Samsung is all set to unveil the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus on February 25th in Barcelona. The Galaxy S9 successor is more than a year away, but the rumor mill has already started obtaining details about the device from inside sources. A new report claims that the Korean company is planning to ditch the current naming pattern for the Galaxy S series. It means there will be no Galaxy S10. The Galaxy S9 successor will simply be called Galaxy X.
Will the Galaxy S9 successor be a foldable phone?
Citing a source from Korea, GizChina reports that the 10th generation Galaxy S device would switch away from the numeric branding. It will be called Galaxy X. The publication claims the move is aimed at avoiding confusion in future models. If Samsung sticks to the numeric naming pattern, the future models could be called Galaxy S12 and Galaxy S17. That sounds weird. Instead, Galaxy X, Galaxy X1 and Galaxy X2 sound simpler.
One of the reasons Samsung is adopting the new moniker for the Galaxy S9 successor is the iPhone X. With the launch of iPhone X, Apple is in the process of changing the naming pattern for its flagship smartphones. If Samsung replaces the Galaxy S10 naming with Galaxy X, what would it do with the Note line next year? Will the 2019 Galaxy Note be called Galaxy Note X? It would be weird to change the naming pattern for the Galaxy S line but keep the numeric pattern with the Note series.
In the past, the name Galaxy X has been linked to Samsung’s foldable smartphone that would launch later this year or early next year. Samsung said in its latest earnings call that it would start making foldable OLED screens this year. The name Galaxy X could either be assigned to the Galaxy S9 or the foldable smartphone. The only scenario where both the rumors would be true is that the Galaxy S9 successor launches with a foldable OLED screen and is called Galaxy X.
Such a scenario would make a lot of sense, but it’s too early to say whether the Galaxy S9 successor would feature a foldable screen technology. Samsung executives have indicated that foldable OLED panels are difficult and more expensive to manufacture, which means the foldable device could launch only in limited quantities in select markets. A model number that was previously believed to be Galaxy X turned out to be a rugged phone designed for professionals in South Korea.
The report should be taken with a pinch of salt at this point. The Galaxy S9 successor is more than a year away, and a lot could change in that time period. If the company is indeed planning to change the name, it might already be discussing the matter behind closed doors.
Samsung trademarked the name ‘Galaxy X’ back in March 2017, long before Apple launched the iPhone X. The Galaxy X was previously supposed to be a foldable phone that Samsung would position as its third flagship smartphone besides the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note line. But the new report indicates that the Galaxy X would be just another phone in the Galaxy S series. So, what will the foldable phone be called? We have no idea.
What we know about Samsung’s foldable smartphone
Samsung’s patents have revealed a few details about its foldable smartphone. According to patent documents, the device would fold inward like a book. When unfolded, it would offer a 7.3-inch display area, allowing you to use it as a tablet. Samsung’s mobile business chief DJ Koh said recently that some issues related to the user experience were yet to be ironed out. Since it would sport a foldable OLED screen, the smartphone would require a new user interface.
Samsung was initially planning to launch the foldable device in 2018, but DJ Koh indicated at the CES that its release might be delayed until 2019. There is still a good chance that the handset could hit the store shelves by the end of this year considering Samsung would start making foldable OLED panels in September. The device itself would enter mass production a couple of months later.
Meanwhile, noted tipster Evan Blass has shared the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus pictures ahead of their launch. The photos confirm that the flagship phones would look similar to their predecessors with a curved bezel-less OLED display. The phones still have bezels at the top and bottom. The fingerprint scanner on both the handsets would be placed below the rear camera module. Samsung will offer dual camera system only on the larger Galaxy S9 Plus. The upcoming phones are said to be more expensive than last year’s models.
