We recently reported that the Galaxy S9 firmware development has begun. Our report mentioned that there will be two models – the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ – and that they're likely to be launched early next year. Samsung fans will be wondering what Galaxy S9 features might be introduced by the company in 2018. Let's go through some possibilities.
It goes without saying that this is an opinion piece on what the Galaxy S9 may or may not have. It's speculative. What you read here is just meant to give you an idea of what Samsung might introduce with the Galaxy S9. Whether or not it does that is another matter altogether.
Galaxy S9 features to look forward to
As far as the handset is concerned, it's possible that the new flagships might retain the 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch display sizes of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ respectively. Since both existing models feature a dual-edge curved Infinity Display, we will surely see a return of the Infinity Display with the Galaxy S9.
Will the Galaxy S9 finally mark the beginning of the 4K era for Samsung's mobile displays? Samsung has long been rumored to be considering a jump to 4K resolution for its mobile displays. However, there are several concerns that need to be addressed before such a decision can be made, power efficiency being one of them.
Whether or not Samsung will address the issue of the fingerprint sensor placement remains to be seen. Quite a few of its fans believe that the fingerprint sensor is not ideally placed at the back. They have repeated this concern with the Galaxy Note 8 as well.
There have been rumors that Samsung might integrate the fingerprint sensor into the display itself. This was rumored for the Galaxy S8 as well. Perhaps the optical fingerprint recognition technology will be ready in time for the Galaxy S9
The same metal and glass build that lends a premium look and feel to the Galaxy S8 will likely be adopted for next year's flagship handset as well. Expect IP68 water and dust resistance as well as improved Gorilla Glass protection.
These are the basics. You'd expect this from a new iteration of a flagship smartphone. Samsung might end up surprising us with some changes that have long been rumored for some of its previous devices. Will the company finally ditch the standard 3.5mm headphone jack with the Galaxy S9?
Many of its rivals have already jumped on this bandwagon and Samsung is expected to hop onboard at some point in the future. This remains a possibility for the Galaxy S9 until there's more clarity on the matter.
One of the most highly anticipated of Galaxy S9 features will be the dual camera system. Samsung introduced its dual camera system with the Galaxy Note 8 last month. It's the first Samsung smartphone with two cameras at the back. We will likely see the Galaxy S9 sport a dual camera as well.
It was rumored countless times that the Galaxy S8 would have a dual camera system. That didn't happen, though. We did see images of a Galaxy S8+ prototype with a dual camera so Samsung did toy with the idea but decided against it at the end. Therefore, it's quite likely that the Galaxy S9 will get a dual camera.
The dual camera will likely be one of the biggest selling points of this handset. It remains to be seen, though, if the Galaxy S9 gets the same 2 x 12-megapixel dual pixel AF camera – f/2.4 telephoto lens, f/1.7 wide-angle lens dual camera system as the Galaxy Note 8 or if Samsung opts for a new setup.
There are likely going to be quite a few Galaxy S9 features baked into the software. The handset is going to be powered by Android 8.0 Oreo when it arrives. The new software features might also include improvements for Bixby.
We may get to see Bixby playing nicely with additional third-party apps. Samsung might have taken steps by then to further expand Bixby's ecosystem so that it's capable of doing more than it can do right now.
We can also look forward to the Galaxy S9 touting the latest in mobile silicon paired with a greater amount of RAM, faster internal storage, and possibly a bigger battery. The 3,000 and 3,500mAh batteries in the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are good enough but there's always room for improvement. Fans will certainly appreciate if Samsung bumps up the battery capacity on its next flagship pair.
As for how much customers might have to pay for the Galaxy S9, it certainly won't be cheap. The Galaxy Note 8 has firmly pushed flagship pricing for Samsung north of $1,000. The Galaxy S8 models are barely under $1,000 as well. So keep that in mind as the expected price range for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S9+.
Evolutionary or Revolutionary?
The Galaxy S8 was quite a big improvement over the Galaxy S7. Does the Galaxy S9 have the potential of being the same over the Galaxy S8? It's unlikely, given the way things work in the mobile industry.
Unless there's more information to suggest otherwise, it's quite likely that the Galaxy S9 is going to be an evolutionary upgrade. That's not necessarily a bad thing. That certainly doesn't mean that the Galaxy S9 won't be worth every penny. What that means is that the new flagship may not raise the bar as high as the Galaxy S8 did for the competition.
It's still early days, though. There will be countless reports and rumors in the coming days bringing us information about expected Galaxy S9 features and improvements. We'll also get to see leaked renders of the new flagships, though they may not always be accurate.
Keep in mind that nothing is set in stone as yet so the expectations could very well change in the future. That's just how it is these days in the run-up to a major flagship launch.
What Galaxy S9 features are you looking forward to the most? Strike up a conversation with us by leaving a comment down below.
