The Samsung Galaxy S9 was a monster when it launched in 2018. Honestly, it felt like the peak of a specific era of design. No notches. No punch-hole cameras cutting into your Netflix shows. Just a slim, curved forehead and chin that looked incredibly premium. Fast forward to now, and you can find these things for the price of a fancy steak dinner on the refurbished market. But should you actually put your SIM card in one? That’s where things get tricky. It’s a mix of nostalgic brilliance and some very real modern headaches.
The hardware still holds up in a way that’s almost annoying for people who spent $1,200 on a new S24. You’ve got a 5.8-inch Super AMOLED display that hits 1440p resolution. Most "budget" phones today are stuck at 1080p. The colors pop. The blacks are deep. It’s gorgeous.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 and the Last Great Hardware Features
Remember the headphone jack? Samsung kept it here. It’s right at the bottom, waiting for your wired earbuds so you don't have to deal with Bluetooth latency or charging another device. Then there’s the microSD slot. You can slide in a card and suddenly have 400GB of storage for your 4K videos. These are "pro" features now, but on the Galaxy S9, they were just standard.
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One of the weirdest—and coolest—things about this phone was the "Intelligent Scan." It tried to combine iris scanning with facial recognition. It wasn't as secure as FaceID, but in a dark room, that red iris light felt like something out of a spy movie. It worked well. Mostly.
The fingerprint sensor location was the big fix that year. On the S8, it was next to the camera, which meant you were always smudging your lens. On the Samsung Galaxy S9, they moved it below the camera. Simple. Logical. It’s crazy it took them a year to figure that out.
That Variable Aperture Camera
Samsung tried something wild with the 12MP rear sensor. They gave it a physical, mechanical aperture that could switch between f/1.5 and f/2.4. In low light, it opened wide to let in more light. In bright sun, it narrowed to keep things sharp.
Does it beat a modern iPhone? No. Computational photography has moved mountains since then. But in 2018, it was a game changer for night shots. If you're shooting in daylight, the photos still look remarkably natural. They don't have that over-processed, AI-sharpened look that screams "I was taken on a smartphone in 2026."
The Software Wall is Real
Here is the part that sucks: Android 10. That is the end of the road for the Samsung Galaxy S9. Samsung stopped giving it major OS updates years ago. While it still gets some "Google Play System Updates," you aren't getting the latest security patches from Samsung anymore. This is a massive deal if you do your banking on your phone.
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Using an unpatched phone is like leaving your front door unlocked in a neighborhood that’s getting busier. It’s probably fine... until it isn't.
- App Compatibility: Most apps still work on Android 10, but that window is closing.
- One UI 2.0: It’s functional but feels clunky compared to the fluid animations of One UI 6.
- Performance: The Snapdragon 845 (or Exynos 9810 if you're in Europe) was a beast. Now? It struggles with heavy multitasking. You'll see stutters when switching between Instagram and Chrome. It gets warm. It feels its age.
The Battery Longevity Problem
Battery life was never the S9's strong suit. It came with a 3,000mAh cell. By modern standards, that’s tiny. Most phones today pack 5,000mAh. If you buy a used Samsung Galaxy S9 today, that original battery has likely chemically degraded. You might get three hours of screen-on time if you're lucky.
You'll be carrying a power bank. Or living near a wall outlet. It’s the "tethered" lifestyle.
Why Enthusiasts Still Love It
Despite the flaws, there is a cult following for this device. Why? Because it’s small. It’s a "compact" phone in a world of giant phablets. It fits in a pocket without poking your hip. You can reach the top of the screen with one thumb. That ergonomics-first design is something we've largely lost.
- The Screen: Still better than most $200 phones.
- The Build: Glass and metal that feels expensive.
- The Price: You can find these for under $100.
If you’re a tinkerer, the S9 is a playground. People install custom ROMs like LineageOS to get newer versions of Android onto the hardware. It breathes new life into the device, though it usually breaks the camera quality and mobile payments. It's a trade-off.
Practical Steps for S9 Owners (or Buyers)
If you're holding onto a Samsung Galaxy S9 or thinking about grabbing one for a backup, don't just use it "out of the box." You need to be smart.
Audit your security. Since the phone isn't getting security patches, avoid using it for high-stakes financial transactions or storing sensitive corporate data. Use it as a dedicated music player, a webcam (using apps like DroidCam), or a backup device for travel.
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Optimize the battery immediately. Go into settings and turn the resolution down from WQHD+ to FHD+. You won't notice the difference on a screen this small, but your processor and battery will thank you. Turn off "Always On Display." It’s a battery hog on older OLED panels.
Replace the battery if you can. If you're handy with a heat gun and a suction cup, a $20 replacement battery kit from a reputable seller like iFixit can make the phone feel significantly faster because the system won't have to throttle performance to prevent shutdowns.
Use "Lite" versions of apps. Use Messenger Lite or Spotify Lite. The 4GB of RAM in the base S9 gets eaten up instantly by modern, bloated apps. Keeping your app footprint small is the only way to maintain a smooth experience.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 represents a specific moment in tech history where features were added rather than taken away. It's a beautiful piece of hardware that is unfortunately being buried by the relentless march of software requirements. It's a great secondary device, but as a primary phone in 2026, you're fighting an uphill battle against time and security.