Rumors abound over Samsung, LG’s imminent flagship launches

Speculations continue to swirl over the release dates of the 2018 flagship phones from Samsung and LG, with Samsung expected to reveal its Galaxy S9 ahead of LG’s newest model.

The Galaxy S9’s launch is widely expected to come at or just before this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, set to take place from Feb. 26 to March 1. 

The launch date would indicate a return to the S series’ original pattern of releases that was broken by the S8, which came at the end of March 2017 following a crisis over problems with batteries of the Galaxy Note 7. 

Prior to the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, the Galaxy S7, S6 and S5 were all announced in February or on March 1.

Meanwhile, news reports citing sources at wireless carriers Monday said that LG’s flagship phone set to follow the G6 is expected to be revealed in March rather than at the MWC, and to be released to consumers in April. 

This is later than the release dates for the G6 and G5, which were previously released in March. 

In addition, reports have indicated that LG’s latest smartphone may not continue with the G-series name but instead choose new branding using a two-digit numbering system.

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)