While the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus were just released in March 2018, the smartphone manufacturer is already hard at work on its 2019 update. What will the Galaxy S10 look like? What cutting-edge features should we expect for 2019? Here’s everything we know about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S10.
The dust has barely settled on the Samsung Galaxy S9’s launch, but there’s no rest for the wicked. Work on the newest model of Samsung’s world-beating smartphone is already underway, and we’re already inundated with rumors and whispers about the Samsung Galaxy S10.
So whether we’re hearing about an even more advanced camera, jaw-dropping good looks, or — in Samsung’s potentially most radical move — an increased battery capacity, we’ve gathered all the rumors, leaks, and news into one place so you can quickly find out everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy S10.
How will you unlock and secure the Galaxy S10? While the S9 has the Intelligent Scan tech that scans a hybrid of your face as well as iris data, it’s not secure enough for purchase verification and a far cry from the highly advanced and secure Face ID that Apple introduced on the iPhone X. Samsung may change this for the S10, and introduce a new fingerprint sensor too.
A patent, first discovered by Patently Mobile in July 2018, shows Samsung is actively working on an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor. This new sensor will use ultrasound, instead of images, to map out one’s fingerprints. It should provide a much more secure authentication source as opposed to what’s currently on the market.
These alterations may push Samsung to drop iris scanning from the Galaxy S10, but likely only if it can master the in-display fingerprint sensor to accompany a new secure face-recognition system. Prototype samples of the S10, according to South Korean publication The Bell, have not been ordered with iris scanners, a decision that may also help offset costs if the two new security systems are being included.
Out with the iris, and in with the face. Earlier rumors said Samsung had teamed up with 3D-camera startup Mantis Vision to provide 3D-sensing camera tech for Samsung’s upcoming smartphones, and those rumors have seemingly been confirmed by a report that the Galaxy S10 will include a full 3D camera, potentially equaling the iPhone X experience. This could also help Samsung’s underpowered AR Emoji, which aren’t anywhere near as accurate as Apple’s Animoji. Tests from across the Digital Trends office led to some — er — fairly disturbing uncanny valley creations.
The discontinuation of iris scanning may only happen if Samsung can include an in-display fingerprint sensor on the S10. Reportedly dropped from the Galaxy Note 9 because of technical issues, it may be ready for the S10. The Bell states Samsung is working hard to create a fingerprint-on-display (FOD) scanner, with some seeming success.
While it’s still early to know exactly what Samsung plans to bring to the Samsung Galaxy S10, we do have a few ideas. First off, it’s almost certain Samsung’s 2019 flagship will ship with Android P. We’re also expecting to see a major update to Bixby since Samsung purchased Viv, a startup created by the founders of Siri, and has reportedly been working with them on Bixby for a few years.
There’s also the possibility that the Galaxy S10 will feature improved health apps. According to a patent recently unearthed by Let’s Go Digital, Samsung is working on an app that determines your skin type and can suggest recommendations to limit sun exposure. The app will apparently use photos of different parts of your body to determine skin type. Once your skin type is registered it can constantly provide tips and measure your UV exposure.
Samsung’s Galaxy S range of smartphones are known for their trend-setting looks, so how will the Galaxy S10 move things along? Rumors already state the Galaxy S10’s design has apparently been finalized, and that it will be similar to the S9. It’s possible there may be three versions of the Galaxy S10, according to multiple inside sources speaking to The Bell. Referred to under the code name Beyond; the Beyond 1 and Beyond 2 are likely the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus. Both models will reportedly feature fingerprint-on-display (FOD) technology as well as AMOLED screens. This news was further corroborated by well-known TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who says that there will be one model with a 5.8-inch display, one with a 6.1-inch display, and one with a 6.4-inch display, and that the two higher-end models will have Samsung’s FOD.
The sources also refer to the Beyond 0, which is possibly a Galaxy S10 Mini — a budget version of the flagship apparently with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. Samsung often releases a tough version of its latest Galaxy S phone, so the Beyond 0 may also refer to a Galaxy S10 Active.
How about the screen size? Reports vary. According to ET News, the Galaxy S10 will feature a 6.2-inch screen, while The Bell has echoed an earlier report suggesting the S10 will have a 5.8-inch screen and the S10 Plus a 6.3-inch screen. The panels are expected to be AMOLED, like previous Galaxy S phones.
The bezels around it may shrink due to the introduction of a sound-emitting OLED display, says ET News. Instead of using a traditional speaker, bone conduction and vibration will transmit sound directly through the display. Such technology will mean even smaller bezels on the Galaxy S10 since a top-firing speaker cutout will no longer be necessary.
Previous news of a patent approved in March 2018 shows a phone with a screen-to-body ratio of 99 percent, and no visible speakers, front-facing camera, or fingerprint sensor. While creating this phone isn’t outside the realm of possibility — the front-facing camera could be under the display, as could the fingerprint sensor — it now seems more likely that such a radical redesign is not intended for the Galaxy S10.
Another earlier patent granted by the World Intellectual Property Organisation reveals that Samsung is working on phone designs that are as close to bezel-free as possible, with fingerprint scanners placed beneath the display tech — this could also be linked to the long-rumored foldable Galaxy smartphone .
The Galaxy S phones are performance flagships, so what will Samsung do to ensure the new phones are among the best available. It’s a fair bet that the Galaxy S10 will feature a new iteration of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chip, most likely the Snapdragon 855. Samsung has sunk $5.6 billion into a foundry for rumored 7mn chipsets for the Galaxy S10 and Note 10 phones. Risk trials for those chips will begin later this year, with Samsung expecting that mass production would be possible in early 2019 — just in time for a likely S10 release date.
Let’s be honest: There’s not a huge difference between Samsung Galaxy Plus handsets and their Note siblings. And in an overly saturated smartphone market, it becomes difficult to justify releasing two similar handsets each year.
According to the South Korean business site The Bell, Samsung is planning to retire its Plus line of Galaxy handsets after the release of the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus in 2019.
