Off to the next Galaxy

As we wait for Samsung’s next flagship phone come 2019, several reports and rumors have surfaced. Said to be the biggest family of Galaxy S phones with four models, here’s what we know about it:

It will be powered by an Exynos 9820 processor (for global units)

It is no secret that the Galaxy S10 will be powered by the latest Exynos processor (or Snapdragon 8150 for US models). Based on what was revealed on the Exynos 9820, the 8nm-based chip will utilize a 2+2+4 cluster arrangement and will come with a better Mali-G76 MP12 GPU.

What’s interesting with the Exynos 9820 is its encoding and decoding capabilities: the upcoming flagship chip can decode 8K videos at 30FPS and record 4K videos at 150FPS. This fuels speculation that the Galaxy S10 can shoot 4K at up to 120FPS.

There will be a Galaxy S10 with a flat screen

For the first time since the Galaxy S7, Samsung is rumored to be releasing a Galaxy flagship phone with a flat display. Reported to be the Galaxy S10 Lite, the flat-screened Galaxy S10 is compact at 5.8-inches and will use an AMOLED panel like its more expensive siblings

The 5G Galaxy S10 will have a bigger screen than the Galaxy Note 9

The top tier of all Galaxy S10 phones might be the one that will replace the Galaxy Note series: aside from 5G connectivity, the “Beyond X” Galaxy S10 is rumored to have a huge 6.7-inch display and a total of six cameras: four in the back, and two in the front. There are no details about the cameras, but Samsung is going after the camera features of Huawei’s Mate 20 Pro.

Three Galaxy S10 models will have a ceramic back

For the first time since the Galaxy S6, three Galaxy S10 models are rumored to come with a ceramic back similar to the one found on Xiaomi’s Mi MIX series and the Essential Phone. Ceramic is better than glass since it is harder and more scratch-resistant. It has a certain shine that glass cannot match, and it does not block signals for wireless charging.

The Galaxy S10 series is a make-or-break for Samsung

While Samsung remains on the top spot globally, its sales have declined significantly. For this year, its third-quarter sales declined by 30% year-over-year. While it has shifted gears starting with its mid-range phones, Samsung is expected to introduce as much innovation as possible to the Galaxy S10 series.