Plum Gator 7 vs. Samsung Galaxy S9: A Clash of Titans
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S9 is the clear winner. While the Plum Gator 7 offers affordability, the S9's superior chipset, display, camera, and overall build quality provide a significantly better user experience. It's a testament to how far flagship phones have advanced.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Plum Gator 7 | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 (dual-SIM model only) |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - Global, USA |
| 4G bands | 2, 4, 5, 7, 12, 17, 25, 26, 28, 41, 66 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - Global |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (2CA) Cat13 400/150 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (6CA) Cat18 1200/200 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
| - | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66, 71 - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, September 01. Released 2021, September 01 | 2018, February 25. Released 2018, March 09 |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Dragontrail Glass), plastic frame, plastic back | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 157.5 x 78.1 x 13.7 mm (6.20 x 3.07 x 0.54 in) | 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5 mm (5.81 x 2.70 x 0.33 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 261 g (9.21 oz) | 163 g (5.75 oz) |
| IP69 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 35 min) Drop-to-concrete resistance (up to 1.8m) MIL-STD-810H compliant | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Dragontrail Glass | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 720 x 1440 pixels, 18:9 ratio (~282 ppi density) | 1440 x 2960 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~570 ppi density) |
| Size | 5.7 inches, 83.8 cm2 (~68.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.8 inches, 84.8 cm2 (~83.6% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | IPS LCD | Super AMOLED, HDR10 |
| - | 3D Touch (home button only) Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Quad-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53 | Octa-core (4x2.7 GHz Mongoose M3 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55) - EMEAOcta-core (4x2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver) - USA/LATAM, China |
| Chipset | Mediatek MT6761V/WE (14 nm) | Exynos 9810 (10 nm) - EMEAQualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) - USA/LATAM, China |
| GPU | PowerVR GE8300 | Mali-G72 MP18 - EMEAAdreno 630 - USA/LATAM, China |
| OS | Android 11 | Android 8.0 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 10, One UI 2.5 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (dedicated slot) | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only |
| Internal | 32GB 3GB RAM | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM |
| eMMC 5.1 | UFS 2.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 8 MP, AF | 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS (30fps) |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 8 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.22µm, AF 2 MP (dedicated iris scanner camera) |
| Features | - | HDR |
| Single | 5 MP | - |
| Video | 720p@30fps | 1440p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| 35mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| NFC | Yes (market/region dependent) | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | FM radio | FM radio (USA & Canada only) |
| USB | microUSB 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Iris scanner, fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2 |
| - | ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | - | 15W wired, QC2 Wireless (Qi) (market dependent) |
| Type | Li-Po 5580 mAh | Li-Ion 3000 mAh, non-removable (11.55 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Orange | Midnight Black, Coral Blue, Titanium Gray, Lilac Purple, Burgundy Red, Sunrise Gold, Ice Blue |
| Models | - | SM-G960F, SM-G960, SM-G960F, SM-G960U, SM-G960W, SM-G9600, SM-G960U1, SM-G960N, SCV38, SM-G960X, SC-02K |
| Price | - | About 110 EUR |
| SAR | - | 0.63 W/kg (head) 0.96 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.36 W/kg (head) 1.18 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | - | Noise -93.4dB / Crosstalk -93.9dB |
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 78h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal), 4.630 (sunlight) |
| Loudspeaker | - | Voice 68dB / Noise 74dB / Ring 81dB |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 250156 (v7) GeekBench: 8830 (v4.4) GFXBench: 14fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Plum Gator 7
- Extremely affordable
- Decent battery life (reported)
- Compact size (assumed)
- Weak processor
- Basic display
- Low-quality camera
- Limited software support
Samsung Galaxy S9
- Excellent display
- Powerful processor
- Great camera
- Premium build quality
- Wireless charging (market dependent)
- Older model (limited software updates)
- Battery life may degrade over time
- Can be more expensive than budget alternatives
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S9 boasts a stunning Super AMOLED display with an incredible contrast ratio (effectively infinite nominal, 4.630 in sunlight). Colors are vibrant, blacks are deep, and viewing angles are excellent. The Plum Gator 7 likely has a more basic LCD display, offering acceptable but not exceptional visuals. Expect lower brightness and less accurate color reproduction.
Camera Comparison
The Galaxy S9's camera is a standout feature, offering excellent image quality, particularly in good lighting conditions. It also features a variety of shooting modes and features. The Plum Gator 7's camera is likely adequate for basic snapshots but won't match the S9's detail, dynamic range, or low-light performance.
Performance
Here's where the S9 truly shines. Its Exynos 9810 or Snapdragon 845 chipset (depending on region) is significantly more powerful than the Gator 7's Mediatek MT6761V. Expect smoother multitasking, faster app loading times, and better gaming performance on the S9. The Gator 7 will likely struggle with demanding apps and games.
Battery Life
Both phones are reported to have an endurance rating of 78h, which is impressive. However, the S9's more efficient chipset and optimized software likely contribute to better real-world battery life despite potentially having a slightly smaller battery capacity.
Buying Guide
Who should buy the Plum Gator 7? Users on a very tight budget who prioritize affordability over performance. Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy S9? Anyone seeking a reliable, capable phone with a great camera and display, especially if they can find it at a discounted price.