The Samsung Galaxy S10 will be revealed next month. Samsung's Galaxy S series has been a mainstay in the Android scene and for the most, it is the phone to look out for and the phone that is typically used to compare all other Android phones against. However with the series being nearly a decade old, can the Galaxy S10 maintain Samsung's momentum or is it already a bit too long in the tooth? Let's find out.
Design
The design of the Samsung Galaxy S10, based on the leaks we've seen, isn't particularly exciting. The designs we've seen aren't terrible, don't get us wrong, but they just feel like more of the same, with some slight changes made here and there. With more Chinese OEMs willing to push the boundaries in terms of design, like phones with slide-out cameras, playing it too safe could actually turn some customers away.
Price
Samsung's prices have yet to reach iPhone levels, but they are inching closer and it does not appear that Samsung plans on backing down. It's understandable since the company is aiming for higher profit margins per handset.
At the same time this was one of the main criticisms of Apple's newer iPhones, which based on the various reports, have resulted in customers turning to older and more affordable iPhones, or even cheaper Android alternatives. With there being so many alternatives from the likes of Xiaomi, Oppo, OnePlus, Huawei, and so on, the same could end up happening to Samsung.
Innovative features
To say that Samsung isn't innovative would be wrong, but Samsung is one of the old guards when it comes to smartphones and as such has opted to play it safe these past few years. For example, companies like Vivo were quick to hop onto the in-display fingerprint sensor bandwagon, while Samsung might finally introduce it on its flagship device this year.
Google was also pretty quick at integrating AI with their smartphone cameras, resulting in the very impressive Night Sight mode found on their Pixel smartphones. Huawei has also been impressing us with similar camera capabilities of the Huawei P20 Pro and Mate 20 Pro. Samsung smartphones used to be known for their cameras, but it seems that they have somehow allowed the competition to sneak past them.
It also doesn't help that the launch of the Galaxy S10 will be overshadowed by Samsung's first smartphone to feature a foldable display. While that device will cost upwards of $1,500, quite a few die-hard Samsung fanboys will likely be spending their hard earner cash on that phone rather than buying yet another Galaxy S device.
Too many variations
If the rumors are true, there could be at least 3, but possibly 4 to 5 variations of the Samsung Galaxy S10 launched. We appreciate that the company is trying to appeal to more users who want a smaller model, a larger model, or a more affordable model, but having too many variations also runs the risk of spreading themselves too thin.
Pricing also plays a role in this where the models and features will be compared against each other to see whether or not the difference in price is worth it, and if an alternative could be found at an even better price or with better features.
Samsung has been losing market share to its Android competitors, but we don't think that flooding the market with Galaxy S10 variants will help in the long run. The company has just now begun the latest Android Pie update to its 2018 flagship models, so we can't imagine how much long S10 owners will have to wait for the rollout of Android Q.
Lack of 5G
Some rumors claim that there won't be a 5G Galaxy S10 smartphone and that a 5G Samsung smartphone could be launched as a separate model. If this is true, then it runs the risk of customers holding out on not buying the Galaxy S10 in favor of the 5G model. Other rumors claim that there will be a 5G Galaxy S10 known as the Galaxy S10 X.
The rumors are also saying that the phone might not come cheap with a price tag sitting at the $1,500 mark. With OnePlus' 5G smartphone expected to cost around $800-$900, customers might opt out on Samsung's own offering in favor of the competition. It's true that 5G networks really aren't ready yet for most consumers, but there are those who will be looking for 5G smartphones in 2019 regardless of weather or not they'll be able to use it.
It is possible that just like the iPhone, there will always be loyal Samsung fans who will gladly purchase a Galaxy S smartphone ever year. It is a very solid choice where it does everything you want from a flagship. However will this be enough to allow Samsung to maintain their lead, or will their decision to play it safe allow competitors like Huawei to steal the crown? We suppose we'll just have to wait and see.
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