After announcing flagship Galaxy S9 series at the recently concluded Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 in Barcelona, Samsung has announced new Enterprise Edition of the Android flagship along with Galaxy A8 series for corporate employees.
The new variants come with the same hardware as seen in the original models, but they will boast Samsung's proprietary multi-layered military-grade Knox security from hardware to apps at all levels.
Also, the Galaxy S9 Enterprise Edition owners are entitled to get security updates for a total of four years - monthly for the first three years and quarterly for the fourth year. And for the Galaxy A8 Enterprise Edition, the company promises to offer a manufacturer's warranty of two years and monthly security updates for a total of three years.
With Samsung Knox, IT managers in corporate companies can remotely configure a large number of Samsung mobile devices to work in specific operations and situations. Also, administrators, to primarily thwart hacking, can create the appropriate configuration profiles in advance, pair them with the appropriate settings and restrictions, and automatically prepare mobile devices for use in business operations.
The Samsung Enterprise Firmware-Over-The-Air (E-FOTA on MDM) service, which is also the part of the Enterprise Edition privileges, allows firmware updates to be selectively installed on many devices simultaneously through a compatible Mobile Device Management (MDM) system. Administrators can test pre-deployment updates to ensure compatibility between proprietary software and new Android firmware.
Furthermore, both the models come with a dual-SIM option. Users can decide whether to operate their smartphones with two SIM cards simultaneously or use the second slot to expand the memory of the device using a microSD card. When abroad, you can also use different providers privately as well as professionally or in addition to a domestic use a local SIM card. Dual Messenger also allows users to use two separate accounts for a compatible App, the company said.
However, the company is offering the limited Samsung Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy A8 Enterprise Edition initially in Germany for €849 (roughly $1,046/Rs 68,185) and the €499 Euros (approx. $615/Rs 40,076), respectively. The former is slated to hit stores in April, while the latter can be purchased from this weekend onwards.
As of now, there is no official word on devices' availability in other global markets.
Key specifications of Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy A8 Enterprise Edition:
| Models | Galaxy S9 | Galaxy A8 |
| Screen | 5.8-inch QHD+ (2960x1440p) Curved super AMOLED Infinity Display with Gorilla Glass 5 shield
|
5.6-inch full HD+ (2220x1080p) super AMOLED Infinity Display
|
| OS | Android 8.0 Oreo | Android 7.1 Nougat OS |
| Processor |
|
Octa-core (2.2GHz Dual + 1.6GHz Hexa) CPU |
| RAM | 4GB LPDDR4x | 4GB |
| Storage | 64GB/128GB/256GB UFS v2.1 (expandable up to 400GB) | 32GB/64GB |
| Camera |
|
|
| Battery | 3,000mAh
|
3,000mAh with fast charging capability |
| Network | Enhanced 4X4 MIMO / CA, LAA, LTE Cat.18 | 4G-LTE with VoLTE (Voice-over-LTE) LTE CAT.11 |
| Add-ons | Fingerprint sensor, IP68 certification, improved face recognition system integrated with Iris scanner, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), VHT80 MU-MIMO, 1024QAM, Bluetooth v5.0 (LE up to 2Mbps), ANT+, USB type-C, NFC, Location (GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou, NFC (Near Field Communication), MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission), AKG stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos | Fingerprint sensor, Bluetooth v5.0, Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n/ac; dual-band: 2.4GHz & 5GHz), USB Type C, Samsung Pay via Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) and Near Field Communication (NFC), GPS/GLONASS |
| Security |
|
Lock type: pattern, PIN, passwordBiometric lock type: Fingerprint scannerSamsung Knox security |
| Audio support | Stereo speakers tuned by AKG, surround sound with Dolby Atmos technology, Audio playback format: MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, WMA, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, APE, DSF, DFF | MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, WMA, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA |
| Video support | MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, WMV, ASF, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM | MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, WMV, ASF, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Heart Rate Sensor, Proximity Sensor, RGB Light Sensor, Iris Sensor, Pressure Sensor | Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Proximity Sensor, RGB Light Sensor |
| Dimensions | 147.7mm x 68.7mm x 8.5mm | 149.2 x 70.6 x 8.4mm |
| Weight | 163g | 172g |
| Price (in Germany) | €849 Euros (roughly $1,046/Rs 68,185) | €499 Euros (approx. $615/Rs 40,076) |
