The Samsung Galaxy S9 will arrive with stereo speakers and its own interpretation of Apple’s iPhone X Animoji, according to a report.

ETNews sources say the so-called ‘3D emoji’ will enable S9 users to create animated characters using the front facing camera, combined with depth-sensing technology

According to the report (via Android Authority) from Samsung’s South Korean homeland, they’ll be “more advanced” than the Animoji Apple provides.

Whether that actually turns out to be the case remains to be seen, but we’ll certainly be reserving judgement for now.

While the Animoji rival would represent Samsung following Apple’s lead, adding true stereo speakers could be a way to top Apple’s offering.

The report says the phone would feature a speaker at the top and bottom of the phone, which would be a first for the range and the first major change to the speakers since the Galaxy S6.

This goes some way towards corroborating recent speculation claiming the S9 would offer dual speakers, tuned by Samsung-owned AKG and offering Dolby Surround support.

Apple currently uses the earpiece to achieve stereo sound on the iPhone 7 and up. It’s unclear from today’s report whether Samsung plans to add a second dedicated speaker, or rely on the earpiece.

Related: iPhone X review

Do we have our headline feature?

Most of the build up to launch has focused on the minimal changes to the hardware including the slight shifting of the fingerprint sensor. It appears Samsung may be saving the in-display biometric sensor for the Galaxy Note 9, which is likely to arrive in August or September.

However, the addition of stereo speakers and the dual camera on the S9 Plus, would really give S8 owners something to think about when considering an upgrade.

We’re now under two weeks away from the Galaxy S9 reveal, during an Unpacked event on Sunday 25 February.

We’re expecting the firm to focus heavily on the upgraded camera tech during the event. What are you hoping to see?

Do you think you’ll be buying the Samsung Galaxy S9? Or are you concerned it won’t be a big enough upgrade on last year’s model? Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.