Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ Pre-Orders to Start February 28; Galaxy S9+ to Get 256GB Variant: Reports

Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are scheduled for a grand launch this weekend at the Galaxy Unpacked event, just ahead of MWC 2018. While Samsung's smartphone announcements are anticipated by millions globally, several rounds of leaks and renders haven't left much to imagination about the upcoming flagship duo. Another set of rumours claim that early buyers of the Galaxy S9 series might be able to get their hands on one before they hit market shelves. Additionally, newer high-resolution renders of the Galaxy S9 have surfaced online offering a clearer picture ahead of the launch event.

According to a report by The Investor, the Samsung Galaxy S9 range will be available in global markets starting March 16. In Samsung's home ground South Korea, however, telecom operators SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus are expected to initiate pre-orders from February 28 and early buyers will reportedly get their units delivered between March 9-15, a day before public availability. Key highlights of the flagship phones include Samsung Pay, Bixby, iris recognition, and facial recognition.

Previously, a report from Germany had claimed that pre-orders for the Galaxy S9 duo will start on the launch date, that is, February 25. Availability, according to this report, is slated for March 8.

Another leak from reputed tipster Roland Quandt claims to have found the mention of a 256GB variant of the Galaxy S9+ (SM-G965) in a lost and found authority's database in South Korea. The database appears to support this unannounced variant of the Galaxy S9+.

And, finally, Quandt has also tweeted several high-resolution images of the Galaxy S9 with an unmarked design. These shots are no different from what Evan Blass showcased last week. The renders ascertain the fact that the upcoming flagship will borrow most design elements from the previous-gen Galaxy S8, albeit with a few minor modifications such as the new vertical fingerprint sensor placement.

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.