Galaxy Note 10: What We Know So Far About Samsung's Latest Flagship 5G Phone
Processor
Up until a few days ago, we were pretty certain about what would power the Galaxy Note 10; now we're not so sure. While we had originally expected that global versions of the smartphones would get the Samsung Exynos 9825 and U.S. phones would get some variant of the Snapdragon 855, Evan Blass threw a monkey wrench into the rumors late last week.
According to Blass, while the global versions of the Galaxy Note 10 are still expected to feature the Exynos 9825, it's reported that this SoC will also be used on most U.S. versions of the smartphones as well. That means that AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint versions of the Galaxy Note 10/Galaxy Note 10+ will all be rocking the Exynos 9825. Verizon will allegedly be the odd man out as the only U.S. carrier to fit the phone with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855.
Regardless of what SoC is included in the Galaxy Note 10 family, we should expect at least 8GB of RAM onboard and at least 256GB of internal storage. Additional storage options will include 512GB and 1TB SKUs. There are also rumors that a microSD slot will be included for additional storage -- at least on the Galaxy Note 10+ model.
Display
We've got more concrete details on the display front. The general consensus is that there will be a Galaxy Note 10 with a 6.3-inch display along with a Galaxy Note 10+ sporting an even larger 6.8-inch display. Both smartphones will include an Infinity-O display, which means that there is a punch hole cutout for the selfie camera up front. As with previous Galaxy Note models, the sides of the display subtly bend or curve into the chassis.
Battery
The current rumors suggest that the smaller Galaxy Note 10 will have a 3500 to 3600 mAh battery along with support for 12W wireless charging (along with the reverse wireless charging that we saw with the Galaxy S10 family). The Galaxy Note 10+, on the other hand, is expected to drop the hammer with a 4300 mAh battery and speedy 20W wireless charging. If the rumors are accurate, the Galaxy Note 10+ will also support 45W fast-charging through its USB-C port, which should make filling up the big 'ol battery a less time-intensive affair.
Cameras
Up front, a single 10MP camera is expected to reside in the punch hole cutout. Out back, however, the Galaxy Note 10/Galaxy Note 10+ will have a total of three cameras (up from two). We're expecting a 12MP main sensor with variable aperture (f/1.5 - f/2.4) and a 16MP ultra-wide lens (f/2.2). The third sensor is a 12MP telephoto (2x optical zoom, f/2.1). There are also reports that the Galaxy Note 10+ will add in a fourth sensor (Time of Flight).
Odds and Ends
Besides the requisite Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, there will be both 4G LTE and 5G versions of the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ -- that will make for four different base versions. We've even seen a leaked ad from Verizon that shows that if a customer buys a Galaxy Note 10+ 5G, they'll receive a free Galaxy Note 10. That sounds like a pretty good deal in our book if you'll be able to absorb the likely astronomical price of the Galaxy Note 10+.
We know that the S Pen is getting a makeover this year, with reports saying that it will be able to support wireless gesture controls. Otherwise, expect previous functionality from older S Pens to carryover with the Galaxy Note 10.
One thing that the Galaxy Note 10/Galaxy Note 10+ will be giving up, however, is its long-serving 3.5mm headphone jack. Samsung has finally succumbed to peer pressure and will instead only feature a USB-C port for physically hooking up headphones. However, a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter will reportedly be included in the box.
At this point, we don't have any idea on pricing or what other promotions that Samsung will have at launch. Perhaps a limited-time free Galaxy Watch Active 2 with pre-orders, or at least some free wireless Galaxy Buds earbuds. We guess we'll all just have to wait until Wednesday to see if all of the speculation was accurate and how high Samsung will be pricing the Galaxy Note 10 family. The event kicks at 4PM EST and will be live-streamed. We'll be reporting live from the event, so stay tuned!
