High-res leaked Galaxy S9 renders leave nothing to chance

The Galaxy S9 leaks just won’t stop coming in. We’ve seen countless leaked renders of this smartphone over the past few weeks and it looks like we’ll see a lot more before Samsung officially announces the handset. If you didn’t like some of the previously leaked renders that were low-res then you’re certainly going to like the ones that have been leaked online today.

These renders don’t really make any new revelations because the Galaxy S9’s design is no longer a secret. Then again, the handset doesn’t come with a lot of design changes in the first place. It looks quite similar to its predecessor and that’s not something that a lot of fans appreciate, particularly when it comes to flagship smartphones. They don’t leave anything to chance so perhaps it’s best to give up hope for a surprise design change to be revealed at the Galaxy S9 launch event.

High-res leaked Galaxy S9 renders

These “gigantic res” renders of the Galaxy S9 show off the upcoming flagship in incredible detail. You can really zoom into the images to take a proper look and maybe try to find out some other minor design changes. Samsung hasn’t changed the design much. The repositioned fingerprint sensor is actually one of the biggest design changes on this handset alongside the slightly smaller bottom bezel.

It goes without saying that we’ll continue to see more Galaxy S9 leaks in the days leading up to the Galaxy S9 launch. That’s just how it is these days, and the company doesn’t really seem to be making a significant effort to prevent leaks anyway. No wonder we now know almost everything that there is to know about the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+, including details about the handsets’ specifications and new software features.

Samsung is due to unveil the handset on February 25 at the Mobile World Congress 2018 in Barcelona. A new report today claims that the device will be released on March 16. We’ll be on the ground in Barcelona to bring you all of the latest updates from Samsung’s Galaxy S9 launch event so don’t forget to check back in on February 25 to follow the proceedings.

Click on the images posted below to see the high-res renders.

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Samsung boasts about Galaxy drop tests in a new video

Before the launch of the Galaxy S6 series, Samsung flagship smartphones used to put function over form. They were not the nicest looking devices, but they were surely the most utilitarian and functional smartphones then. The company’s choice of plastic over glass made the earlier Samsung flagship phones better suited for wear and tear.

A striking smartphone design made from glass obviously looks and feels better in hand compared to plastic phones. So, when Samsung shifted to using glass exterior for its flagship smartphones, it did result in better sales and praise from the tech press, even though the new design and material choices made the devices more fragile and prone to drops.

Glass design puts form over function

Though each year Samsung uses the toughest and the latest Gorilla glass to make its flagship smartphones more durable, they are all still very fragile compared to the plastic smartphones and break or crack easily when dropped. In a new video published on its YouTube channel, Samsung tries to boast about its extensive drop tests while designing their flagship smartphones. Other than the snazzy visuals, the video doesn’t offer much on the subject. It just mentions that Samsung does extensive drop tests while designing its smartphones. While Samsung’s assertion about extensive drop tests may be true, Galaxy smartphones made from even the toughest Gorilla glass are still susceptible to damages when dropped.

The curved and Infinity Displays in the recent Galaxy flagship smartphones are particularly bad from the endurance perspective. The replacement cost of these displays is also considerably more expensive than the earlier options. Samsung regularly comes up with sales promotions offering one-time screen replacement for physical damages to appeal to the anxious buyers.

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New Galaxy Tab S4 benchmark hints at a 16:10 aspect ratio

Recently we came across a GFXBench listing for what appears to be the Galaxy Tab S4. The benchmark revealed many key specifications of the upcoming Samsung flagship tablet. The benchmark pegged the Galaxy Tab S4’s display at 10.5 inches with a resolution of 2560×1600 pixels. This gives the tablet an aspect ratio of 16:10, which will be a departure from the Galaxy Tab S3’s 4:3 aspect ratio.

Returning to the original aspect ratio?

The same alleged Galaxy Tab S4 model has now surfaced on an HTML5 benchmarking website adding more credibility to its existence. Though this HTML5 browser benchmark doesn’t reveal any key specifications, it does again hint at the possibility of a 16:10 display on the Galaxy Tab S4. The benchmark lists the device as running Android 8.0 and sporting a questionable 1280×800 resolution. While the low resolution puts a question mark on the integrity of the listing itself, it’s possible that the true details have been masked. The benchmark listing could also be an elaborate fake as that’s always a possibility.

When Samsung launched the first-generation Galaxy Tab S back in 2014, it came with a 16:10 SuperAMOLED display. However, from the Galaxy Tab S2 onwards, Samsung adopted the increasingly popular 4:3 aspect ratio to better compete with other flagship tablets. If the Galaxy Tab S4 indeed launches with the 16:10 aspect ratio, then it marks Galaxy Tab S line-up’s return to its original aspect ratio. It is not yet clear what reasons would motivate Samsung to go back to the old aspect ratio when almost all the premium tablets in the market are sticking to 4:3 for their screens.

Remember, benchmark results can be faked easily. So, take all the information you gather from benchmark listings with a pinch of salt. What aspect ratio do you prefer on your tablets and why? Do let us know in the comments.

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Fresh Galaxy S9 leak shows off the device in the flesh

We’ll continue to see new Galaxy S9 leaks in the days leading up to the handset’s launch. We have seen quite a few leaked renders of the upcoming flagship so far and today a couple of live images of the handset appear to have been leaked online. They show off the device in the flesh and it doesn’t look all that different from what we’ve seen so far in the leaked renders.

Galaxy S9 leaked in the flesh

These live images of the Galaxy S9 are said to have originated from Vietnam. It’s in Midnight Black which is one of the color options that the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ will be offered in. Samsung is also going to offer a new color option called Lilac Purple with the flagship. Leaked renders have already given us an idea of what this new color will look like on the device.

We can also see that it says “Secured by Knox” on bootup. It’s unclear if this just refers to the Knox protection that Samsung builds into all of its mobile devices or if the Galaxy S9 has some special Knox security features.

The only major design change can be seen at the back with the fingerprint sensor now being placed below the camera lens. All in the all, the device looks quite similar to the Galaxy S8, as expected. That’s not necessarily a bad thing given that the Galaxy S8 had one of the best designs of any Android smartphone on the market last year. However, those who already own a Galaxy S8 might find it difficult to justify purchasing a new flagship smartphone that looks the same as the one they already have.

Since the design alone won’t be enough to entice people to purchase its new phone, Samsung will surely be offering some great new software features to justify the purchase for customers. These new features include AR emoji, live translation with Bixby Vision, camera UI improvements and more. The company is expected to release the Galaxy S9 on March 16.

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New Samsung OLED TV possible as defunct business being reviewed

Samsung maintains its aversion to OLED displays for TVs even though it’s a leader in the AMOLED display market. The company’s mobile devices come with beautiful AMOLED displays but Samsung has long held that this technology isn’t suited to its TV lineup. If a new report is to be believed, the company might be changing its stance on OLED TVs.

According to a report out of South Korea, Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong has ordered a review of the defunct OLED TV business. He was recently briefed on the current status of each business division following his release from prison. Lee has reportedly ordered a review for the OLED TV business which could result in a new Samsung OLED TV being manufactured.

New Samsung OLED TV

Samsung pitches its QLED TVs against OLED TVs by saying that the former is free of burn-in issues and scales cost-effectively for larger screens. It has never outright denied the possibility of ever making another OLED TV, though.

The company has dabbled in OLED TVs in the past. It launched a 55-inch curved OLED model in 2013 but later stopped production of the model.

So why does Samsung suddenly feel the need to revisit OLED for TVs? Perhaps it’s because rival LG has released OLED TVs that have done very well in the market and it made up for the shortcomings that Samsung has long pointed out with proprietary algorithms to ensure good picture quality and lifetime beyond ten years.

Moreover, prices of OLED TVs have been gradually coming down which have enabled LG to record its highest sales ever for premium TVs last year. By keeping itself out of the OLED TV market, Samsung is just conceding ground to its biggest rival in the TV market.

Whether or not this review will result in a new Samsung OLED TV remains to be seen. Even if the company does launch one, we can expect it to continue pushing its QLED TVs alongside the new OLED model as well.

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Samsung building new 7nm foundry plant to catch up with TSMC

Samsung’s semiconductor division is a veritable cash cow for the company which is why it has been pouring money into its manufacturing facilities to meet rising demand and further consolidate its position in the market. The company decided to invest in a new memory chip production line recently at its Pyeongtaek plant to better prepare for future demand.

Taiwan-based TSMC got a leg up on Samsung by focusing on the 7nm process earlier and Samsung now wants to catch up by building a new foundry plant equipped with advanced process technologies in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.

New 7nm foundry plant to begin production by next year

A South Korean news outlet has reported today that Samsung is going to break ground this week for a new 7-nanometer foundry plant. It’s going to hold a ceremony with some 100 local residents in Hwaseong on Friday to mark the ground breaking. A Samsung official has said that this new plant is planned to be used largely for foundry production but it could be expanded further to produce other components.

The new 7nm foundry will be equipped with the latest Extreme Ultraviolet lithography equipment imported from the Netherlands. We’re previously explained in detail how Samsung’s 7nm process will be superior to rivals like TSMC because it’s going to use EUV technology compared to the traditional optical process used by TSMC.

Samsung expects to start mass producing 7nm chips at this facility from next year.

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Galaxy S9 release date could be March 16

Samsung is going to unveil its new flagship smartphone officially on February 25 and it’s also going to confirm the Galaxy S9 release date at the event. The reports we’ve seen so far suggest that the handset will hit shelves by mid-March with pre-orders opening up soon after the announcement. According to a new report out of South Korea, Samsung might release its new flagship smartphone on March 16.

Galaxy S9 release date

The report out of South Korea claims that the Galaxy S9 release date is March 16. Samsung’s carrier partners in South Korea will reportedly start taking pre-orders for the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ from February 28.

The report cites a local telecom industry official who claims that Samsung has sent out the pre-order and release schedules to mobile carriers. Those who place a pre-order will get their handsets between March 9-15, customers who don’t pre-order will be able to find the new flagship in stores from March 16.

If this information is accurate then the Galaxy S9 release will take place sooner than that of its predecessor. Samsung announced the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ on March 29 last year and the general availability was set a full month later for April 28.

The Galaxy S9 release date will also vary by market since the general availability date is only for a handful of markets. We’ll only come to know for sure once the Galaxy S9 has been officially announced and Samsung’s regional arms confirm pricing and availability details for their respective markets.

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256GB Galaxy S9+ variant still remains a possibility

Previous reports about the RAM and storage variants of the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ have suggested that the latter will be sold in most markets with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. There have been rumors about a 256GB Galaxy S9+ as well and it appears that this still remains a possibility.

256GB Galaxy S9+

Samsung is expected to ship two variants each of its new flagship smartphone. The Galaxy S9 will get 4GB of RAM with 64GB and 128GB of storage while the Galaxy S9+ will bump up the RAM to 6GB. It has been rumored before that Samsung could offer the Galaxy S9+ with 256GB internal storage in select markets.

It appears that Samsung could offer the 256GB Galaxy S9+ in South Korea. This particular variant has been spotted in the directory of the Mobile Phone Lost and Found Centre in Seoul. It’s run by the Korea Association for ICT Promotion and the country’s top three mobile networks. It’s the official authority where lost and found phones are reported and also kept for nine months.

The directory has multiple listings for a device with model number SM-G965 which we know to be the Galaxy S9+. It also mentions the 256GB storage capacity of the handsets in the directory.

No concrete evidence has surfaced as yet to support the theory that a 256GB Galaxy S9+ will be offered but this isn’t outside the realm of possibility. We’ll only know for sure when the device is officially announced on February 25.

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