With the introduction of the new Samsung Galaxy S10 on the horizon (the unpacking currently set for the 20 Feb 2019) I got curious as to what could be on offer that would make it the “stand out” of the first quarter. Lately, I have found it tough to get super excited about new phone launches which often have the same feel as their older siblings. With sales of the Samsung Galaxy S9 lower than that of its predecessors I am hopeful that Samsung smashes it with its new star child – The Galaxy S10.
Design
Samsung is set to roll out three variants of the Samsung Galaxy S10 including a ‘lite’ version which will feature a flat as opposed to a curved display. The introduction of a Lite version is smart in my opinion as it makes the range more accessible than ever before.
Galaxy S10 – 6.1”
Galaxy S10 Plus – 6.4”
Galaxy S10 E/Lite – 5.8”
Samsung is set to up the ante regarding colours, offering more exciting options. It does, however, remain to be seen what colour variations local networks will accept. Rumour has it that Samsung will employ a ceramic design which, although not unique, does offer greater scratch resistance.
Set to launch with an almost bezel-less display, it appears that Samsung will do away with the notch, bucking the 2018 trend. To offset the loss of space the Galaxy S10 range will come with Samsung’s new Infinity O display, whereby the camera is a small pinprick hole at the top of the device. Screen resolution is also set to be ramped up with all models set to feature Samsung’s Super AMOLED display.
On the two higher models, fingerprint detection will be via “ultrasonic” sensors with the current optical sensors used on the Lite model.
The Inside
The Exynos 8910 chip is currently blazing the trail for Android devices, but the introduction of the Exynos 8920 chip is set to take the Samsung Galaxy S10 models to a new level. Essentially offering AI processing capability up to seven times faster than the current chip – the Exynos 8920 will also allow for 8K video viewing.
Although these first models will not be released with 5G, Samsung is rumoured to be releasing a fourth version with 5G later in the year.
Android 9 Pie and an improvement on Bixby are further features we can look forward to.
Camera
Camera-wise all three models are rumoured to offer different camera capabilities. The Samsung S10 Plus is said to offer three rear camera lenses coupled with two front-facing cameras. The Samsung S10 will offer the same three rear camera lenses with only one front-facing camera and, rounding out the trio the Samsung S10 Lite/E will offer two rear cameras and one front-facing camera.
The range will support full 3D camera rendering, allowing Samsung to improve on its current AR Emoji and with Artistic Live Focus AI, users will get greater control over the blur effect.
Power
As always, Samsung has gone for different capacity batteries on each of new range with the S10 Plus set to have a 4000mAh. The Galaxy S10 will be fitted with a 3500mAh battery and the S10 Lite a respectable 3100mAh battery. With the new Super AMOLED display, battery life is yet to be seen. Power share is also rumoured to be available on the new range.
Price
Although no South African pricing has confirmed as yet, the below pricing is currently the best indicator of what to expect:
- Samsung S10 Plus starting at £899
- Samsung S10 starting at £799
- Samsung S10 Lite/E at £669
As with all rumours and leaks, it remains to be seen how much of this will be accurate and how much is wishful thinking. And as always there is the element of surprise – Samsung may have something more up its sleeves.
Written by Lesa J
*Official images and specifications have not been released by Samsung as yet.
