Samsung Galaxy S9 Likely to Opt for Upgrade Rather than Innovation

According to industry sources on December 17, Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Huawei and Sony are expected to unveil their new premium smartphones at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 in Barcelona and the phones to be exhibited at the show that kicks off in February next year are likely to focus on functional and specifications upgrade for a higher level of usability rather than innovation.

The phones include the Samsung Galaxy S9. According to industry insiders, the Galaxy S9 is expected to come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 and an internal memory with a capacity of up to 512 GB. The Galaxy S8, which was unveiled in March this year, has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 as its application processor. At present, most premium smartphones have an internal memory with a capacity of 256 GB.

The Galaxy S9 is also expected to have a fingerprint recognition sensor near its camera lens on the back as in the case of the Galaxy S8. This means the Galaxy S9 is unlikely to come with a fingerprint recognition display, which is an innovative feature anticipated by many people. The shape of the Galaxy S9 according to some leaked images is not so different from that of the Galaxy S8.

Apple also opted for upgrade instead of innovation in developing the iPhone X except for the Face ID feature to replace fingerprint recognition. Still, an increasing number of users are pointing out that the accuracy and precision of the new feature are problematic.

Industry experts say that innovation in smartphones is becoming increasingly difficult as it requires innovative components for realizing the innovation and yield and profitability should be ensured at the same time. “Although display-based fingerprint recognition is technically possible with the current technology, it can result in a significant increase in product price and a drop in sales volume,” one of them explained, adding, “The same applies to many other innovative features like foldable display.”