Samsung Galaxy S9: what we want to see

Samsung Galaxy S9

Update: A new rumor suggests the Samsung Galaxy S9 could support modular accessories, but that the fingerprint scanner won't be built into the screen. Elsewhere, we've once again heard that the top-end Snapdragon 845 chipset could be used in at least some models of the Samsung Galaxy S9, suggesting the phone will be every bit as powerful as you'd expect. The Samsung Galaxy S8 only hit stores earlier this year, but we're already hearing rumors of the Samsung Galaxy S9, with one report claiming the phone is already in the first few stages of production. We've put together an overview of the rumors and news we've heard so far. You'll find that below, along with everything we know about the inevitable Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus. But we've also included a list of improvements we hope Samsung will include on its next phone, because as good as the S8 is, it's not perfect.
Cut to the chase: What is it? Samsung's 2018 flagship phone When is it out? In 2018, probably March or April release What will it cost? It's going to be pricey, around $720, £689, AU$1,199 Samsung Galaxy S9 price and release date We so far know nothing about when the Samsung Galaxy S9 will be announced, so we'll just have to go off what Samsung has done in the past. Samsung announced the Galaxy S8 in late March, so we'd expect it will follow up with the Galaxy S9 roughly a year later, at the end of March 2018. But it was late in announcing the Galaxy S8 in 2017 - the company waited about a month longer than normal, so it's possible that the S9 will land around the end of February, in which case it might be launched at Mobile World Congress 2018, as that's likely to take place at that sort of time. What we can safely predict is the Samsung Galaxy S9 is sure to be expensive, as the Galaxy S8 launched at $720, £689, AU$1,199. Samsung Galaxy S9 news and rumors Not much is known about the Samsung Galaxy S9, but some sources claim the company has already started work on producing its next flagship phone. The Bell reports unnamed industry sources saying that Samsung has been hard at work on the display panels for the Galaxy S9 since late March 2017. If Samsung has started work on the S9’s display panels that’s apparently about 6 months earlier than usual.

That doesn't come as a massive surprise, as many companies start work on their phones before one generation has even been announced, but it's good to get the rumors flowing already about the next Samsung phone. Samsung and Qualcomm have also started working on a new mobile chip according to The Investor. The chip is apparently likely to be called the Snapdragon 845 - up from the Snapdragon 835 found in some versions of the Galaxy S8 - and is supposedly going to be used in the Samsung Galaxy S9. The Snapdragon 845's use has again been rumored, this time by a reasonably reliable source, so it's looking likely. So far we don't know anything about the power or performance of the Snapdragon 845 chipset, but we'd wager it won't be the only one Samsung uses, with a new Exynos chip likely headed to S9 handsets in some parts of the world. And speaking of a new Exynos chip, Samsung has revealed that it has developed LTE modems for the next generation of its chips. Why should you care? Because these modems support theoretical download speeds of 1.2Gbps - faster than any other phone, meaning you could potentially download an HD movie within just 10 seconds.

It seems one of the big chipset developments may allow the company to include a much bigger battery too. A new report suggests Samsung will now use Substrate-like PCB tech that will allow the Exynos chipset manufacturer to include a bigger battery without increasing the size of the processor. It may mean the extra battery won't be on the Qualcomm Snapdragon toting Galaxy S9, but it could mean big improvements for those who get the Exynos version.