The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus have already been the subjects of dozens of relatively credible leaks in recent months and while many insiders already provided plenty of info suggesting what consumers can expect from Samsung’s upcoming Android flagship duo, not every new supposed sighting of either device is equally reliable, which is what happens to be the case with the recently emerged video that can be seen below. While the clip claims to be depicting the Galaxy S9 Plus, the device shown during a short hands-on session appears to be much thicker than even the Galaxy S6, whereas its bottom bezel seems to be much larger than the one found on the Galaxy S8. Seeing how this isn’t a poorly made placeholder unit given how it clearly works, it’s likely just a cheap knockoff that will presumably go on sale in the coming weeks.
Minor Chinese phone makers have a long history of copying the design of Samsung and Apple-made flagships even before they hit the market and the Galaxy S9 series apparently won’t be an exception to that rule. The upcoming handsets are also unlikely to feature the same stock wallpaper and screen saver found on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, which is what the newly emerged video suggests. Regardless of the (lack of) credibility of the new leak, most industry sources agree the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus won’t mark a significant departure from the relatively bezel-free, Infinity Display-centered design of the Galaxy S8 family. Besides a new chip and Android 8.0 Oreo that’s expected to be pre-installed on the two flagships, the 5.8-inch Galaxy S9 will be largely identical to its direct predecessor.
The 6.2-inch Galaxy S9 Plus should introduce some additional improvements, starting with 6GB of RAM and a dual-camera setup similar to the one found on the Galaxy Note 8, albeit with lenses arranged in a vertical manner, positioned immediately above a horizontally oriented fingerprint reader. The Galaxy S9 series is said to be scheduled for an official announcement at Mobile World Congress in late February and is likely to begin retailing by mid-March, according to several recent reports. The lineup is expected to start at approximately $700 and presumably won’t debut with any price hikes due to the incremental nature of the upgrades it will be offering.