Rumors of a Samsung Galaxy S9 Mini have been rife of recent but a new source has claimed that the device is, in fact, the S8 Lite—a mid-range device exclusive to the Chinese market. It will be joined by the A8 Star.
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Samsung-set-to-release-the-Galaxy-S8-Lite-and-A8-Star.301280.0.html