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Samsung’s Galaxy S10 Plus lineup could include 5G, leaked code suggests

Samsung’s Galaxy S10 Plus lineup could include 5G, leaked code suggests

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Code hidden in an upcoming Galaxy S9 Plus update suggests that Samsung might be planning to release a 5G variant of the Galaxy 10 next year, reports XDA-Developers, echoing previous rumors that Samsung would include the next-generation connectivity in one variant of its flagship handset.

There are four main versions of the upcoming phone that seem to be in production. The code refers to them as “beyond 0” (expected to be an entry-level model), “beyond 1” (the standard S10), “beyond 2” (likely the S10 Plus), and “beyond 2 5G” where “beyond” is the rumored codename for the S10 lineup. Similar sleuthing at the beginning of 2018 successfully revealed some of the manufacturer’s Galaxy lineup for this year.

Will the S10 go “beyond” 4G?

The codenames also include “q” variants running Qualcomm Snapdragon chips as opposed to Samsung’s own Exynos chipset, XDA says. There appears to be both a Qualcomm and an Exynos version of the 5G S10 coming, although it’s likely to be the Qualcomm model that makes its way to the US.

Samsung’s release schedule appears to mirror the state 5G will be in by mid-2019 when the S10 is expected to be released. Although each of the major operators is aiming to have launched 5G services in some form by the end of 2019, they’re unlikely to offer exhaustive coverage, and the actual utility of a 5G handset is likely to be low.

As a consequence, Samsung is rumored to be planning to produce 5G versions of the S10 in more limited quantities, according to The Bell.

Samsung has already said that it doesn’t expect the S10 to be its first 5G handset, and this latest news suggests that’s because another handset might beat it to the punch rather than because the technology won’t be ready in time for its next flagship.