Samsung is set to launch the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ on February 25, a day ahead of MWC 2018, in Barcelona. But already, both the phones have been subject to near infinite set of leaks and rumours, and a new one keeps coming each day. In the latest, the image of the Galaxy S9 has been leaked, along with a few key other details. Also, in separate leaks the Galaxy S9 Geekbench score for the Exynos variant has also been leaked. Then there is another report, which says that the Galaxy S9 will be launching with a Samsung’s own social media app called Uhssup.
Based on all the leaks that have come out, one thing’s almost certain. The Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ will be incremental upgrades to last year’s Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ — largely in design and core hardware — but both the phones will offer different set of specifications. This is the year when Samsung consolidates on the gains instead of going for anything radical in terms of design, although in the camera functionality and performance of the Galaxy S9 some radical improvements are expected.
At the same time, while the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ were more or less the same deal differing only in screen size and battery capacities, the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ will be a lot different from each other. Here’s a look at all the leaked specs and features of the incoming Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+. Since Samsung is yet to announce the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+, we suggest you take the following piece of information with a pinch of salt though.
Specifications:
Processor: The Samsung Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810 processor. The company has, so far, been launching only its Exynos-based Galaxy S flagship phones in India, so chances are Exynos 9810-based Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ would be coming to India. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 845-based Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ would be sold in the US. The leaked Geekbench score of the Galaxy S9 shows that the Exynos variant scores record-breaking 3773 points in single core and 9024 in multicore mode.
RAM: While the Galaxy S9 will come with 4GB RAM, the Galaxy S9+ will come with 6GB RAM. Plenty we say.
Internal storage: While the Galaxy S9 will come with 64GB of internal storage, the Galaxy S9+ will come with 128GB storage. Both the phones will offer expandable storage via a micro-SD card.
Screen: Just like the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ will come with Samsung’s proprietary Infinity display. Just like the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ will boast of an edge-to-edge screen and an unusual 18.5:9 aspect ratio instead of a regular 16:9. Screen size will remain the same as well, which means while the Galaxy S9 will have a 5.8-inch screen, the Galaxy S9+ will come with a 6.2-inch display. Both the screens will have a 2960×1440 pixel (WQHD+) resolution on top a Super AMOLED panel. The phones will also have an always-on display like the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. As far as the quality of the screen is concerned, we can safely assume that it is going to be one of the best. The Galaxy S phones have set the screen standard year after year and in 2018 too it will be case unless something drastically goes wrong.
Rear camera: The camera is one component in the Samsung galaxy S9 that is going get a big bump in terms of functionality. The biggest change of note is going to be variable aperture. The Galaxy S9 will come with a single camera sensor on the rear. It will still shoot dual-pixel 12-megapixel photos – assisted by OIS. This sensor will be able to shoot between f/1.5 and f/2.4 with the former assisting in low light and the latter jumping in when lighting is ideal. A similar setup is also seen in Samsung’s W2018 flip phone that was recently launched in China. The Galaxy S9, furthermore, will also reportedly include a Super Slo-mo mode something on the lines of what Sony offers in phones like the Xperia XZ Premium. The Galaxy S9+ is said to carry the same primary sensor but it will include a secondary 12-megapixel sensor with fixed aperture (f/2.4).
Front camera: Both the phones will come with an 8-megapixel camera on the front with f/1.7 aperture that will also allow users to take animated avatars something on the line of the iPhone X’s animoji feature.
Software: The Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ will run Android Oreo-based Samsung Experience UI.
Battery: While the Galaxy S9 will be backed by a 3,000mAh battery, the Galaxy S9+ will come with a 3,500mAh battery. Just like the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ will support fast and wireless charging.
Special features:
— Just like the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+, the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ will be long continuous sheets of glass with an edge-to-edge display and no physical buttons. They will look exactly like the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ with some minor tweaks here and there. One change that’s likely making the cut in the new Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ is a repositioned fingerprint scanner. While in the case of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, the fingerprint scanner rests in an awkward position next to the camera module, in the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ it will reportedly be placed below it so that reaching out to it won’t be as frustrating.
— Just like the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+, the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ will boast of a glass and metal body, and near bezel-less screens. They will likely come with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on both the front as well as on the back.
— The front, in the case of the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+, will be clean and without any buttons. The phones will also come with a dedicated Bixby button on the left just like it is in the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+.
— Bixby, for your reference, is Samsung’s take on Apple’s Siri and Google’s Assistant. It responds to both touch and voice and has the ability to translate as many as 52 languages. Bixby, for instance, can be used to search for images. Also, it can be used to get details about nearby places.
— Features like iris scanner and facial recognition for added security are also expected. Samsung Knox and Samsung Pay will be also built-in.
— Just like the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ will be IP68-certified for water and dust resistance.
— Elsewhere, the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ are also said to house stereo speakers tuned by AKG. Since the design will likely stay more or less the same as the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+, the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+, will deploy a bottom firing solution.
— The Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+, will be available in as many as four colours: Midnight Black, Lilac Purple, Coral Blue, Titanium Gray, something has previously been reported as well.
