Will Samsung Galaxy S9 be Flipkart-exclusive? Here's everything about the flagship's arrival in India

Samsung Galaxy S9 is the hot topic for gadget enthusiasts as they anticipate the release of the first major flagship release of 2018 this week. Samsung has pretty much confirmed the global unveiling of its Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ smartphones on February 25 – a day before Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 kicks off, but what about the phones' release in India? Here's everything you need to know.

Samsung Galaxy S9 series will arrive in India after the global launch, but the date hasn't been confirmed. India's renowned online retailer Flipkart, on the other hand, has set up a Flipkart page teasing the imminent arrival of the much-anticipated smartphones.

Flipkart's teaser page for Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ share the same teasers as Samsung, where it shows number "9" alongside the popular tagline "Camera. Reimagined". Since Flipkart's teasers are the first from any Indian e-commerce site, it is likely the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will be exclusively launched on the platform. But its uncertainty is imminent as Flipkart could also be one of Samsung's launch partners for the new flagships.

Either way, Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will be available on Flipkart since day one of the flagship's release in India. But the bigger question of when the smartphones are arriving remains a complete mystery.

Flipkart says the smartphone is "coming on 25.02.2018," which is the same date as Samsung's global unveiling. It's highly unlikely that the Galaxy S9 series will be available on Flipkart on the same day. An earlier report suggested that the pre-orders for the new phones will begin from February 28 and shipments will start by March 9 in South Korea. The India launch is expected to follow South Korea's lead alongside other major markets like the US, UK, and others.

Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ teasers aren't anything new. If you've been following Samsung's social media channels, you would know the of the company's solid attempt to build sufficient hype for the upcoming phones. Even if the teasers do not reveal anything directly, there's enough evidence supporting earlier leaks about the smartphones.

The camera in the Galaxy S9 series is going to be the highlight. A recent leak suggested the phones to have Super Speed-backed Dual Pixel 12-megapixel rear camera, Super Slow-mo for videos and OID. The front 8MP snapper is expected to come with a f/1.7 aperture and autofocus feature. The real-world performance of the phones cannot be predicted based on the specs leaked.

Other key features of the new flagships include Exynos 9810 octa-core chipset in India, 64GB and 128GB expandable storage options, fingerprint sensor, IP68 certification, Iris scanner and face recognition features AKG-tuned stereos and Android Oreo out-of-the-box.

Samsung Galaxy S9+ will sport a 6.2-inch QHD+ Super AMOLED Infinity Display with 18:5:9 aspect ratio, 6GB RAM, and dual 12MP camera sensors – features that will differentiate it from the smaller Galaxy S9.

Samsung Galaxy S9 will sport a 5.8-inch QHD+ display, 4GB RAM, 3,000mAh battery and a single 12MP camera sensor. More details on the pricing, launch offers, and other features are to be revealed during the upcoming launch.

Stay tuned for updates.