Samsung has launched its new flagship smartphone series, the Galaxy S10, which will go on sale 08 March. The three new models include the S10e for EUR 749, the S10 from EUR 899 and the S10+ from EUR 999, and a fourth, 5G version of the S10 will launch later in the first half of 2019. In addition, the company presented new wearable devices, including the Galaxy Active smartwatch, the Galaxy Fit and Fit E fitness trackers and the Galaxy Buds wireless earbuds.
Marking the tenth anniversary of the Galaxy S series, the Android 9 phones come with an even bigger screen-to-body ratio than the previous generation, at up to 93 percent, and a new punch-hole design on the front display for the camera, giving the screen the name 'Infinity O'. They also come with the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard and support for LTE at up to 2 Gbps.
The phones range from a 5.8-inch display on the S10e to 6.1 inches for the S10 and 6.4 inches on the S10+. The S10 and S10+ come with the best screen, a Super Amoled display with QHD+ resolution, and all three support HDR10+ and Samsung's 'Dynamic Amoled', for enhanced colours and reduced blue light. Also new on the screen is Samsung's first in-display fingerprint sensor, which uses 3D scanning.
The new series runs Samsung's latest Exynos octa-core processor or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, depending on the country. The S10e comes with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage, while the S10 and S10+ offer from 8-12 GB of RAM and a choice of 128 or 512 GB or even 1 TB of storage on the top device.
The S10 and S10+ also feature triple back cameras, with a 12-megapixel telephoto, 12-megapixel wide angle (77 degrees) and 16-megapixel super wide angle (123 degrees). This supports 2x optical zoom and up to 10x digital zoom. On the S10e, there is no telephoto lens or optical zoom.
On the front, all three come with a 10-megapixel UHD camera with 80-degree wide angle. The Galaxy S10+ also has a second RGB depth camera of 8 megapixels on the front for advanced effects.
The battery capacity ranges from 3,100 mAh for the S10e to 3,400 mAh for the standard S10 and 4,100 mAh for the S10+, providing a boost compared to the S9 series. They also support wireless charging and Wireless PowerShare, so other devices can be charged just by holding them to the back side of the smartphones.
The new phones are available in the colours Prism White, Prism Black, Prism Green and Flamingo Pink, as well as Canary Yellow for the S10e. The S10+ will also be sold in Cermaic White and Cermaic Black. In addition, Samsung has expanded language support for its Bixby virtual assistant on the new phones, adding British English, German, Italian and Spanish.
5G model coming this summer
Samsung confirmed that a 5G edition of the S10 will be available later this summer. Verizon said it will be the first US provider to offer the 5G phone, in the first half of 2019, and AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile US also plan to carry the device. Verizon said the 5G edition will feature the largest-ever S-series display (6.7-inch curved Cinematic Infinity Display), the biggest Galaxy battery (4,500 mAh), a new Samsung camera with infrared technology for advanced augmented reality apps and fast charging speeds (25W).
Samsung also announced partnerships with European operators TIM, Vodafone, Telefonica, Swisscom, Sunrise, Orange, EE and Deutsche Telekom to offer the 5G device. It's expected to be available this summer in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the UK.
New wearables
In addition, Samsung presented the new Galaxy Active smartwatch. Featuring a round Amoled screen of 40mm, the device weighs just 25g and can help track 90 different sporting activities. In addition, it comes with a heart rate monitor and 'Heart Rate Alert', which can warns users of unusual heart rates. Priced at EUR 249, the Galaxy Active can go for several days on a single charge, Samsung said.
Samsung also upgraded its fitness bands, with the Galaxy Fit and Fit E as the successors to the Gear Fit range. The difference in the two models is the display, which is a colour Amoled on the Fit and black and white on the Fit E. The Fit is slightly heavier and can track more activities; it carries a price of EUR 99 compared to EUR 39 for the Fit E.
Finally, Samsung released the Galaxy Buds, a set of wireless earbuds similar to Apple's AirPods. The Galaxy Buds are 30 percent lighter and smaller than Samsung's previous Ixon X set and offer up to six hours playback on a full charge. They come with a carrying case containing a battery pack to recharge the earbuds. Customers who order the Galaxy S10 or S10+ early will receive a free pair of the Buds, worth EUR 149.
Samsung is also offering a '10 Year Galaxy edition' package in selected markets, including a S10+ with 1 TB storage and a 46-mm Galaxy Watch for EUR 1,499. Ten buyers of the 10-year pack will also receive the new Galaxy Fold free, in a drawing of IMEI numbers.
