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Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ will have different specifications, variable aperture camera, stereo speakers, on sale March 16th

The countdown to the debut of the Samsung Galaxy S9 has started. With official invites for a February 25th event going out earlier this week, a report has come out today giving us a fresh look at the phone, as well as some new details.

Evan Blass, the well-known and reliable leaker, today posted on VentureBeat our latest look at Samsung’s upcoming flagship. As expected, the appearance of the phone doesn’t differ all that much from the S8 that precedes it. However, at first glance, the bezels on this device appear a fair bit larger. Thankfully, though, this is probably just due to this picture, as it doesn’t account for the curved glass along the sides that hides excess bezel.

What’s interesting in this leak, though, are the specs being reported. Unlike last year, where the smaller and larger versions of the S8 only differed in screen size, there will be quite a few differences this time around.

Apparently, the smaller Galaxy S9 will have the Snapdragon 845 processor (Exynos 9810 internationally), 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and the same 5.8-inch display found in last year’s S8.

On the other hand, the larger Galaxy S9+ will up the specs a fair bit, offering 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage with the 6.2-inch display. That’s certainly unfortunate for those who want a smaller phone with top-tier specs.

Samsung’s invitation earlier this week took note especially of the camera sensor, mentioning that it was going to be “reimagined.” As previously reported, this will be thanks to a new 12MP camera sensor and the powerful processor which will enable super slow motion modes up to 480fps.

The main setting that will set the new sensor apart is a variable aperture. Apparently, it will be able to switch between f/2.4 and f/1.5, allowing for more flexibility in pictures and videos.

While the standard Galaxy S9 will only have this sensor, the larger S9+ will offer a second 12MP sensor with a fixed aperture, aligned vertically with the primary camera. The fingerprint sensor will thankfully move and be located under these cameras, a more natural and less infuriating location.

Another change we’re glad to see on the S9 family is the addition of stereo speakers. Before you get too excited, this isn’t in the style of the Pixel 2 family where the speakers are up front, but rather, there will be stereo speakers on the bottom of the phone. Regardless, it’s still an improvement.

Samsung will be announcing the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ on February 25th, and apparently, both phones will go on sale starting March 16th. Pricing is unclear at this time, but it will probably be close to that of the S8 family.


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