New report says Galaxy S9 coming at MWC 2018

Until invites are sent out officially, no one really knows when we’re going to see the Galaxy S9. That doesn’t mean rumors and leaks are going to stop, though. There’s been plenty of speculation about the launch for Samsung’s latest flagship in recent weeks.

First we heard the phone could be unveiled in some capacity at CES 2018 next month, but the company came out to debunk that rumor. Dismissing the idea of a partial launch in Las Vegas was disappointing, but it wasn’t surprising considering MWC 2018 takes place shortly after and Samsung likes hosting standalone events. So, despite the CES 2018 report, it seemed like a launch closer to the spring was more likely anyway.

Now there’s belief that Samsung will introduce its 2018 flagship a little earlier than expected. The Galaxy S9 could make its global debut at MWC 2018, which starts in late February. A new report from The Bell says the company plans to launch the Galaxy S9 during the Barcelona-based trade show with the world watching.

Here’s what Samsung’s schedule for the series has looked like:

• Galaxy S: March 24, 2010 (CTIA 2010)
• Galaxy S II: February 13, 2011 (MWC 2011)
• Galaxy S III: May 3, 2012 (Unpacked 2012)
• Galaxy S4: March 14, 2013 (Unpacked 2013)
• Galaxy S5: February 24, 2014 (MWC 2014)
• Galaxy S6: March 1, 2015 (MWC 2015)
• Galaxy S7: February 21, 2016 (MWC 2016)
• Galaxy S8: March 29, 2017 (Unpacked 2017)

There’s no real strategy for Samsung when it comes to the time and place for launching a new flagship. Over the years, the company’s switched between announcing new phones, announcing new tablets, and announcing new smartwatches.

Samsung’s also been holding the Galaxy Note series’ new releases for standalone events. The Galaxy Note would normally be unveiled at IFA in Berlin in late August or early September; however, lately the company’s been doing its own thing in New York City. These standalone events in the Big Apple are beneficial because Samsung is able to choose a city where every major news organization has a presence.

The specific launch date stated in the report is Tuesday, February 27. Being that South Korea’s time is a bit ahead, the Galaxy S9’s announcement could come a day earlier locally. It’s strange, though, because in 2016 and 2017 the major products debuting at MWC were revealed on the Sunday before the trade show’s official start. Companies attending trades shows like CES and MWC typically do their announcements earlier so that the media can get their hands on everything for as much time as possible.

If the Galaxy S9 is really coming to MWC 2018, Samsung should send out invites in late January or early February. It’ll want to gather press from all around the world to see what’s next for the Galaxy S series.