Samsung Galaxy S9 release date news, specs rumors: Next flagship to sport radical rear panel; junks 3.5mm headphone jack

Promotional ad poster for the Samsung Galaxy S8Facebook/SamsungMobile

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ have been in shelves for a few months, but there are already fresh reports regarding their next iteration. Expected to arrive early 2018, the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ are rumored to sport a radical rear panel design, with others thinking that the major revamp has something to do with the awkward fingerprint sensor location.

According to the latest reports, the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ will introduce a huge change. A know tech leaker known as Ice Universe on Twitter revealed that the rear panel of the Galaxy S9 smartphone "will change a lot." This statement is quite vague, as there are a number of ways that the smartphone can improve its back design. Nevertheless, the public is paying attention to Ice Universe's claims, given his good track record in providing tech leaks.

The rear panel of the Samsung Galaxy S8 includes the camera module and the fingerprint scanner. The biometric reader was transferred away from the front display as the home button where it was previously embedded had to be removed. The Galaxy S8 and S8+ now boasts the Infinite Display to describe Samsung's new signature widescreen experience.

Unfortunately, the decision to transfer the fingerprint reader to give way to Infinite Display had a setback. Now, users have to reach the middle portion of the handset's rear panel with their finger to unlock the phone. Aside from exerting much effort to tap the fingerprint sensor, its proximity to the camera lens could also pose a problem. As for the Samsung Galaxy S9, it is possible that the reader would be transferred to the front display again.

Another possible outcome of the Samsung Galaxy S9 rear panel revamp is the introduction of a dual-lens camera setup. The next flagship handset may sport the same dual camera module of Galaxy Note 8, with possible 1,000 frame per second slow-motion video recording feature.

Meanwhile, Samsung Galaxy S9 leaks from Tech Droider showed that the handset will go with the trend of removing the 3.5mm headphone jack. If this turns out to be true, the Galaxy S9 will be the latest device to get rid of the traditional earphone socket after the iPhone 7, iPhone 8, iPhone X, and Google Pixel 2.