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The Galaxy S9 and S9+ get way more real with FCC certification

Published Dec 28th, 2017 2:56PM EST
Galaxy S9 Release Date
Image: Zach Epstein, BGR

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The Galaxy S9 phones just passed an important milestone on their way to stores, and that’s FCC certification. Documentation for both the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ was spotted online, but don’t get too excited just yet.

Just because the FCC approved them, it doesn’t mean Samsung will launch them soon. Some of the early Galaxy S9 rumors said the phones will be unveiled in January around CES 2018, but since then we’ve heard that Samsung has decided to launch them at MWC in late February.

Furthermore, the FCC documentation doesn’t reveal any details about either Samsung model. As SamMobile explains, the FCC only mentions the model numbers for the international Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ phones — that’s the SM-G960F and SM-G965F, respectively. There are no specs or schematics available in the FCC’s documentation. The regulator leaked the Nokia 8 a few days ago, but that was a mistake.

That said, it’s not like we’re expecting huge surprises from Samsung when it comes to overall design. The Galaxy S9 will be an almost identical Galaxy S8 copy save for the rear shell, which is getting a minor but essential makeover. The fingerprint sensor will be located in a central position, right under the single-lens or dual-lens camera. That’s right, the Plus model is getting a dual camera, while the regular Galaxy S9 doesn’t.

When it comes to specs, the phones will be powered by Qualcomm and Samsung’s newest chips, the Snapdragon 845 and Exynos 9810 chips that were just unveiled. Other upgrades are expected, including a storage bump all the way to 512GB.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.