Samsung Galaxy S9 Launch to Be in Augmented Reality, AR Models Leak Out

Much about the Samsung Galaxy S9 family has already been leaked and rumoured. It's now the time to see how Samsung is making its Unpacked 2018 event different from all the other conferences that are taking place at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 in Barcelona. It has been found that Samsung is leveraging the presence of augmented reality (AR) to attract a large number of attendees of the forthcoming Unpacked event and let them experience the new Galaxy flagships virtually. The South Korean giant recently released the Unpacked 2018 app that reveals the AR plan.

The Unpacked 2018 app, which is available for free download on Google Play, by default, shows a countdown to the event. There is also a content section that redirects users to a YouTube video that teases a revamped camera experience on the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. However, what is the most interesting part of the new app is the AR feature. You can access the advanced feature by tapping the AR button that is available on the top-right side and activates AR experiences by scanning any Samsung or Galaxy logo on the screen. The feature is presently showing the Unpacked event venue on the app.

Having said that, XDA Developers reports that a Reddit user has torn down the Unpacked 2018 app and found some 3D models that are apparently designed to show the Galaxy S9 in AR. The models are said to be available to the attendees would be able to scan their event badge. Further, the models are reportedly available on Samsung's site - not an internal part of the Unpacked app. This is indeed a step to retain secrecy of the new development.

Photo Credit: XDA Developers

The official 3D models to enable the AR view of the Galaxy S9 confirm the Lilac Purple colour option. These models also point towards a dedicated Bixby button, bottom-firing speaker, and a new fingerprint scanner placement. Also, as XDA Developers folks report, the spotted 3D models show a quad-LED flash module, similar to what Apple has provided on its iPhone models, and a new heart rate monitor version. Moreover, we can say that the smartphone in the 3D models looks identical to the one that surfaced through some recently leaked renders.

We need to wait for few more days to see how Samsung is making the Unpacked 2018 a historical event at the MWC. Meanwhile, you can listen to the new default ringtone of the Galaxy S9 lineup or see what are its purported benchmark results.

We spoke about all the big launches expected at MWC 2018 on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.