This Hallmark Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Feature Could Be Stifling Design Innovation

But we're learning from new reporting that one of the Galaxy Note family's hallmark features could be the primary reason why there hasn't been much design innovation in recent years. This comes from reliable leaker Ice Universe, who explained on Twitter that the existence of the S-Pen, and the space taken up by its silo, means that Samsung is unable to deliver even bigger gains with respect to battery life.

In fact, if the Galaxy Note 10 didn't have to deal with the S Pen, Ice Universe says that his sources claim that Samsung could have added in another 800 mAh of battery capacity. It's been rumored that the 6.75-inch version would be equipped with a still potent 4,500 mAh battery, but an extra 800 mAh would have put it into epic runtime territory with 5,300 mAh of capacity.

With other smartphone OEMs ditching components like the 3.5mm headphone jack to make room for larger batteries and 5G components, Samsung is stuck between a rock and a hard place with its Galaxy Note family. Additionally, it's said that the existence of the S-Pen also means that Samsung isn't able to use more advanced cameras or shrink the display bezels any further. This puts the smartphone increasingly at odds with the expanding Galaxy S family.

With that being said, the Galaxy Note 10 will reputedly be available in 4G LTE and 5G versions for both screen sizes. As we reported in our last piece on the Galaxy Note 10, the smartphone is ditching the 3.5mm headphone jack for the first time which means that you will have to rely on USB-C (or a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter) and Bluetooth for your headphone needs. We're also expecting carryovers from the Galaxy S10 series including the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC (for the U.S. market) and an in-display fingerprint reader.

We'll be on hand for the Samsung Unpacked event in New York City when the Galaxy Note 10 is unveiled next month, so stay tuned for more updates.