Samsung Galaxy S9 Release Date, Preorder: South Korean Telecom Official Leaks Details

While it’s already widely known that Samsung will be unveiling its Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ flagship smartphones this coming Sunday, Feb. 25, there hasn’t been solid information on when can the smartphones become officially available on the market. Good thing industry sources have now leaked preorder and release details of the upcoming handsets.

The Investor learned from sources Wednesday that Samsung Electronics has scheduled its new flagship Android handsets to hit global market shelves on March 16, which is almost three weeks after their unveiling. Samsung has already sent out invites for a Feb. 25 launch event. Both smartphones are then expected to be showcased at the Mobile World Congress 2018 in Barcelona next week.

Sources also disclosed to the online news site that preorders for the S9 and S9+ in Samsung’s home turf will open on Feb. 28. Samsung’s mobile carrier partners SK Telecom, LG Uplus and KT will start receiving preorders for the new flagship phones on the said date. The same sources claimed that those who preorder will get their hands on the S9 phones between March 9 and 15. It’s not clear if the same schedule will be applied to the U.S. market.

One of the sources is an official from the local telecom industry who even said, “Samsung recently sent out the preorder and release schedules to mobile carriers.” It’s safe to assume that the details could be accurate because an official is already involved in this new leak.

Meanwhile, there are many speculations about the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. The former is predicted to come with a 5.8-inch display, while the latter is expected to house a 6.2-inch display. In terms of camera setup, the Galaxy S9 is said to only come with a single-lens back camera module. On the other hand, its larger variant will likely sport dual rear lenses.

Earlier reports have also suggested that the new flagships will pack in a lot of enhanced features. There’s going to be an upgraded version of the iris recognition system, facial recognition, Samsung Pay and an enhanced version of Samsung’s Bixby digital assistant. The updated Bixby is said to have this feature that will allow users to see real-time translations of texts with the use of augmented reality.

The new features and upgraded specs of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will unfortunately increase their market value. As previously reported by IBTimes, the two new Galaxy flagships will cost $100 more than their predecessors. The Galaxy S9 is rumored to start selling at $850, while the S9+ could start at $950.