Samsung will finally take the wraps off the Galaxy Note 10 tomorrow. Based on numerous leaks and rumours surrounding the upcoming device, it’s shaping up to be quite the flagship smartphone; it may just be Samsung’s most exciting product yet.
Given that the Note 10 series will be announced soon – at 4AM tomorrow morning, in fact – here’s what you can expect from Samsung’s latest premium smartphones.
Two Different Variants
That’s right, there will be two Galaxy Note devices this year. There’s the standard Galaxy Note 10, and the even bigger Galaxy Note 10+. Based on leaks from WinFuture, these two devices are separated by a number of key hardware.
Image credit: Droid Life
Let’s start with the smaller Galaxy Note 10. It will supposedly come with a 6.3-inch 1080p display, a Samsung Exynos 9825 chipset paired with 8GB of RAM, at least 256GB of UFS 3.0 storage, and a 3,500mAh battery. The Exynos 9825 is particularly interesting: while it’s similar to the Exynos 9820 found inside the Galaxy S10 phones, it’s built on a more power-efficient 7nm process.
As for the bigger Galaxy Note 10+, it’s said to feature a much bigger 6.8-inch 1440p display, the same Exynos 9825 SoC paired with 12GB of RAM, 256GB or 512GB of UFS 3.0 storage, and a very generous 4,300mAh battery.
New Infinity-O Display
Even though the Galaxy Note 10 series will continue using the Infinity-O moniker, the design is a lot more refined than the hole-punch cutout of the Galaxy S10. If leaked images and renders of the Note 10 are accurate, the Infinity-O cutout will be at the top of the display right in the centre. The camera cutout seems to be a lot smaller too, giving it an even sleeker appearance.
Image credit: Droid Life
Beyond this new screen design, the Note 10 should retain the Dynamic AMOLED display found on the Galaxy S10 smartphones. It should come with HDR10 support as well, along with an ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint sensor.
S Pen with Gesture Support
Naturally, the S Pen is getting an upgrade too. If last year’s S Pen gets Bluetooth support, the new Note 10 will feature an S Pen…with gesture support. This feature is revealed in leaked marketing materials of the phone, which should further enhance the S Pen’s functionality as a remote control.
Image credit: Droid Life
At a glance, the new “air gesture” feature on the S Pen may seem gimmicky, but it’ll be interesting to see what it can really do. There could be useful applications of the feature.
Improved Camera System with ToF
Of course, as with any new Samsung flagship, the Galaxy Note 10 series will feature a more sophisticated camera system. Both the Note 10 and Note 10+ are rumoured to come with a triple camera system made up of a 12MP f/1.5 – f/2.4 primary sensor, a 16MP f/2.2 wide angle shooter, and a 12MP f/2.1 telephoto lens. Compared to the Note 9, the Note 10 adds a wide angle sensor.
Not surprisingly, the Note 10+ is expected to feature a slightly more comprehensive camera system. Further complementing the triple camera system is a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor that will improve the camera’s depth perception. This will make Portrait shots look more impressive, though we’ll have to wait and see exactly how Samsung will take advantage of the sensor.
No 3.5mm Headphone Jack & MicroSD Card Support
Okay, the microSD card support isn’t totally gone from the Galaxy Note 10 series. Rumours are speculating that only the smaller, standard Note 10 will lose support for microSD cards. The bigger Note 10+, on the other hand, will retain the feature.
Unfortunately, it is believed that the 3.5mm headphone jack would be completely absent from the Galaxy Note 10 series. This would make it the first mainstream Samsung phone to get rid of the headphone jack. If this turns out to be legitimate, it’s highly likely future flagship devices from Samsung – such as the Galaxy S11 series – will eliminate the port too.
5G Model(s) Expected
Now, this shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering the fact that there’s a 5G version of the Galaxy S10. Rumours are suggesting that Samsung will be releasing not one, but two 5G variants of the Note 10; one for each screen size.
If this rumour pans out, there would be four devices in the Galaxy Note 10 series. Regardless, whether or not the 5G models are happening, we probably won’t see them made available here anyway.
Most Expensive Note Device Yet
Considering the hardware upgrades the Galaxy Note 10 series are expected to come with, the prices will increase as well. For the Malaysian market, the standard Note 10 (256GB) retails at RM3,699, while the Note 10+ (256GB) goes for RM4,199. There’s also a 512GB model of the Note 10+, which costs a whopping RM4,799.
As a point of reference, the 512GB variant of the Galaxy Note 9 went for RM4,599 at launch, so you’re looking at a RM200 price difference.
Nonetheless, these are still unconfirmed leaks and rumours – except for the Malaysian pricing – surrounding the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 series, so not every single information here will be accurate. That being said, we’re pretty confident most are right on the money, especially the design of the upcoming smartphone.
Either way, we will know for sure once Samsung officially unveils the Galaxy Note 10 tomorrow morning at 4AM Malaysian time. If you’d like, you can register your interest for the Note 10 right here to get the latest updates.