Galaxy S8 v Galaxy S9 – FIVE things Samsung MUST fix on its latest smartphone

The fully refreshed and updated Galaxy S9 will finally arrive tomorrow and it could well be the smartphone to beat in 2018.

Full details will be revealed at 5pm GMT with Samsung’s Unpacked event set to take place at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

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But, before the big launch takes place, here’s five things we think Samsung needs to include if it wants to improve on the award-winning Galaxy S8.

CHANGE THAT FINGERPRINT SCANNER

There’s no question that the Galaxy S8 was a universal success.

With a curved design, that’s the envy of many of its rivals, it’s not surprising that S8 won every award going in 2017.

Despite its greatness there is one big issue with the S8’s design and that’s where Samsung decided to position the fingerprint scanner.

Placing this vital sensor alongside the camera lens was an awful design choice and meant users often covered the camera in mucky fingerprints.

All signs point to a major rethink on the S9 with leaked images showing the scanner has been moved below the camera in a more central position.

If true, this should make it far easier and much more intuitive to use. Fingers crossed this rumour turns out to be true.

DON’T MAKE IT TOO EXPENSIVE

Rumours are rife that Samsung’s new S9 will be much more expensive than its current flagship offering.

In fact, one recent leak suggest this next generation device will be around £100 more than the Galaxy S8.

Although fans expect to pay a little extra for the latest technology there does appear to be a limit on how much consumers want to spend on a smartphone.

This could be proved by the £1,000 iPhone X which hasn’t sold as well as many analysts were expecting.

Another issue for premium phone makers is the rush of mid-range devices that are hitting the market.

Firm’s such as OnePlus are really shaking things up, offering excellent experiences at a fraction of the cost.

It’s unclear what price tag will be placed on the S9 and larger S9+ but don’t expect any bargains when it’s announced tomorrow night.

INCLUDE A DUAL CAMERA

It looks almost certain that one of Samsung’s new smartphones will feature a dual-lens camera and it’s about time this flagship range received such an upgrade.

However, before users get too excited it appears that only the larger Galaxy S9+ is getting a double snapper.

If Samsung follows in the footsteps of Apple’s iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, the smaller Galaxy will stick with a single rear camera and that could be a huge shame.

Not everyone wants a giant smartphone squeezed inside their pockets but that appears to be the only way to get a superior dual camera.

BOOST THAT BATTERY AND KEEP THAT HEADPHONE PORT

Samsung is one of the market leaders when it comes to battery life with their devices possibly the best when it comes to power.

But consumers still want more.

The thought of a week-long battery life is something many smartphone owners dream of and battery technology could soon achieve this.

Although the S9 isn’t expected to feature some kind of magical battery, rumours have suggested that the latest processors will improve usage time and speed up charging.

We’ll have to wait and see how the device performs after launch but expect the S9 to be a market leader when it comes to battery life.

Another feature smartphone fans will be desperately wanting is a headphone port.

Many companies including Apple, HTC and Google have removed this way of listening to music which could give Samsung the ultimate reason to keep it.

Although Bluetooth headphones are growing in popularity, plugging in via this 3.5mm socket is still hugely popular and could give Samsung the edge over its rivals.

REMOVE THE BLOATWARE AND PLEASE SHIP WITH OREO

It really is about time that firm’s, such as Samsung, stopped filling their phones with unwanted apps.

One of the biggest issues with some Android phones is they arrive out of their box littered with duplicate applications which make them confusing to use.

Some manufacturers now offer a far more simplistic Android experience and Samsung should follow this lead.

We’re also hoping that the S9 will ship with Android Oreo.

This latest OS, which was launched in 2017, is still missing from the Galaxy S8 with users expected to finally get the upgrade month.

Samsung’s Oreo update features a swathe of improvements including a redesigned settings menu, and a new edge lighting feature with adds a coloured glow when notifications hit your handset.

Samsung has also greatly improved its native keyboard, with built-in GIF support, Emoji 5.0, and an easily accessible clipboard within the keyboard itself.

Android Oreo also brings support for long-press shortcuts for apps on the home screen on the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+.

This nifty shortcut allows up to five contextual shortcuts within each app and can be accessed by long-pressing on the icon on your home screen.

The Android Oreo upgrade also includes a handful of new layouts for Samsung’s Always On Display feature, allowing users to differentiate the look with a slew of new colour customisation options.