Samsung could be developing its 2018 flagship phablet, the Galaxy Note 9, under the codename of ‘Crown’ – and a prototype of the device could arrive sooner than you think.
That’s according to South Korean news outlet The Bell, (H/T The Investor) which cites an anonymous source from a local smartphone supplier as saying that it has plans to “start providing components for a pilot production of the Galaxy Note 9 in the first quarter next year”.
With this (and Samsung’s history of phone launches) in mind, we can expect to see the Galaxy Note 9 appear sometime in the second half of 2018. A launch window of August or September seems most likely, as this is when the Note 9’s predecessor – the well-received Galaxy Note 8 – was officially unveiled.
Samsung’s codenaming tends to hint about the smartphone’s key features. For example, the codename for the Galaxy Note 8 was ‘baikal’ which is one of the world’s largest lakes, found in Russia, and was a nod towards the larger display size of the Note 8’s Infinity Display.
The codename ‘Crown’ is a little more unusual, but speculatively, one could see it as Samsung alluding to ambitions to secure its place at the top of the pile for larger screen handsets, building upon the critical acclaim of the Galaxy Note 8.
Details on what the Note 9 could have as standout features remain thin on the ground. But rumours point towards a fingerprint scanner built into the display, while we can expect to see an improved and more usable Bixby virtual assistant –and for the Note 9 to sport the latest guise of Android.
The Galaxy S9, which is slated to be revealed early next year, will give us a better idea of what to expect from the Note 9, so watch this space.
Related: When will my phone get Android Oreo?
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
