Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ to launch today: Everything you need to know

Here’s everything you need to know about Samsung’s latest flagship smartphones, Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+.

Will Samsung Galaxy S9 steal iPhone 8’s thunder? (AFP)

Samsung is set to unveil its latest flagship smartphones, Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, at its Unpacked 2018 event in Barcelona at 10:30PM IST.

Ahead of the official launch, there have been a number of leaks that have given us a good idea about what to expect from Samsung's latest flagship smartphones. Officially, the company hasn't revealed a lot but its recent teaser hint at native Augmented Reality support, similar to Apple iPhone X's Animoji. Also, the phones are expected to come with superior photography capabilities.

Samsung will be livestreaming the event and you catch all the action here. Here's everything we know about Samsung's latest flagship smartphones so far.

Design, Display

Based on several leaked renders, Samsung Galaxy S9-series doesn't seem to come with a major design change over the predecessor. This is quite understandable considering the Galaxy S8-series was a big upgrade over the previous line. Last year, Samsung made its Infinity Display universal on its flagship phones including Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ and even Galaxy Note 8.

This year, Samsung Galaxy S9-series will have the same edge-to-edge "Infinity Display" with thin bezels on top and bottom.

In terms of screen sizes, Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are expected to feature 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch Super AMOLED QHD+ displays respectively, both with 18:9 aspect ratio.

A possible change would be the introduction of dual cameras at the rear panel. The placement would also be different as the fingerprint sensor would now sit below the camera lens.

In case you need large, unmarked versions... pic.twitter.com/d233KC1cI8

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) February 19, 2018

Galaxy S9 is expected to launch in four colours of Midnight Black, Titanium Gray, Coral Blue and a very pretty Lilac Purple.

Chipset, Storage

Samsung, as customary will use the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon and in-house Exynos chipsets on its flagship series. Galaxy S9 in the US will launch with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 processor, while global markets will get the Exynos 9810 chipset model.

In terms of memory, the smaller Galaxy S9 could pack 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage. Galaxy S9 could offer 6GB of RAM with 64GB onboard storage as well.

Camera

Samsung's first official teasers for the Galaxy S9 duo showed off the camera features. For starters, the smartphones will have a "super slo-mo" feature, low-light photography, and iPhone-X like Animoji.

Specs wise, Galaxy S9 is said to sport a single 12-megapixel rear camera, while Galaxy S9+ features dual 12-megapixel cameras. Up front, both models are expected to feature an 8-megapixel selfie camera.

More expected features include f/1.5 aperture, optical image stabilisation and dual-pixel autofocus.

Additional features

For water and dust resistance, the smartphones will be IP68 certified. Samsung is also rumored to introduce AKG produced Dolby Surround sound on the Galaxy S9 series.

For power, Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ could be fueled by 3,000mAh and 3,500mAh batteries respectively. Also, reports positively assure that a 3.5mm audio jack will be present.

New ringtone

Samsung last week released another teaser video titled 'Over the Horizon 2018' showcasing the reimagined ringtone for the Galaxy smartphones.

"Each generation of Samsung's Galaxy devices comes preloaded with a fresh new rendition of "Over the Horizon", Samsung's signature, six-note sound. This year, Samsung teamed up with Icelandic composer Pétur Jónsson to craft a minimalist arrangement that takes listeners on an atmospheric journey of discovery," said Samsung in the description of the video posted on YouTube.

Availability, Pricing

Following its unveiling on February 25, the Galaxy S9+ duo could go up for pre-orders the very same day. The smartphones are rumored to start shipping as early as March 8. The speculated pricing for Galaxy S9 is around $800 which translates to roughly ₹51,900.