Tuned by audio experts at AKG, you’ll discover new hidden sounds in your favorite song when you listen to music on the Galaxy S9/S9+. And when combined with Dolby Atmos surround sound, watching movies on your device will be more immersive than ever before, bringing you up close and personal to the action.

How did our team of experts at Samsung manage to build such quality audio capabilities within such a small smartphone? We went straight to the source to get the story behind the supreme sound system.

01. The Problem

If you look at a smartphone, chances are it only has one speaker at the bottom. This means that sound waves can only travel in one direction, restricting the overall listening experience. And since smartphones must fit into our pockets, the speakers tend to be small, which limits their ability to fully produce bass sounds.

02. The Goal

That’s why we set out to develop a smartphone with multiple dynamic speakers that can fit into the palm of your hand. We believed, with sound coming from different areas of the phone and emanating in various directions, watching films on the phone could be as immersive as going to the cinema.

03. The Idea

To turn the Galaxy S9/S9+’s sound quality into a three-dimensional experience, we wanted to place another dynamic speaker in the phone. The top of the phone was the best location as this would allow the device to play sound in stereo. This meant we had to rearrange the internal components, like the front camera and iris scanner, to make room. On top of that, we had to design a speaker that is powerful yet slim enough for the new phones to maintain Samsung’s Infinity Display.

04. The Solution

Engineers from different departments worked together to adjust the location of various components and also increased the size of the existing speaker by 1.5 times. We also spent a year modifying the kinetic structure of the speaker to make sure there was enough room. But due to the shape of the Galaxy S9/S9+, there were still slight differences in the sizes of the two speakers. That’s why we had to tune the speakers to balance the output levels. And finally we reduced interference from other components that also use magnets so that they wouldn’t cause static or noise in the speaker.

05. The Result

With these changes, we were able to produce the Galaxy S9/S9+ sound system, which delivers sound that’s 1.4 times (3-4dB) louder than the Galaxy S8. We also partnered with Dolby Atmos to incorporate Virtual Surround Sound Effect in the smartphone to maximize the stereo speakers’ capability. Instead of mixing by channels, Dolby Atmos places sounds within a three-dimensional audio environment, giving listeners the impression that sounds are coming from everywhere. Audio experts at AKG also fine-tuned the speakers, expanding their bass range while ensuring they can handle high volumes without distortions. Together, these innovations allow the Galaxy S9/S9+ to deliver a unique audio experience.

06. A Simple How-to Guide

The Galaxy S9 and S9+ build on that innovative heritage with enhancements that not only foster captivating visuals, but also truly realistic audio. Let’s take a closer look at how Samsung’s refinements to the devices’ displays and sound systems have made it even easier for users to immerse themselves in their favorite content.

A Refined Infinity Display

Both the 5.8-inch Galaxy S9 and the 6.2-inch S9+ feature Samsung’s latest Super AMOLED Infinity Displays, which feature key refinements that magnify the beauty and immersive qualities of the Galaxy smartphones’ signature screen.

The Infinity Display is characterized by its smooth, spacious design, which seamlessly curves at the edges to blend into the Galaxy S9’s body and lends the device its beautiful, highly ergonomic form. Films, shows and video clips are captivating when viewed on the 18.5:9, HDR (High Dynamic Range) capable display, whose impeccable accuracy allows such content to be presented exactly as creators intended.

When designing the new displays, Samsung focused on adjustments that would enable users to enjoy even more engrossing viewing experiences. This led Samsung to trim down the already small bezels at the top and bottom of the device, and make the screen itself a deeper black, so as to blend in with the bezels when the device is off. The bezels have also been refined to conceal features that could possibly detract from users’ immersion, such as the device’s iris sensor.

Adaptive Contrast Enhancement is another immersion-amplifying addition that allows the display to provide crisp visuals even in direct sunlight. This offers users more freedom to comfortably consume the content they want, when they want.

To make using the device even more comfortable, the Galaxy S9 also introduces a new Landscape Mode, which allows the home screen and app tray to adjust their orientation when the phone is held at an angle. This feature is particularly useful when a user who is watching a video navigates to the home screen to find another app.

The durability of the devices’ screens and bodies has also been enhanced. In addition to utilizing a high-strength aluminum alloy that offers protection from external impacts, Samsung reinforced both phones with thicker Corning© Gorilla© Glass 5 on their fronts, as well as more scratch-resistant side metal frames.

Cinematic Sound

Because smartphones are increasingly becoming our go-to platforms for entertainment, a top-flight display alone won’t quite cut it. In order to enjoy a truly cinematic mobile viewing experience, we need a premium sound system to complement the display – one that makes it easy for us to immerse ourselves in whatever content we’re consuming.

To enable users to experience true auditory immersion, Samsung placed powerful, AKG-tuned stereo speakers at the bottom and earpiece of the Galaxy S9. Together, the speakers pump out audio that’s not only loud, but also rich and balanced, no matter the volume.

This means that whether you’re streaming the latest binge-worthy show or jamming out to a new playlist, you can count on the Galaxy S9 to provide high-quality audio that keeps you engaged and makes your show, song, or podcast that much more enjoyable.

The Galaxy S9 also features a Dolby Atmos effect that gives users listening through headphones or the device’s speakers the sensation that they’re experiencing 360-degree surround sound. The clever feature carefully analyzes how key variables affect the audio in order to create the most immersive sound experience possible.

The function enriches both Dolby Atmos-exclusive content as well as various other forms of media, and may easily be toggled on or off.

More Tools to Multitask

The Galaxy S9 also features an array of useful functions specifically designed to make it easy for users to multitask using the Infinity Display.

Galaxy users are by now long acquainted with Multi-Window, a convenient feature that enables users to simultaneously manage two windows on their screen for increased efficiency. Edge Lighting Notifications add a new layer of utility to this function by allowing users to easily manage incoming messages while enjoying their favorite content.

With Edge Lighting Notifications, once a message comes in, users are presented with an icon that they may pull down to instantly launch a Multi-Window. This allows them to view their message and compose a reply without needing to navigate away from the website that they were viewing, or falling behind in their movie, show or game.

That multi-app versatility is also the key benefit of App Pair, a convenient feature that quickly became a fan favorite when it was introduced on the Galaxy Note8. App Pair lets users create custom pairs of apps that they can launch simultaneously from the Edge panel or their home screen. This means that with a single tap, a user could instantly launch their music and navigation apps as they began their morning commute, or open their Internet and messaging apps to coordinate dinner with friends.

The Galaxy S9’s powerful combination of sound and display innovations offers users premium multimedia and multitasking experiences without compromise.

*All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.

A smartphone’s audio capabilities can not only affect the quality of a phone call, but can also make or break one’s mobile entertainment experience. Which is exactly why Samsung has incorporated new and improved audio features, functions and controls into the Galaxy S8 and S8+. Find out more about them below.

UHQ Audio Playback

Recognizing the importance of audio technology, Samsung equipped the Galaxy S8 with Ultra High Quality (UHQ) Audio Playback capabilities with UHQ 32-bit and DSD support*.

This, along with support for digital recordings up to 32 bit/384kHz, ensures that the smartphone can reproduce the full range of sound from recordings that have been mastered from better than CD quality music sources. In other words, the Galaxy S8 does not downsample (or compress) audio files, so the user can experience music and sound much closer to the original recording. Recording quality, too, has also been improved thanks to the High Acoustic Overload Point (AOP) Mic that minimizes distortion in noisy environments.

Dual Audio

The all-new Dual Bluetooth Audio feature provides users with the facility to simultaneously stream audio to two sets of headphones or speakers, while also allowing them to control the volume of the outputs separately.

Settings > Connections > Bluetooth

Separate App Sound

The new Separate app sound function permits users to simultaneously broadcast sounds from two individual apps using their Galaxy S8 smartphone and a separate device. This means that, for instance, a user may listen to GPS navigation via their Galaxy S8’s speaker while streaming music to their car’s Bluetooth audio system at the same time. The volume of the audio, meanwhile, can also be controlled independently.

Settings > Sounds and vibration > Separate app sound

Adapt Sound 6.0

The Galaxy S8’s Adapt Sound 6.0 function has been improved with new Preset and Advanced modes to allow for enhanced audio personalization. Clinical research and statistical analysis of people’s hearing patterns were used to develop three preset sound profiles optimized for people by age: under 30 years, between 30 and 60 years, and over 60 years.

Users can select a preset profile according to their age, or opt to use the Advanced mode to test their hearing and find the best sound for them. The Galaxy S8 will then automatically adjust the audio output for calls, music and video based on their specific needs so they can enjoy a truly tailor-made audio experience.

Settings > Sounds and vibration > Sound quality and effects

SoundAlive 4.1

The latest Galaxy flagship is also backed by SoundAlive 4.1, a tool that gives the user the ultimate control over sound quality and effects.** The tool features an easy-to-use, 9-band Equalizer with six pre-set options to tweak the phone’s audio; a UHQ Upscaler to enhance sound resolution; and Surround, Tube Amp Pro and Concert hall effects.

Settings > Sounds and vibration > Sound quality and effects

Extra Volume

There’s nothing worse than having to make or take a call in a noisy environment, such as a crowded café or heavily-trafficked street. But the Galaxy S8’s Extra volume feature makes it possible to increase the call volume without sacrificing sound quality by simply tapping an icon, right from the call screen.

Interview Mode

To better capture an interview using the Galaxy S8’s Voice Recorder app, users can activate Interview mode. In this mode, sounds near the top and bottom of the phone are amplified, while those closer to the sides are suppressed to ensure the voices of both the interviewer and interviewee are crisp and clear.

UHQ Upscaler

To enhance the sound resolution of music and videos even further, users can activate the UHQ upscaler via the Entertainment Mode settings menu.

Settings >Device Maintenance >Performance Mode>Entertainment

Superior, In-Box Earphones

For the Galaxy S8, Samsung worked with HARMAN to create AKG-tuned earphones that deliver pure, superior sound. Included as an in-box accessory, the new high-performance earphones have dual drivers — 11 and 8 millimeters — to offer uncompromised audio for unbeatable sound quality. In addition, the earphones have a comfortable hybrid canal fit for improved noise cancellation and are made from anti-tangle, metal-fabric material.

*DSD64 and DSD128 playback may be limited depending on the file format.

**Some features are only available when the device is connected to a pair of earphones.