We're already hearing the first rumors about Samsung's Galaxy S9 smartphone

The Galaxy Note 8 isn't even out yet, yet we're already hearing the first rumors about Samsung's next phone: the Galaxy S9.

The first rumor comes from the blog Android Headlines, which cites a source that claims the Galaxy S8 successor will be announced towards the end of January and released in mid-February. The same source claims production on the Galaxy S9 began three to four months earlier than expected, hence the mid-February release date prediction; in comparison, this year's Galaxy S8 launched in March.

As for the phone itself, which is reportedly in development at Samsung under the code name "Star," Android Headlines says the phone is expected to launch with Qualcomm's latest Snapchat 845 chipset and run on the latest flavor of Android, 8.0 "Oreo."

For the most part though, it sounds like the Galaxy S9 will share many of the same features as the Galaxy S8 design-wise, from its "Infinity" display to the fingerprint sensor on the back, though rumors claim the fingerprint sensor will be centered on the back of the phone this time, making it easier to reach. For the most part though, Samsung seems to be sticking with what works: Most people were enamored with the design of the Galaxy S8, so Samsung is probably only making minor tweaks at most for the Galaxy S9.

Keep in mind, we are still several months away from the release date of the phone, and these rumors are coming from a smaller Android blog, so everything must be taken with a grain of salt. That said, many of these rumors make sense given Samsung's track record, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Samsung release the Galaxy S9 a bit ahead of schedule in an attempt to better compete with Apple's redesigned next-generation iPhone, which is expected to launch in the next several weeks.

If you don't want to wait several months for the Galaxy S9, it's probably worth checking out the new Galaxy Note 8, which is available for preorder and arrives in stores September 15.