Samsung is yet to formally announce its timeline for bringing Android 9 Pie to the Galaxy S9, but it has emerged the company is testing the update.
The folks at XDA Developers have shown off a build of Android Pie running on the S9 Plus, along with a test build of Samsung Experience 10.
The software shows a more rounded visual experience akin to the Pie experience on the Pixel phones, as well as a brand new ‘night theme’ and a host of new motion and gesture options.
Those include the ability to ‘lift to wake’ the handset and customise gestures from three different areas (left, centre, right) at the bottom of the display (below).
There’s a new UI for Bixby Home, but also updated apps for Mail, Gallery, Messages, My Files and the Camera apps with that new rounded appearance.
5G confirmed for S10+?
However, beyond those new features, the update shown this week also appears to confirm one of the major Galaxy S10 rumours. XDA Developers also discovered more evidence the Galaxy S10 will arrive with support for the yet-to-emerge 5G mobile data networks.
Android 9 Pie: When will your phone get it?
Within the code, the devices are listed as Beyond0, Beyond1, and Beyond2 – the oft-mentioned codenames for the S10 range – and make references to a 5G version of the Beyond2 device.
Beyond 2 5G? That ties into recent rumours that only the highest-end version of the Galaxy 10+ will offer support for 5G. Whether that device will be available in all territories remains to be seen.
The S10 range is expected in early 2019, and it’s debatable whether there’ll be any 5G services available in the US, UK and mainland Europe at that time. Samsung’s homeland of South Korea, on the other hand, may see an earlier switch-on.
Even if there are no 5G services available when the S10 goes on sale, many consumers will be looking to future-proof their next smartphone purchase.
Would you purchase an S10+ with 5G capabilities? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter?
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Editorial independence
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.
