Samsung Galaxy S9 release date set for 2018? Here's what you need to know

Launched in March 2017, Samsung Galaxy S8 and the S8+ garnered immense popularity among smartphone enthusiasts. As expected, Galaxy loyalists are now waiting to get their hands on the much-awaited successor, the Galaxy S9. Despite the lack of official details about the Galaxy S9 and the S9+, several speculations regarding the upcoming smartphone have been doing the rounds online.

Packed with exclusivity

Both devices are expected to boast better features than many other handsets when they arrive early next year. On top of that, Samsung is highly unlikely to give up that position to other competing smartphones anytime soon, thanks to its agreement with Qualcomm. Samsung's Galaxy S9 series will boast Qualcomm’s unannounced Snapdragon 845 processor, most likely coupled with the Adreno 630 GPU.

Forbes' contributor Ewan Spence points out that the SD845 could offer performance gains extending up to an impressive twenty-five percent as compared to the existing SD835. However, this is nothing more than just a shot in the dark until Samsung either approves or debunks the speculation.

Spence believes that by 2018 many Android-powered devices will pack the SnapDragon 845 under the hood with Qualcomm, once again, setting the benchmark for another iteration of handsets.

What else to expect?

It's worth noting that the enhanced capacity of the SD845 will not be up for grabs to everyone until the first half of the year. The SD845 will be restricted to just the Galaxy S9 smartphone for a specific period. Once that period concludes, the S9 sales will probably retain a compelling monopoly until other manufacturers make enough stock to hit the store shelves. Apparently, Samsung will stick to last year's pattern wherein the Galaxy S8, and the Galaxy S8+ came with an exclusive access to the SD835.

The Snapdragon 835 is now the existing chip for a myriad of Android-powered smartphones.

Those looking to get their hands on the features and extra power offered by the SD845, can either go for Samsung's Galaxy S9, S9+ or simply wait for about six months until another smartphone arrives carrying the same chipset. The California-based chip maker is expected to unveil the SnapDragon 845 early next month, giving Galaxy fans a brief glimpse of features that will come with the Galaxy S9. As far as the new Galaxy flagship smartphone’s release date is concerned, Spence says Samsung will introduce the hotly-anticipated handset in February 2018, ahead of the Mobile World Congress.