Samsung’s Galaxy S9 is on the way within the month and the typical mobile phone leaks to spur interest have started.
Technology web sites are carrying images and details of the upgraded specification of the new phone to rival the Apple iPhone.
The only conclusion with the speculation around new phone releases is the makers try to stir up media attention by giving a fore taste to selected journalists.
The new mobile phone will come in two formats – the S9 and S9 Plus.
The price is already out of the bag – the Galaxy S will come in at £100 more expensive than last year’s S8, with a starting price of £789, with the S9 Plus tipping in at £879.
Reimagined cameras
Under the bonnet, the new S9 will have 4GB or 6GB of RAM and storage options of 64GB to 256GB.
On the back of the case is a fingerprint scanner.
Samsung has gone all out with the camera.
The S9 will have front and rear facing cameras. The rear dual camera will have 12MP with low light capabilities at f1.5 and f2.4. The front facing camera has a lower performance with 8MP.
But the rumour is the camera is based on the Sony Xperia and comes with super slow-motion.
Sound comes from stereo speakers and a USB-C 3.5mm headphone jack plus a built-in FM radio.
The voice assistant is Samsung’s Bixby AI.
Folding phone
Battery life is tipped as at least 20 hours – the Galaxy S8 already hits around 16 hours.
The case comes in black, grey, blue and purple.
Release date is March 25, although several carriers are taking pre-orders.
“You can expect the S9 to cost £100 more than the Galaxy S8 when it was released last year,” said a source for TechRadar. “The truth is that last year’s massively inflated smartphone prices on handsets like the S8, Note 8 and iPhone X have shown that there are plenty of people out there willing to pay these higher prices.”
The web site also claims Samsung are working on an in-screen fingerprint scanner– with a patent already listed at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
Another innovation Samsung is considering for a future Galaxy model is a folding phone.