Apple is known for keeping the best features for more expensive versions of its flagship phones. Last year, it was only the iPhone 7 Plus that received the dual camera system. This year, the revolutionary new Face ID technology is exclusive to the $999 iPhone X. Samsung is going to do something similar when it unveils the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus early next year.
Samsung to show off the new Galaxy S phones in January
Ever reliable tipster Evan Blass of Venture Beat has learned from inside sources that Samsung could show off the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January. The trade show is set to take place in the second week of January. Samsung traditionally unveils new Galaxy S phones in February or March. Blass said the company would still hold an “official launch event in March.”
It is unclear how much information Samsung would reveal that the CES. Blass added that the upcoming phones are code-named Star 1 and Star 2, and have model numbers SM-G960 and SM-G965, respectively. The regular S9 would feature a 5.8-inch Infinity Super AMOLED display while the larger one would sport a 6.2-inch display, similar to their predecessors.
Dual camera system to be a Galaxy S9 Plus-exclusive feature
Blass revealed that Samsung is bringing the dual camera to the Galaxy S line after introducing it with the Galaxy Note 8. But the feature will be exclusive to the larger Galaxy S9 Plus. The regular 5.8-inch Galaxy S9 would have only a single camera on the back. Samsung will further differentiate the Galaxy S9 Plus from its smaller sibling by packing 6GB RAM compared to 4GB in the Galaxy S9.
Last week, Business Korea reported that the Galaxy S9 Plus dual camera would be better than the Galaxy Note 8. It would feature a new image sensor developed by Samsung that is capable of shooting slo-mo videos at 1,000 frames per second. However, the new dual camera would increase the phone’s price due to the increased cost of production.
Both models would be powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC. The units sold in Asian countries would be powered by the recently announced Exynos 9810 chipset. The Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus would feature a 3.5mm headphone jack and 64GB of internal storage, along with a microSD card slot, said Evan Blass.
Even though the Galaxy S9 Plus would have an extra rear camera, the two devices will have the same orientation of “the elements on the back.” The camera and fingerprint scanner will be placed vertically, with the fingerprint reader sitting below the camera. The fingerprint sensor will be in a more ergonomic location, addressing one of the biggest complaints about the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus.
Samsung gears up to defend its market share against the iPhone X
Sources told Blass that the upcoming flagship phones would also feature AKG stereo speakers. The Korean electronics behemoth is also said to bring a “backward-compatible” DeX docking station that will allow users to keep the phone flat and use the screen as a virtual keyboard or a touchpad. The DeX dock turns Samsung’s flagship smartphones into a PC when you connect it to an external keyboard, display, and mouse.
We wouldn’t be surprised if the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus are unveiled earlier than usual. Past reports have suggested that the Korean company was planning to introduce the upcoming flagship phones in January to defend its market share against Apple’s iPhone X, which has been selling like hot cakes since its launch earlier this month. The iPhone X is one of the best inventions of this year, according to the Time magazine.
Galaxy S9 to ditch the bottom chin
SamMobile reports that Samsung would take bezel-less design to a whole new level with the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus. The Galaxy S8 has no side bezels, though it still has slim top and bottom bezels. The S8 had an impressive screen-to-body ratio of 84%. The Galaxy S9 is said to have a screen-to-body ratio of about 90%. Samsung will reportedly remove the bottom chin on the S9, while making the top bezel narrower than before.
The nearly all-screen design could help Samsung stay ahead of the competition. The Galaxy S9 would be competing with the iPhone X, which already has an all-screen display except for a tiny notch at the top to accommodate the front camera, ear speaker, and other sensors. Samsung would rather keep a slim top bezel than opt for an iPhone X-like notch.
Interestingly, LG Electronics is also reportedly planning to unveil its next-gen LG G7 at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January. LG traditionally announces the new G series phones at the Mobile World Congress, but this time the company might be looking to capitalize on the first-mover advantage. It is unclear which processor the LG G7 would use. The rumor mill claims Samsung has secured the initial supply of Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 845 for the Galaxy S9, leaving rivals with no choice but to opt for older processors or delay the launch of their phones.
