If the latest speculation is to be believed, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. could once again gain the upper hand on its competitors as it obtains the first batch of Qualcomm Technologies Inc.’s Snapdragon 845 chips.

It’s still months away from the launch of the Galaxy S9 and S9+, but that hasn’t stopped the many accounts of, among other things, a larger battery and dual rear-facing camera, as well as concept designs.  

Here’s a look at the latest chipset and release date speculation, as well as a roundup of some past reports:

Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor

Earlier this year, a deal between Samsung and Qualcomm ensured that the Galaxy S8 (pictured) was the first smartphone to pack in the Snapdragon 835 processor, a deal which was exclusive to Samsung until April 2017.

For Samsung’s next flagship, the same deal is also in the cards, according to Russian blogger Eldar Murtazin. The Snapdragon 845 chipset deal could be detrimental for Samsung’s competitors who also plan to launch smartphones in early 2018.

Reports did emerge in May that LG Corp. was working with Qualcomm to have the 845 chipsets in its upcoming G7. LG lost out this year to Samsung and had to use an older Snapdragon 821 in the G6. Earlier this month, reports suggested the OnePlus 6 will also sport the latest chipset and launch at Mobile World Congress in early 2018.

If the latest speculation is to be believed, however, the LG and the OnePlus 6 are unlikely to pan out and Samsung’s competitors could once again miss out on the latest chipset.

Release date

This year, the release date for the Galaxy S8 was delayed as Samsung extended testing after its Note7 disaster. The same source that claimed Samsung will once again get the first batch of chipsets also suggested the Galaxy S9 will launch one month earlier. That would coincide with a launch at MWC, with the device going on sale in mid-March.

Improved camera

The Samsung S9 could get an improved camera that is able to shoot video at 1,000 frames per second. The Korean tech giant is reportedly working on a “three-layered image sensor” that could go into mass production next month.

Sony Corp. was the first company to incorporate a three-layered sensor into its Xperia XZ Premium, launched in February. The Xperia XZ Premium’s camera is able to capture video at up to 960 fps at 720p. Samsung, however, is expected to use a more expensive manufacturing process to avoid paying royalty fees to Sony.

Previous reports suggested the Galaxy S9 will also get a dual rear-facing camera like the Note8, launched in August.  

Galaxy S9 concept

Samsung Galaxy S9 concept via DBS Designing

Although the Galaxy S9 concept that emerged last month from DBS Designing is gorgeous, it does lack the curved display that has become an iconic feature for Samsung and one that isn’t going to disappear anytime soon.

Embedded fingerprint scanner

There are contradicting reports about whether Samsung will have the technology ready to incorporate its fingerprint scanner into the display for the S9 or it will be delayed until the launch of the Note9.

Earlier this year, reports suggested that Apple Inc. would embed a fingerprint scanner into its premium iPhone X, but later dropped it for its Face ID feature, thanks to the technology not being ready in time.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said earlier this month that an optical fingerprint sensor would be available in the Note9, with the company also believed to be working on a facial recognition feature similar to Apple’s Face ID. For the S9, however, Samsung will have to stick with the rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

Image: Sinchen.Lin; Flickr