Samsung Electronics has given the world its first glimpse of the Korean tech giant's latest smartphone offering -- the Galaxy S9.
The new model puts emphasis on visual applications for social media, hoping to attract tech-savvy young consumers.
Park Soyun reports.

A new chapter for smartphones is about to begin.
Unveiling the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Sunday,... Samsung's highly-anticipated new models have taken smartphone cameras to new levels by adopting top-notch technologies.
The Korean tech giant says the device will bring users optimized experiences, allowing them to share messages and emotions visually.
It's also a significant improvement from previous models -- the Galaxy S9 is focused on the camera, boasting improved picture quality in low light, a super-slow motion video mode, and a new feature called AR Emoji.
The screens are brighter and slightly bigger than Galaxy S8 -- Galaxy S9 is 5.9 inches and Galaxy S9 Plus is 6.2 inches -- and will be released in black, gray, blue and purple.
Samsung says the camera is its best yet,... with a new feature that takes clear pictures even in very low light by taking 12 photos at once and stitching them together to form a crisp image.

"At Samsung, we believe it's time for a new kind of phone. Not just a great smartphone that takes good pictures. A breakthrough camera that sees the world clearly in any light, built around an amazing smartphone."

A new feature includes a super-slow motion camera setting that lets users take videos 32 times slower than a traditional video.
Samsung also launched a new feature called AR Emoji, which allows users to take a selfie and turn it into a custom emoji.
These are animated cartoons created from facial scans of users that mimic their expressions, and users can customize features like hair and clothing.

"The most important function of a phone is not making calls. It's to capture the fleeing moments that express what you want to say in an instant, like taking photos and selfies, sending emjois and sharing videos."

The new Galaxy also has a useful live language translation feature in 54 languages that scans objects such as signs and menus.
With the release of the Galaxy S9, Samsung has added fuel to its ongoing battle with Apple for who makes the best smartphones.
The Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus will hit the shelves around the world starting March 16th, with South Korea accepting pre-orders from February 28th and pre-orders set to be released on March 9th.
Park Soyun, Arirang News.