Click to Skip Ad
Closing in...

New Galaxy S9 leak shows a design that’s so much better than the Galaxy S8

Published Dec 20th, 2017 10:32AM EST
Galaxy S9 Release Date
Image: SquareTrade

If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.

The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are among Samsung’s best-selling devices of all time. They also feature what is arguably the most stunning smartphone design we’ve seen to date. Most would probably agree that it’s a toss-up between the Galaxy S8 and Apple’s iPhone X, but the X’s notch is a deal-breaker for many gadget fans. Curved glass on the both sides of the Galaxy S8 provide smooth, flowing lines that run from the front of the phone to the back. It looks great, and equally important, it feels great in the hand.

Since Samsung’s Galaxy S8 design is so fantastic, it wasn’t exactly a surprise to learn that the company plans to reuse it next year for the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. But while the S9 design will be the same for the most part, a key difference was just confirmed in yet another new leak.

Samsung worked hard to develop a Galaxy S9 with a gorgeous new design. It took the Galaxy S8’s current Infinity screen design and made it even better by further reducing the size of the bezels above and below the display. It was stunning… but sadly it was cancelled. It’s unclear exactly what happened to cause Samsung to cancel the phone, but it could’ve been due to manufacturing difficulties or perhaps a desire to save this bold new design for next year.

In its place, Samsung is expected to release Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ models that look almost identical to their predecessors from the front. The S8 and S8+ are two of the sleekest phones the world has ever seen, of course, so this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Around back, however, there’s a key change that has been rumored for weeks now, and a new leak appears to confirm it once again.

Posted to Slashleaks late Tuesday night, the image appears to show a Galaxy S9+ render that aligns perfectly with what we’ve seen and heard so far. A dual lens rear camera is clearly visible on the back of the phone, but that’s not what appeals to us most. It’s the centrally positioned fingerprint sensor beneath the camera lenses that we’re interested in. Rear-mounted fingerprint scanners aren’t optimal, but the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8’s off-center positioning made it so much worse this year. Next year, it looks like Samsung is finally going to address this.

The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are expected to debut at a press conference in late February ahead of a March release.

Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.