Telstra gives the Galaxy S9 the Blue Tick

Samsung's latest premium phone has passed Telstra's certification for improved regional compatibility.
Ahead of its general availability in Australia this Friday, Telstra has announced that the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy S9+ have both been awarded its Blue Tick certification.
Blue Tick phones (not to be confused with blue Tick superheroes) are tested by Telstra in its top-secret Sydney labs (don't tell anyone, but we can totally take you through a tour here) for better reception characteristics when at a distance from mobile towers, leading to better experiences for regional and rural users where towers are significantly far apart.
Samsung has had a solid run with its premium phones in recent years in relation to Blue Tick certification, with the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S7 series both gaining the Blue Tick, so it's not a surprise that the S9 and S9+ are also compatible.
Both also have the ability through their CAT18-capable modems of accessing speeds of up to 1.2Gbps on the Telstra network, although you won't find a mix of rural access and those kinds of speeds, with Telstra most prominently offering higher-speed access in metropolitan areas.
Telstra's pre-order deal combines a free wireless charger and a bonus Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2017) for those who pre-order before midnight on eligible plans. If you want to compare all the deals around the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, we've rounded up and compared every Australian Samsung Galaxy S9 contract plan here.
Keen on a Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+ on contract through Telstra? Check out its latest deals below!