Compare Samsung Galaxy S9 vs Galaxy A31: which is better? | NR
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Samsung Galaxy S9 vs Galaxy A31
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Samsung Galaxy S9
Samsung Galaxy A31
Here we compared two smartphones: the 5.8-inch Samsung Galaxy S9 (with Exynos 9 Octa 9810) that was released on February 25, 2018, against the Samsung Galaxy A31, which is powered by Mediatek Helio P65 and came out 25 months after. On this page, you will find tests, full specs, strengths, and weaknesses of each of the devices.
Key differences
An overview of the main advantages of each smartphone
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy S9
-
Waterproof body (IP68 classification)
-
92% better performance in AnTuTu Benchmark (364K versus 189K)
-
38% higher pixel density (568 vs 411 PPI)
-
Supports Qi/PMA wireless charging up to 10W
-
Optical image stabilization
-
Slow-motion recording at 960FPS
-
Ability to record video in 4K resolution
-
Stereo speakers
-
The front-facing camera can record video at 1440p
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy A31
-
Shows 90% longer battery life (39:10 vs 20:36 hours)
-
Comes with 2000 mAh larger battery capacity: 5000 vs 3000 mAh
-
Has a 0.6 inch larger screen size
-
More recent OS version: Android 12 versus 10
-
Has an ultra-wide angle camera lens
-
The phone is 2-years and 1-month newer
We may receive a commission from Amazon for purchases made using the links below, but this has no bearing on our assessment methodology.
Value for money
You can enter your local price of these phones (in USD or any other currency) and click on the “Calculate” button to see which one has a better value for money.
Samsung Galaxy S9
Price
Samsung Galaxy A31
Tests and specifications
Comparison table of technical specifications and tests
Display
Type
Super AMOLED
Super AMOLED
Size
5.8 inches
6.4 inches
Resolution
1440 x 2960 pixels
1080 x 2400 pixels
Aspect ratio
18.5:9
20:9
PPI
568 ppi
411 ppi
Refresh rate
60 Hz
60 Hz
Adaptive refresh rate
No
No
Max rated brightness
658 nits
600 nits
HDR support
Yes, HDR10
No
Screen protection
Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Tempered glass
Screen-to-body ratio
83.6%
84.9%
Display features
– Always-On Display
– Always-On Display
Display tests
RGB color space
–
96.8%
PWM
240 Hz
238 Hz
Response time
7 ms
8 ms
Contrast
∞ Infinity
∞ Infinity
Peak brightness test (auto)
Galaxy S9
Galaxy A31
Sources:
NotebookCheck
[3], [4]
Design and build
Height
147.7 mm (5.81 inches)
159.3 mm (6.27 inches)
Width
68.7 mm (2.7 inches)
73.1 mm (2.88 inches)
Thickness
8.5 mm (0.33 inches)
8.6 mm (0.34 inches)
Weight
163 g (5.75 oz)
185 g (6.53 oz)
Waterproof
IP68
No
Rear material
Glass
Plastic
Frame material
Metal
Plastic
Colors
Black, Gold, Gray, Blue, Purple
White, Black, Blue, Red
Fingerprint scanner
Yes, rear
Yes, in-display
Screen-to-body ratio
Galaxy S9
Galaxy A31
Memory
RAM
RAM size
4 GB
4 GB
Memory type
LPDDR4X
LPDDR4X
Memory clock
1794 MHz
1866 MHz
Channels
2
2
Storage
Storage size
64 GB
64, 128 GB
Storage type
UFS 2.1
eMMC 5.1
Memory card
MicroSD
MicroSD
Memory card max size
Up to 400 GB
Up to 512 GB
Software
Operating system
Android 8.0 (Can be upgraded to Android 10)
Android 10 (Can be upgraded to Android 12)
ROM
One UI 2,1
One UI 4.1
OS size
14 GB
27 GB
Battery
Specifications
Capacity
3000 mAh
5000 mAh
Charge power
15 W
15 W
Battery type
Li-Po
Li-Ion
Replaceable
No
No
Wireless charging
Yes, Qi/PMA (10 W)
No
Reverse charging
No
No
Fast charging
Yes (40% in 30 min)
Yes, Samsung Adaptive Fast Charge (50% in 60 min)
Full charging time
1:35 hr
2:25 hr
Battery life tests
Web browsing
06:04 hr
14:31 hr
Watching video
10:57 hr
16:40 hr
Gaming
02:42 hr
05:44 hr
Standby
70 hr
126 hr
General battery life
Galaxy S9
Galaxy A31
Phone Battery Life Ranking
Camera
Specs and camera test of smartphones
Main camera
Matrix
12 megapixels
48 megapixels
Image resolution
4000 x 3000
8000 x 6000
Zoom
Digital
Digital
Flash
Dual LED
LED
Stabilization
Optical
Digital
8K video recording
No
No
4K video recording
Up to 60FPS
No
1080p video recording
Up to 240FPS
Up to 30FPS
Slow motion
960 FPS (720p)
No
Angle of widest lens
–
123°
Lenses
1 (12 MP)
4 (48 MP + 8 MP + 5 MP + 5 MP)
Wide (main) lens
– 12 MP
– Aperture: f/1.5 – 2.4
– Focal length: 26 mm
– Pixel size: 1.4 micron
– Sensor: 1/2.55″, Samsung SAK2L3 (ISOCELL CMOS)
– Phase autofocus
– Optical stabilization
– 48 MP
– Aperture: f/2.0
– Focal length: 26 mm
– Pixel size: 0.8 micron
– Sensor: 1/2.0″, Samsung S5KGM2 (ISOCELL CMOS)
– Phase autofocus
Ultra-wide lens
–
– 8 MP
– Aperture: f/2.2
– Focal length: 13 mm
– Pixel size: 1.12 micron
– Sensor: 1/4.0″ (CMOS)
Macro lens
–
– 5 MP
– Aperture: f/2.4
Depth lens
–
– 5 MP
– Aperture: f/2.4
Camera features
– Bokeh mode
– Pro mode
– Bokeh mode
– Pro mode
Selfie camera
Megapixels
8 megapixels
20 megapixels
Image resolution
3264 x 2448
5963 x 3354
Aperture
f/1.7
f/2.2
Focal length
25 mm
–
Pixel size
1.22 microns
–
Sensor type
ISOCELL CMOS
CMOS
Sensor size
1/3.6″
–
Video resolution
1440p at 30 FPS
1080p (Full HD) at 30 FPS
DxOMark camera tests
Photo quality
Galaxy S9
Galaxy A31
Video quality
Galaxy S9
Galaxy A31
Generic camera score
Galaxy S9
Galaxy A31
Connectivity
Wi-Fi standard
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac)
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac)
Wi-Fi features
– Dual Band
– Wi-Fi Direct
– Wi-Fi Hotspot
– Dual Band
– Wi-Fi Direct
– Wi-Fi Hotspot
Bluetooth version
5
5
Bluetooth features
PBAP/PAB, PAN, OPP, MAP, LE, HSP, HID, HFP, DIP, AVRCP, A2DP
PBAP/PAB, PAN, OPP, MAP, HSP, HID, HFP, DIP, AVRCP, A2DP
USB type
USB Type-C
USB Type-C
USB version
3.1
2
USB features
– Charging
– USB-Storage mode
– OTG
– Charging
– USB-Storage mode
– OTG
GPS
GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo
GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo
NFC
*
Yes
Yes
Infrared port
No
No
Network
Number of SIM
*
2
2
Type of SIM card
Nano
Nano
Multi SIM mode
Standby
Standby
eSIM support
*
No
No
Hybrid slot
Yes
No
LTE Cat
*
18
12
5G support
No
No
Sound
Speakers
Stereo
Mono
Headphone audio jack
Yes
Yes
FM radio
No
Yes
Dolby Atmos
Yes
Yes
Speakers test
Max loudness
Galaxy S9
Galaxy A31
Other
Category
Flagship
Mid-range
Announced
February 2018
March 2020
Release date
March 2018
April 2020
SAR (head)
0.362 W/kg
0.49 W/kg
SAR (body)
1.18 W/kg
1.68 W/kg
Sensors
– Barometer
– Proximity sensor
– Gyroscope
– Accelerometer
– Ambient light sensor
– Compass
– Fingerprint
– Proximity sensor
– Gyroscope
– Accelerometer
– Ambient light sensor
– Compass
– Fingerprint
*
Disclaimer! NFC, GSM network support, and some other specs can be different depending on the country.
Conclusion
If the display, performance, camera, connectivity, design, and sound are more important to you, then choose the Samsung Galaxy S9. But if the software and battery life are more of a priority – go for the Samsung Galaxy A31.
Cast your vote
So, which phone would you choose?
Samsung Galaxy S9
(65%)
Samsung Galaxy A31
(35%)
Total votes: 80
