The Galaxy S10 series was supposed to bring Samsung's first 5G smartphone to the market and it does. Those who don't follow tech news regularly might be wondering: Is the Galaxy S10 5G compatible? Allow us to break it down for you.
Yes, the Galaxy S10 is 5G compatible, but there's a catch. You have to buy a specific model of the new flagship if you want 5G support. Don't think you can get on a 5G network with the Galaxy S10e, amazing as that handset is.
Is the Galaxy S10 5G compatible?
Samsung normally released two models of a flagship Galaxy S device every year. It switched things up a little by launching three models this year – the Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+. If you bought any of those models and are now wondering if your phone can run on a 5G network, it can't.
There's actually a fourth model in this lineup called the Galaxy S10 5G. You won't see it being promoted alongside the main lineup because its availability will be fairly limited. Notice how it's not branded as an iteration of the Galaxy S10+. As we noted in our Galaxy S10 5G hands-on, it's a bigger and better version of Samsung's top-tier flagship.
It may look like the Galaxy S10+, but there are some major differences. The Galaxy S10 5G gets a bigger 6.7-inch display, a quad-camera system at the back and a larger 4,500mAh battery. The 5G modem is obviously its pièce de résistance. So unless you get this specific model (SM-G977x), don't expect to reap the benefits of 5G on any other Galaxy S10 variant.
When can I get one?
Availability of the Galaxy S10 5G will be very limited this year. It obviously makes no sense for Samsung to launch it in markets where carriers haven't got commercial mobile 5G networks up and running. South Korea and the United States will be the first markets that get this device. The pricing and availability information has not yet been confirmed but expect it to cost more than the $999 you'd pay for a base Galaxy S10+.
Samsung has already confirmed that the Galaxy S10 5G will be a Verizon exclusive in the United States initially. The country's largest carrier will be launching its mobile 5G network on April 11, 2019 in select cities. Expect the Galaxy S10 5G to become available soon after that. Samsung's carrier partners in South Korea are also gearing up to launch this variant amid tests to hit speeds of 2.7Gbps on the Galaxy S10 5G. They were expected to release it by the end of this month but ongoing consultations with the government on plan pricing could push back the launch.
The 5G-compatible Galaxy S10 will also be rolling out in additional countries over the summer. The markets that have been confirmed so far include Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Samsung is working with major carriers in all of these countries for this purpose.
