A new set of concept renders created by one Martin Hayek show how Samsung’s Galaxy S9 lineup would look like with a display notch and a number of other design cues taken from Apple’s iPhone X. The author envisioned a pair of devices with essentially no bezels and 18.5:9 screens equipped with massive display notches. The overall size of the notch seen on the handsets in the gallery below suggests these concept Galaxy S9 models are meant to feature 3D cameras that would allow for FaceID-like functionality. Samsung’s new flagships missed out on that feature, with its alternative being offered in the form of Intelligent Scan, a combination of iris and facial recognition.
The screen of the notch-equipped Galaxy S9 Plus also appears to be larger than the one on the actual device, whereas its overall dimensions remain largely the same. The subject of mobile display notches sparked some controversy among tech enthusiasts in recent months, with many criticizing Android phone makers that opted to follow Apple’s lead and design such handsets even though their offerings don’t house advanced 3D cameras and still feature chins. Samsung still appears to be trying to do its own thing, as evidenced by the fact that its recently released flagships use a unique 18.5:9 aspect ratio, curved displays, 3.5mm headphone jacks, and are notch-less, thus standing in contrast to the rest of the industry.
The company’s new high-end Android series was officially announced late last month and is presently available for pre-orders, being scheduled for an official release on Friday, March 16. The South Korean tech giant recently said it’s expecting the Galaxy S9 lineup to outsell the Galaxy S8 family which is estimated to have sold around 37 million units in the last eleven months. This year’s Galaxy Note 9 is said to be designed in a similar vein, whereas Samsung may once again start experimenting with its flagship aesthetic in 2019 and attempt to radically revamp the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note lineups.
