14 DAY TRIAL // Rumors swirling around the web indicate the Samsung Galaxy S9 could see daylight as soon as January ahead of being launched officially in March at a dedicated event, so it shouldn’t come as a big surprise that the South Korean company has already started testing the device.
Galaxy Club writes that the Samsung Galaxy S9 is currently being tested with Android 8.0 Oreo in anticipation of its public launch in early 2018, though this raises a few questions regarding the company’s software strategy.
While Samsung has never been in a rush to bring the latest versions of Android to its devices - and living proof is the Galaxy S8 which is yet to receive Android 8.0 Oreo, tech-savvy customers might be a little bit disappointed to see the next flagship not going live with the latest version of the operating system.
Android 8.1 nearly complete
Google has recently shipped the final preview version of Android 8.1 and devices in the production ring should receive it by the end of the year. This means that Android 8.1 Oreo should be ready by the time the Galaxy S9 launches, but Samsung will instead stick with version 8.0.
At this point, there’s plenty of speculation on the technical specifications of the upcoming Galaxy S9, and it’s believed the device will be available in the same sizes as the current lineup with 5.8 and 6.2-inch screens. There will be two different processors depending on version, namely the Snapdragon 845 and the Exynos 9810, with the smaller model to feature 4GB RAM, while the bigger sibling will be upgraded to 6GB.
There’s also word that Samsung could adopt a strategy similar to Apple’s and keep some features exclusive to the bigger model, including a dual-camera system.
And last but not least, the Galaxy S9 will feature a design similar to the existing model, though screen-to-body ratio could be improved to nearly 90 percent by reducing the bottom bezel to the point where it could barely be visible.