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Samsung and Verizon essentially confirm 5G Galaxy S10 release for the first half of 2019

By Adrian Diaconescu

Published: Dec 03, 2018, 8:06 AM

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Samsung and Verizon essentially confirm 5G Galaxy S10 release for the first half of 2019

Dreamy Galaxy S10 concept render

The sluggish rollout of 5G service around the world is making life unusually difficult for Samsung and Apple, which may need to reconsider their traditional flagship smartphone release models.

But while the first 5G-enabled iPhone generation is now widely expected to only see daylight in 2020, its Galaxy counterpart has already been unveiled... in a way. Samsung and Verizon are prepared to confirm their collaboration on “one of the first commercial 5G smartphones.”

This unnamed device (cough, Galaxy S10, cough) will be brought to market “in the first half of 2019”, most likely after that special 5G Moto Mod allowing owners of the Verizon-exclusive Moto Z3 to upgrade to the new cellular standard.

Unfortunately, it remains unclear if this top-shelf Samsung Galaxy S10 variant with 5G speeds and, reportedly, six cameras in total will be released exclusively on Verizon as well.

Big Red has claimed a lot of firsts this year in its race to 5G mobile deployment, scheduled for “early 2019” and a “rapid” expansion after that. But Sprint also aims to “deliver the first mobile 5G smartphone in the US” in partnership with LG.

T-Mobile and AT&T have made their own strides towards (eventually) leaving 4G LTE behind, so at least theoretically, a 5G-capable Galaxy S10 could be released on all the big four US networks during the first half of next year.

In the meantime, Verizon and Samsung are preparing a proof of concept showcase for the Qualcomm Snapdragon Technology Summit in Maui this week, where the Snapdragon 855 processor will finally be detailed.

That obviously means the 5G Samsung phone slated for a Verizon debut in early 2019 will be powered by this “upcoming flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon Mobile Platform” and a Snapdragon X50 modem.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.

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