Samsung Galaxy S9 Coming This February At MWC 2018
None other than Samsung’s smartphone chief, DJ Koh, confirmed that the Galaxy S9 will be announced next month at the Mobile World Congress or MWC, which will be held in Barcelona, Spain. The highly anticipated flagship smartphone from the South Korean multinational company was a no-show at the ongoing CES 2018, but fans and tech geeks alike will be glad to know that they only have to wait a little over a month before finally seeing the Samsung Galaxy S9.
Koh did not indicate when exactly the Samsung Galaxy S9 and possibly a Galaxy S9 Plus will be unveiled but the MWC 2018 will be held from February 26 to March 1, according to The Verge. The Samsung mobile boss made the announcement at a press conference during the CES event.
There is no mention that the next flagship smartphone will be known as the Samsung Galaxy S9, but it is highly unlikely that the company will break from tradition. Koh did say that the sales date for the Samsung Galaxy S9 will be announced at next month’s event as well.
A February unveiling means Samsung is starting things a bit earlier. In 2017, the Galaxy S8 was announced in March and started selling the following month. Based on this, chances are high that the Galaxy S9 will become available for purchase in late March.
Samsung Galaxy S9 unveiling reportedly set for MWC in February https://t.co/FUDR2SkCog pic.twitter.com/fNkPQN14Xd
— CNET (@CNET) January 10, 2018
The pressure is on for Samsung to come up with an even better smartphone than last year’s highly successful Galaxy S8, considered one of the best devices in recent history thanks to its brilliant bezel-less design and multitude of impressive features.
By far the rumors and leaks point to a similar design for the Samsung Galaxy S9, with a little yet important adjustment. The S9 will reportedly be reusing last year’s bezel-less design but will finally fix the issue with its fingerprint sensor. When the Samsung Galaxy S8 was unveiled last year, the main problem people had with it was the awkwardly placed fingerprint sensor. Users, especially those with short fingers, had a little difficulty reaching the sensor without smudging the camera.
According to BGR, the sensor will now be placed at the center of the Galaxy S9’s back, right under the camera instead of beside it.
Another rumored difference between the design of the Galaxy S8 and the upcoming S9 is their sizes. Leaked renders posted on Weibo show screen protectors for both Galaxy S8 and the rumored S9 placed side by side, as SamMobile reported. The screen sizes were the same though the Galaxy S9 is smaller thanks to its thinner bezels.
Other rumored features of the Samsung Galaxy S9 include an updated chip, which means the next flagship will be faster than its predecessor, and a fully functional FM radio. The Galaxy S9 will also supposedly offer better camera experience as Samsung recently trademarked the phrase, “The Camera. Reimagined.” The Galaxy S9 Plus, meanwhile, will reportedly come with a dual-lens camera.
Samsung Galaxy S9 launch at MWC 2018 confirmed https://t.co/Xtzl8l8bMh
— Pocketnow (@Pocketnow) January 10, 2018
The Samsung DeX will also be allegedly improved and the DeX Station accessory will be redesigned and renamed the DeX Pad, according to rumors.
Koh also revealed that Samsung will finally unveil its long-rumored “foldable” smartphone and an improved Bixby this year, according to ARS Technica. Samsung has been trying to produce a foldable smartphone for quite some time now and it loos like the tech giant has finally succeeded in making one. As for Bixby 2.0, Koh said that Samsung is planning to have all its devices support Bixby by 2020.
The Mobile World Congress is considered the world’s largest and arguably most important gathering for the mobile industry. The yearly one-week event is the main vehicle for different tech companies to unveil their latest products and innovations.
Samsung skipped last year’s trade show and announced the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus in its own Galaxy Unpacked event last March. With the recent announcement from Koh, Samsung returns to the MWC after a one-year hiatus and is expected to be among the busiest and noisiest brands with the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus leading the way.
