The Galaxy S10 5G is an even bigger, more beefed-up version of Samsung's new Galaxy S10+—fitting for what will probably be the nation's first 5G phone when it comes out on Verizon this spring, and then on other carriers later this year.
But it's definitely an extreme early adopter device. The 5G modem used in the S10 5G doesn't support all the frequencies US carriers intend to use for 5G, and as a result it will get more limited 5G coverage than phones coming out only six months later.
The question then becomes, how badly do you want to be first?
The S10 5G is bigger than the huge Galaxy S10+. The 5G phone has a 6.7-inch display, four rear cameras, and two front cameras. (There are depth-sensing/IR cameras on both the front and rear.) It has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, with no MicroSD card slot, and a big 4,500mAh battery. It will weigh 6.9 ounces, which is heavy for a smartphone, but only as heavy as the top-of-the-line ceramic S10+ model.
We don't know how expensive the S10 5G will be, but it will be costly. The 512GB version of the S10+ costs $1,250, and the 5G device will certainly cost more. Back in December, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau estimated a $200-$300 premium for adding 5G to first-gen devices.
It Has That 1.0 Problem
To be first, the S10 5G had to use Qualcomm's X50 modem, which doesn't support FDD 5G networks at frequencies below 6GHz. That's a technology AT&T and T-Mobile will be using in the short term, and that Verizon and then Sprint will be using further down the road.
The X50 is about to be replaced by the X55, which supports all the technologies the US carriers are using and will appear in phones by the end of the year.
The S10 5G will be coming out on all four carriers, but it'll have a very different lifespan and different coverage on each of them. Here's the breakdown:
- AT&T's high-speed, center-city network, currently in 12 cities, will work with the S10 5G. But later this year, AT&T will start reusing 4G airwaves to give much broader 5G coverage. The S10 5G won't be able to see any of that coverage. AT&T has said it will have another Samsung phone that can handle all its coverage later this year.
- Sprint and the S10 5G will get along just fine. Sprint intends to use a TDD network for its 5G, and the X50 can handle that.
- T-Mobile is focused primarily on long-distance, 600MHz 5G, which the S10 5G will not be able to access. The carrier has some millimeter-wave 5G in a few major cities that the phone will be able to see.
- Verizon is focusing on high-speed, center-city millimeter-wave coverage right now, and that's what the S10 can handle. But in 2020 or 2021, Verizon will start reusing 4G airwaves for 5G, and the S10 5G won't be able to hit that network.
We'd consider this phone to be a don't-buy on AT&T and T-Mobile, because of the network issues. On Sprint and Verizon,we'll have to get our hands on it to see if the 5G really makes a difference, later this spring.