A deal between Samsung and cellular carrier Telstra will enable buyers of the Galaxy S10+ to upgrade at no cost to the S10 5G as soon as it’s released.
Samsung’s new lineup of Galaxy S10 phones is arriving just as higher-speed 5G networks are in the process of launching worldwide — timing that will force some early adopters to decide between buying a late-stage 4G phone in March or a first-generation 5G phone in June. But one carrier isn’t making its customers choose: Buying the Galaxy S10+ will entitle them to upgrade to the Galaxy S10 5G “at no extra cost” when it’s released.
If the deal sounds too good to be true, that’s because it’s an exclusive promotion between Samsung and Australian carrier Telstra, which has been aggressively trialing 5G in the country ahead of a larger 2019 rollout. Telstra is promising to be the country’s first carrier with the Galaxy S10 5G, which is expected to come first to Verizon around June, before hitting other carriers.
“This delivers the best of both mobile worlds for our customers,” said Telstra consumer executive Kevin Teoh.