We are only a couple of months away from the unveiling of Samsung’s much-hyped Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus flagship smartphones. Thanks to the rumor mill and some reliable tipsters, we already have a pretty good idea of what the devices are going to look like. New Galaxy S9 case renders have confirmed many of the past leaks, suggesting that Samsung is going to play it safe next year.
Galaxy S9 case renders confirm the phone’s design
Smartphone OEMs such as Samsung tend to provide case manufacturers with the renders of their upcoming products. It takes time to design and build accessories and bring them to the market ahead of the given smartphone’s launch. Only a few days ago, Olixar published the Galaxy S9 case renders and started taking pre-orders for the protective cases.
Now accessories maker Ghostek has released Galaxy S9 case renders that corroborate with the images and renders we have seen before. Samsung fans looking for dramatic design changes are going to be disappointed. The upcoming flagship would borrow most of the design elements from its predecessor. The S9 would bring only minor changes to address users’ complaints.
Ghostek has started taking orders for its rugged, shockproof, waterproof, and drop-resistant cases. These cases also support wireless charging. According to the Galaxy S9 case renders, the new phone will have the same Infinity Display as the Galaxy S8 with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. However, the top and bottom bezels seem to have shrunk a little. The power button is on the right side. The Bixby button and volume rockers remain on the left.
The renders confirm that Samsung will place only a single camera on the back of the Galaxy S9. The Korean company would keep the dual camera exclusive to the Galaxy S9 Plus to differentiate it from the standard S9. It could still offer depth-of-field or bokeh effects through software, just like Google Pixel 2. Samsung will keep the 3.5mm headphone jack. It is placed next to the speaker and the USB-C port.
The fingerprint scanner now sits in a more convenient location. Samsung has shifted it from the right side of the camera setup to below it. The Galaxy S8 and Note 8 owners had complained that the fingerprint reader on their devices was difficult to reach. Also, users would accidentally smear the camera lens while trying to unlock the phone using the fingerprint sensor.
Galaxy S9 Plus cases listed on Amazon UK
Ghostek has published only the Galaxy S9 case renders. But a listing of the Galaxy S9 Plus cases has popped up on Amazon UK, showing what the larger device would look like. It will ship with a vertically arranged dual camera setup. The area to the right side of the camera module is occupied by a dual-tone LED flash and a heart rate monitor. The fingerprint reader is positioned below the camera setup.
Galaxy S9 screen protectors leaked
Folks at SlashLeaks have shared a video of the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus screen protectors. The screen protectors suggest that the upcoming flagship models would look similar to the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, though their bezels will be thinner than the Galaxy S8 lineup. The sensors accommodated in the top bezel will remain the same.
The rumor mill claims the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus would feature an advanced iris scanner. Samsung will improve its software to make it faster, safer, and more reliable. The company will also increase the iris scanner’s megapixel count from 2MP on the Galaxy S8 to 3MP on the S9 to recognize users more accurately. The feature is said to work even when you are wearing sunglasses or are in poorly-lit conditions.
Galaxy S9 specs and release date
The Galaxy S9 would be powered by Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810 depending on the region. The two models are said to have the same 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch displays as their predecessors. The larger S9 Plus would offer 6GB RAM compared to the Galaxy S9’s 4GB. A higher RAM would help Samsung further differentiate the larger model from its smaller sibling.
Other rumored features include 64GB/128GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot, an IP68 rating for water- and dust-resistance, wireless charging, and Android Oreo. According to SamMobile, the device would be available in gold, purple, blue, and black colors. There could also be the Orchid Gray and Arctic Silver colors. Leaks coming out of China claim the Galaxy S9 would pack a 3200mAh battery. The Galaxy S9 Plus is expected to feature a 3500mAh battery.
There were rumors in the past that the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus could be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show next month. But that’s unlikely to happen. More recent reports from South Korea suggest that Samsung would unveil the new handsets at the Mobile World Congress in late February. The new phones would hit the store shelves in early March.
