We know the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 are still fresh in your mind, but Samsung is already busy working on its next big thing. In fact, we’re hearing reports and rumors that Samsung started manufacturing back in May, almost five months earlier than previous years. Some leaks suggest mass production will begin as early as December.
If those rumors are true, we could see an early January announcement and a mid-February release date. Earlier than any other device in the past couple of years. This is likely to compete with Apple’s iPhone X. A new report from SamMobile says the Galaxy S9 will get announced before Mobile World Congress in February. A big tradeshow Samsung used in past years to announce phones.In 2017, the Galaxy S8 saw a slight delay to perfect the battery after a painful Galaxy Note 7 recall. The phone got announced in March and released near the end of April. Almost a month later than the Galaxy S7 from the year before. That said, the Galaxy S6 arrived in February, ahead of Mobile World Congress, so this rumor isn’t that far of a stretch.
However, famed leakster Evan Blass suggests a different plan for Samsung. According to his sources, the Galaxy S9 and an even better Galaxy S9+ will make a brief appearance at CES in January. That said, he believes the launch event is still sometime in March, followed by a late March or early April release date.
Galaxy S9 & S9+ Display
Early rumors indicate Samsung plans to release two Galaxy S9 smartphones again early next year. The regular model will come with a 5.77-inch Infinity AMOLED display, while the bigger Galaxy S9+ comes in around 6.22-inches. That sounds familiar because it’s the exact same size as the Galaxy S8 and S8+.
These two phones will hit the market listed as 5.8 and 6.2-inches and offer the latest screen technology from Samsung. Building on the success and popularity of the bezel-free curved display from the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8.One thing we don’t know yet is whether Samsung can ditch even more bezel to match the style of the iPhone X. For years Samsung has tried to add a fingerprint scanner to the glass display, but the technology simply isn’t ready. It’s on track for 2018, but if it’s not perfect in time Samsung could add a notch to the bottom of the screen and return the physical front fingerprint scanner.
The latest rumors at the end of November suggest Samsung is sticking to a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. Only this time it will sit under the camera like most Android phones, not off to the left side where it’s hard to reach.
Galaxy S9 Specs & Rumors
It’s still too early to say anything for sure about the Galaxy S9. That said, each year we see similar upgrades to key areas of the experience. Giving us a better idea of what to expect as the release date nears. And while we’re already hearing some exciting things about the Galaxy S9, we’ll have to wait a little longer before saying too much.
Everything so far says Samsung will stick to the “tick-tock” release cycle. Basically, the Galaxy S9 will be very similar to the Galaxy S8. Just like the S6 and S7 had a familiar design. Another leak believes Samsung’s new dual-camera sensors will be extremely impressive and shoot up to 1000 fps. Here’s a breakdown of what we think is coming early next year.
Galaxy S9 & S9+ Specs (Rumored)
- 5.8 and 6.2-inch 2880 x 1440 Quad-HD Infinity AMOLED Display, Curved
- 8-Core Snapdragon 845 Processor with 4GB of RAM (6GB of S9+)
- 64 and 128GB of storage with microSD card expansion
- Improved 12 Megapixel Cameras with OIS, better than the Galaxy Note 8, 1000 FPS, etc
- Dual 12MP Cameras on the bigger Galaxy S9+ only (just a rumor)
- Android 8.1 Oreo with Samsung User Experience
- Stereo Speakers tuned by AKG
- IP68 Dust & Water-Resistance
- 3,000 mAh and 3,600 mAh Battery with Fast & Wireless Charging (or bigger)
- USB Type-C, 3.5mm headphone jack, Bixby AI, Heart Rate Sensor, Iris Scanner, Facial Recognition
- more
On the flipside, Evan Blass claims only the bigger Galaxy S9+ will get dual cameras, along with 6GB of RAM. It’s still too early to tell, but we’ll know more soon.
Basically, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ should deliver more of the same. A stunning design, beautiful bezel-free screens, highly capable cameras, and the latest hardware and software under the hood. As we push closer to 2018 expect more information to emerge.
Galaxy S9 Concept Images
With each upcoming phone, we see a wave of fan-made concept photos and videos. These typically incorporate the latest news and rumors, or the creators’ vision of what the phone should look like. You can find plenty of Galaxy S9 concept photos and videos online, but the best ones come from the YouTube channel Waqar Khan.
These first few renders match everything we’ve heard so far. Stretching the bezels closer to the sides for a truly edge-to-edge screen, returning the fingerprint scanner to the front, and adding dual cameras to the back of the Galaxy S9. Again, these are fan-made, and not official by any means.
At some point photos and information will leak right from Samsung or accessory partners, and give us a better idea of what’s coming. For now, these concepts are enough to get buyers excited about Samsung’s new phone. That, or see this newly leaked CAD render.
Then, we have a quick photo from TechConfigurations, who makes a lot of different concept images for smartphones. This design believes Samsung will get the optical fingerprint scanner to work inside the glass, giving the front of the phone space for a truly edge-to-edge display.
Again, these are nothing more than a few photos from fans.
Galaxy S9 Price & Final Details
In closing, we wanted to talk about the potential price and a few other small details. We’re hearing Samsung already started working on these phones, months ahead of previous years. If that works out, we could get an earlier release this year.
Reports claim the Galaxy S9 and S9+ have a code-name of “Star” and “Star2” internally at Samsung. So we’ll keep an eye out for any other information and share anything credible. Even the Galaxy Note 9 is under development, being called “Crown” internally.
Other details from recent leaks believe the Galaxy S9+ will have slight improvements over the Galaxy S9, making it more than just a bigger screen. Samsung also plans some new accessories, like a flat DeX dock that doubles as a keyboard for its desktop experience, and potentially more.
That all said, how much will these phones cost? Phones continue to get more expensive each year. The Galaxy S8 cost under $800, but if some of the features above make the cut that price will climb. Earlier this year the Galaxy Note 8 hit shelves at $949, Samsung’s most expensive smartphone ever. We’re not expecting a price that high, but it could come close.
This is all the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ information we have so far. As we move into December and the year winds down more details will trickle in. When they do, we’ll keep you up to date right here.
No comments:
Post a Comment