Samsung will launch a top-tier model of the Galaxy S10 that offers 5G mobile data connectivity. The device, which has a larger screen and battery than the S10 Plus, will temporarily be a Verizon Wireless exclusive before expanding to other carriers in the weeks after launch. It will go on sale sometime “in the first half of 2019.”
The 5G Galaxy S10 will feature a giant 6.7-inch display; the standard S10 Plus screen measures 6.4 inches. It will also have a 4,500mAh battery compared to 4,100mAh in the S10 Plus. However, it’s important to remember that 5G modems are still relatively new, so a beefier battery is likely a necessity to deliver battery life that equals or bests the other S10 models. You’ll be able to charge it quickly, too: Samsung says the S10 5G supports 25W Super Fast Charging. (Like the other S10 models, you can rest another device with wireless charging on the back of the S10 5G to juice it up using the phone’s power.)
For storage, the S10 5G offers 256GB. Unfortunately, it differs from the other S10 phones in that it doesn’t offer expandable microSD storage. The device has 8GB of RAM, which matches the base configurations of the S10 and S10 Plus but not the 12GB RAM option of the top-spec Galaxy S10 Plus.
Anyway, the big sell here is obviously speed: Samsung says the S10 5G “can download a full season of a TV show in minutes, play graphics-rich cloud games with virtually no lag, enjoy enhanced VR and AR experiences and stay in touch with friends and family via real-time 4K video calls.”
As if the other S10 phones didn’t have enough cameras, the 5G version adds two more: 3D Depth cameras on both the front and back will enhance the device’s augmented reality (AR) performance. It also allows for “Video Live Focus” and a “Quick Measure” tool.
Verizon will be the only US carrier to offer Samsung’s Galaxy S10 5G at launch, but its exclusivity is unlikely to last very long. So if you’re on AT&T, T-Mobile, or Sprint, it’s probably not worth switching over for. To get 5G speeds, you’ve got to be in a 5G launch city. At press time, Verizon still hasn’t revealed where its first mobile 5G markets will be. If it ends up that you’re not, well, the S10 5G is kind of a nonstarter at launch.