What the Samsung Galaxy S9 will look like. Technical characteristics of Samsung galaxy S9

UPD 02/25/2018: Passed Samsung presentation Galaxy S9 and S9+ and now we know everything about the new flagships from Samsung. Almost everything that was written earlier has been confirmed, so we will comment on the information that has changed. And of course all the photos of smartphones Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ are already real.

The Galaxy S9 and S9+ are about to replace Samsung's current flagship stock, and given our overall impression of Samsung's current flagships, it's definitely hard NOT to get excited about the next-gen Galaxy. And here's what we know about the Galaxy S9 and S9+ at this moment.

Design of Galaxy S9 and S9+

To put it bluntly, the Galaxy S9 does not involve a completely new design.

Unsurprisingly, the overall elementless aesthetic will likely remain similar to what we saw on the Galaxy S8 and S8+. This is quite reasonable and logical, considering that Samsung has really outdone itself with the overall look of its flagship. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ will certainly combine glass and aluminum into a premium, well-designed sandwich. Since curved glass on the front is now a hallmark of the company's high-end devices, it's normal to expect such a display on the S9 and S9+. We expect the back glass to also curve nicely to the phone's aluminum frame, as this design approach not only looks sophisticated but also makes the phone feel very nice in the hand.

Most main trend 2017 had an edge-to-edge screen, and both the Galaxy S8 and S8+ were among the pioneers of this trend, and it will be improved with each subsequent generation. So the Galaxy S9 and S9+ could still reduce the size of those bezels and improve on the screen-to-body ratio found in the Galaxy S8 and S8+, although not doing so wouldn't be a bad move either. Yes, frames are dying a horrible, horrible death and you're going to have to learn to love this new trend.

UPD after the presentation: At the presentation, the information was confirmed and the new flagships from Samsung have not changed in design compared to the Galaxy S8 and S8+.

New metal design

Samsung has registered a trademark (European Union Intellectual Property Office) for Metal 12, which appears to be a new lightweight and durable magnesium-aluminum alloy developed by Samsung itself and already used as the base material on its recent Notebook 9 (2018) laptop ). The trademark registration hints that this new alloy will certainly be used in other Samsung devices such as the Galaxy S9/S9+ and probably the Gear S4. What are the advantages of magnesium-aluminum alloys? While the difference in devices like smartphones wouldn't be as dramatic, magnesium is lighter than aluminum and stronger per unit volume. These two extraordinary properties of magnesium, the twelfth element on the periodic table (hence metal 12), have called it the “metal of the future,” and it’s easy to see why.

Samsung has certainly toyed with magnesium alloys before, reportedly developing a Galaxy S7 prototype with magnesium a few years ago. It hasn't borne fruit, but it looks like 2018 might change that. Of course, simply filing a trademark and having an alloy laptop obviously doesn't mean a magnesium Galaxy S9/S9+, but it's a possibility that shouldn't be ruled out at all.

UPD after the presentation: There was not a word about Metal 12 in the presentation, so we expect its use in the next flagships from Samsung.

Water resistance and sound

Moreover, as regards general design S8 family, the S9 line is also rumored to retain all the features of its predecessors. IP68 water and dust resistance. Stereo speakers are mentioned by several sources. The device will reportedly use a bottom-mounted speaker and speaker to create stereo sound, which is similar to what other devices already do. Overall quite big new feature, if this is true.

UPD: The information has been confirmed and Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ received stereo speakers from AKG.

How about a fingerprint scanner?
It's doubtful it will be integrated below the display, which is on almost everyone's wish list at the moment, so we'll likely see a rear sensor. Here you have to hope that it will be more convenient than on the S8/S8+. Judging by the recent Galaxy A8 and Galaxy A8+, Samsung has come to its senses: these two devices have a fingerprint scanner right under the camera module, which looks like an awfully convenient place for a vital biometric sensor.

New DeX Universal Dock

According to multiple reports, a new DeX dock, dubbed DeX Pad, will arrive alongside the Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+. Venturebeat reported that Samsung is about to launch new model with a new form factor that allows you to place the phone lying down rather than standing at an angle. This will allow you to easily use your phone as a touchpad, which is already available but which is quite cumbersome to use due to the orientation of the phone. It can also be used as a virtual keyboard, reducing dependency on using third-party peripheral devices. It is reported that the new dock will be backwards compatible with the S8, S8+ and Note 8.

Is Samsung betting on AI?
Samsung is close to completing the development of Neural Processing Units (NPUs), also known as "AI chips." These components will improve the capabilities of mobile devices and servers to run software based on AI. One of the sources says 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 Sammy will lead its competitors with the AI ​​chips it will produce in the second half of this year.

Now that everyone is betting on artificial intelligence, it is very important for Samsung to actively explore the field and invest in artificial intelligence, not because consumers are pestering it, but because of the fear of losing the potential of the "next big thing" in the industry. So far, current AI implementations have brought negligible gains in user experience, and we have yet to see that the manufacturer is actually right.

UPD: There was no talk about AI at the presentation, but there was quite a lot of information about AR (augmented reality). They presented AR Emoji - the same as Anomoji from Apple, only from Samsung.

Smart Scan
A new rumor suggests that Samsung may be developing a new multi-security feature for the Galaxy S9 and S9+ that uses both the iris scanner and face unlock to provide a more convenient way to unlock the device in different conditions. For example, the retina scanner doesn't work too well in really bright sunny conditions, while the face unlock feature is unreliable in low light. Using them together can bring the best of both worlds and provide easy unlocking in different conditions.

UPD: Intelligent scanning has been confirmed and the new flagships will have combined face and iris unlocking.

Galaxy S9 and S9+ screen

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

Edge to edge is still in trend
Due to the lack of any specific information, for now we'll assume that the next Galaxy will boast the same displays they made for the S8 and S8+. The smaller S9 will likely have a 5.8-inch Super AMOLED QHD display with a resolution of 1440 by 2960 pixels, while the larger one will likely remain with the same type of 6.2-inch screen and could have the same resolution . We're also pretty confident that the 18.5:9 aspect ratio is here to stay, and while most media doesn't take full advantage of the display because it's shot at different aspect ratios, such a tall but narrow screen is quite useful to hold and use even with one hand.

Support for DCI-P3 and sRGB/Rec.709 color gamuts also definitely remains; the same can be said for HDR. With their help on board, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will remain one of the best devices to view multimedia.

UPD: Data on screen sizes and extensions has been confirmed.

Camera

New leaked image of Galaxy S9 retail box shows some interesting information about the flagship camera. In line with previous rumors that the Galaxy S9 and S9+ can record slow motion videos at 1000fps, similar to the Xperia XZ Premium. rear end The box suggests that this feature will be called "Super Slow-mo". Such a feature could be accomplished by the all-new camera sensor detailed by Samsung, which features a tri-stack fast-read sensor that Samsung could introduce with the S9/S9+. Thanks to this, the cameras of the upcoming Galaxy devices and possibly the S9/S9+ will be able to focus even faster and more accurately than before. Samsung says the so-called "Super PD" focus will be able to intelligently "identify the distance of fast-moving objects even in low light for faster and more accurate autofocus."

What's even more intriguing, however, is the confirmation that Samsung's latest ISOCELL sensors will shoot 480fps videos at acceptable 1080p Full HD resolution. To put things into perspective, just mention that the Galaxy S8 and S8+ only support 240 fps at 720 HD resolution: you'll get twice the frame rate at a much higher resolution.

But even this isn't the most exciting new feature. Assuming the sensor is perfectly capable of shooting 480fps videos in Full HD, then it should theoretically be capable of shooting 960fps at 720p HD resolution. Sony was the first to release a two-stage ultra-fast frame rate sensor at 960 fps with some Xperia devices, but the implementation was quite vague and not entirely intuitive - users could only capture a couple of milliseconds of action and never knew whether the camera would record whatever they were capturing or whether it would slip away. We hope that the three-level Samsung sensor will be able to reduce the duration limitation and allow for longer shooting of slo-mo video. It remains to be seen, but we are moderately optimistic.

Additionally, rumors suggest the camera will arrive with a variable aperture of f/1.5-f/2.4, which suggests it could revert to a wider aperture for very low-light scenarios and utlra slo-mo videos where a lot of light is needed for a short period of time and vice versa for most other situations. Additionally, the camera's Portrait mode, which debuted with the Note 8, can easily take advantage of a wide aperture, pumping up the bokeh quality in portrait shots.

Hardware

Like its Snapdragon 835 predecessors, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ are now expected to use the entire first shipment of Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipsets. Yes, this is what will most definitely be ticking in the US and Chinese versions S9, while their international versions are traditionally expected to use Samsung's Exynos chipset. In the case of the S9 and S9+, this is the Exynos 9810 chipset, which is a 10nm process with a frequency of 2.9GHz.

Snapdragon 845...
Built on 10nm production process, is similar to the Snapdragon 835, but the new SD845 uses Samsung's LPP (Low Power Plus) technology as opposed to the SD835's use of LPE (Low Power Early).

This means that the new chip provides higher performance with the same power consumption. Another exceptional feature of Snapdragon's next high-end could be its modem, which was built with 5G in mind and supports stunning LTE Cat.18, allowing for theoretical data speeds of 1.2 Gbps.

Most recently, we came across results showing performance on a chipset including the Galaxy S9, with a single-core score of 2378 and a multi-core score of 8132. Given that the Samsung Galaxy S9+ passed through Geekbench in December, scoring similar scores of 2422 and 8351, respectively, it seems plausible that that the above results are for Galaxy S9.

...And Exynos

On the contrary, recent rumors indicate that Samsung's next Exynos could be built on the 8nm LPP manufacturing process, which could theoretically put it at an advantage over the Snapdragon 845 as it could be more efficient and have better performance. This is a recurring theme with Samsung flagships - their Exynos versions are traditionally more efficient and generally superior to their Snapdragon counterparts.

New data on Geekbench seems to give us a sneak peek at the performance of the Exynos 9810 version of the Galaxy S9/S9+. Surprise, surprise, with a single-core score of 3648 points and a multi-core score of 8894 points, it passes the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, which will use the American version of the flagships. According to previously discovered data, the Snapdragon version scored 2378 points in the single-core test and 8132 points in the multi-core test.

Quite a big difference and a clear win for the Exynos chipset if that's the case!

RAM
Looks like the Galaxy S9 will only be available in 4GB random access memory, as Samsung is reportedly looking forward to diversifying its two flagships. As such, only the larger and presumably more expensive S9+ will boast the larger 6GB of RAM. So it will match Galaxy Note 8, providing enough memory for multitasking. Meanwhile, the 4GB of RAM on the Galaxy S9 certainly isn't lackluster, but it certainly doesn't feel like it's 2018 yet.

Storage space
The Samsung Galaxy S9 is rumored to be available in two variants: 4GB/64GB and 4GB/128GB storage, which is standard and expected, but the Galaxy S9+ will be available in the following variants: 6GB RAM with 64GB storage, 6 GB RAM with 128 GB storage and 6 GB RAM with 256 GB storage. It is currently believed that the slot for microSD cards remains an integral part of the Galaxy S9 and S9+, which is great news.

Battery

Samsung doesn't appear to have plans to increase the battery capacity in every phone, which means we'll get 3,000mAh for the Galaxy S9 and 3,500mAh for the Galaxy S9+.

Because the wireless charger is now becoming increasingly popular, there is no reason to believe that Samsung will remove this essential functionality from its future devices. This means it's almost certain that the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will come with fast wireless charging on deck, just like their predecessors. While we don't know if there will be a faster version of the technology, rumors suggest that Samsung will have an all-new 10W wireless Charger for the Galaxy S9, which can charge other Samsung devices at the same time, akin to Apple's AirPower charging pad.

Recent listings for SM-G9600/DS (Galaxy S9 China edition), SM-G9608/DS ( Galaxy release S9 Taiwan) and SM-G9605/DS (China edition of Galaxy S9+) show that 5V/2A regular charging and 9V/1.67A/15W fast charging will be supported on the devices. This is essentially similar to the specifications of the own Fast technologies Charge from Samsung, which is found inside the Galaxy S8, S8+ and Note 8, which means that the Galaxy S9 series is of course not updated with more fast charging. Of course, there's nothing wrong with that: the Galaxy S8 and S8+ charge quite quickly, with the S8's 3,000mAh and 3,500mAh batteries capable of a full charge in about an hour and 40 minutes or less.

According to recurring rumors, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will have similar batteries (3.00 mAh for the S9 and 3,500 mAh for the S9+), so it's safe to assume that the S9 series will charge similarly to its predecessors.

Price and release date

In the absence of any pricing data so far, our prediction is that the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will initially cost the same as the S8 and S8+ at launch, although adding $50-$100 on top will probably be more appropriate.

Here's what the Galaxy S8 and S8 cost during their launch on American soil:

However, rumors claim that consumers should get their money ready because the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will be the "most expensive Galaxy devices ever." The Galaxy S7 launched at $650, the Galaxy S8 started at $750, so does that mean we're looking at a starting price of $850 for the Galaxy S9 and even more for the Galaxy S9+? Quite likely, since Apple is already charging customers $1,000 for its iPhone X.

UPD: the stated price for the US Galaxy S9 is $720, for Samsung Galaxy S9+ - $840 for the 64 GB version permanent memory, Galaxy S9 - 840 euros, Galaxy S9+ - 950 euros in Europe for the version with 64 GB of permanent memory.

A day before the start of MWC Barcelona, ​​the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will be officially unveiled during the Samsung Unpacked event on February 25, with sales starting on March 16.

All characteristics of Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ in compressed form

• CPU: Snapdragon 845 / Exynos 9
• RAM: Galaxy S9 - 4 GB, Galaxy S9+ - 6 GB
• Permanent memory: 64/128/256 GB + micro SD card up to 400 GB
• Operating system: Android 8 Oreo
• Screen: Galaxy S9 - 5.8 inches, Galaxy S9+ - 6.2 inches, Super AMOLED, 1440x2960 ​​pixels
• Camera: Galaxy S9 - single 12MPx camera with interchangeable aperture f1.5/f2.4, Galaxy S9+ - dual camera (one 12MPx camera with interchangeable aperture f1.5/f2.4, second telephoto at 12MPx f/2.4). Front camera 8Mx f/1.7
Rating 5.00 (1 Vote)

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+: specifications, design, features, price and release date

As you know, at the end of February 2018, as part of the MWC 2018 exhibition, the Samsung Galaxy S9 smartphone will be announced, which is credited not only with the most advanced technical equipment, but also with many other features. Today, this stunningly beautiful flagship, which can become the best in its class, was shown on video and photos. As you can easily notice, it has a modular design, that is, it functionality You can always improve it by simply purchasing a special module.

The screen of the Samsung Galaxy S9 smartphone, judging by the photos and videos, occupies almost all the space on the front part. It is still curved on the sides. At the top and bottom there are small indentations around 3-5 mm, the top of which houses the front camera, light and proximity sensors, as well as a number of others. In short, from the front the new South Korean flagship looks fantastically beautiful.

The back cover of the Samsung Galaxy S9 also seems to have undergone a lot of changes compared to that of the Galaxy S8. Now the flagship of this line boasts a double main camera with a vertical arrangement, to the right and left of which there are magnetic mounts designed to connect expansion modules - a powerful speaker or an advanced camera with a retractable lens. Directly below it there was a place for a fingerprint scanner, which is extended in width.

At the bottom end of the Samsung Galaxy S9 case there is a connector USB Type-C, as well as the usual audio jack for connecting headphones and any other music devices. Judging by the video, the body of the future new product is made of glass, so it will still be extremely fragile and quickly get dirty. However, fans of South Korean products should have gotten used to this a long time ago, since Samsung equips almost all of its mobile devices Tempered glass cases have been used for 2-3 years now.

According to reports, the new Samsung flagship will boast a top-end 8-core processor, an Adreno 640 graphics accelerator, 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of permanent flash memory, as well as many other components, the exact details of which are still unknown. There are only four months left before the official announcement of the new product, so very soon insiders will begin to publish information about the Galaxy S9 en masse.

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There is less than a month left before the premiere of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, but a lot is already known about what the new Samsung flagships will be like. It is clear that some of the data below may not be confirmed. But, most likely, most of them are related to reality. We recommend that you take a look, if only because Samsung flagships usually have a truly gigantic impact on the industry. And how they will look and what they will be able to do will affect the products of other manufacturers.

Design of Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+

If you believe the rumors, the appearance of the new smartphones will not change much. The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ cases will be the same “sandwich” of glass and metal (the picture below is an official image allegedly leaked to the Internet). We saw it in all models Galaxy series S starting from the 2015 model.

However, some rumors suggest that some things will change. For example, a magnesium-based alloy can be used instead of aluminum. It is already used in some Samsung products, such as .

What processor and memory will the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ get?

In some markets, smartphones will be supplied with a chipset, in others - with a Samsung design. These platforms are quite comparable in their capabilities, being by far the most powerful smartphone solutions in nature.

The amount of RAM is somewhat surprising: sources say only 4 GB. To understand: for a long time there have been models with both 6 GB and 8 GB, and Vivo is already supposedly a smartphone with 10 GB. However, it is worth remembering two points. Samsung produces the RAM itself, and perhaps the RAM will be integrated with the chipset in such a way that for fast work 4 GB will be enough. This is quite possible. Second point: at one time the company Galaxy version S8+ with 6 GB of RAM - versus 4 for the base version. Perhaps such improved modifications will appear in the “nines”.

And a few words about the built-in memory. They say that it will be only 64 GB, which by today's standards is not enough. At the same time, Samsung recently announced the start of production of 512 GB memory modules for smartphones. Is the hint clear?

However, there are other rumors about memory. Allegedly, the Galaxy S9 will have versions with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory, as well as with 4 and 128 GB. But the Galaxy S9+ will receive 6 GB of RAM and 64, 128 or 256 GB storage. There will be microSD slots in both models.

Security features of Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+

Fingerprint scanner, which the same iPhone X lost, from the new ones Samsung smartphones won't disappear. Moreover, it will supposedly be placed in the center, and not on the right, as was the case with the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. In the center - if anyone doesn’t know, it’s much more convenient.

The iris scanner will become more accurate. This can be achieved with the help of various optimizations and sensor resolution from 2 to 3 megapixels.

Some sources talk about some kind of hybrid system that is capable of simultaneously scanning both the iris and the user’s face (we are talking about a 2D system, that is, not as advanced as the iPhone X). Iris scanners usually don't work well in bright light, while facial scanners don't work well in the dark. The hybrid system will solve these problems due to its versatility.

What kind of batteries will the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ receive?

Their capacity will most likely not change: the younger model will receive a 3000 mAh battery, the older one - 3500 mAh. At the same time, time battery life can grow - due to the use of an improved technical process in the production of chipsets, as well as general system optimization.

Fast and wireless charging? Naturally, these options will exist. Samsung has been implementing them in its flagships for many years (we send our warmest regards to Apple, which only learned about them in 2017).

Other features of Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+

Both Snapdragon 845 and Exynos 9810 are equipped with LTE modems that provide data transfer speeds of up to 1.2 Gbps. (Another thing is that operators do not actually offer such speeds yet.)

If the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ were equipped with headphones from the Austrian AKG, then the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will allegedly also receive speakers branded with this three-letter abbreviation. Why not? We need to make the most of the deal to acquire Harman, for which Samsung costs $8 billion. (The AKG brand, if anyone doesn’t know, belongs to Harman.)

The 3.5 mm jack will not disappear from smartphones - and this is good: many companies today are following Apple’s lead, offering to connect “ears” in the interface port. Which annoys many users.

The Bixby virtual assistant, which lives in the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy Note 8, is, of course, not going anywhere. And in general, the “nines” will probably have some new set of functions related to AI. Both Snapdragon 845 and Exynos 9810 have corresponding coprocessors.

And one moment. A new version of the DeX console is allegedly being prepared for the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, which allows you to turn your smartphone into some kind of PC. Perhaps a smartphone in this very new version it will be possible to place it horizontally, and not upright, as in the existing version.

When will the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ premiere?

Samsung has a very official date: February 25, 2018. The day before the opening of the Mobile World Congress exhibition in Barcelona, ​​Spain.

How much will Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ cost?

Complex issue. Rumor has it that the devices may turn out to be a little more expensive than their predecessors. We hope this is a blatant lie. Because the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are already expensive: 49,990 and 54,990 rubles, respectively. We hope that the “nines” will remain at the same level. You shouldn't count on lower prices.

The closer we get to the presentation from Samsung, the more rumors there are, and the more truthful they are. Rumors grow into hype, videos and renderings appear. Our team also does not want to remain on the sidelines and will join the flow of “misunderstandings,” intrigues and news. As one famous blogger says, “Let’s get a little hype.”
And what are they talking about now, what leaks are there on the Internet? What the Samsung galaxy S9 will look like. What will be on board and how will it compete with its closest competitor Iphone X.

By the way, Samsung is one of the few that dares to launch a device under the number 9. In the world of IT technology, the number 9 is considered unlucky; brands such as Apple and Microsoft release products that bypass the number 9.
From Windows 8 to 10, iPhone 8 to 10

Technical characteristics of Samsung galaxy S9

But what is the Samsung S9 really worth buying for? What kind of device will this be? The rumors that circulate around the S9 are not clear-cut. It is known that most likely it will be a dual-camera smartphone with 6 gigabytes in the base. The hardware is of course top-notch– eight-core Exynos 9810 on a 7 nanometer process, clock frequency 2.4 GHz.
In the role GPU Mali-G71 MP22, 22 cores will perform.
In the case of the Samsung S9, the display is 5.8 inches using QHD+ technology, but the “big brother” Samsung S9 Plus will be equipped with a 6.2-inch one, but with the same resolution as the younger one, 1440x2960 ​​pixels. Battery 3200 mAh and 3600 for Samsung S9 Plus. The phone will also be equipped with fast and wireless charging technologies.

Camera in Samsung galaxy S9

The camera in the Samsung S9 Plus will most likely be carried over from the Note 8, but for the Samsung S9 it's not that simple. The Plus version has enough space, but the S9 is limited and the milking chamber may simply not fit.
But there is good news, the ability to shoot video in 4K resolution at 60 frames per second will be available.

There is nothing particularly pleasing about the appearance, and it will not be unique. This is still the same beautiful and well-built smartphone, which has an IP68 water and dust protection standard. But with some changes. All renderings are not similar to each other, but basically they are very similar to their predecessor.

In principle, this is a typical restyling of a smartphone, and not a new generation. For several years now the company has been standing still and cannot surprise the buyer. We will wait for the new generation of smartphones, which will definitely come and surprise the whole world.

P.S.
Since it became known that Samsung received a patent for technology that allows you to hide the camera behind the display. This will truly set a new trend in the borderless world. And who knows, maybe the 10th device from the company will be the first and completely frameless. If the “apple giant” does not bypass them in this arms race!

A few days before the premiere of the Samsung Galaxy S9/S9 Plus, specifications and photos of the new flagship of the Korean company leaked to the network.

Finding a second sock, making coffee, ordering pizza and ignoring drunken messages from exes - many would not refuse for their next smartphone to be able to do these simple and necessary things in everyday life. But for now the producers are teasing the best cameras, sturdy cases and animated unicorn emojis, all for $1,000 per device.

Today, February 25, Samsung will present its new flagship - Galaxy S9 and its more advanced version S9 Plus. Even though this is one of the most iconic smartphones of the year, judging by the leaks, it fits the concept described above: a little better, noticeably more expensive and with animated emoji.

NV collected everything that is already known about the smartphone at the moment.

Samsung Galaxy S9 - a place in the sun

At the end of last year, there were many rumors that, along with the update of the S line, the company would show a device with a folding screen. It will receive the name X and a price tag above $1000.

According to the latest leaks, Samsung will neither change the name of the flagship line nor show the mystical smartphone along with an update to the current line. Galaxy X will either be released this year between the Galaxy S9/S9 Plus and Galaxy Note 9, or will appear in 2019 and, perhaps, instead of the S-series. Probably, we're talking about about a smartphone with a bendable display (not like the ZTE Axon M, but for real).

The characteristics of smartphones have long been leaked online along with a photo of the box, and we had separate news with all the characteristics that are currently known.

Specifications of Samsung Galaxy S9/S9 Plus

Model: Galaxy S9/S9 Plus;

Screen: Infinity Display with aspect ratio 18.5:9, resolution - 1440 x 2960 pixels, diagonal - 5.8 inches / 6.2 inches;

OS: Android 8.0 Oreo with Samsung Experience 9 shell;

Processor: Exynos 9810 Octa (4x2.9 GHz and 4x1.9 GHz Cortex-A55) for the EMEA region and Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 845 (4x2.8 GHz Cortex-A75 and 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55) for the USA and China;

RAM: 4 GB/6 GB;

Main camera: 12 MP (f/1.5, 26 mm, 1/2.5", 1.4 µm), video recording in Super Slow-mo/ 12 MP (f/1.6, 26 mm, 1/2.55", 1.4 µm) + 12 MP (f/2.4, 52 mm, 1/3.6", 1 µm), 2x optical zoom, video recording in Super Slow-mo;

Front camera: 8 MP, f/1.6 aperture;

Battery: 3000mAh/3500mAh;

Housing: protection against dust and moisture IP68 (according to another version - IPX8), materials - Gorilla glass 5, aluminum;

Colors: Midnight Black, Purple Purple, Coral Blue, Titanium Gray (select markets);

Extras: AKG stereo speakers, audio output, fingerprint scanner, iris scanner and facial recognition.

Benchmarks show that the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus will be the most powerful smartphone at the moment.

Visually, at least from the front side, the smartphone will be very similar to the Galaxy S8 - the same “infinite” display, glass and metal, minimal frames.

The ergonomics of the rear panel will be improved - the fingerprint sensor will move under the camera, thereby depriving users of headaches with mistakes and marks on the camera. There will be animated emoji, like in the iPhone X, and possibly a similar facial recognition system. The camera will become even better, fast autofocus will be faster, and little things in the interface, according to insiders, will be fixed to make the smartphone even more convenient.

It’s interesting that for the first time in the history of releasing two flagships, the company makes such a serious difference in the equipment of the models. The Galaxy S9 Plus will receive more RAM, an improved dual camera with dynamic aperture, a larger battery and display (but this was also the case in previous S-series models). There is a repetition of Apple's tactics with regular and Plus models.

The main difference from the announcement of iPhones last fall is the absence of the most premium model, which allowed the Cupertino company to earn more in the last quarter than all other smartphone manufacturers. Samsung in general will raise the cost of its flagships (and the margin on them, presumably).

The role of a premium model could be a third flagship, which could be released later, at an even higher price and in a limited number of markets (as is the case with Android clamshells and the curved Galaxy Round, released a few years ago).

True, there are even more differences from Apple, since the iPhone X is a premium and fashion device, but its advantages are clear to the mass user and it is aimed at a wide audience. Unusual things like a folding screen are too niche and there are much fewer people willing to pay for a curiosity. If she does see the light.

Samsung Galaxy S9 - in pursuit of the best frame

Recently, a trend has been clearly visible - smartphone manufacturers who want to attract attention are focusing on improving the camera: in fact or on paper. Huawei is preparing to introduce the P20 in March, which will receive a triple module. Nokia may soon show 8 Pro with five cameras.

In the Galaxy S9 teaser, Samsung emphasizes that the company has rethought the camera in the upcoming flagship. But the fact is that at the moment, all the flagships of major brands are photographed in such a way that just a few years ago it was difficult to believe that smartphones would be capable of this.

The teaser gives rise to several speculations regarding the camera's capabilities. The abundance of selfies in the video may indicate that improvements will be made front camera. There are versions that the company is hinting at a wide-angle lens, bokeh, like in the iPhone X, or deep integration with social networks. Video recording in Super Slo-Mo mode and 2x optical zoom in the older model are also expected.

Since the Galaxy S6, Samsung has been the favorite in the race to become the best camera phone. With each generation, the quality of pictures has improved, especially in the dark and in low light (in good light, most smartphones are capable of taking good pictures). IN Galaxy reviews Note 8 (and Galaxy S8) could be found mentioning that it is difficult to imagine that the camera in a smartphone can become even better. But she did. And there will probably be more.

So why are manufacturers so eager to improve what is already almost great and overcome physics (after all, smartphones are too far from the capabilities of the optics of professional cameras)? It’s probably all about the same growing confrontation with inexpensive Chinese brands.

Any manufacturer more or less well-known outside of their native China can purchase high-quality displays, powerful hardware, organize assembly at the highest level and supply a large battery. While the “Chinese” are proving to the world that their quality is no different from A-brands, A-brands have to prove to customers that they are worth paying extra N hundred dollars for.

The superiority of the display is not so noticeable, the strength of the case in the protective case is not so noticeable. You need to pay attention to those things that are understandable and pleasing to the buyer. Cameras, animated unicorns and flirtations with artificial intelligence are what so far distinguishes leading manufacturers from manufacturers of the second, third and other echelons.

Samsung Galaxy S9 - price issue or why so expensive

Prices for current flagships will be higher than last year. Presumably $150, although everything will depend on the country, taxes and other details. The authoritative publication The Verge writes that you should expect a price tag in the range of $800-925 (in the US before taxes). According to another version, 900-1000 euros in Europe. In any case, it is more expensive than last year's models.

But behind all this lies one question - if a smartphone becomes a little better in everything, then why will its price increase by about $150? The Galaxy S8 has not yet become obsolete, and the model will become cheaper after the release of the new flagship. Based on the current information about the device, it is difficult to imagine that all these small improvements will be able to explain the difference in price in the eyes of potential buyers, even if we talk about the top model with its best characteristics.

As previously written NV, in developed countries, stagnation is expected. Users do not tend to buy new devices as often as manufacturers would like; what they have becomes obsolete slowly.

Therefore, a large number of leaks with characteristics causes even more interest in the announcement and resembles a protracted intrigue, where each new piece of information looks like a hook, and not like an answer. If there is another, more expensive smartphone, what will its price tag be? Will anything good finally come out of the “intelligent assistant” Bixby, which works in a limited number of markets and, according to experts, is inferior to what its competitors already have?

When Samsung introduced the Galaxy S8 to the market after problems with the Galaxy Note 7, the company worked hard on the new device. On paper, the changes compared to the previous model looked minor. But in fact, thanks to a large number of small improvements, the smartphone really turned out to be head and shoulders better than its predecessor. Will Samsung be able to surprise this time too?

And one more thing

Samsung Galaxy S9/S9 Plus will receive an updated Over the Horizon ringtone. True, Samsung presented it in advance, and it fuels anticipation. The melody was performed by a string quartet, and, according to Samsung, it is reminiscent of the nature of Scandinavia.

In addition to the flagship, we can expect the launch of a new Uhsupp service from the Samsung press conference. Rumor has it it will be a hybrid social network and messenger. Let us remember that several years ago the company already closed its own messenger ChatOn.

Samsung will also present an updated DeX docking station, which turns a smartphone into a computer.