Samsung is apparently planning on releasing a new version of the new Samsung Galaxy S9 in China, which could upset buyers in Europe and the US.
It appears from images posted by Chinese communications body TENAA that Samsung is planning to release some sort of hybrid S9 and S9+ handset.
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Interestingly, although the handset features the dual camera exclusive to the S9+, the display is the same 5.8-inch AMOLED (2960×1440) panel featured in the the standard S9.
If the handset is released in this form, S9 fans in Europe and the United States might wonder why they couldn’t have a dual camera on the standard model too.
Furthermore, there’s a significant design change. The dual camera is now vertically aligned in the top left corner, just like Apple’s iPhone X. The LED flash now sits below it.
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The absence of the imaging tech allows the fingerprint sensor to move to the centre of the phone, but it appears as if the heart-rate sensor is missing.
Here’s the image below (via AndroidAuthority):
How do we know model SM-G8850 is the Galaxy S9 and not some other handset Samsung has in mind for China?
Well, there’s the same Snapdragon 845 processor, same 3,000mAh battery and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. However, it’s not entirely clear whether the rear facing cameras offer the same 12-megapixel sensors as the S9+.
Samsung has previous with launching China-exclusive variants of its flagship phones, but none of those tend to make it to the west. We wouldn’t be holding our breath here either.
Would it annoy you if Samsung dropped a dual camera S9? Let us know @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.
