Samsung has unveiled its new flagship smartphone, Galaxy S9 on Sunday which has augmented reality features as it seeks to keep its title as the world’s biggest smartphone maker.
The South Korean company showcased the Galaxy S9 on the eve of the official start of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which comes after a year of flat smartphone sales.
The S9 features essentially the same design as last year’s previous flagship, with the full screen and curved glass edge of the S8, which was followed by Apple’s iPhone X and others.
It also includes louder sound, a faster processor and software that turns selfies into animated emojis, which will appeal to consumers who are increasingly preferring to use their phones to send text messages rather than talking.
Samsung included a dual lens camera on the Galaxy S line for the first time, which will improve low-light capture and enhance slow motion video, perfect for use on social media. The Galaxy S9 also has an Artificial Intelligence (AI) that allows users to point its camera to instantly translate a sign in a foreign language. It is also one of the few flagship phones left that still comes with a standard headphone jack.
The S9 will sell for 859 euros ($1,055), a price which analysts warned could turn off many consumers.
