With all the recent success and hype surrounding Apple’s iPhone 8 and the marvelous iPhone X, it is no shocker to see the public so consumed by some of Apple’s newer work. In the down time since the release of these power phones, some major contenders have entered the ring in hopes of encapsulating the interest of people looking for something new.

While many have focused on the wireless charging, face ID and animoji, Samsung has been quietly concocting its own phone upgrade, one that may even be capable of living up to the prodigious iPhone X.

Although chock-full of bells and whistles, the main party trick on the s9 and s9+  has to be the “reimagined, redesigned camera” as stated by Samsung as their flagship motto for the new phone. Being the very first aperture adjustable camera on a smartphone, the device can adapt to light, just like the human eye.

While both the X and s9 feature a 12 megapixel rear camera, the s9 features an eight megapixel front facing camera, whereas the X has seven megapixels for selfies. The rear camera switches between a f/2.4 which equips the user with significant control over how many photons are hitting the camera’s sensor in bright daytime shots. A super wide f/1.5 is also included for when every last bit of light is needed, something iPhone users still await improvement.

If consumers think the s9 camera stopped there, they are sorely mistaken. Both phones prove to do very well in their field with video and are both capable of shooting in 4K resolution. However, when it comes down to slow motion video, Samsung changes the game, with an all new “super slow motion” feature, shooting videos at 960fps.

To put this into perspective, the iPhone X is only capable of shooting slow motion at 240fps at the highest. Oh and yes, the s9 still has the headphone jack.

Samsung always had an outstanding record when it came to their quality of displays, with their highly valued TVs and predecessor smartphones, so much so that even the iPhone X is fitted with a screen manufactured by Samsung. While still maintaining the same design with a curved glass infinity display, like the iPhone X and the s8, the s9 and the s9+ will have surround sound stereo speakers, with a 5.8” and 6.2” display respectively.

The new phone will also be equipped with an iris scanner to unlock the phone, similar to X’s face ID, as well as a 18.5:9 display ratio. This ratio basically means it has a cinema-quality feeling, something that no current iPhone has come close to.

Despite manufacturing the s9 nd s9+ in new colors including  lilac purple, midnight black and coral blue, there really is not an immense difference between the s8 and the new s9. Dissimilar to the major leap between the iPhone 7 and the X.

Granted, there was barely a difference between the iPhone 7 and 8, with the only main difference being wireless charging capabilities. However, the iPhone 8 and X have extensive differences. If customers are looking for a uniquely designed, Samsung-made mobile phone, the Samsung s9 may not be the light at the end of the tunnel.

When it comes to how the s9 looks, in terms of its dimensions, it is surprisingly similar to it’s previous models. The s9 still shares the same 5.8 inch infinity display, and the QHD+ resolution, as well as the same sized internal battery (with 3,000 mAh).

This does not mean the s9 is a necessarily bad phone to purchase, it just means it would not be worth an upgrade if a Galaxy s8 was already owned. However, if someone were to  have an iPhone 7, or even an iPhone 8, purchasing the X would be a much larger gap than those present in the galaxy lineup.

The Galaxy s9 proves to be an extremely well crafted mobile phone, with many features that could potentially tip long time Apple fans to the “darkside” of Samsung.