Samsung’s next flagship isn’t due for several months, but there’s no shortage of Galaxy S10 rumors. A new report from Korea mentions two major Galaxy S10 innovations, including the in-display fingerprint sensor that we already expect to see on the phone, and the logic boards that will be used inside the handset. The report also mentions that Galaxy S10 versions won’t be identical, when it comes to chip choices and internal design.
According to ETNews, the Galaxy S10 will feature a stacked circuit board of the SLP (Substrate Like PCB) variety. If SLP sounds familiar, that’s because we’ve seen such logic boards in other popular devices including 2017 and 2018 iPhones, as well as Samsung’s 2018 flagship. SLP boards allow manufacturers to stack chips and significantly reduce the size of the logic board inside the phone. The freed space and be used to increase the battery size of the handset, or add extra components.
However, it appears that not all Galaxy S10 versions will make use of SLP designs. Only the Exynos-powered phones will get the stacked circuit boards, but not Qualcomm versions. The report doesn’t say anything about the type of chips that Samsung will use on the Galaxy S10, but the company announced last week that it’s ready to manufacture 7nm chips. Separately, TSMC will produce 7nm Qualcomm chips for next year’s flagship Android phones, Galaxy S10 versions included. ETNews did say that only Galaxy S10 handsets with Exynos chips inside will make use of the SLP logic board, identifying several suppliers, including Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Daeduck GDS, and Korea Circuit. The same news source said before Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S9 that only the Exynos Galaxy S9 versions would receive SLP logic board designs.
Additionally, the report notes that the Galaxy S10 sporting in-display fingerprint sensors will make use of an RFPCB (rigid-flexible PCB), with the same Daedeok GDS expected to supply the RFPCB for the sensor.
The Galaxy S10 will be unveiled in early January at CES 2018 at the earliest, according to some reports, or in late February, at MWC 2018. Samsung is expected to launch three versions of the phone, including a cheaper model, the Galaxy S10, and the Galaxy S10+. All three phones are likely to come in Exynos and Qualcomm versions.
