The Galaxy S10 launch has been a major success for Samsung, there’s no question about that, but the company isn’t done with releasing new models. Let’s not forget that, in addition to the three 4G Galaxy S10 phones, Samsung also introduced a Galaxy S10 5G phone last month. The phone is even bigger than the Galaxy S10+, and it’ll hit stores well before 5G becomes widely available. However, that’s not even the craziest part, as one of Samsung’s launch bundles is easily the whackiest promotion we’ve ever seen.
Like with 4G a few years ago, we’ll have 5G phones in stores well before we can use them. That’s how the industry works. Somebody has to be the first to market with such devices. In the US, it’s Motorola Moto Z3 that will be ready to support 5G speeds soon with the help of the 5G Moto Mod add-on, which packs a Snapdragon 855 processor and extra battery juice.
But Korea, with Samsung’s help, will beat Verizon’s 5G April 11th launch by a few days. The Galaxy S10 5G will be available in the country on April 5th, The Korea Herald reports, becoming the world’s first to launch a device for 5G network.
The Galaxy S10 5G will be available online, at Samsung outlets, and in carrier shops, and this is where the crazy promotion happens (emphasis ours):
The South Korean tech firm said it will not be taking preorders for the 5G model. Instead, it will run a promotional event that offers either the wireless earphone Galaxy Buds, the wireless charger package or a 50 percent discount voucher for replacement of the screen from April 5 through April 16.
Is Samsung so sure that you risk breaking the phone’s screen that it’s willing to throw in a coupon that will make it cheaper to repair it? As a reminder, premium Galaxy S10 phones like the 5G version feature ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensors, which is one more reason to worry about screen damage. As we’ve seen in drop tests involving the other Galaxy S10 versions, the Gorilla Glass 6 panels aren’t shatter-proof. And screen replacements will be expensive.
That said, we have no idea how much the Galaxy S10 5G will cost. Also, we have no launch details for the US and other international markets that will soon get 5G in the near future.
