After the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus launch at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) last February, Samsung is now expected to shift its focus to yet another premium device this year. According to the latest reports, the South Korean tech giant has already been working on the Galaxy Note 9 phablet, featuring a bolder and more radical design compared to its predecessor. The recent concept renders suggest that the Note 9 will boast an under-display fingerprint sensor, as well as a triple-lens camera setup at the rear.
There are no confirmed reports from Samsung regarding the new features of the Galaxy Note 9, except for the fact that the device is likely to adapt Note 8's Infinity Display and the usual S stylus pen. However, a bunch of concept photos of the Galaxy Note 9 has given the public an idea on what to expect from the high-end phablet. The renders reveal the front and rear portions of the device, and the radical changes are clearly shown. The most noticeable difference is the absence of a rear-positioned fingerprint scanner, as this feature is now embedded right under the front display's OLED screen.
The latest Samsung Galaxy Note 9 concept photos might have been based on the previous rumors regarding the in-display fingerprint reader technology to be offered by the phablet, although the recent reports hint that Samsung may need to take another year to properly incorporate this technology to the Galaxy Note. Aside from the under-screen reader, another innovative feature of the Note 9 concept is the higher screen-to-body ratio with further reduced bezels on the top and bottom display.
Last but not the least, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 concept images show the existence of a triple-lens rear camera. The render has the triple camera sensors vertically aligned at the back of the handset, which will give the Galaxy Note 9 a serious edge over the current powerhouse camera phones such as the iPhone X and the recently-unveiled Galaxy S9 Plus.
In other news, the arrival of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 may happen sooner than thought, as the firmware builds for the upcoming device are reportedly undergoing tests. Sam Mobile has spotted two firmware builds for a Samsung device with version numbers N960FXXE0ARB7 and N960FXXU0ARC5. To note, the firmware testing for the Galaxy Note 8 units did not happen until early April, and the phablets were launched in August. It is possible that the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will be released a few weeks earlier than August, possibly around late July.
