The Galaxy Note 8 marked a remarkable comeback for Samsung's Note series of handsets following the unprecedented Note 7 debacle, and all eyes are now on the company's plans for its next phablet, dubbed the Galaxy Note 9.
Although there are months to go before the Galaxy Note 9 hits markets, a new report from South Korean media said on Monday that Samsung would soon start the development of the Galaxy S8 successor. The Galaxy Note 9 would be developed under the codename "Crown" and would likely go on sale in the second half of 2018.
An official from a local smartphone component supplier even told a local news outlet, The Bell, that it would "start providing components for a pilot production of the Galaxy Note 9 in the first quarter next year."
Smartphone manufacturers typically provide unique codenames to the development project of their flagship products, suggesting some special feature or other important aspects.
Samsung had codenamed the pilot project for Galaxy Note 8 as "baikal," after one of the world's biggest lakes in Russia. The name hinted at the large-sized display of the Galaxy Note 8.
"Crown," which is believed to be the codename of the Galaxy Note 9, is now said to be associated with Samsung's goal to solidify its position in the large-sized smartphone sector, which the company pioneered with the first Galaxy Note in 2011.
If rumours are to be believed, the Galaxy Note 9 will be a more refined variant of the Galaxy Note 8 with the same 6.3-inch Infinity Display and other similar internal specs. However, Samsung is also expected to focus on improving the camera and the S Pen on the next-generation Note.
First announced in August, the Galaxy Note 8 is powered by an Exynos 8895/Snapdragon 835 processor, and it carries a 3,300mAh non-removable battery. According to some analysts, the Galaxy Note 9 will feature the upcoming Snapdragon 845 CPU at least in some regions.
A recent patent filing by Samsung also suggested that the Galaxy Note 9 could come with a pressure-sensitive in-display fingerprint reader. The company reportedly developed an optical fingerprint reader that was tested on the Galaxy Note 8's display. However, it turned out to be imperfect due to uneven screen brightness.
As for its release, some market observers expect the Galaxy Note 9 to hit stores in early or mid-August of 2018, a little earlier than the August 23 launch of the Galaxy Note 8 this year.
