THE SAMSUNG Galaxy S9 is both beautiful to behold, and to hold. In the less than two weeks that we tested the phone, the most outstanding feature of the S9 has to be its design.

Samsung has refined the design language that began in the S8, into an art form.

In the hand, the Galaxy S9 is smooth, but not slick. It is pleasing to hold and use, especially with the bundled phone case installed.

This is one of the rare times that a phone case, especially one that comes with the phone, adds to the experience of using a phone rather than detracts from its original design.

Samsung did not skimp on the S9’s display either. The 5.8in Quad HD+ Super Amoled (2960×1440) is attractive and perfect for reading and videos. It has a pixel density higher than the more expensive and expansive Galaxy S9+.

The display is paired with Samsung’s first dual-speaker setup on a Galaxy S phone.

It is undoubtedly loud, but it also sounds excellent thanks to AKG, who tuned the speakers and built-in Dolby Atmos technology. The bundled AKG tuned earbuds add to the near-perfect audio package.

The Galaxy S9 is also the first Samsung device built on the Android 8.0 Oreo operating system and user interface.

It is also the first phone by the Korean phone maker to feature the latest, excellent Snapdragon 845 chipset by Qualcomm.

To me, the Samsung Galaxy S9 is a sports car when compared to its competitors’ high-end devices, which are like sedans and coupes. It worked perfectly during its time as my main device.

It has a premium feel that no other phone on the market has, and it is just a pleasure to use.

But what about the camera, the Super Slow Mo videos, the Intelligent Scan, and the AR Emoji? These are the three most prominent features Samsung has touted on the Galaxy S9.

Well, the S9 is a jack of many trades. However, it is not a master at all of them.

In an industry first, the Galaxy S9 can physically switch its camera aperture from an F1.5 to an F2.4. By changing the size of its lens opening, this limits the amount of light hitting its sensors and allows the camera to take more rich-looking pictures in bright situations.

However, in a blind comparison test done on social media, photos taken with the S9 did not do as well as I expected.

While its Super Speed Dual Pixel 12MP AF sensor may be fast, and can take gorgeous pictures with better detail, somehow the results fall short – maybe because our expectations are so high for the S9.

As for the Super Slow Mo feature, while the Galaxy S9 is not the first phone with this ability to record video at 960 frames per second, Samsung’s implementation of the technology here is laudable.

Users can manually trigger the feature, or set it to automatic. When the camera detects motion in a predetermined area, it triggers Super Slow Mo to capture the perfect slow-motion moment (catch the video on www.thesundaily.my).

The app even adds dramatic music to match the video, making the feature far more practical.

Intelligent Scan is Samsung’s answer to a faster login method. It combines the secure iris scanning with the less secure facial recognition. Still, the result is a beat slower than just reaching for the now perfectly-placed fingerprint reader.

Finally, on the AR Emoji, by using the 8MP front-facing sensor, users of the S9 can puppeteer virtual avatars.

They can also create avatars based on their likeness, or the likeness of any portrait image. The phone will then give users the option to create 12 animated emojis based on the avatar. These can then be used on any messenger app.

The results are not always the best. If your ‘resting face’ is angry and you do not have big eyes, expect all your virtual avatars to look sleepy or annoyed.

With a price tag of RM3,299, and the S8, S8+, and Note8 still fresh in our minds, buying the S9 can be a tough decision.

Still, it is the benchmark that all flagship smartphones are going to be measured against. At least, until the Note9 comes out.