Samsung’s first 5G phone is the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
It's a bit more than just a change from a 4G to a 5G modem too.
At its Galaxy Unpacked launch in San Francisco today, Samsung has, as expected, formally launched the Samsung Galaxy S10, Samsung Galaxy S10+ and Samsung Galaxy S10e. Those were heavily leaked in most pertinent ways prior to the launch, but there was less available information around a potential 5G variant of the flagship phones.
That's the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, and it's arguably the most exciting non-folding Samsung phone of the lot, because it's Samsung's first announced foray into 5G handsets of any type.
Samsung could have feasibly opted to simply produce a 5G "variant" of the Samsung Galaxy S10+ with different internal modem components to latch onto freshly launched 5G networks, but that's not what it's done. Instead, the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G is somewhat a Samsung Galaxy S10+ on a serious dose of steroids.
Seriously, that's what it is. Boost the S10+ screen up to 6.7 inches from the S10+'s 6.4 inches. Boost the battery up to 4,500mAh from the S10+'s 4,100mAh, because that larger screen and the higher throughput speeds of 5G are likely to take a toll on battery life. Then, because why not, add a fourth camera to the back of the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, with 3D sensing capabilities that allow it to do live focusing tricks while you're shooting video.
All of that, and that's before Samsung throws in a 5G-capable modem. However, there are some tradeoffs.
The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G only comes in a single 256GB storage variant where the S10+ can be had in 128GB, 512GB or 1TB storage sizes. More concerning on the storage front, the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G joins the new Samsung Galaxy Fold in skipping out on microSD expansion, so what you get is all you get in storage terms. It's also, as per Samsung's current specification sheet, only a single SIM phone, which could be a problem if you're a fan of dual SIM devices.
Samsung hasn't announced direct pricing for the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G just yet, but we wouldn't imagine it would be inexpensive.
However, Telstra has announced that it has the Australian exclusive on the Galaxy S10 5G, and that consumers who get a Galaxy S10+ pre-ordered on contract before 8 March 2019 will be able to upgrade to the Galaxy S10 5G at no additional charge.
Elegible Telstra contract plans
Can't wait for the Galaxy S10 5G to release? Pre-order one of Samsung's other new Galaxy S10 handsets instead
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S10e 128GB
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Buy the Samsung Galaxy S10 128GB
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Buy the Samsung Galaxy S10+ 128GB
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Samsung Galaxy S10 5G specifications
| OS | Android 9 |
|---|---|
| Display size (inches) | 6.7 |
| Display resolution (pixels) | 1440 x 3040 |
| Pixels per inch (PPI) | 505 |
| Processor | Exynos 9820 |
| Height (mm) | 162.6 |
| Width (mm) | 77.1 |
| Depth (mm) | 7.94 |
| Weight (g) | 198 |
| Battery size (mAh) | 4,500 |
| Wireless charging |
Qi PMA |
| Internal storage |
256GB |
| MicroSD expansion | N/A |
| Fingerprint scanner | Yes |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Water resistance | IP68 |
| Rear camera (1) resolution | 12 |
|---|---|
| Rear camera (1) aperture | f/2.4 |
| Rear camera (2) resolution | 12 |
| Rear camera (2) aperture | f/1.5-f/2.4 |
| Rear camera (3) resolution | 16 |
| Rear camera (3) aperture | f/2.2 |
| Front camera (1) resolution | 10 |
| Front camera (1) aperture | f/1.9 |
| Front camera (2) resolution | |
| Front camera (2) aperture |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
|---|---|
| Network category speed | Category 20 |
| NFC support | Yes |