Despite being involved in the technology world and having all of these products on Qwerty Articles to review, I often stay away from the latest and greatest technology.
By the time I had finally gotten a smartphone, friends of mine were already on their third or fourth. I started off getting the most popular smartphone way back then, the Samsung Galaxy S3. It was slightly cheaper than an iPhone at the time, and it offered more bang for your buck.
I loved my Galaxy S3; it had Samsung’s big new user interface push behind it with new technology that no other smartphone came close to offering. Even the little water droplet notification sound and whistling bird noises can be heard today on a modern phone.
I kept that Galaxy S3 for years, well past my Verizon upgrade plan, but, alas, it sooner or later would fall behind in the never-ending evolvement of technology. They say that every six months, what is considered ‘modern technology’ nowadays will soon be a thing of the past.
That statement holds true, but not just with technology. Cars, appliances, services, and technology all need to be constantly updated, so the consumer has something new and shiny to buy. Apple has a new iPhone release every nine or so months, mainly due to the popularity of the word ‘iPhone’.
As my Galaxy S3 became outdated to the point where it was beginning to slow down, I opted to upgrade to the popular Galaxy Note 4, a phone that was twice the size of my original Galaxy S3!
I was skeptical at first. What would people say when I held this phablet next to my head to make calls? Would it even fit in my pocket? My hands? Holding the phone in the Verizon store is a lot different than using the phone every single day.
When standing in the store, I told myself that Samsung most likely wouldn’t have made a phone so large if people wouldn’t have liked it. They must have done user feedback product testing before diving into a fourth-generation model.
So, I bought it. From a tiny, outdated Galaxy S3 to a newish (I bought the phone a year past its release) Galaxy Note 4. I had already fallen in love with the Galaxy Android TouchWiz interface, but the screen size was something entirely different.
In a matter of a few days, I quickly learned and used the large Note 4 screen as if it was as small as my Galaxy S3. Going from a 4.8-inch screen to a 5.7-inch screen seems like a lot on paper, but it wasn’t in reality.
Knowing me, I needed to get a phone that would last me the next few years as I’m not keen on spending money on incremental upgrades like some iPhone fans. Four years later, the Note 4 was beginning to show its age.
If we recall my statement from earlier about technology changing every six months, my phone wasn’t just four years old, but eight increments behind modern technology. With Samsung discontinuing Android OS upgrade support for the Note 4, I figured it was time to get an upgrade.
The Note 7 seemed promising, but we all know how that went. I thought about jumping to the Galaxy S7, but Samsung told the world it was going to make things right for those who were looking forward to the Note 7.
I have never used the S-Pen on my Note 4. I just liked how large the phone was and how it came with better hardware than your typical smartphone. If Samsung had made a normal Galaxy S model that kept the hardware and dropped the pen, I’d be interested.
Then, the Galaxy S8 was born. I watched the keynote on the Galaxy S8 and instantly fell in love with the massive screen, powerful hardware, and the fact that this is going to be a phone that will last for at least four years.
Coming in two models, the Galaxy S8 has a 5.2-inch screen that seemed perfect for somebody like me. It’s almost the same size as my Galaxy Note 4 and jumping again to a 6.2-inch display for the Galaxy S8+ seemed like it would be a really large phone to use.
The day that pre-orders opened, I placed my Galaxy S8 pre-order through Verizon and waited patiently for the phone. I was even excited at how Samsung was including a free Gear VR for pre-orders.
Since my phone was a pre-order, I had to wait for it to be shipped. Long story short, Verizon had cancelled my pre-order the day after I had placed it. When I expressed my annoyance at this, Verizon instructed me to go to the store to pick up a phone.
Off to the store, I go, and I take a moment to think about my decision. In the store are the new S8 and S8+. Holding both in my hands, I felt like I was at the same crossroads as when upgrading my Galaxy S3. I dived in again and adjusted my order to the S8+.
I love this Galaxy S8+, I really do. Everything (except the Bixby button) is absolutely perfect and so well crafted. They did right by making a phone that all Galaxy S and Note users could upgrade to, including me. The S8 was truly a flagship phone.
Now that we’ve moved into 2018, Samsung recently released their latest flagship phone, the Galaxy S9 and S9+. Holding both of them in my hands, they look, feel, and perform nearly identically to my S8+. “Did anything change at all?” I asked myself.
They differ slightly. Slightly as in only the camera has changed. You get your typical hardware refresh, but every new product comes with the latest and greatest hardware. Where are my 800+ dollars actually going to here?
Let’s say that I upgraded my phone every year instead of every four. Let’s say money wasn’t a limiting factor either. Would I still want to upgrade to a Galaxy S9 from a Galaxy S8?
No, of course not. Much like how car manufacturers release a new model every year, that doesn’t mean it’s so much better that I need to have the latest and greatest. Even if I were using a Galaxy S7, I would continue to say no to an upgrade. It’s just not worth the cost.
Samsung’s massive selling point on the Galaxy S8 was virtually everything about the phone. Here for the S9, it’s only about the camera. The rest is a cloned S8.
The camera is pretty and has some seriously impressive hardware and software enhancements. Don’t get me wrong: I would imagine you would love the Galaxy S9’s camera. The thing is if you are so specific on your camera shots, wouldn’t you want to use a more professional point-and-shoot camera instead?
A phone should come with its own identity and its own uniqueness, not the common Apple iPhone refreshment of hardware. Samsung was a leader in making their phones different, and now the Galaxy S8 and S9 look so identical from the front that it’s nearly impossible to tell them apart.
Software enhancements for the Galaxy S9 seem great at first, but they will trickle their way down to us Galaxy S8 users as Samsung is nearly ready to release Android Oreo for S8 users.
I may be on my third smartphone ever, but it’s one that is going to last me the longest. It’s jam-packed with features, modern hardware, and will do everything I throw at it. The Galaxy S9 can do all of that too, but now at a premium price.
As much of a fan as I am of Samsung Electronics, if you are thinking about upgrading, I would recommend taking advantage of the Galaxy S8 sales as the new S9 makes its way into the stores. There isn’t enough difference between the S8 and S9 to win me over, and it isn’t enough for me to recommend the new phone.