Galaxy Note 9: Samsung Still Might Not Roll Out A Fingerprint Scanner For Its 2018 Phablet

Samsung’s smartphone strategy appears to be getting quite conservative. After releasing the Galaxy S9, which is basically an upgraded Galaxy S8, Samsung seems to be implementing the exact same strategy in its flagship phablet series — the Galaxy Note 9, so much so that the upcoming device would likely have the same missing features as its predecessor.

According to a recent tweet by mobile phone leak group Ice Universe, the Galaxy Note 9 will essentially follow the same design template as the Galaxy Note 8. According to the group, the two devices will be so close in appearance, it would be quite difficult to tell them apart. There is a slight difference, however, in the form of a 2mm reduction in the size of the 2018 smartphone. Considering that most smartphone owners protect their devices with cases, the 2mm size reduction for the Galaxy Note 9 will be barely noticeable.

This is not all, however, as the group also noted that the upcoming flagship device would still not have an embedded fingerprint scanner. This is despite Samsung’s competitors such as the much-less-popular Vivo X20 Plus UD having the feature when the devices were released earlier this year. Considering that the Galaxy Note 9 would likely command a premium price, the fact that it is essentially a refreshed version of the Galaxy Note 8 makes it a pretty tough device to justify.

The smartphone market, after all, is all about value for money. Over the past few years, midrange smartphones have steadily improved to the point where devices under the segment are just a few hairs short of flagship devices. This is evident in Samsung’s own A-series smartphones this year. The Galaxy A8 alone, based on its raw specs and features, seems to be a far more affordable, more bang-for-your-buck version of the Galaxy S9. Competitors from OnePlus, Vivo, and Honor are just as formidable as well.

The smooth stride in scoring a four with effortless brilliance is best captured in the Super Slow-mo of #GalaxyS9. Who do you think will hit the most number of fours from @MIPaltan today? pic.twitter.com/cFJsYGL7nw

— Samsung India (@SamsungIndia) May 9, 2018

As noted in a SlashGear report, the Galaxy Note 9’s primary selling factor would likely be its specs. As of writing, the latest rumors about the device state that the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will be equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 and Samsung Exynos 9810 processors — SoCs that are the best currently available on the market today.

Rumors are also high that the Galaxy Note 9 will be revealed sometime in July this year, with a release following in August.