Samsung Galaxy Note 10: All the rumors in one place (Updated July 5)
Update, July 5, 2019 (01:30 PM ET): We now have a firm release date on the Note 10 as well as some pics of what looks to be a real-life device caught in the wild. Read on for more!
Original article, April 3, 2019 (01:09 PM ET): Now that the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S10 is done, it’s time to look forward to the next flagship smartphone from the world’s largest mobile OEM: the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.
Usually, Samsung launches the latest entry in the S line earlier in the year and then launches the newest entry in the Note line towards the end. While the S line usually has the latest processor and tons of premium features, the Note line is usually just as powerful but with even more features thrown in. This makes the Note line the most expensive on Samsung’s roster (aside from the Samsung Galaxy Fold, which still doesn’t have a release date).
We’re still a little over a month away from the reveal of the follow-up to last year’s Samsung Galaxy Note 9, but that doesn’t mean rumors haven’t already started popping up. In this rumor hub, we’ll compile all the credible bits of information we find related to the Note 10.
Be sure to bookmark this page and come back often for updates!
Samsung Galaxy Note 10: Name and release date
According to Korean newspaper The Bell, Samsung has internally codenamed the Galaxy Note 10 “Da Vinci” and given it the model number SM-N975F.
Although Samsung kept its numbering scheme alive for the Samsung Galaxy S10 series, there is a possibility that it will abandon the idea of naming the next Note the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.
There are a few reasons for the possibility of a different name. The first and most obvious is the fact that there has already been a Note device with a “10” in its name: the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet, which launched with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in 2012. Although it’s been over seven years since the launch of that device, Samsung might want to avoid any marketing confusion that could occur with two devices having such similar names.
The second reason there might be a name change is that Samsung may launch multiple variants of the Note 10 (we’ll talk more about this in the next section). Since the Note line has always been one device with each release, Samsung might think it appropriate to launch a new line this time around.
Whatever the device ends up being named, we know for certain it will launch on August 7, 2019, at the Barclays Center in New York. We know this because Samsung has already sent out invites for the event. Curiously, the event invite does not confirm (or deny) that the device will be called the Note 10.
Samsung announced the Galaxy Note 9 on August 9, 2018, with the phone hitting store shelves on August 24. It’s likely we’ll see a similar reveal-to-availability timeline with the Note 10.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10: Design
The biggest criticism of both the Samsung Galaxy S9 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is the fact that both devices looked very similar to their predecessors. In light of this, Samsung drastically redesigned the Samsung Galaxy S10, adding punch-hole cameras on the front, in-display fingerprint sensors, triple-lens cameras, and more innovative features.
With that in mind, it’s a pretty good bet that the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 will also see some dramatic design changes. Some of those changes could be lifted from the Galaxy S10, while others could be brand new.
It's relatively certain that the Galaxy Note 10 will be very different from the Note 9, just like the S10 is very different from the S9.
With the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus, Samsung opted for in-display fingerprint sensors. Therefore, it’s highly likely the Galaxy Note 10 will also feature an in-display sensor as no other biometric security system will have surpassed that by the time the Note 10 lands.
It’s also likely that the Note 10 will feature either an Infinity-O display — the punch-hole camera design of the Galaxy S10 — or possibly even the New Infinity display, which has no notch, no bezels, and no cutout. Samsung revealed this display design towards the end of 2018 but has yet to launch a phone with it. It’s far more likely we’ll see Infinity-O, though.
Sure enough, renders of both the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and the supposed Galaxy Note 10 Plus recently emerged and backup the display rumors (albeit with center-mounted punch holes). Let’s start with the vanilla variant:
The renders show that a lot of the rumors we’ve been hearing regarding the design of the Galaxy Note 10 could be true.
As for the Note 10 Plus, we have leaked renders for that version as well:
Unfortunately, it seems both variants of the Galaxy Note 10 could ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack, per these renders and an anonymous source speaking with Android Police. If true, this would be the first device in the Note line without the popular audio port. Unless the Galaxy Fold launches before the Note 10, it will also be the first bonafide flagship from Samsung to drop the headphone jack.
It looks like there could be two variants of the Note 10, and both of which might not have headphone jacks.
The source of the headphone jack rumor also said that the Galaxy Note 10 could ditch physical buttons. This is backed up by ETNews, which said Samsung could opt instead for capacitive buttons, like the ones on the HTC U12 Plus. However, noted leaker @UniverseIce says otherwise, and the renders above look normal enough (aside from the missing Bixby button), so it’s a tough call if this rumor is true or not.
As it turns out, it seems Samsung planned on releasing the Note 10 without physical buttons but backpedaled at the last minute. This is per an anonymous source speaking with Android Police. Here’s hoping it also backpedals on the removal of the headphone jack!
The biggest change to the Note line, however, could be the introduction of different sizes, according to SamMobile. Current rumors point to the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus coming with a huge 6.7-inch display, which is the same size as the display on the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G. To not scare away consumers who just don’t want a phone that big, Samsung could also offer a smaller version of the Note 10, possibly with a 6.4-inch display, like what appears on the Note 9.
RELATED: Samsung Galaxy S10 5G — It’s more than just 5G
We also have very credible evidence that Samsung will launch a 5G model of the Note 10, too. According to a Verizon exec, the nation’s largest wireless carrier expects to carry a 5G Note device this year. In fact, a rumor from ET News suggests there could be four variants of the Note 10: two LTE models in two different sizes, and those same sized models but each with 5G support. To be clear, it’s totally possible that the 6.7-inch Note 10 will be the 5G version while the 6.4-inch model will be the 4G LTE version. However, there could also be three versions: a big 4G LTE model, a smaller 4G LTE model, and then an additional 5G model. This would line up with what Samsung did with the S10 line.
Adding credence to the idea of four models, SamMobile found four model numbers that point to different Galaxy Note 10 models. SM-N970 and SM-N975 are reportedly the two main Galaxy Note 10 models, while SM-N971 and SM-N976 are reportedly their 5G equivalents. That means we would get two models and four variants of the Galaxy Note 10.
Lending even more credence was Mobile Fun, which reported a 5G variant of the Galaxy Note 10 Plus is in the works. Interestingly, Mobile Fun also said cases for the regular Note 10 Plus will fit the 5G variant. As it relates to cases, Mobile Fun also reported there won’t be any new accessories for the Note 10 phones. Instead, expect compatible LED and clear cover cases, among others, for the Note 10 series.
Towards the end of June, we saw some pics of what could be a real-life Galaxy Note 10 Plus in the wild. Check out the pics below:
The device does seem to confirm that the larger variant will be called the Galaxy Note 10 Plus. It also appears to confirm various design elements, including the single-camera punch-hole on the display.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10: Specs and features
Although there are precious few rumors about the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 as of now, there are a few things of which we can be nearly assured when it comes to the device’s specs and features.
The first is that the Galaxy Note 10 will almost certainly come with Samsung’s stylus the S Pen. With the Galaxy Note 9, Samsung upgraded the S Pen to have Bluetooth functionality, which made an already useful tool even more powerful.
Since the S Pen is pretty much synonymous with the Note line, we can’t see any reason why a Bluetooth-powered S Pen wouldn’t be included with the upcoming Note. However, the S Pen could certainly see some new features, although we don’t yet have any credible rumors for what those might be.
RELATED: Samsung Galaxy Note 10: What we expect
We also can be nearly assured that the Galaxy Note 10 will come with the latest-and-greatest Qualcomm processor, the Snapdragon 855. This chipset is in every iteration of the Galaxy S10 series, so it would be quite surprising if Samsung went with something else for the Note 10.
It's very likely that the Galaxy Note 10 will have an S Pen, the Snapdragon 855, 8GB of RAM or more, and 128GB of storage or more.
It’s also a pretty good bet that the Note 10 will come with at least 8GB of RAM and at least 128GB of internal storage. In the S10 family, every device has at least 128GB of storage, and only the Samsung Galaxy S10e has an option of 6GB of RAM, while every other iteration has 8GB or more. It’s highly unlikely Samsung would push a Note device with less RAM and internal storage than the basic S10 device.
It would be very surprising if the Note 10 didn’t feature wireless charging, as every Samsung flagship has had this feature for a few years now. The Note 10 will likely also feature reverse wireless charging, as on the Galaxy S10. We also heard a rumor (via SamMobile) that at least one variant of the Note 10 will feature a huge 4,500mAh battery. This would be 500mAh bigger than the Note 9 battery and on par with the battery in the Galaxy S10 5G.
However, we have another rumor from 91Mobiles which suggests both Note 10 models will have 4,170mAh batteries, a far cry from 4,500mAh.
RELATED: Samsung vs Huawei reverse wireless charging test
As far as the rear camera system of the Note 10 goes, we’ve got a little bit of info here. According to SamMobile, the Note 10 will one-up the Galaxy S10 Plus and have four rear cameras. This would put the Note 10 on par with the Galaxy S10 5G, which also has four rear cameras and also give it twice as many cameras as the Note 9. However, the renders above suggest the phone will only have one front-facing sensor, while the Galaxy S10 Plus and the S10 5G each have two.
We also have information to suggest that the Galaxy Note 10 will come with a 5x optical zoom lens on the rear. This would use a periscope method, similar to what we saw on the Huawei P30 Pro.
Finally, we’ve heard rumors that the rear camera could offer three variable aperture options. Those three aperture sizes could be f/1.5, f/1.8, and f/2.4, according to the rumors.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10: Price
The Samsung Galaxy Note line of smartphones is the most expensive of the company’s flagships (aside from the Fold). While the rumor that there could be different variants of the Note 10 might mean that pricing could cast a bit wider of a net than usual, one thing is relatively certain: the Galaxy Note 10 won’t be cheap.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 started out with a baseline price of $1,000 for the model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The model with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage cost a whopping $1,250.
Additionally, here is the pricing for the more recent Samsung Galaxy S10 series:
- Samsung Galaxy S10e – $749.99 (128GB), $849.99 (256GB)
- Samsung Galaxy S10 – $899.99 (128GB), $1149.99 (512GB)
- Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus – $999.99 (128GB), $1249.99 (512GB), $1599.99 (1TB)
- Samsung Galaxy S10 5G — $1,299 (256GB), $1,399 (512GB)
Judging from these prices, you shouldn’t expect the base model of the Note 10 to be any cheaper than $1,000. If Samsung does release two different models of the Note 10, it could be that the smaller model will start at $1,000 but with more RAM and internal storage than the Note 9.
If that’s the case, then the larger Note 9 will easily break the $1,200 mark, and the 5G model could go even higher than that.
That’s all we’ve got for Samsung Galaxy Note 10 rumors for now. Let us know in the comments whether or not you’re excited about this phone!
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