It feels like the Samsung Galaxy S9 has only just arrived, but behind the scenes, the South Korean conglomerate is busy developing future devices. The S9, while not performing as well as expected saleswise, has still been lauded as a remarkable phone. But it’s the S10 that may showcase groundbreaking changes for Samsung.
Signs seem to point to a 2019 release for the Galaxy S10, a fact which is in itself significant. 2019 will herald the 10th anniversary of Samsung’s Galaxy range of devices, and rumour is that the company is preparing for a major release. It’s likely that this phone has probably been a long time in the making, which means it’s a big deal for Samsung. And coming at such a timely moment means that there should be at least one, “big” and exciting feature on the S10.
While a release date isn’t set and is unlikely to occur for several months, impatient Samsung fans can only guess as to what’s in store.
There are Some Amazing Speculations
As with any big device arrival, there’s plenty of speculation about what the S10 will entail. This has become particularly true as companies like Samsung work hard to keep pace with tech giant Apple. For the Galaxy S10, there have been some wild ideas about what we can expect---though many are rooted in truth and realistic possibilities.
One source has claimed that the S10 could have a “ridiculously sharp” display of 600ppi. The S9 and S9+ clock in at 570 and 530ppi, so this is a marked improvement on what is already a fantastic display.
Is a triple camera on the cards? Perhaps. What about a screen that works underwater?
Will the S10 have a 3D face scanner, in the tradition of iPhone?
While some questions are yet to be answered, there is plenty that is being leaked and circulated about the Galaxy S10 that can essentially be confirmed.
What We Know About the S10 is Very Exciting
Here’s what most “techsperts” agree on so far:
The S10 is probably going to be twice as fast as the Galaxy S9, because it’s going to be equipped with UFS3.0 storage and LPDDR5 memory. Both of these are the “next level” for storage and RAM, with the Universal Flash Storage working about 2X as quickly. That’s some lightning fast app downloading!
Tired of the rear-mounted fingerprint scanner? Some users have found these difficult to locate (or placed too close to the camera mechanisms). With the S10, there is likely to be an in display fingerprint scanner, which will solve a problem and introduce an exciting addition. While this is not the first iteration of under-screen scanners in a mobile phone, since Samsung has taken their time with developing and unveiling this technology, their final result is expected to be top notch. According to a report, the S10 may use an ultrasonic sensor from Qualcomm: the Snapdragon Sense ID 3D. If this is the case, the technology will be capable of creating a 3D image of your fingertip using detail mapping. This will be far better and more accurate than the existing 2D capacitive sensors, alleviating potential security worries and also allow for a passwordless authentication called Fast Identity Online.
There’s no doubt this won’t be a beautiful phone. The Samsung S9 has already impressed users with its wraparound screen elements and its stunning display. It is believed that the S10 will boast an edge-to-edge Infinity Display with a PPI as great as 600. Samsung will likely work to reduce bezels, and this should result in a screen-to-body ratio of 93% for the S10. That’s a lot of screen! The devices are likely to have the same size specs as the S9 and S9+, clocking in at 5.8 and 6.3 inches. In fact, this is just a hair larger.
There’s some crazy stuff happening with the sound, too. On the S10, the speakers may be incorporated as part of the display. With this technology, an actuator located behind the screen creates slight vibrations that allow for the emission of sound into the ear bones. If this feature is a part of the Galaxy S10, it may be a solution to the challenges smartphone manufacturers have had with earpiece placement of late. As screens expand, it has become more difficult to find an ideal location for the earpiece speaker. It’s possible that with this “Sound on Display” technology, users wouldn’t necessarily need to hold the top of the phone directly to their ear. Instead, the device could be positioned in whatever way was comfortable.
Without an external speaker, it looks like the S10 could appear without the divisive notch, too. This would provide for sleek, seamless design, but also allow for more room for something new...perhaps that third camera?!
The S10 may be produced ready to meld with other technologies, too. Some source information says that the phone is going to be primed to handle 5G speeds. This would be an exciting first. 5G is the next level when it comes to networks and will be faster than 4G. For users, this will lead to noticeable reductions in latency (a---usually slight---delay in transmitting information) as well as more impressive download speeds. What makes the possibility of 5G even more likely is the fact that Qualcomm and Samsung recently announced a 'strategic relationship' agreement, which specifically references a "transition to 5G”.
It’s Not Too Far in the Future
If all the forward-thinking features haven’t grabbed your attention, still another reason to be excited about the Galaxy S10 is that we may not have long to wait for its public appearance.
There’s the potential that the S10 will hit the scene as early as January of 2019. This is when major tech conference CES is held. This makes sense since Samsung’s first foldable phone, known as the Galaxy X, is purportedly launching in February at MWC (Mobile World Congress), and it is reasonable to suspect that Samsung will not allow one launch to overshadow the other. For those of us eagerly awaiting the S10, this news is nothing but good.