A Korean report says the S9 will get its own 3D emojis.
Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S9 phone could borrow another iPhone X feature if the rumors are true. (The first is said to be a more robust version of Face ID.)
The Galaxy S9 may come with a 3D emoji feature, Korean news outlet ETNews reported. The feature works by scanning your face and creating a 3D character that mimics your fine-tuned facial movements and expressions, says the report. You could also send these 3D emojis in place of normal ones in messages.
It sounds nearly identical Apple’s Animoji, though the report briefly hints that Samsung’s version has a trick up its sleeve.
We’re not sure if that refers to hardware, software or the number of emojis you can animate, but we’re looking forward to testing out the feature if it actually comes to the Galaxy S9.
Samsung has already put some effort behind energizing its messaging skills. The Galaxy S8 introduced stickers you could attach to your face, Snapchat-style, to turn yourself into a carrot-chomping bunny, a kerchief-wearing cowboy and so on. The Galaxy Note 8 also turned messages and drawings you created with the S Pen stylus into a short animated GIF to attach to a message.
Apple and Samsung are fierce rivals in the premium smartphone space. The South Korean mega-corporation prides itself on innovation, but has also been slapped with lawsuits in the past for too closely copying Apple’s iPhone features and design. However, it could adopt an Animoji-like feature to keep pace with Apple and generate interest in a phone that’s rumored to be very much like last year’s model.
It’s worth noting that Apple was already sued over taking the Animoji idea from a small Japanese company.
The ETNews report also claims that the Galaxy S9 may be getting top and bottom stereo speakers. This would be a change from the Galaxy S8, which has speakers beneath the screen. The report also reiterates other Galaxy S9 rumors, like its variable aperture function and better facial recognition and iris scanning.
