The pixel density of the display panel installed on Samsung’s Galaxy S10 will surpass 600 pixels per inch, a known China-based industry insider said yesterday, without elaborating on the matter. The claim suggests Samsung is either looking to deliver 4K Infinity Display panels with the next generation of its Android flagships or lower their physical size while retaining the QHD+ resolution, with neither scenario being particularly likely given the current industry practices and Samsung’s previous statements on mobile screen technologies. With phablets still being extremely popular among consumers, the company is expected to retain the overall physical footprint of the Galaxy S9 lineup with the 2019 series, whereas mobile 4K displays remain a niche category that only Sony truly experimented with on a significant scale and with no real success.
The 6.2-inch screen of the Galaxy S9 Plus has a pixel density of 530 PPI, whereas the 5.8-inch panel of its smaller counterpart boasts a 570 PPI module. Assuming Samsung sticks with the same or similar display sizes next year, which is what the vast majority of recent reports on the matter are suggesting, a 4K (3,840 x 2,160) display would bring the pixel density of the Galaxy S9 Plus to some 710 PPI, though the difference between the two values would hardly be observable outside of virtual reality applications. With Samsung seemingly downsizing its mobile VR efforts this year and placing a larger focus on augmented reality and artificial intelligence, a swing to VR appears unlikely, especially as standalone, untethered headsets are now being touted as the next big thing in the segment, at least as far as mid-range offerings are concerned.
The Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus are widely expected to be introduced as Samsung‘s first 5G-ready smartphones, with the South Korean tech giant being likely to launch them in early 2019, around the time the next iteration of Mobile World Congress takes place. Recent rumors are pointing to another iterative phone generation in terms of design, though the lineup will reportedly include both a 3D camera and an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint reader.