Samsung has merely confirmed that it’s going to unveil the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ at the Mobile World Congress 2018 next month. It will confirm at the event when the handset is going to be released in key markets. The release timeframe for other markets will subsequently be confirmed by the company’s regional divisions.

It’s going to be a considerable wait for Samsung’s new flagship smartphones. That’s one of the reasons why clones of popular flagship smartphones tend to do well, the other being that they’re cheap and not everyone wants to spend $1000 on a smartphone. Samsung may not have released the Galaxy S9+ yet but very convincing clones are now surfacing in China.

Galaxy S9+ clones

It has only been a few weeks since we saw a video of a very convincing clone of the Galaxy S9+. The manufacturer has meticulously copied the key design elements right down to the dual camera at the back. This isn’t an anomaly. We saw this happen last year with the Galaxy S8 as well.

That’s what we see with this latest pair of Galaxy S9+ clones as well, demonstrated in this video in both Black and Gold or Champagne hues. Even the user interface has been copied to appear quite similar to the real thing.

There are some obvious giveaways. For starters, the device is much too thick and the display isn’t quite as bezel-less as it’s going to be on the real Galaxy S9+. The unusually chunky power button gives up the jig as well.

These Galaxy S9+ clones can be found for a fraction of the price in China. Rest assured, the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will be expensive like their predecessors. There’s a whole market that prefers clones and they’ll certainly be happy with the quality with which these Galaxy S9 clones have been made.

Nothing beats the real thing though, obviously.

It’s not uncommon for purported images and videos of an upcoming flagship handset to leak prior to the official launch. However, they’re not always accurate. While they do provide valuable hints about the upcoming device in some cases, some of them are just without any merit. That’s the case with this new Galaxy S9+ hands-on video which is circulating online today.

Fake Galaxy S9+ hands-on video

We’re all anxious to see the new flagship smartphone from Samsung. Countless renders have already leaked online but we have yet to see a proper hands-on video being leaked ahead of the official announcement.

The only that’s circulating today features a very convincing copy of the Galaxy S9+. It does appear to be the real deal at first glance as it imitates the Infinity Display and the design language very well. It even has a dual camera system at the back. However, you can spot subtle clues that give up the secret.

For example, the bottom bezel is clearly thicker than what you’d expect on the Galaxy S9+. Moreover, the power button is excessively chunky for no apparent reason.

Look closely when the app drawer is opened and you’ll see the FM radio app which you won’t find on the real deal. You can’t spot Galaxy Apps, S Planner and Samsung Health apps. Even the camera app that’s shown in this video is different.

There’s absolutely no doubt that this a fake albeit a very convincing one. It wouldn’t be surprising if this fake starts being sold in China weeks before the Galaxy S9’s official announcement that’s expected to take place at MWC 2018 in February.