CES 2019 is over and the tech world is already gearing up for the next big launch: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked.
The February event will be when Samsung unveils the new Galaxy S10 and S10+ smartphones, the follow up to last year’s Galaxy S9 devices.
As well, it looks like the Samsung Galaxy X, the company’s folding phone will also get another airing.
Here’s what you need to know about the new phones...
Samsung Galaxy S10: what we know so far
Expectations are high for the Galaxy S10 phone range. According to leaked images, Samsung has almost completely done away with the bezels (borders around the phone) and gone for a new pinhole layout for the selfie camera.
Here’s what this could look like, according to @evleaks.
That full-screen display looks amazing and solves the notch issues other phones have had. However, I’m not convinced about the selfie camera being on the right side of the phone – that’s going to take some getting used to.
It’s likely Samsung will release three phones in the Galaxy S10 range in February: a cheaper S10 Lite phone, the standard S10, and the S10+. The cheaper device is expected to be 5.8-inches, the Standard S10 will be 6.1-inches and the bigger S10+ could come in at 6.4-inches.
The phone is also rumoured to feature an in-display fingerprint sensor, like the OnePlus 6T, and between three and four cameras on the rear of the phone depending on which model it is.
Apparently, the new Samsung Galaxy S10 will be able to wirelessly charge other devices, just like last year’s Huawei Mate 20 Pro device. This is an interesting addition and sees Samsung reaching straight into the Huawei playbook for a new feature.
Inside, the phone will be powered by Snapdragon’s new 855 chip, which means it will be faster and more energy efficient. Samsung is also expected to be releasing a new user interface, named OneUI, which was previewed at its developer conference last year. It’s supposed to be optimised for taller phone screens and has darker colours and a new night mode.
When is Samsung S10 coming out?
The new phone range is set to be unveiled on February 20, at 7pm GMT.
This is a week before Mobile World Congress, the massive tech show where Samsung usually reveals its new phones, so the company must be eager to get ahead of the competition.
It’s likely the new phones will be available to buy a few weeks after that so you could get your hands on a shiny new Samsung phone in March. According to a report published by Softpedia, the new Samsung phones could be on sale as early as 8 March.
Samsung S10: 5G phone?
There’s a lot of chatter at the moment regarding when companies will release their first 5G compatible devices.
However, Samsung’s head of mobile DJ Koh has said the company’s first 5G phone will not be the S10.
This is because companies are still unsure about how 5G will work out in the wild, including which regions will support the technology, and that 5G may bring “instability and heat” to devices.
If we do eventually see a 5G dedicated phone from Samsung, it's going to be expensive. According to the South Korean publication, ETNews, the 5G phone could be priced as high as $1,600, around £1,242.
Innovation is expensive.
What about the Samsung Galaxy X?
Back in November, Samsung unveiled a prototype for its folding phone, the Galaxy X on stage at its developer conference.
The phone features a single screen on the front, like any normal smartphone, but it can then be opened up like a book to reveal the much larger 7.3-inch display on the inside.
The idea is that users will be able to carry out more complex tasks than have been possible on a single-screen smartphone, and have three apps open at once on the screen.
The new phone is expected to be launching in early 2019, and there are no pricing details yet. This is the type of information we’re hoping to learn more about at the Unpacked event.
