6 Samsung Galaxy S9 features that will make your life easier in the GCC

Whether you're a new Samsung smartphone user or have been using Galaxy devices for years, if you want to get the most out of the new Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+, there are certainly a few things you should know.

The Galaxy S9 and the larger S9+ are packed with numerous features that may still be unknown to you.

We aren't going to cover all of them, but we will touch on the most important Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ features that will make your life easier and dramatically improve your overall experience.

Boasting an advanced variable-aperture lens and a cool super slow-motion feature, it's no secret that the camera has received the most attention on the devices in the Arab world.

Let's take a look below:

Samsung's newest smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+, include a new feature called Intelligent Scan. The new biometrics verification system combines Samsung's secure iris scanner with its facial recognition unlock technology.

Intelligent scan understands environment lighting, which means it has the ability to switch between facial and iris recognition depending on lighting conditions. In brightly lit places, it will use facial recognition, whereas, in dim lighting, it will use the iris scanner to unlock the phone. 

This all happens virtually instantaneously. Intelligent Scan uses both facial and iris check only for Samsung Pay and Samsung Pass to ensure the ultimate security.

One of Samsung's key goals with the Samsung Galaxy S9 and the S9+ has been on improving the camera performance. 

The camera on the back of the smartphone consists of a 12-megapixel sensor with optical image stabilization, and an 8-megapixel sensor on the front. The Samsung Galaxy S9+, meanwhile, adds a complete second sensor, 12-megapixels with a 2x telephoto lens.

The camera app has also been updated and you can now easily switch between modes by swiping across the screen. Witness the difference in quality the next time you take a shot of Dubai's iconic Burj Khalifa!

With the decline of the megapixel race in smartphone cameras, manufacturers have had to look elsewhere to give their phones an edge.

For the Samsung Galaxy S9, Samsung's upgrade is Dual Aperture: one lens that can switch between 2 apertures depending on lighting conditions. This effectively means that the Samsung Galaxy S9 models can offer both a f/1.5 lens for low-light conditions and a f/2.4 lens for brighter scenes.

In Auto mode, the camera switches between them by itself, gauging the lighting and adjusting accordingly. Alternatively, you can swipe into Pro mode and change the aperture manually.

Head out to Burj Al Arab in the evening and test it by capturing breathtaking images of the structure! 

With its stunning ability to record footage at 960 frames per second, the Super Slow-mo feature of the Samsung Galaxy S9 can record amazing videos in slow motion.

Once Super Slow-mo footage has been recorded, the smartphone will automatically add music and create three different GIF versions of the same video – Loop, Reverse and Swing. The smartphone will also allow you to show off your directorial skills by adding Super Slow-mo bursts to a video or spotlighting one moment.

Try it next time you visit the Dubai Fountains!

UAE Foodies and aspiring food photographers/bloggers, rejoice. You can now make food look even tastier by simply switching to Food Mode right from the Camera app. To open the camera, quickly press the Power key twice. 

Swipe to Food Mode and touch on the screen or drag the circle to move the highlighted area. To adjust the color temperature, touch Palette and then adjust the slider to control the color temperature.

With Samsung Galaxy S9's Food Mode, GCC residents are finally able to take Instagram photos to the next level by putting their dish in the spotlight and giving it the photographic justice it deserves.

Developed to work with the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+, this feature gives users the ability to create digital cartoon versions of themselves, which they can then animate using their phone's camera.

With an emoji that follows your movements and expressions as well as your personal style, from hair to clothes, there truly has never been a better way to get your message across.

With the recently released Disney and Incredibles AR Emoji characters, the expressive stickers are now extended to 36 in total.