Should I Buy A Refurbished Samsung Galaxy S9 In 2024?
Buying a refurbished phone can be challenging. That too if the phone is six years old. This article will extensively discuss the pros, cons, and flipside of owning a refurbished Samsung Galaxy S9.
Stick around to know whether you should buy a refurbished Samsung Galaxy S9. Let’s go.
Samsung Galaxy S9 Overview
The Galaxy lineup of phones has been one of Samsung’s most prized possessions for a long time. The Galaxy lineup aims to market the most technologically advanced phones. In other words, the Galaxy lineup represents the best of Samsung.
The Galaxy series has always been the pinnacle of excellence. As a result, every phone from the lineup is excellent and ripe with features.
One such phone series was the Samsung Galaxy S9 series. The S9 series was released in 2018 and was lauded for its enhanced camera and biometric sensors.
However, if you plan on buying a refurbished Samsung Galaxy S9, go through this article. Otherwise, you will be committing a huge mistake.
Release
The days leading up to the grand release of S9 were saturated with leaks and rumors. Given the popularity of the phone, several hackers tried leaking details beforehand. The official launch video was also revealed just a few hours before the launch.
However, the phone was very well received at the time of release. It was a considerable step up from the previous generation of Samsung phones.
Even though the company made fantastic changes to the Samsung Galaxy S9, many critics complained that the phone was too similar to its predecessor.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 series consists of two phones, Samsung Galaxy S9+ and Samsung Galaxy S9. Both of the phones were amazing in their own right.
Technicalities
Knowing the technicalities is a significant deal. As a conscious buyer, you should know what it offers before buying a phone. In other words, you must only invest your time and money into something that provides little.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 series of phones is an excellent set of phones. The duo is known to be a considerable upgrade from the previous generation. In this section, we will review every technical detail about the phone.
But before we delve deeper, we want to clarify that phones age with time. As a result, the performance stats discussed in the following section should be taken with a grain of salt.
With that knowledge, let us dive right in and see what S9 has to offer in 2024.
Design
The foremost aspect that a user would notice about the phone is its design language. The design language of the phone is similar to that of the S8. In fact, some elements were so close that several critics raised these concerns.
However, some notable changes were made. For example, the back of the phone is completely overhauled. The fingerprint sensor has been shifted from the right of the camera to a more centralized position like that of A8 and A8+.
The phone is built on an alloy frame. This frame keeps the phone secured. The company understands the importance of choice. As a result, the brand decided to bring the phone in different hues.
However, if you plan on buying a refurbished Samsung Galaxy S9, you should know that you can get all the color options.
Display
Samsung has always been obsessed with big screens. The brand has made a point to push the envelope when it comes to the display. As a result, you can expect the best from your refurbished Samsung Galaxy S9.
The display array of the standard S9 variant shares some remarkable similarities with the S9+’s display array. In fact, these phones can seem identical to an untrained eye.
Both devices feature a 1440p Super AMOLED display that comes with an aspect ratio of 18.5:9. Size is the only difference between these two phones. The base variant of the S9 features a 5.8-inch panel, while the S9+ comes with a 6.2-inch panel.
The display comes in a wraparound format. In other words, the display cascades over the edge. This makes the display seem more significant than it actually is.
Camera
Apple might be one of the stalwarts of adding beefy camera arrays to their phones. However, Samsung is familiar with the idea. The brand has made some fantastic developments when it comes to the camera array of their phone.
Back when the S9 Series was launched, Samsung was leading the camera revolution in the Android forefront. S9+ came with a dual camera setup, while S9 went with a single camera setup.
In some unique variants of the phone, Samsung added their own ISOCELL S5K2L3 camera sensor. Meanwhile, other variants came with Sony’s Exmor IMX345.
Both camera arrays are perfect for high-quality shooting as they can capture pictures at a 4K resolution scale.
Apart from the massive resolution scale, the camera also features AR emojis like Apple’s Animoji. Therefore, the S9 was trying to compete directly with the flagship iPhone at that time. Hence, you can easily take your refurbished Samsung Galaxy S9 on photo walks.
Chipset
The chipset is an integral part of the whole conversation. A phone without the right chipset is nothing more than a hunk of useless plastic and metal. Luckily, Samsung understood this concept and fitted their flagship S9 with the best chipset available in the market.
Like its predecessor, the S9 series came in two primary variants and several sub-variants. In most countries, the S9 duo went with the Samsung Exynos 9810 Soc.
Meanwhile, versions sold in places like the USA, Canada, Hong Kong, China, Japan, and South America came with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC.
Both processors are reliable and well-made. However, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC is known to be the most reliable compared to the Exynos.
Storage
Samsung likes to provide its users with options. As a result, several sub-variants are available in the market. Samsung released the S9 with a decent 4 GB RAM. Meanwhile, the S9+ comes with a 6 GB RAM.
Even though these RAM stats seem weak by today’s standards, you must remember that you are buying a phone that was released six years ago in 2018.
Both variants came with decent storage spaces as well. The Standard S9 variant comes with 64 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB storage options. However, the later variants were released much later.
Overall, the S( series) overall storage option is decent at best. You might need help if you are planning on running CPU-intensive programs, but you will have a functional experience.
Batteries
Before we start discussing the battery array further, we need to clarify something. The battery is one of the fastest-depreciating phone assets. Several studies show that batteries lose around 40% to 50% of their vitality in the very first year of usage.
As a result, take all the following stats with a grain of salt. Like its predecessor, the S9 series features a 3000 mAh battery for the S9, and the S9+ comes with a 3500 mAh battery unit. On paper, the battery unit is sufficiently powered.
However, it would help if you remembered that you will be buying a refurbished Samsung Galaxy S9. Therefore, these figures might not apply to you.
Audio
Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ are great phones with some fantastic features. However, the overall sound system should be at its highest heights. Users have claimed that the sound system of the phone is simply unparalleled.
Even after so long, the audio system performs very well and without any chinks. The S9 duo comes with a finely tuned AKG stereo speaker. This speaker allows crisper sounds and deeper bass.
The best part about the system is that it is powered by a Dolby Atmos system. As a result, the phone is capable of producing immersive and deep soundscapes. In fact, it was one of the only phones that came with a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
Software
The final frontier that needs special mention is the software side of things. The S9 duo was initially shipped with an Android 8.0 Oreo update. Along with the software array, the phone was released with Google Mobile Services and Samsung Experience UI.
This software setup was truly state-of-the-art at the time of the release. In fact, the S9 duo was lauded for having a powerful and efficient software array.
However, it would help if you remembered that this phone was released six years ago. Therefore, you must not compare the software array of S9 with the latest phones.
The best part about the OS was the flexibility. It allowed users to play around with settings to create a curated and unique user experience. Later, the S9 duo was released with an Android 9.0 Pie.
General Reception
This section might not be directly related to owning a refurbished Samsung Galaxy S9, But it is a crucial aspect to know about. Learning more about the general reception of the phone helps you understand how the phone was initially received.
All in all, the phone was well-received and was one of the highest-selling phones of that year. Most users lauded the phone for its fantastic feature list and accessibility.
However, it did receive some flak as well. Many users claimed that the phone was S8 in essence.
In other words, Samsung retained several design and feature elements from the previous generation. This is something that Samsung fanboys hated.
Common Refurbished Samsung Galaxy S9 Problems
Buying a refurbished Samsung Galaxy S9 is very different from purchasing any other first-hand phone. This is primarily due to the fact that refurbished phones are usually old and come with some unique problems.
This section is all about helping you guys identify some of the most common problems you might face while using a refurbished Samsung Galaxy S9.
Then again, every refurbished phone is a different case altogether. Hence, it is not possible to anticipate the problem that you might face.
With that note, let us dive right in:
Exynos 9810: Several users claim that the Exynos 9810 is underpowered. This is usually noticed by people who use refurbished Samsung Galaxy S9 products. This is a hardware problem and can only be solved by a professional.
Display: One of the most common problems that many users pointed out was the black screen of death. This is an annoying problem that can become serious.
However, this is a complex problem that can be software as well as hardware in nature. Hence, it would be best if you took the phone to a professional.
Keyboard: In a unique turn of events, many users noted that their digital keypad fails to work. This is purely a software problem. Therefore, all you can do is factory reset your phone or update the keyboard application. Either of the two could help you fix this problem.
Connectivity: Refurbished Samsung Galaxy S9 tends to run into connectivity errors from time to time. This is a significant problem that can become super annoying super fast. This is a network array issue that can only be fixed by a professional.
Audio Problem: It is not uncommon for refurbished phones to demonstrate audio problems from time to time. In fact, this is one of the most common problems that refurbished users face at every juncture.
However, if the problem is too big to ignore, you should take your phone to a professional. It could be a sign of water damage.
The Closing Thought
In the end, we from TND suggest that you go for newer refurbished models like the S20 and not for a refurbished Samsung Galaxy S9. It is old and can be limited by today’s standards.
Therefore, let this one pass and go for more advanced and efficient phones. Keep following our page for more such content.
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