a similar monthly rate if you pay $120 up front ($840 full price).

Xfinity Mobile hasn’t outlined its prices as of this writing.

These aren’t the best bargains we’ve ever seen (there are no buy one get one offers, for example). Moreso than we’ve seen in some years, this is about encouraging loyalty in a market with stiff competition. They want you to either upgrade or make a firm commitment to dropping your existing carrier, and they’re willing to spend a lot to make that happen.

Source: AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint

Netflix lands sci-fi movie from ‘Planet of the Apes’ director

Netflix’s sci-fi adaptations are about to expand beyond the likes of Altered Carbon and Lost in Space. Deadline has learned that Netflix has secured the rights to Life Sentence, a movie take on a Matthew Baker short story about a future where authorities wipe the memories of criminals instead of sending them to prison. Matt Reeves, the director of the two most recent Planet of the Apes movies, is producing the title. It’s not known when the movie would premiere, but apparently that’s not the big story — there was reportedly a fierce bidding war.

Reeves apparently had to contend with offers from conventional studios like Fox, Universal and Warner as well as Amazon and newcomer Apple. The choice came down to the format, according to sources. Apple and its production partner Gaumont would have made Life Sentence as a TV series, but Reeves preferred the movie format and thus headed to Netflix.

The battle underscores just how much the video entertainment industry has changed in recent years, or even months. Where streaming services previously had to make do with studio leftovers (and are still happy to go that route), they’re now fighting with and sometimes prevailing over traditional companies. It’s not hard to understand why. Streaming reduces the pressure to dilute a project and target the widest audience possible, since producers aren’t competing for limited theater space or fretting over opening weekend box office numbers. Netflix and its peers only care about overall viewership and how it grows the subscriber base — they can take chances on relatively niche productions knowing that there will probably be enough of an audience to justify the cost.

Via: io9

Source: Deadline

Samsung Unveils Galaxy S9 Series Smartphones With Dual Lens Variable Aperture Camera and AR Emoji

Samsung on Sunday unveiled its latest Galaxy S9 and S9+ flagship smartphones at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, showcasing the handset’s new dual-lens camera, stereo speakers, and AR-powered emoji. The new smartphones take the same general design as the Galaxy S8 devices, with slightly slimmer bezels on the top and bottom.

The headline feature of the S9 and S9+ is a 12-megapixel dual lens camera, boasting the first variable aperture system built into a smartphone, which promises better results in low light conditions and hardware-based shallow depth of field effects. Samsung’s new photography computation also shoots 12 photos in three groups of four and then combines them at the pixel level to eliminate noise and boost detail.

The S9 features variable dual lens 12-megapixel cameras with dual optical image stabilization, while the S9+ features a variable aperture lens paired with a second 12-megapixel lens with a fixed aperture. The S9 Plus also includes a new slow-motion mode that can shoot at 960 frames per second, which can turn a 2-millisecond recording into six seconds of video. For comparison’s sake, Apple’s iPhone X shoots at a maximum of 240 frames per second.

In U.S. models, the S9 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 processor, but in other regions, including Europe, the smartphone is powered by Samsung’s own Exynos chip. Samsung has combined the face and iris recognition features into a new system called Intelligent Scan, which uses the best biometric sensor for the given situation. The fingerprint scanner on the back now sits below the camera module rather than alongside it. Like the S8 devices, the displays on the 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch models are Quad HD+ and Super AMOLED, respectively. Also, there’s a headphone jack.

The inevitable comparison of Samsung’s new AR-based emoji will be Animoji on iPhone X, which map users’ facial expressions onto cartoon facades using Apple’s TrueDepth camera technology. However the Galaxy S9 diverges here by creating 3D personalized characters more akin to Bitmoji or Nintendo Mii avatars, which can then be shared as GIFs.

The S9 comes with 4GB of RAM while the S9+ has 6GB of memory. Both versions come with a base 64GB storage (user expandable up to 400GB via the Micro SD slot). In the U.S., the S9 starts at $720, with the S9+ costing $840. Pre-orders for both models begin on March 2 and the phones start shipping on March 16.

Tags: Samsung, Galaxy S9
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