In a pre-launch gaffe common amongst phone makers, Samsung accidentally released an image of the upcoming Galaxy Note 9 ahead of schedule on its New Zealand website. Going by the looks of the device in the leaked image, we know for sure now that nothing is different from what was expected and rumoured.
We also know for sure now that the phone has a 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB Type-C port (as expected, of course) at the bottom, and a dual-camera setup and a fingerprint sensor on the back. The image also shows-off the upgraded S-Pen stylus that sits inside the phone in bright yellow and a slogan that reads, “Say hello to super power.”
On the other side of the globe, things are a little different. While no image or name of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 has leaked by accident, a pre-order page for “the next Galaxy” has opened up in the US. The page shows a teaser video of the S-Pen stylus and the date for Samsung’s Unpacked event (August 9), where the Korean electronics giant is expected to launch the Galaxy Note 9. Yes, very subtle, Samsung. The pre-order page lets US customers reserve the Galaxy Note 9, without actually knowing any of its specs officially.
Additionally, the pre-order page also offers a discount of up to $450 (Rs 31,000 approx) on the Galaxy Note 9 if the customer chooses to trade in an eligible smartphone. Models eligible for trade-in are a list of Samsung, Apple, LG, and Google flagship smartphones. It’s important to note that not all eligible models get a $450 discount. Older models like the iPhone SE and the iPhone 5/5S get a discount as low as $150, which isn’t much, but may serve as an incentive for some to upgrade nonetheless.
Images and rumoured specs of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 have been leaking online for a while now, and in a few days’ time, all will be told. What we know so far is that the Galaxy Note 9 is expected to come with a 6.4-inch AMOLED Infinity Display, feature either a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 or an Exynos 9810 chipset, and be packed with an ample 6GB of RAM. The dual-camera setup on the back is expected to have a variable aperture between f/1.5 and f/2.4. The front side of the phone is expected to retain the iris scanner and an 8-megapixel camera with an aperture of f/1.7.