Massive Leak Confirms Galaxy S9 Active, Galaxy Note 9 In The Pipeline

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We know that Samsung is going to launch the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus at its MWC press event on February 25. The world’s largest smartphone vendor releases dozens of new smartphones every year in almost every price segment. A massive leak has revealed all of Samsung’s 2018 smartphones that haven’t been released yet, including the Galaxy S9 Active and the Galaxy Note 9. The Galaxy S9 Active shouldn’t come as a surprise considering Samsung has launched the Active variants of all its Galaxy S flagship models since 2013.

All the devices that Samsung is going to launch this year

Folks at XDA Developers have found a long list of code-names for unreleased handsets hidden in the leaked Android 8.0 Oreo beta build for the Galaxy Note 8. Some of the code-names are obvious while a few others are almost impossible to decipher. According to the list, there will be three Galaxy S9 models code-named: star, star2, and astarqlte. Two of them will be unveiled next month. They are star (Galaxy S9) and star2 (Galaxy S9 Plus).

The third device astarqlte is believed to be the Galaxy S9 Active, which should launch later this summer. XDA Developers says the a in astarqlte refers to the Active model while q indicates that the handset would run Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipset. The code-names star and star2 have been linked with the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus since November last year. Samsung further confirmed it by adding star in the file name of its MWC event invitation.

The list also includes the code-name crown, which is obviously the upcoming Galaxy Note 9. The codes also indicate that there will be the Galaxy C10, Galaxy J4, Galaxy J6, and Galaxy Tab S4 among other devices. There are also a handful of jackpot devices that are speculated to run both Qualcomm’s Snapdragon and Samsung’s Exynos processors. XDA Developers couldn’t decipher the normal names of many of these phones, one of which could be the foldable Galaxy X.

Galaxy S9 Active to pack a bigger battery than Galaxy S9

Little else is known about the Galaxy S9 Active at this point. Just like its predecessors, it would be a rugged version of Galaxy S9 with military-grade durability. The device would have the same 5.8-inch OLED screen as the regular Galaxy S9. But it is unlikely to have curved edges on the sides to enhance durability. Last year’s Galaxy S8 Active also lacked the curved screen. Samsung tends to include a bigger battery in the Active variants compared to the regular Galaxy S device.

The upcoming Galaxy S9 and S9 would pack 3000mAh and 3500mAh batteries, respectively. We can expect the rugged S9 Active to feature a slightly bigger battery than 3000mAh. The Galaxy S9 would be a minor upgrade over its predecessors. It would retain the basic design of last year’s Galaxy S8, though there will be a few welcome exterior changes. For instance, the fingerprint scanner will be relocated to below the camera module. Also, the larger Galaxy S9 Plus would feature a vertically-aligned dual camera module on the rear panel.

Samsung’s 2018 flagship smartphones will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 or its in-house Exynos 9810 chips depending on the region. The US and Chinese versions would run the Snapdragon 845. The Galaxy S9 is said to have 4GB RAM while the S9 Plus would offer a higher 6GB RAM. Both the devices would feature a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB Type-C port, and an IP68 rating for water-resistance.

SamCentral recently reported that the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus would come with a new Intelligent Scan feature to take on Apple’s Face ID. Unlike Face ID which uses depth-sensing, the Intelligent Scan is said to use the iris scanner and the facial recognition simultaneously to enhance security while unlocking the device and authenticating payments. The Intelligent Scan is expected to be much more secure than the face detection technology on Galaxy S8, which could easily be tricked with a photo.

What we know about the Note 9

The Galaxy Note 9 is still several months away. Samsung executives have indicated that the Note 9 could feature an advanced S Pen stylus. A recent patent filed by Samsung sheds light on how the company could improve the S Pen. It would allow the stylus to work with your finger for a smoother experience. There are certain things such as erasing text on the screen that are faster and easier to do with your finger than with the S Pen. Samsung could allow you to write with the S Pen and erase with your finger.

The Galaxy Note 9 will likely be powered by the same Snapdragon 845 and Exynos 9810 chips that would run the Galaxy S9. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that the device will also have an in-display fingerprint sensor, which would allow you to unlock it and authenticate payments by placing your finger on the screen. Korean media claims the Note 9 would also feature machine learning chips to offer AI capabilities.

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