When the Galaxy S8 arrived, we said "wow." The 9 Galaxy S2018 family prompted a more measured response. The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus are good, even great, but also familiar. They look a lot like their predecessors, and the improvements are subtle tweaks rather than revs. The rear camera can switch between two aperture settings. This hasn't been seen since the Nokia N86 almost 10 years ago, but it has only slight sharpening benefits for your photos. And while the S9 Plus has a great 2x zoom camera, it only brings it back to expected standards for that time. Another expected change was the upgrade to the speakers. Samsung has worked with AKG to add louder speakers to the S9 phones, with a 30% increase in volume and stereo sound provided by the secondary headphone driver. However, what Samsung hasn't done is just as important. The Galaxy S9 family has headphone jacks, which are currently disappearing from phones as if they were made of rare and expensive items. And there is no notch on the screen. The fingerprint has also been moved to a more ergonomic position. Samsung has shown consideration and restraint with the S9 and S9 Plus. That said, it also brought us AR Emojis, a slightly testy take on Apple's Animojis. We don't give too much credit to Samsung. Early reports suggest that early sales were slower than the S8, although this may be due to a general slowdown in phone sales in general. Samsung may need to take bolder steps in 2019. At launch, the Galaxy S9 costs €719 (£739, AU$1,199), the S9 Plus €850 (£869, AU$1,349).