The wait for the Samsung Galaxy S9 is almost over with the device finally arriving in stores next Friday, March 16.
This updated and refreshed smartphone is bringing a swathe of improvements over its predecessor including more power and a much-improved camera.
There’s even the inclusion of a dual-lens rear snapper on the larger Galaxy S9+, the first time this has been seen on the S range of phones, and a small redesign now sees the fingerprint scanner moved to a more convenient position.
Clearly, there’s plenty to like about the S9 and S9+ but one of its biggest problems may come in the form of the award-winning Galaxy S8.
This device continues to see its prices fall with a new deal from Mobiles.co.uk offering £50 off the upfront cost of the smartphone.
Using the code 50OFFVODA, fans can get an S8 for £23 per month with an upfront cost of £160.
This includes 4GB of data plus unlimited calls and texts.
Like most offers of this type there’s a two year contract to sign with the total price over that period coming out at £712.
Compare that to the new Galaxy S9 which currently costs £739 SIM-free – that’s £20 more expensive than this fully-loaded S8 contract.
There’s no question that the S9 is superior to the S8 but with similar looks and many identical features it’s not surprising last year’s model appears like a very good deal.
This may be being proved by latest rumours that suggest the S9 pre-orders are not as good as Samsung may have hoped.
According to the Yonhap News Agency, it seems sales for the S9 are similar if not lower than the S8 was this time last year.
“We believe that the preorders for the Galaxy S9 are similar to that of the Galaxy S8,” an official from Samsung Electronics said speaking to the outlet.
But an official from a local carrier suggested that sales were not as good previous models, saying: “Customers may be finding the Galaxy S9 not much different from other smartphones.
“The popularity and customers’ interest are not as high compared to the previous model.”
And another report suggests things may not be looking so positive for sales.
According to Analyst Jeff Johnston he said sources from the sales channel reported pre-orders “are down 50% over GS8.
Time will tell if the Galaxy S9 will be a big hit but with Apple’s iPhone X also not thought to be selling as well as first thought this could be a sign smartphone fans are happy with what they already own.