Samsung Galaxy S9 release date news, specs rumors: Next flagship powered by Snapdragon 845; mini version also in the works?
After the well-received Galaxy Note 8 launch back in August, Samsung is reportedly working on yet another flagship release for next year. According to the latest reports, the South Korean tech giant is currently developing the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus smartphones, which aim to exceed the Galaxy S8. However, the public may also see a third variant of Galaxy S9 with the flagship's mini version.
Rumors are rife that the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ will boast a powerful mobile processor that will surpass the performance of the current Galaxy S8 smartphones by a mile. This will be made possible by Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon 845 chipset. A Russian tipster known as Elder Murtazin claimed that Samsung has already made a deal with Qualcomm, in which the tech giant's premium smartphone for 2018 will be the very first to be powered by Snapdragon 845 chipset.
Being a successor to the Snapdragon 835 processor, the Snapdragon 845 is expected to be even faster than the current chipset version. It is believed that the Snapdragon 845 will be supplied to other smartphone makers at a later date.
Meanwhile, tech enthusiasts also expect that the Samsung Galaxy S9 will feature a big change in the rear design. A tipster known as Ice Universe said on Twitter that the next flagship handset will "change a lot," especially on the back panel. However, he did not specify the changes to be expected. Although, it is likely that the change would be the removal of the rear-positioned fingerprint scanner in the Galaxy S9. If not, the smartphone may finally receive a dual-lens rear camera, similar to Galaxy Note 8.
In other news, it is widely speculated that Samsung will introduce its very first miniature version of a flagship handset. The company is rumored to be working on a sub 5-inch smartphone that sports the same Infinite Display of the Galaxy S8 and Note 8 devices. Likewise, the mini Galaxy smartphone is expected to include a curved display.
For now, it is uncertain if Samsung will push through with a mini Galaxy smartphone. It is possible that the said device would be the Samsung Galaxy S9 Mini, which will be launched alongside the regular-sized S9 devices in the first quarter of 2018. Last year, it was also rumored that the Galaxy S8 would have a mini version, although such device never materialized.
