Samsung outlined a trio of Galaxy S10 devices -- Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, and Galaxy S10 Plus[1] -- that appeal to tech buyers who want all flavors of screen sizes and slim bezels with good price points -- plus a Galaxy S10 5G that gives you pause. Meanwhile, Samsung outlined the Galaxy Fold available in April for $1,980[2] to start just to complicate matters.
The buying decision for the Samsung Galaxy S10 is more complicated because of two words: Next year. Yes, this upgrade can get you a better selfie camera without the camera cutout, but most of the lineup isn't 5G. Super wide-angle camera and AMOLED display improvements only go so far. Buying the Galaxy Fold would be cost prohibitive if you didn't get the 5G version. Why buy a luxury device that'll be on a slower network[3]?
At its Unpacked powwow in San Francisco, Samsung debuted a solid line up of Galaxy devices for its 10th anniversary, but went with its typical kitchen sink approach to innovation, products and pricing. What's unclear is whether Samsung's approach covers all the bases for consumers and businesses or makes them stretch out their current devices a bit longer.
We break down the buying decision tree for the Galaxy S10 lineup later, but first let's run down the lineup and specs as well as key selling points from the South Korean consumer electronics giant. Many of[4] the leaks in advance of Unpacked were on target[5] and it was clear early on that the stakes[6] for the struggling smartphone industry[7] were high. All of the Galaxy S10 devices run Android 9.0 (Pie).