![Samsung Galaxy S9 G960U 64GB Unlocked [Midnight Black]](https://smi-mediaindex.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/g1680-product-1.jpg)
The Samsung Galaxy S9 is the smaller 2018 Galaxy S phone. It has a 5.8-inch Super AMOLED display, a single 12-megapixel rear camera with a variable aperture, a headphone jack, and a microSD slot. The Galaxy S9+ is the larger phone from the same year, with a second rear camera and a bigger battery. Black Friday listings in 2026 still mix the two, along with cases and with much newer Galaxy S phones that share only the letter S. This page is the S9, not the S9+ and not an S23 or later.
The display is a 5.8-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED, 2960 by 1440. It is curved at the edges in the style of that generation. The S9+ is 6.2 inches. If the title says Plus or shows two rear cameras side by side, it is not this phone. The S9 has one rear camera. That single camera uses a variable aperture, f/1.5 and f/2.4, which was the hardware trick of this generation. The front camera is 8 megapixels. There is no telephoto lens and no ultrawide.
In the United States the S9 used a Snapdragon 845. Other regions used Samsung’s Exynos 9810. Both are the S9, and they are not identical in the way enthusiasts compare them. For a normal purchase, the practical identity is still Galaxy S9, unlocked or carrier-locked, in the storage you choose. RAM is 4 GB. Storage started at 64 GB, with 128 GB and 256 GB variants, plus a microSD slot. That slot is one reason people still look at this phone. Newer flagships removed it.
The battery is 3,000 mAh. The S9+ is 3,500 mAh. Neither figure describes a battery that has been charged since 2018. In 2026 a used S9 needs a battery conversation. Maximum capacity, whether the back has been opened, and whether the phone still seals to its IP68 rating after a repair are the questions. IP68 was the rating when it was new. A phone that has had the back glass replaced may not be water resistant anymore. Ask.
There is a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a rear fingerprint sensor, stereo speakers tuned with AKG branding on this generation, and wireless charging. The fingerprint reader is on the back, not under the screen. If a listing shows an in-screen fingerprint graphic, it is a newer Galaxy. Colors included Midnight Black, Coral Blue, Lilac Purple, and later variants such as Sunrise Gold. Carrier names for colors sometimes differ. The model number is the clean check: SM-G960 is the S9 family, and SM-G965 is the S9+. The last letters mark the region. SM-G960U is a common US code. Match G960, not G965.
The small size is the other reason the S9 still shows up in a search. It is a phone you can use in one hand more easily than a modern Ultra. The curved glass is also a phone that case makers have mostly abandoned. If you want a case, buy it in the same order and confirm the listing says S9, not S9+ and not S10. Screen protectors for a flat modern phone will not wrap this edge. Wireless chargers from later phones usually still work, because the coil is a basic one, but a thick case can keep the coil from lining up.
Buy it as a spare, a headphone-jack phone, or a compact device with a memory card. Do not buy it as a camera upgrade over a phone from the last few years. The variable aperture was clever in 2018. It is not a later Galaxy’s multi-lens system. Black Friday language that calls every Samsung a flagship does not change the year on the box.
Software is the limit of an eight-year-old phone. Samsung’s update window for the S9 closed long ago. The phone can still run the last Android version it received. It will not become a new Galaxy through a settings menu. Banking apps and messaging apps sometimes drop old Android versions. If you need every current app, this is the wrong phone. If you want a compact phone with a headphone jack and a memory card, and you accept the age, the S9 is still that object.
Galaxy S9 Black Friday Deals 2026: What to Confirm Before You Buy
Confirm SM-G960, one rear camera, and a battery story.
A listing titled “Galaxy S9” that shows a triple-camera rectangle is a newer phone wearing the wrong name. A listing that says S9+ is the larger model. A listing that says “for Galaxy S9” is a case or a screen. The phone itself is a small glass-and-metal handset with a single lens and a rear fingerprint oval.
Unlocked should mean the phone can take a SIM and is not still financed. On a phone this old, carrier locks are less common than iCloud-style account locks, but Samsung accounts and Google locks both exist. The seller should factory-reset it and remove every account. Ask them to say that in the listing. Renewed grades on a phone from 2018 should mention the battery. A silent listing is not a new cell.
Black Friday accessories include a pack of screen glass, a clear case, and a “fast charger” that may not be the Samsung charger this phone expects. The original charging port is USB-C, which at least matches a modern cable. The headphone jack is the part that does not match newer phones. Do not buy an S9 and then a USB-C to headphone dongle as if the jack were missing. It is not missing.
When it arrives, check the model in Settings before you sign in. Confirm storage and the microSD tray. Look at the back glass around the camera for cracks. Charge it and see whether the battery percentage moves in a way you can live with. If the phone is account-locked, use the return window. No cable fixes that.
The Galaxy S9 is a 5.8-inch Snapdragon or Exynos phone with one rear camera, a headphone jack, a microSD slot, and model family SM-G960. Black Friday does not make it an S9+ and does not make it a new flagship. Match G960, then decide if a phone of this age is actually what you want on the desk.





