Samsung Galaxy Note 9 release date, specs rumors update: No in-display fingerprint scanning technology

A few months after the release of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ smartphones, the reports are already in regarding the South Korean tech giant's next-generation Galaxy Note phablet. Per the latest rumors, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is set to launch later in 2018, although the public should be ready to get disappointed as one of the highly speculated premium features of the handset is no longer expected to arrive.

Promotional poster for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8YouTube/Samsung

Initial reports concerning the Galaxy Note 9 have suggested that the phablet will be the first handset from Samsung to boast an in-display fingerprint reader. Some users have been complaining about the odd position of the fingerprint reader at the rear side of the Samsung phones, particularly beside the camera lens. Having the scanner embedded right under the front screen panel would be the best solution to this problem, but unfortunately, such technology may not be ready in time to be introduced in the Galaxy Note 9.

South Korean online publication The Investor has recently tipped that the timing is not yet right for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 to get an in-display fingerprint scanner. If anything, Samsung is more likely to finish developing the technology right before the launch of its 2019 flagship smartphones.

It is now expected that next year's Samsung Galaxy S10 could pack with an optical biometric reader instead. Supporting this report is KGI Securities' industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who predicted earlier than the mass production of the components for an in-display reader will happen after the Galaxy Note 9 launch.

In other news, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is rumored to get an earlier unveiling date as the mass production of the phablet's OLED panel will begin in late April. Releasing the Galaxy Note 9 in the market ahead of the usual schedule can be seen as a marketing strategy, given that the device will go head-on against Apple's upcoming iPhone X successor. With this, the Galaxy Note 9 is now expected to be announced in early July.