Samsung is set to unveil their two flagship devices, the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ at the company’s “Unpacked 2018” event on February 25 in Barcelona. Thanks to several leaks, we have the idea of features and specs to expect in the upcoming devices. Now renowned tipster Evan Blass has revealed the pricing details of Galaxy S9, S9+ on Twitter. The Samsung Galaxy S9 is expected to start at 841 Euros for the base storage model, while the dual camera Galaxy S9+ will be priced at 997 Euros. With a price point of the high-end Galaxy S9+ close to 1000 Euros, it directly competes with the Apple iPhone X.
These prices are, however, most likely for Snapdragon 845 SoC variants. The Galaxy S9 series are said to come in two mobile chipset variants one with Snapdragon 845 processor, the second with Samsung’s own Exynos 9810 chipset.
Still is a bold pricing strategy for Samsung considering Apple’s iPhone X has had little success with its $1000 pricing. The question is Will the Galaxy S9 and S9+ justify the hefty price tag?
Samsung is promoting the S9 with a tagline “The Camera. Reimagined”. The Galaxy S9 seeks to dethrone Google Pixel 2 and iPhone X with its top range camera features. As per the information received so far the S9 will come with a 12MP primary sensor while the S9+ will carry two 12MP sensors to form the dual camera module.
The S9 cameras are touted to come with three new cameras features including adjustable camera aperture, new Slo-Mo video mode and iPhone X like Animoji feature. Both the S9, S9+ will feature variable or dual aperture sensors which adjust according to the available light, switching between f/2.4 to f/1.5. The devices will also bring slow-motion video mode capable of record slow-motion videos at 480 frames per second at 1080p.
Both devices, however, remain similar in design to the Galaxy S8. The S9, S9+ will ship with dual curved edge Infinity display with the aspect ratio of 18:5:9 The standard S9 is said to feature a 5.8-inch display, while the larger S9+ will get a 6.2-inch display. Samsung will stick with a rear-facing fingerprint sensor though it has been now placed below the rear camera module,
It looks like Samsung is definitely looking to give a competition to the iPhone X with the Galaxy S9 and S9+. The price point of the high-end Galaxy S9+ is still will be way expensive for many users. Ultimately it depends how users perceive the smartphone and how that Reimagined Camera works. In India, the prices of the Galaxy S9 series is expected to start from Rs 67,000 for the base variant of S9 and Rs 74,000 for the base variant of S9+. Indian e-commerce portal Flipkart is already teasing the launch of Galaxy S9 in India.