Samsung's Galaxy Note 10 5G will reportedly be a Verizon exclusive

Verizon exclusive with an improved 5G modem

According to tipster Max Weinbach, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 5G will launch later this year as another Verizon exclusive. The exact release date of the flagship is yet to be revealed but, as part of the agreement between the two companies, it’s reported that the smartphone will include an “enhanced 5G modem” that’ll presumably enhance connectivity.

Per the information provided, the special modem will be used inside Verizon’s offering only. This means that if Samsung chooses to ever launch the Galaxy Note 10 5G on rival carriers, it won’t be able to offer the same connectivity benefits as Verizon’s offering.

On a related note, Weinbach says Verizon might lock its exclusive Galaxy Note 10 5G model to its network domestically. The move should promote long-term use of its own 5G network but essentially means users could be locked to the carrier for as long as they choose to use the device.

It should be based on the larger Galaxy Note 10+

Although initial rumors pointed towards the existence of both a Galaxy Note 10 5G and Galaxy Note 10+ 5G, the latest information suggests Samsung is instead preparing just one model that’ll be based on its largest flagship. This means it will include a huge 6.75-inch curved Super AMOLED display that’ll arrive paired with extremely thin bezels and feature a small punch hole in the center which will house the front-facing 10-megapixel camera.

Speaking of cameras, the rear sensors are set to be borrowed from the Galaxy S10 5G Samsung launched earlier this year. Reports suggest the dedicated Time-of-Flight sensor will be retained alongside the 12-megapixel telephoto camera with support for 2x optical zoom and the 16-megapixel super-wide-angle alternative. The primary 12-megapixel camera is expected to make an appearance too, although one fundamental change has apparently been made to the lens that’ll allow for three-stage variable aperture rather than Samsung’s tradition two-stage setup.

On a related note, it’s worth pointing out that the Galaxy Note 10+ and its 5G sibling will introduce a pretty dramatic change to the way cameras are positioned. After years of opting for horizontal camera layouts, the upcoming iteration of the Galaxy Note series is expected to adopt a two-column vertical setup that’ll be positioned in the top-left corner. Samsung hasn’t yet confirmed the change but it should free up space for other components such as a larger battery.

According to previous reports, both the 4G LTE and 5G versions of the Galaxy Note 10+ will feature large 4,170mAh batteries. The capacity is a far cry from the 4,500mAh cell included inside the similarly sized Galaxy S10 5G but it’s understandable considering the presence of Samsung’s S Pen, something that supposedly reduced battery capacity on the Galaxy Note 9 by around 800mAh. 

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 specs and announcement date

Like Samsung’s other 2019 flagships, the Galaxy Note 10 series will most likely arrive powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855. In the case of the 5G model, leaks suggest there will be a minimum of 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage on board. However, variants with up to 12GB of RAM and 1TB of expandable internal storage are to be expected.

Unsurprisingly, all Galaxy Note 10 devices should ship with Android 9 Pie pre-installed paired with Samsung’s custom One UI overlay. Nevertheless, an update to Android 10 Q and a future version of One UI will probably arrive in early 2020.

The Galaxy Note 10 5G and its 4G LTE siblings are set to be announced on August 7th at Samsung’s next Unpacked event. It’s unclear when sales will start but consumers shouldn’t have to wait too long to get their hands on the devices.