Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Edge release date UK: Everything we know so far

From dual cameras to a new Lilac Purple colour, here's what we know so far about the new Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+
The emphasis for the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ is going to be its brand new camera
JUNG YEON-JE/Getty images
Amelia Heathman25 February 2018

It’s that time of year again when the tech world gears up for the next big smartphone release and this time it’s from Samsung.

Samsung is rumoured to be unveiling the new Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ at Mobile World Congress, the world's biggest gathering of the mobile industry.

The phones are slated to be revealed on Sunday, February 25 at 5pm GMT.

But how much do we know about the devices already?

Everything we know so far about Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

1. What Samsung is saying

Samsung is being tight-lipped on the details of its next device. On the launch page for its Samsung Unpacked event, it says: “The Camera. Reimagined.”

This could be a major giveway. We know that last year Samsung aimed to reinvent the smartphone screen with the Galaxy S8, bringing in thin-bezel edges, so a new smartphone camera is very exciting.

2. What will it look like?

Evan Blass, a mobile reporter at Venture Beat, is known for his intel when it comes to phone leaks. He’s been tweeting images of the new Samsung Galaxy S9 ahead of its release later this week.

Here is the Titanium Grey version of the new smartphone:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">&#13; <p dir="ltr" lang="en">You're, ahem, missing Titanium Gray ;) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://t.co/fFVdZ5hUoZ" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3771891-https://t.co/fFVdZ5hUoZ" data-vars-event-id="c23">pic.twitter.com/fFVdZ5hUoZ</a>&#13; — Evan Blass (@evleaks) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/965542819657080833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3771891-https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/965542819657080833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-vars-event-id="c23">February 19, 2018</a>

As well, here is what the Samsung Galaxy S9+ could look like:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">&#13; <p dir="ltr" lang="und">+ <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://t.co/T5NGjyPGkR" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3771891-https://t.co/T5NGjyPGkR" data-vars-event-id="c23">pic.twitter.com/T5NGjyPGkR</a>&#13; — Evan Blass (@evleaks) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/965603927835267072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3771891-https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/965603927835267072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-vars-event-id="c23">February 19, 2018</a>

It doesn’t look like a major departure from the Samsung Galaxy S8. It’s keeping the thin-bezel design, but with a full bezel at the top to stop the annoying notch that iPhone X customers have complained about.

In addition, the screens should be exactly the same really as the Samsung Galaxy S8. The Galaxy S9 will have a 5.8-inch Super AMOLED screen, with QHD+ Infinity Display and a 1440x2960 resolution. This is the same as the Samsung Galaxy S8 so major surprises here.

The larger Galaxy S9+ will have a 6.2-inch Super AMOLED QHD+ Infinity Display with the same resolution. That’s the same screen as the Galaxy S8+ too.

The Galaxy S9+ features two cameras on the back, a nod to the “reimagined camera” Samsung has hinted. This will bring improved quality and function to the cameras.

Colour-wise, the smartphone will be available in four colours: Midnight Black, Titanium Grey, Coral Blue and Lilac Purple. It looks like Samsung has replaced any White versions of its devices for now.

The best Samsung Galaxy S8 Cases- in pictures

1/6

3. Back to the camera

The two cameras on the back of the rumoured smartphone, as well as Samsung’s emphasis on its reimagined camera means we’re expecting big things from the new smartphones.

The rumours are saying that the Galaxy S9 will have one 12-megapixel rear camera, while the Galaxy S9+ will have two. The cameras are expected to have a variable aperture mode of f/1.5 or f2.4. This means that the Samsung Galaxy S9 cameras will be on par with a traditional DSLR camera. The images will be sharper than we’ve seen before and your low light photography will be much better than anything an iPhone could produce.

And the front camera is going to be an eight-megapixel one, with autofocus, for all-round good selfies.

4. Will the Samsung Galaxy S9 have facial recognition?

Following the release of the iPhone X last year with its facial recognition, Samsung is obviously including this in its new smartphones. Both phones will have facial recognition using a front-facing iris scanner.

In addition, Samsung is keeping its fingerprint scanner on the back of the new Samsung Galaxy S9. From the images we’ve seen so far, it’s going to be just under the camera.

5. What about the performance?

The new Samsung S9 and S9+ are likely to be powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 845 CPU in the US. But in Europe, the phones will be powered by a different chip, Samsung’s own Exynos 9810.

This will give the smartphones improved performance on the previous generation of Samsung phones, as well as more sophisticated face detection for facial recognition.

The Galaxy S9 will come with 4GB of Ram and 64GB of storage, with the option for a 400GB SD card for expansion. Whilst the Galaxy S9+ will have the same storage specs, it will come with 6GB of RAM. This means the Galaxy S9+ should function more efficiently when it comes to carrying out several tasks.

The Samsung Galaxy S9+ will also have a bigger battery unit, 3,500mAh compared to the Galaxy S9#s 3,000mAh. It makes sense that the S9+ needs a bigger battery unit to handle all that RAM.

Charging cradles - in pictures

1/6

6. The other Samsung Galaxy S9 stats you need to know

Prone to dropping your phone in the sink/shower/toilet? The new Samsung Galaxy S9 is going to come with IP68 level water and dust resistance. This means you should be able to drop it in water for about half an hour before any major damage is done.

The new phones will feature wireless charging too if you’re into that.

7. What will the Samsung Galaxy S9 and 9+ cost and when can I get one?

When the smartphones are unveiled on Sunday, we will hear more about pre-orders, shipping dates, and costs.

At the moment, the rumours say pre-orders could begin as early as 8 March.

Price wise, the Galaxy S9 series could cost around £100 more than the Galaxy S8. This puts the Samsung Galaxy S9 price at about £789, with the Galaxy S9+ price will be around £879.

This means it will still be cheaper than the iPhone X’s £1,000 price tag.