10 Best Galaxy S9 Alternative in 2024

Are you not a big fan of Samsung’s Galaxy S9? Or maybe you don’t want to drop all of that money on the phone. Phones are getting quite expensive, and often you can get the same or better experience for less money. Or, maybe you’re just not a fan of the TouchWiz experience.

Whatever the story is, we understand, but don’t lose hope on your new phone purchase: there are plenty of awesome smartphones out there these days, even though Samsung might be the loudest voice in the market right now. If you’re looking for a Samsung Galaxy S9 alternative, be sure to follow along with our list below. Here are our favorite alternatives.

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At A Glance: 10 Best Galaxy S9 Alternative in 2022

• Essential Phone
  Our Top Pick
• Samsung Galaxy Note 8
• LG V35 ThinQ

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Best Galaxy S9 Alternative

1. Essential Phone

First up on our list is the Essential Phone was hyped a lot, with Andy Rubin — dubbed the Father of Android — leading the charge on this smartphone. Crafted out of titanium and ceramic, this phone is supposed to be gorgeous and luxury. On the 5.71-inch display, you get the best screen-to-body ratio on any smartphone with super-thin bezels. It’s nearly a full-screen display! It comes with a great camera, bringing in 200% more light than other smartphones on the market. On top of that, it brings a stock Android software experience, essentially what Andy Rubin envisioned an Android phone being. If you want a luxury smartphone at a small price, you can’t get any better than the Essential Phone right now.
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2. Galaxy Note 8

Smartphone pricing is a big deal these days. In late 2018, and soon coming into 2019, we’re seeing phones that are breaking that price barrier with no shame. And that’s why you might want to consider something a little older, but just as fast. The Galaxy Note 8 still a phenomenal smartphone, even if the Galaxy Note 9 is here. It still features that large display and a decent size battery — a whole 3,300mAh. You still have the S-Pen experience as well, and you should get all the software that comes with the Note 9’s S-Pen on the Note 8 because of a free software upgrade.

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3. LG V35 ThinQ

The LG V35 ThinQ is next up on our list and is one of our favorites because it was designed for the creative inside you. If you’ve been frustrated with your phone’s abilities to support your photo and video taking, then the V35 ThinQ will be right up your alley. The V35 ThinQ supports 4K video taking, giving you the crisp and clear quality that you haven’t seen before. Not only that, but one of the unique things about the LG’s V series is all of the manual controls you can mess with within the software — easily adjust aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance, and more.

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4. Apple iPhone 11 

The Apple iPhone 11 serves as an excellent alternative for those considering the Samsung Galaxy S9. Released in 2019, the iPhone 11 features Apple’s powerful A13 Bionic chip, which provides speedy performance that rivals Samsung’s flagship.

The iPhone 11’s camera system with dual 12MP lenses delivers stunning image quality and versatility, including the ability to capture ultra-wide shots, close-ups, and portrait mode photos with real-time depth control. Features video recording goes up to 4K at 60 fps for crisp and smooth footage. The iPhone 11 also boasts Face ID security through advanced facial recognition technology, wireless charging support, and rugged water and dust resistance with an IP68 rating.

With its 6.1-inch Liquid Retina HD display powered by Apple’s Super Retina XDR tech, the iPhone 11 renders graphics and videos in vivid detail. Apple consistently supports devices with software updates for years after release; the iPhone 11 is running on the latest iOS 16 operating system.

For those invested in the Apple ecosystem and services like iMessage, iCloud, and Apple Pay, the iPhone 11 integrates seamlessly. With comparable performance specs, including 4GB RAM and up to 256GB storage, robust camera capabilities, and day-long battery life, the iPhone 11 serves as a future-proof Galaxy S9 alternative with Apple’s signature quality design and user experience.

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5. LG G7 ThinQ

The LG G7 ThinQ smartphone is LG’s new flagship on the market. This phone comes with a massive 6.1-inch Quad HD+ Full Vision display. Similar to the Essential Phone, LG worked to give this phone a full-display with little bezel — it’s an experience like no other. LG’s G7 ThinQ has a notch similar to the iPhone X (but it’s removable), but it’s not very secure. It can only be used for unlocking the smartphone, not for replacing passwords, or verifying mobile payments. Still, the phone has a beautiful display and fast hardware that can handle just about anything. You get a pretty stellar dual 16-megapixel camera (two 16MP sensors) that gives you the ability to take wide-angle shots.

Overall, it’s a premium smartphone not worth passing up!

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6. Google Pixel 6

With its powerful Google Tensor processor, advanced camera technology, and pure Android experience, the Google Pixel 6 stands out as an impressive alternative to the Galaxy S9.

The Google Tensor chip delivers rapid performance and camera improvements powered by AI and machine learning. The Pixel 6’s dual camera system includes a 50MP wide lens and a 12MP ultra-wide lens that captures stunning photos and 4K video. Features like Magic Eraser and Motion Mode leverage Google’s computational photography prowess for unique imaging capabilities. Night Sight and astrophotography modes excel in low-light settings.

The Pixel 6 shines with a vivid 6.4-inch OLED screen up to 90Hz for smooth scrolling and animations. Google promises five years of security updates to keep the Pixel 6 safe from threats. With IP68 water/dust resistance and Gorilla Glass Victus, the phone is durable and protected. Up to 256GB of storage provides ample room for apps, photos, videos, and files.

The Tensor chip’s advanced security features help safeguard sensitive user data as well. For those invested in Google’s apps and services like Gmail, Maps, and Photos, the Pixel 6 delivers a cohesive experience and excellent Google Assistant integration. With top-tier performance, camera quality, software support, and AI-enhanced features, the Pixel 6 serves as a leading Galaxy S9 alternative for Android users.

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7. Samsung Galaxy Note 9

Coming as our next contender, we have the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. If you want something with a big screen, the Galaxy Note 9 will be right in your wheelhouse. It’s pretty unique because of its massive dual-curved display. The curved edges provide a unique screen perspective and also add some more capabilities to the smartphone — software features like People Edge, Apps Edge, and more.

The screen itself comes in at a whopping 6.4-inches in size. And since it’s a Super AMOLED panel, you’ll get deep and vibrant colors. Pair all of that together, and you get an excellent media experience for watching movies, TV shows, videos, and more.

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8. LG V30

The LG V30 is another smartphone that’s worth mentioning. It’s around the same size as the Galaxy S9, so you still get that large phone and highly-detailed screen experience. But, on top of that, the LG V30 was designed for people who love to create. The primary feature that’s marketed with this phone is the camera setup. It has a camera that’s able to beautiful and detailed shots, but on top of that, many of the features can be manually operated for making slight adjustments to make the perfect photo. And with all-day battery life, you’ll love the experience that this phone brings to the table.

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9. iPhone XS Max

Maybe you aren’t a fan of Android, and you wan to see what Apple’s offering over on iOS these days. Well, the good news is that there’s a lot of great things happening there — such as the iPhone XS Max. As the latest phone from Apple, it features several enhancements over the original iPhone X. You get all of Apple’s latest hardware, so you’ll be able to play high-end games and demanding productivity apps without a hitch. Not only that, but you’ll get a whole lot more real estate with the larger 6.5-inch Retina display. Media looks phenomenal on this phone — there are few devices out there that can beat the clarity.

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10. iPhone XR

Anyone will admit it — flagship smartphones aren’t cheap, and that includes the iPhone XS Max — that’s why Apple is offering something a little more affordable as well: the iPhone XR. It has a large display, and comes with an industry-leading facial recognition technology — you can easily replace all of your passwords and verify payments with it! The iPhone XR still runs on Apple’s latest chipsets, so you’ll be able to handle demanding applications without a hitch. However, this is considered Apple’s “budget” phone, so you do get a downgraded battery and camera in comparison to the iPhone XS Max.

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Best Galaxy S9 Alternative Verdict

Whether you’re looking to replace your Galaxy S9 or are looking for an alternative to Samsung’s latest flagship, any of these phones will do just fine!