Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ rumor review: Specs, design, features, price and release date

"Same old, same old" is not always bad

Unsurprisingly, the overall bezel-less aesthetics will most likely remain rather similar to what we saw with the Galaxy S8 and S8+. Come to think of it, this is pretty sound and logical given that Samsung really outdid itself with the overall appearance of its flagship. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ will most certainly combine glass and aluminum in a premium, nicely-crafted sandwich. As curved glass up front is now a signature of the company's high-end devices (seen on the Note 8 as well), it's normal to expect such a display from the S9 and S9+. We expect that the rear glass will also remain nicely curved toward the aluminum frame of the handset, as this design approach not only looks exquisite but also makes the handset feel extremely nice in the hand.

One recurring theme about 2017 was "bezel-less" design, and both the Galaxy S8 and S8+ were among the pioneers of this new trend that took the scene by storm. This design is going nowhere, but will most likely get perfected with each subsequent generation. Thus, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ could potentially slim those bezels further still and improve on the high screen-to-body-ratio established by the Galaxy S8 and S8+, though not doing that won't be a bad move either. Yes, bezels are dying a horrible, horrible death, and you will have to learn to love this new trend.

With that said, the devices have already leaked in their full glory, and this is what they look like:

Disclaimer: The images featured above have been made by PhoneArena and are based on preliminary information about the respective device(s), such as, but not limited to, factory CAD blueprints, live photos of the device(s), and mockups/renders. As such, the images found herein may not be fully representative of the final design of the device(s).

New metal design

Samsung has just filed in a trademark with the (European Union Intellectual Property Office) for Metal 12, which is apparently a new lightweight and durable magnesium-aluminum alloy developed by Samsung itself and already used as the main material on its recent Notebook 9 (2018) laptop. This latest trademark application hints that this new alloy would most certainly be used in other Samsung devices, which, of course, on its own implies that the Galaxy S9/S9+ and likely wearables like the Gear S4. What are the benefits of magnesium versus aluminum alloys though? Although the difference in such overall-light devices like smartphones wouldn't be that much glaring, magnesium is lighter than aluminum and stronger per unit volume at the some time. Those two extraordinary properties of magnesium, the twelfth element in the periodic table (hence Metal 12), have dubbed it "the metal of the future", and it's easy to see why.

Samsung has definitely toyed with magnesium alloys before, reportedly having developed a magnesium Galaxy S7 prototype a few years ago. This did not came to fruition, but it seems like 2018 could be it for Samsung's magnesium dreams. Of course, merely filing for a trademark and having a laptop with the alloy in the works doesn't explicitly mean the Galaxy S9/S9+ and even the Note 9 would definitely be made of the material, but it is a possibility that shouldn't be ruled out at all.

Now, when it comes to the Galaxy S9+, we are all in for a little surprise - for the first time thus far, Samsung is expected to differentiate the larger model from the smaller one in a rather vital aspect. Aside from being, well, larger and having a bigger battery, the Galaxy S9+ is rumored to be having a neat trick on its own - a dual camera like the one on the Galaxy Note 8. 

Furthermore, a slew of seemingly official cases for the Galaxy S9 and S9+ also leaked, giving us yet another confirmation at the final design of the anticipated flagships. Check them out right below.

Aside from pertaining the overall design of the S8 family, the S9 lineup is also rumored and expected to retain all the features of its predecessors. Water- and dust-resistance of the IP68 variety is most likely sticking around with the goal of shielding the gadgets from any hazardous external elements meddling with the fine electronics inside. The Bixby button, love it or hate it, is certainly staying around as Samsung is obviously quite invested into its take on the smart assistant trend; hopefully, this one will be user-customizable though we wouldn't count on that. The iris scanner is also sticking around, but it's rumored to have a 3MP sensor in contrast with the S8's 2MP one, with the benefit of improved accuracy.

Finally, we heard that one of the key Galaxy S9 features that Samsung will be proud of is... the good old 3.5mm audio jack. In a time when it's cool to ditch the universal audio port for a digital counterpart, Samsung will reportedly shine among the majority of its competitors by still rocking an audio jack in a tightly-sealed and water-resistant body. 

Stereo speakers have been mentioned by multiple sources. The device will reportedly use the bottom loudspeaker and the earpiece to produce stereo sound, which is similar to what other devices already do. Overall, a rather big new feature if true.

What about the fingerprint scanner?

So far, we haven't heard anything regarding the fingersprint scanner on the S9 and S9+. It's doubtful that it will be embedded under the display, which is on almost anyone's wishlist at this point, so we are likely going to see a rear-mounted sensor instead. Here's to hoping it's positioned more conveniently than the one on the S8/S8+. Judging by the fairly-recent Galaxy A8 and Galaxy A8+, Samsung might have come to its senses: these two feature a fingerprint scanner right below the camera module, which looks like an awfully more convenient spot for the vital biometric sensor.

What's the verdict?

Additional rumored features

New DeX multi-purpose dock

According to numerous reports, a brand new DeX dock dubbed DeX Pad will launch alongside the Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+, Samsung is rumored to launch an updated version of the DeX dock. Venturebeat has reported that Samsung is going to be launching the new model with a new form factor to allow the phone to be placed flat, rather than standing up at an angle. Doing so will allow you to easily use the phone as a touchpad, a feature that is already available but which is rather cumbersome to use because of the orientation of the phone. It could also be utilized as a virtual keyboard, reducing the reliance on using 3rd-party peripherals. The new dock will reportedly be backwards-compatible with this year's S8, S8+, and Note8.

Is Samsung betting on AI?

Samsung is close to completing the development of Neural Processing Units (NPU), also known as "AI chips." These components will enhance the abilities of mobile devices and servers to run AI based software. One source says that Samsung has reached the same level for its AI chips that has already been achieved by rival firms Apple and Huawei. The same source believes that Sammy will top its competitors with the AI chips it will be producing in the second half of this year.

With everyone and their grandmothers now betting hard on AI, it makes perfect sense for Samsung to actively explore the field and invest in artificial intelligence itself, not because consumers are pestering for that but due to the fear of missing out the potential "next big thing" in the industry. So far, current AI implementations have delivered minor gains in user experience and we are yet to see a manufacturer do AI right.

Intelligent scan 

A fresh new rumor suggests that Samsung could have developed a new multi-purpose security feature for the Galaxy S9 and S9+ that uses both the iris scanner and face unlocking to provide a more convenient way to unlock your device in different conditions. For example, the iris scanner doesn't work too good in really-bright sun conditions, whereas the face unlock feature is unreliable in low light. Using these together could bring the best of both worlds and allow for effortless unlocking in different conditions.

Back to top...

Display

As we said, we don't expect a major shift in terms of design, which also means that we probably won't see an increase in display size on either the Galaxy S9 or the S9+.

Edge-to-edge and loving it still

Due to the lack of any concrete info, for now we will assume that the next Galaxies will boast the very same displays that made the cut on the S8 and S8+. The smaller S9 will likely feature a 5.8-inch Super AMOLED quad HD display with a resolution of 1440 by 2960 pixels, while the larger one will most likely remain a 6.2-inch offering of the same type and boasting the same resolution. We are also quite certain that the 18.5:9 aspect ratio will be here to stay, and while it's true that most kinds of multi media don't make full use of the display since they're shot in other aspect ratios, such a tall but narrow screen is rather useful to hold and use even with a single hand.

Support for the DCI-P3 and sRGB/Rec.709 color gamuts is also most definitely staying around; the same can be said about HDR. With these on board, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will continue to be among the best devices for multimedia viewing.



Pressure-sensitive displays are anything but new nowadays, and while there's no indication of the Galaxy S9/S9+ sporting such a screen, there's a chance that such a screen might be employed on the flagship. If anything, Samsung proved it's somewhat open to the idea with the S8's pressure-sensitive home screen area. One of the ways to differentiate the S9 and the S9+ from the S8 family would be to throw in such a functionality inside. What's more, the software support is already there, given that Android Oreo now allows for custom actions and more complex interactions with apps and features. If anyone aside from Apple can do it, it's definitely Samsung.