Releasing new smartphones that have exactly the same design as the previous generation may work for Apple, but it’s a trick that’s harder to pull off in the Android ecosystem, even if you’re Samsung. The Galaxy S9 is almost identical to the Galaxy S8, although the 2018 phone is better in every way in terms of performance. But Galaxy S9 sales have not been spectacular, hurting Samsung’s overall bottom line. Come next year, the Galaxy S10 will thankfully have a new design according to Samsung Mobile’s chief DJ Koh.
Talking to Chinese media, Koh said last week the Galaxy S10 would feature a “very significant” change in appearance, without elaborating on his comments. The news comes from the well-known Samsung insider Ice Universe who posted Koh’s remark on Weibo.
He followed up on Twitter, revealing that he handed Koh a 30-page report about Samsung’s future products and strategies:
Today I met DJ Koh, President of Samsung Mobile. He is very kind. I wrote a 30-page report about Samsung's future products and strategies. pic.twitter.com/jpVPLstdpm
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) September 13, 2018
Koh apparently liked the report, which included plenty of suggestions about design.
He likes this report very much, including your suggestions for Samsung, thank you.
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) September 13, 2018
While the report can’t be made public, the phone will “definitely” not use the notch according to Ice Universe:
I wrote a lot of suggestions about design, Samsung will definitely not use Notch.
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) September 13, 2018
It’s unclear whether Koh said anything in that regard. But Samsung, of all the Android vendors out there, would catch the most flack for copying the iPhone X, even though everyone else in the business has already done it.
Ice Universe did add that the Galaxy S10 will feature a beautiful color scheme, which will look better than the gradient colors Huawei used for the P20 Pro line.
The Galaxy S10 will have a very beautiful color scheme that is more beautiful than the gradient. https://t.co/GxfS3q7u5e
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) September 13, 2018
Other Galaxy S10 rumors have said the phone will have a fingerprint sensor embedded in the display, as well as up to five cameras on the Plus phone, including two selfie cams and a triple-lens camera on the back. These would represent notable design changes compared to the Galaxy S9, but they don’t exactly qualify as “very significant.” Samsung could still recycle the existing Infinity Display design for the Galaxy S10 series while making the changes mentioned above.
Of course, it is a rumor, S10 uses Qualcomm's ultrasonic fingerprint is affirmative, rest assured.
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) September 13, 2018
The phone is expected to drop at some point in early 2019, maybe as soon as January at next year’s CES show in Las Vegas.
