In early 2017, Samsung had the whole Galaxy Note 7 debacle to deal with, and that’s why it delayed the Galaxy S8 launch from February to March. The phone didn’t even reach stores until April. But next year’s Galaxy S9 might be released much earlier than that because Samsung is apparently very afraid of the incoming iPhone 8.
We already expected the Galaxy S9 to be unveiled at or around MWC 2018, but The Investor says Samsung has other plans. The report quotes The Bell’s estimate, which pegs January as a potential launch date for the phone. Apparently, the company has pushed the Galaxy S9’s launch forward to “defend” against the iPhone 8 that Apple will unveil in less than two weeks.
Samsung Display will begin OLED panel shipments for the new Galaxy S9 in November, two months earlier than last year. The display maker started OLED screen deliveries for the Galaxy S8 in January 2017, and the phone was unveiled on March 29th ahead of an April 21st release date.
The Investor explains that display panels are usually shipped ahead of other parts, including camera modules. It then takes two to three months for the phone to be fully assembled. Parts makers have apparently predicted an earlier-than-expected Galaxy S9 launch in part because panel development started all the way back in April last year, three to four months ahead of schedule. Of note, the project’s code name is said to be “Star.”
The assembly schedule suggests the Galaxy S9 will be unveiled in late January, well ahead of next year’s MWC 2018 conference in Barcelona, Spain. The phone should then hit stores by mid-February.
