“Wait, what? The Galaxy S10 will not have a foldable display? Impossible!” That's probably the thought that's crossed your mind after reading the title, and reportedly, the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ are going to feature an Infinity display just like the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S8. That's right: Samsung's tenth anniversary Galaxy S flagship won't come with a major redesign, according to a report by Korean publication The Bell. It should, however, have a fingerprint sensor under the display and “3D sensing camera modules.”
Galaxy S10 won't be a foldable device
Now, if the report is correct, it's not hard to believe Samsung will be keeping its first foldable phone separate from its primary flagship lineup, as it will make for a drastically different user experience for consumers. The Korean giant has taken upon itself to not innovate for the sake of innovation, and Samsung mobile division CEO DJ Koh has made it clear that its first foldable device won't be a gimmick and will only be launched once the company is confident of “delivering the best user experience.”
Samsung has reportedly finalized the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ display specifications and shared them with Samsung Display. The screen sizes are said to be 5.8 inches and 6.3 inches for the S10 and S10+ respectively, although it's unclear if this is based on factual information or just an assumption from the publication's sources. The same goes for the mention of the Galaxy S10 moving the fingerprint sensor under the display, which also sounds like an educated guess considering how in-display fingerprint technology is bound to be ready for prime time by the time the Galaxy S9 successor comes to market.
As for a 3D sensing camera, The Bell is reiterating a previous report that said Samsung is working on a 3D camera with Israeli startup Mantis Vision, although the camera module supplier is now mentioned as Woodgate and not Namuga (it's possible the company will be using both suppliers, just as it turns to Sony for the camera modules on its flagship smartphones). A 3D camera would certainly be an interesting addition, if only because it will make facial recognition — both for security and emoji purposes – much better than it is right now. Samsung might also add more advanced features, such as shooting 360-degree pictures and video, made possible by Mantis Vision's technology, but the report doesn't mention anything of the sort.
And that's the problem with this particular report: Most of it seems to be based on assumptions and, in the case of the 3D camera, based on previous information with a few changes thrown in. The Bell has a pretty good track record with information on Samsung's upcoming devices, but with many months to go before the Galaxy S10 is unveiled, more rumors and leaks will be required for us to get a better idea of Samsung's grand plan for the tenth anniversary Galaxy S flagship.
