The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 may be a glimmer in its maker’s eye, but we’re already looking at what the Korean tech giant has in store for its next Note handset. Hear that sound outside your window? That’s the rattle of consumerism, rolling its merry way down your street. Rattle rattle, rattle rattle.
With Apple’s iPhone X kicking up a lot of excitement about facial-recognition technology and end-to-end screens, what can we expect from the Samsung Galaxy Note 9? Here is what we know, or largely guess, so far.
New renders show under-display fingerprint sensor
Mobile reporter Benjamin Geskin has mocked up a set of renders for the Galaxy Note 9, based on a handful of early rumours about what specs the handset may include.
The results look a lot like both the Note 8 and the iPhone X, with a 4K 6.4in display, a fingerprint sensor embedded into the screen, and an even fuller “infinity display”.
If you look at pictures of the Galaxy Note 8, you’ll see that Geskin has stretched the display on that device to totally eliminate the top and bottom bezels. There have indeed been reports that Samsung may be working on a new form of screen, although the patents unearthed about that particular direction hint at a similar “notched” display to the iPhone X.
Geskin’s render also shows an under-display fingerprint sensor. Will Samsung want to develop this hardware, knowing that Apple has effectively dumped its fingerprint sensor in favour of a new Face ID system? Which brings us to…
Will the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 have facial recognition?
There’s currently no evidence to suggest whether Samsung will or won’t push facial recognition as a stable of the Note 9. Seeing as the company already has a form of the tech enabled in its handsets, it seems like likely that it will try to out-face Apple with its future handsets.
Could the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 be something completely different?
Based on this year’s releases, it would be easy to predict that all smartphones will look largely identical come 2020. That pattern may be bucked, however, with a whole new concept based on foldable technology.
A foldable phone from Samsung has been long-rumoured, with reports centred on a device dubbed the Samsung Galaxy X. A new handset line makes a lot of sense, but could Samsung instead decide to premier its new foldable approach with the Note 9?
The president of Samsung’s mobile division, Koh Dong-jin, has said the company is aiming to release a bendable flagship in 2018. Given the benefits this could bring to a phone with a large form factor, it may very well be the case that the Korean company wants the Note 9 to be a phablet that can be folded into your pocket.
Of course, all of this is guesswork. We’ll be updating this page with more concrete news are it surfaces over the coming months.