Galaxy S10 will have a feature we thought Samsung would never resurrect

Not all Galaxy S10s will be created equal

Samsung Galaxy S10

Samsung is hard at work on the next flagship entry into its Galaxy S range. Dubbed Galaxy S10, the new smartphone model is widely tipped to come in three different flavours, compared to just two – Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus – last generation.

According to a leaked report from the chemical suppliers purportedly tasked with building the next-generation OLED displays that will be used in the three Galaxy S10 variants, Samsung will use a flat screen option for the entry-level handset.

It has been almost three years since Samsung introduced the last entry into the flagship Galaxy S range with a flat screen. With its Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S7 models in April 2015 and March 2016 respectively, Samsung offered customers the choice between a flat screen variant, and a dual-curved Infinity Display design.

With the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S9, the company removed that option – save for the rugged Galaxy S8 Active, which only launched in a few countries worldwide. The decision to go all-in with its dual-curved Infinity Display design has also extended to the Galaxy Note range, following the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7 launch in August 2016.

It's unclear exactly why Samsung is looking to remove its trademark curvaceous display from at least one model of the Galaxy S10. Given that the South Korean technology firm only offers flat screens on its mid-range handsets, it's safe to assume these are much cheaper to manufacture and will allow the company to make the entry-level Galaxy S10 more affordable. But given that it already has a hugely successful slate of mid-range phones, branded Galaxy A, we're not entirely sure why Samsung would want to lower the cachet of its flagship Galaxy S series.

According to the leaked note, unearthed and published by GSM Arena, the flat screen model will have a 5.8-inch panel. There will also purportedly be a dual-curved model of the same size, as well as a high-end variant with a curved 6.2-inch display.

Elsewhere, the Samsung Galaxy S10 is tipped to have a fingerprint scanner embedded beneath the glass display as well as a triple-camera set-up for wide-angle shots, improved bokeh blur in Live Focus images, and low-light performance.

If Samsung follows the same release pattern it has established over the last few years, we're likely to get our first official glimpse of the Galaxy S10 at the Mobile World Congress tradeshow in Barcelona in February, with the new handsets hitting shelves worldwide the following month.

Aaron Brown

As a former Staff Writer for T3, Aaron writes about almost anything shiny and techie. When he’s not barking orders at Alexa-powered microwaves or gawping at 5G speed tests, Aaron covers everything from smartphones, tablets and laptops, to speakers, TVs and smart home gadgets. Prior to joining T3, Aaron worked at the Daily Express and and MailOnline.