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Samsung's Galaxy S9 is almost here — here's everything we know about the phone

Here are the most important things to know about the Samsung Galaxy S9 before its rumored launch in March.

Samsung's new Galaxy S9 smartphone is almost here.

According to a C-level exec... @ Evan Blass

Evan Blass, a well-known tech informant, says he learned from a C-level executive at a smartphone-case maker that the Galaxy S9 and larger Galaxy S9 Plus will be available to preorder on March 1 and will go on sale on March 16.

Samsung has said it will announce the phone next week, during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

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Before Samsung confirms all the details then, here's what we know about the Galaxy S9 so far:

Samsung has not said when it will release the Galaxy S9, but it did recently confirm its unveiling in February.

This makes Blass' claim of a March release for the Galaxy S9 quite plausible. His reported schedule is very similar to Samsung's past smartphone releases.

Though the Galaxy S8 was delayed until April last year because of safety concerns, the Galaxy S7 was announced in late February 2016 and released in mid-March, as were several older devices in the Galaxy-S series.

Samsung sent press invites for a launch event on February 25.

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Though concrete release details for the Galaxy S9 are still not yet available, Samsung has sent out press invites for its upcoming launch event, confirming the date for February 25.

The invite also hints at the phone's name. We assumed it would be the Galaxy S9, but the giant "9" on the press invites somewhat confirms this. The image also suggests the device and launch event may focus heavily on camera updates.

A recent barrage of leaks will tell you almost everything there is to know about the Galaxy S9, from its new camera and associated features to even the phone's new stock wallpaper.

Recently, the device reportedly surfaced in a video leak, showing off its touchscreen ability as well as its design similarities to the Galaxy S8.

Hands-on Samsung Galaxy S9 dummy video

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Other details come directly from Samsung, with the manufacturer recently sharing information about its latest camera technology on its official website.

The camera features include updates to autofocus and settings that allow users to have more control over the camera parameters without having to go into pro mode. Many have connected these details to the Galaxy S9, especially since the launch event invite hints at camera updates.

Another recent leak from Evan Blass shows you can expect in terms of the Galaxy S9's design. The render suggests a larger screen and curved edges similar to the Galaxy S6 Edge design. Many have also compared the design to the Google Pixel 2.

Blass has also shared the Galaxy S9's stock wallpapers with the public.

The Galaxy S9 may introduce Samsung's answer to Apple's Face ID and Animoji.

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Thanks to some new information, we have how more firm proof that Samsung is working on a 3D-scanning feature for the Galaxy S9, which could perform similarly to Apple's Face ID tech.

intelligentscan

tech blog SamCentral recently published a software file, which includes code for what may be a 3D facial-recognition feature for the Galaxy S9. There is also a video, showing how the feature would work.

The feature, which Samsung reportedly calls Intelligent Scan, may be included on the Galaxy S9 as an unlock and authentication feature in addition to Samsung's standard facial recognition and iris scanning. The feature is intended to make facial recognition more accurate in low-light or extra bright conditions.

Samsung's answer to Apple's Animoji feature might be a camera mode called

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Aside from the Galaxy S9's new camera tech, most other aspects of the Galaxy S9 sound pretty similar to last year's phone.

So far, most details about the Galaxy S9 suggest it's an incremental update.

Samsung has said consumers can expect updates to its Bixby artificial-intelligence assistant, especially an easier-to-navigate interface. Bixby's latest eiteration may allow users to have a continuous conversation with AI assistant after saying "Hi Bixby" only once.

Several leaks also suggest Samsung may tweak the device's design to make it easier to use.

The Galaxy S9 is expected to feature a rear-facing fingerprint scanner in a centralized location, which would make it easier for users to find. The Galaxy S8's scanner is to the right of the camera module, and many say it isn't where they'd naturally place their hand.

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Other leaks suggest the Galaxy S9 will have new camera features, such as super-slow-mo video. Samsung may also take a cue from Apple by including a single-lens camera on the standard Galaxy S9 and a dual-lens camera on the S9 Plus.

Consumers should also expect other well-known Samsung features on the Galaxy S9, such as wireless charging and resistance to water and dust.

There are expected to be dual-SIM models of the Galaxy S9 for specific markets, such as Europe.

Galaxy S9 and S9+ launch da... @ PhoneArena

Many of the Galaxy S9's internal hardware specs remain up in the air.

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Recent reports suggest Samsung is unlikely to update the battery capacity on the Galaxy S9, though previous rumors indicated there could be a slight power bump. With no changes expected to the display size or quality of the S9 models, an increase in battery power may not be necessary.

Leaks have also suggested that the Galaxy S9's memory and storage capacity is likely to remain similar to the Galaxy S8. Samsung is also known to include expandable storage on its devices, also expected for the S9.

For now, it seems likely that the Galaxy S9 will retain the traditional 3.5 mm headphone jack at a time when several manufacturers, including Apple and Google, are releasing premium smartphones without it. There is evidence, however, that Samsung has considered removing the headphone jack from the Galaxy S9.

Galaxy S9 Retail box! Sup... @ Ben Geskin

Color option details for the Samsung Galaxy S9 have surfaced

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Evan Blass recently shared renders of the Galaxy S9 in a new color called "Lilac Purple," pictured above. Blass also revealed to us that the Galaxy S9 may come in "Midnight Black," "Titanium Gray," and Coral Blue color options.

Coral Blue, a popular color option for the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S7 Edge and short-lived Galaxy Note 7, was missing from the color lineup for the Galaxy Note 8 in exchange for a color called "Deep Sea Blue."

It might cost $100 more than last year's Galaxy S8.

A new report from Tech Radar suggests Samsung will sell the Galaxy S9 for

Samsung may take another stab at social media.

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Heraldcorp says the app would allow users to share their location and communicate with others what they're doing at pinned locations. The app may also have features similar to

There are also several far-fetched rumors about the Galaxy S9.

Some rumor suggests there could be a Galaxy S9 model featuring eight times the internal storage capacity of current Galaxy devices.

This rumor stemmed from Samsung's announcement that it had developed a 512 GB capacity for onboard storage to allow devices to support large multimedia files, particularly high-quality videos.

Samsung also recently released the Galaxy A8 smartphone, which includes a dual-lens front-facing camera that made us wonder whether the Galaxy S9 would have such a feature. However, it appears the dual-camera set may be exclusive to the rear camera on the S9 Plus.

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