Earlier this week we heard that Samsung is considering making a 5G version of the Galaxy S10 next year, and a new report brings us additional details about the handset. Only the more expensive Galaxy S10 version will get a 5G variant, which is expected to be the Galaxy S10+ considering Samsung’s current naming scheme for the Galaxy S10 series. The 5G Galaxy S10+ model will be even more expensive than the 4G version, which is already expected to cost well over $1,000. It will also be produced only in limited quantities, according to a new report.
According to The Bell, Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S10 in January at CES 2019, much earlier than the usual late February launch that we’ve seen for multiple Galaxy S models in the past. The phone will come in three versions, codenamed Beyond 0, Beyond 1, and Beyond 2. The Beyond 1 and 2 are the Galaxy S10 and S10+, the natural successors of the Galaxy S9 and S9+. The Beyond 0 is supposed to be a brand new addition to the S10 line, an entry-level model with less impressive specs and a lower price tag. Sound familiar? Yup, that’s exactly what Apple is doing with its 2018 iPhone models.
The 5G Galaxy S10+ will be a derivative of Beyond 2 line. The phone will have a similar design but pack a 5G chip as well as additional antennas. Apparently, 5G phones will need four or five more antennas than LTE phones. The addition of 5G components would explain the increased cost of the 5G Galaxy S10+. The report notes that the Galaxy S10+ will be the best Galaxy S10 version next year, packing a 6.44-inch screen and five cameras in total, including two selfie cams and a triple-lens shooter on the back.
The 5G option might be available to buyers around the time 5G networks begin to launch. In Korea, that means around March 5th when the three local operators are going to turn on 5G. The Bell reminds us that Samsung did something similar in 2013, when a Galaxy S4 LTE-A option launched only in June in Korea, a few months after the initial Galaxy S4 roll out.
Samsung is expected to make only as many as two million 5G phones per year during the initial 5G is being deployed, and the number includes other Galaxy phones, not just the 5G Galaxy S10+. Earlier this year, Samsung did say the Galaxy S10 won’t be its first 5G phone, so we should expect a mid-range 5G phone to debut soon.
