Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ coming to India next week, here's how much you may have to shell out on Android flagships

After showcasing the new Android flagships -- Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ -- at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 in Barcelona, Samsung is all set to host a launch program in India next week.

Samsung India has started sending invites to media outlets for a product event in New Delhi on March 6. There is no specific mention of the product name. But, if the previous release patterns are taken as any indication, the company will launch the Galaxy S9 series next month, most probably before mid-March, as Samsung has confirmed that the new flagship Android phones will hit stores in top global regions on March 16. India is a big market for Samsung and is facing stiff competition from OnePlus, which has eaten up the former's niche premium phone segment (above Rs 30,000) market, particularly after the launch of OnePlus 5T in late 2017. So, Samsung will not waste time in bringing the Galaxy S9 series India.

In a related development, Samsung is reportedly planning to release two storage variants — 64GB and 256GB — of Galaxy S9 and S9+.

The Galaxy S9 base model (64GB) is expected to cost Rs 62,500, whereas the 256GB model will set you back by Rs 71,000.

As far as the Galaxy S9+ is concerned, the 64GB will be priced Rs 70,000, and 256GB will cost a whopping Rs 79,000.

In India, prospective consumers can log into Samsung India's official page and pre-book Galaxy S9 and S9+ with a down payment of Rs 2,000.

The USP of the new Galaxy S9 series is its camera hardware. It boasts Dual Aperture feature.

With this option, Galaxy S9 series can shift (manual/automatic mode available) between f/1.5 and f/2.4 apertures depending on the lighting environment. The former will allow the camera to absorb more light during indoor or dark conditions, while the latter can be used during bright sunny conditions.

Another praiseworthy feature of the Galaxy S9 series is the front camera. It comes packed with a feature-rich 8MP wide-angle sensor having F1.7 aperture and is complemented by several facial recognition sensors, which enables the device capture Augmented Reality photos of the user to create 3D emojis, Samsung's answer to Apple iPhone X Animoji feature, but the latter's utility is very limited, as it can only be used on iMessage app, whereas the former allows users to share them on all messaging apps and social media sites.

Thankfully, these two marquee features are available in both the Galaxy S9 series models.

The generic Samsung houses a single 12MP primary camera on the back with a dual aperture (f/1.5 and f/2.4) LED flash.

On the other hand, the S9+ comes with two 12MP sensors, one with a variable aperture (F1.5/ F2.4) and another with just F2.5 aperture.

Both the S9 and S9+ models come with slow-motion video capability and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS).

Samsung Galaxy S9 series though look similar to the gorgeous Galaxy S8 series, the company has made necessary ergonomic changes in the new model.

In the Galaxy S8, the biometric sensor is placed just right beside the camera on top, which caused users to accidentally touch the camera lens and leaving dirt, due to sweaty finger smudge.

Now, the company has shifted it below the camera module, almost in the middle of the back, which is not only easily reachable for the fingers, but also avoids the fingers accidentally smearing the camera lens.

Samsung Galaxy S9 comes with a good blend of metal and glass. Having an additional layer of Gorilla Glass 5 shield on both front and the back-side.

To further enhance the durability, the Galaxy S9 series comes with IP68 water-and-dust resistant certification, meaning the device can survive up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) underwater for close to 30 minutes.

Like previous years, the 2018-series Samsung Galaxy S9 (S9+) series, depending on the region of sale, is expected to come with two variants, one a 10nm class Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (in the US, China, and select countries) or Samsung's 10nm Exynos 9810 series (in India, Europe, and others).

As for the system storage configuration is concerned, the standard Galaxy S9 will be offered in three storage variants 64GB, 128GB and 256GB having 4GB RAM, whereas the bigger screen Galaxy S9+ model will be available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB storage options having 6GB RAM in major markets across the world.

Samsung has incorporated—3,000mAh and the 3,500mAh—for Galaxy S9 and S9+, respectively, same as their predecessors. Both the models come with fast charging capability.

Key specification of Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+:

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