What to expect from the Samsung Galaxy S9

Several months have passed by since Samsung unveiled its Galaxy S8, but it still ranks the top amongst the most aesthetically pleasing smartphones. Now the rumours surrounding its successor are pouring in at an alarming rate.

While Samsung is yet to spill the beans regarding its upcoming flagship, we still have a rough idea of how the smartphone is shaping up based on the rumours and half baked reports. So based on these solutions, here is a roundup of everything we know so far about the Galaxy S9:

Launch date

Like every year, Samsung was expected to showcase the Galaxy S9 at CES 2018 in Las Vegas. But turns out, Samsung has reportedly told The Korea Herald, it is ‘unlikely’ that no one (partners) outside the Samsung’s labs will get a sneak peek of what’s cooking inside until the time is right. This also indicates that the company might not showcase the device at CES 2018.

Specifications

As for the specifications, the smartphone is rumoured to boast Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 chipset manufactured using the 10nm manufacturing process. The Galaxy S9 will have 4GB of RAM whereas the S9 + will sport 6GB of RAM.

The S9 will retain the design of the S8 but have completely new innards. It will retain the 5.8-inch Infinity Display panels from the present S8 lineup. However, it will have a completely new processor, new set of cameras and other new features.

There were reports that the device will sport a truly bezel-less display achieving up to 90 per cent of screen-to-body ratio. But a report from Dutch website GalaxyClub claims otherwise. The report says Samsung will use the same 18.5:9 display ratio as the Galaxy S8. However, the company would increase the screen-to-body ratio in a different manner, and the one that makes more sense.

Optics wise, the smartphone is expected to borrow the dual camera setup from the Galaxy Note 8, but will be placed vertically.

According to a report by KGI Securities, the company may finally incorporate a fingerprint sensor underneath the display. According to LetsGoDigital, Samsung had earlier filled in a new patent application for an in display fingerprint scanner to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) back in April and the company received confirmation this month.

The patent suggests that the Galaxy S9 might have up to 12 pressure points on the whole screen for the fingerprint. So the new technology will read your fingerprint from almost anywhere on the display.

Pricing

Based on the pricing of Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+, which is Rs 57,900 and Rs 64,900 respectively, the upcoming flagship could start from Rs 60,000, while the Plus variant can go up to Rs 70,000.

A KGI Security report also claims that Samsung would switch to switch from Synaptics to Egis for the supply of fingerprint sensors. This would increase the overall price of the smartphone by at 4-5 times, meaning the final product can hold a heftier price tag.