Galaxy S9 Features Revealed In Massive New Leak

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Samsung’s Galaxy S8 has been insanely successful. The device is selling much better than many expected, especially after the Note 7 disaster. The rumor mill is right now focused on Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Note 8, which would be unveiled next month. However, a new report coming out of Korea has revealed the Galaxy S9 features.

Galaxy S9 features: Same Infinity display, screen size as Galaxy S8

Back in April, The Bell reported that Samsung had started working on the Galaxy S9. Even though the device wouldn’t arrive until March/April next year, Samsung seems to have finalized its display. The current Galaxy S8 has been praised for its bezel-less Infinity display. Consumers have fallen in love with the Infinity display despite knowing that it makes S8 the most fragile smartphone ever.

So, it makes sense for Samsung to stick to the proven and popular design. Citing unnamed industry sources, The Investor reports that the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus would feature a 5.77-inch and 6.22-inch Infinity display, respectively. They are the same sizes as the current S8 and S8 Plus. There will be no physical home button. The publication added that Samsung recently informed its sister firm Samsung Display of the Galaxy S9’s display specifications.

The Korean electronics behemoth is going to play it safe next year. Consumers don’t expect massive design and technology upgrades every year. Apple’s flagship iPhones have retained the same design for almost three years without any drop in popularity. According to the latest report, Samsung will take a similar approach with the Galaxy S9 next year. The report added that Samsung has also decided to use the same 6.32-inch Infinity display in the 2018 Galaxy Note 9 as the upcoming Galaxy Note 8 that would be unveiled next month. It means both the Note 8 and Note 9 would have the same display.

The publication did not mention whether the Galaxy S9 display would retain the 2K resolution or jump to 4K. A previous report claimed that the Galaxy S9 would feature a new glass coating that would make water bounce off its screen. It would allow customers to use the device even in the rain without any issues.

Galaxy S9 to get an optical fingerprint sensor

Sporting the same display doesn’t mean all the Galaxy S9 features would be similar to that of Galaxy S8. The Investor added that the S9 would feature an optical fingerprint sensor. The Galaxy S8’s rear-mounted fingerprint scanner has been criticized for being too close to the camera lens. Users sometimes end up placing their fingers on the camera lens while trying to unlock the device.

The Korean company had attempted to add the optical fingerprint sensor into the upcoming Galaxy Note 8. However, a Samsung executive said last month that the technology was still suffering from technical limitations such as security. Other reports claim the feature was causing a “ghosting effect” on the screen. A circular area where the fingerprint sensor was placed appears much brighter than the rest of the display. Samsung is expected to keep refining the technology, and bring it with the Galaxy S9.

Apple’s 10th anniversary iPhone 8 is also rumored to feature an in-display fingerprint solution. Just like Samsung, Apple has also been facing problems with the optical fingerprint sensor. The Cupertino company could delay the iPhone 8 launch by a few weeks to fix technical issues with the feature. However, neither Apple nor Samsung will be the first to introduce the technology. According to supply chain leaks, Chinese vendor Vivo would be the first company to launch smartphones with the in-display fingerprint sensor. Vivo has already showcased its technology.

Little is known about other Galaxy S9 features

The Galaxy S9 is still too far off to speculate at the moment. There is a scarcity of leaks about the device. It is expected to be powered by the next-gen Exynos processor or Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845, depending on the market. The Investor said in a previous report that Samsung and Qualcomm had started working together on Snapdragon 845 for the Galaxy S9.

Both the next-gen Exynos and Snapdragon 845 are said to based on the 7nm manufacturing process. It is unclear whether the Snapdragon 845 would be manufactured by Samsung or TSMC. The Galaxy S9 is expected to feature at least 8GB RAM and 128GB/256GB of internal storage. An 8GB RAM may seem too much at this point, but Samsung is rumored to launch an 8GB RAM variant of the Galaxy Note 8 for the Chinese market next month. Higher RAM doesn’t always translate into greater performance. However, Samsung is competing against Chinese Android vendors that have been consistently increasing RAM and megapixel count to grab the attention of buyers.

If Samsung adheres to its usual release cycle, the Galaxy S9 would be announced in March, and go on sale in late March or early April. This year’s S8 was delayed by a few weeks because of the Galaxy Note 7 debacle, which prompted Samsung to introduce a new eight-pointed safety program. The S9 is expected to be priced at $720.

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