Samsung Galaxy Note 10 is widely-tipped to have an all-screen design, with the front-facing camera embedded inside the display. Unlike previous devices with this hole-punch approach, which Samsung brands Infinity-O because the cut-out is O-shaped, the Galaxy Note 10 will centre its selfie camera at the top of the the screen.
In order to work around the new design, Samsung has ditched the speaker grill from the chassis – where it was found on the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus – to make room for the central O-shaped cut-out and squeeze even more screen real estate into the physical footprint of the phone.
But how will you be able to hear anything the person on the other end of the line is saying whenever you use this shiny new (not to mention, pricey) phone to make a call? It appears Samsung will use a very similar technique as rival manufacturer Huawei to solve the problem, according to a new leak.
Prolific tipster @UniverseIce claims Samsung will use vibrations through the glass to transmit sound and replacing the traditional speaker grill at the top of the screen. Huawei used the same principle to eliminate the physical speaker from the front of its flagship Huawei P30 Pro. Samsung previously used a version of this technology, which it brands "Sound on Display", in its affordable Galaxy M40 handset.
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Note 10's "chin" is very narrow, the same level as the iPhone, no speaker grooves on the forehead, which means that the flagship Sound on Display(SoD) technology will replace the traditional speaker. The forehead will be narrower. pic.twitter.com/6aRGQIG0eeJune 19, 2019
It's unclear whether the Galaxy Note 10 will be able to offer the same stereo speaker performance seen on the flagship Galaxy S10 smartphones. However, it will reportedly have a thinner bezel above the screen thanks to the space saved with the "Sound on Display" system.
Leakster @UniverseIce has an almost infallible track record when it comes to as-yet unannounced Samsung-branded hardware. As well as the information around the speaker grill, the tipster tweeted a photograph that purports to show the glass display component that will be used in the Note 10.
Elsewhere, rumours swirling around the Galaxy Note 10 suggest it will offer a desktop computer-like experience wirelessly for the first time, thanks to an overhaul of Samsung Dex.
While earlier rumours pointed to the Note 10 ditching all physical buttons from the chassis in favour of small touch areas, that no longer seems to be the case. Although, the 3.5mm headphone port is unlikely to make an appearance on the handset.
As always, these are just rumours until Samsung mobile chief DJ Koh announces the handset on-stage, so take everything with the prescribed pinch of salt.
