Samsung mobile chief DJ Koh denied recent reports about the company planning to merge its Galaxy S and Galaxy Note lines of Android flagships. While speaking to journalists at a press event following last week’s announcement of the Galaxy Note 9, the veteran executive said no such changes are planned “for the immediate future,” strongly suggesting the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 will be separate product families next year. Mr. Koh also directly said Samsung will continue revising the Galaxy S lineup in the first half of the year, whereas new Galaxy Note products will continue targeting second-half launches for the time being.
The remarks effectively eliminate the possibility of the Galaxy S10 Plus featuring an S Pen, which a number of older reports suggested may be happening next year. As part of the same appearance, Mr. Koh revealed the Galaxy S10 won’t be Samsung’s first 5G-ready phone but without elaborating on the matter, making it unclear whether the high-end line in question will support 5G at all. With the Galaxy S9 line released in mid-March selling below the company’s expectations, the Galaxy Note 9 ended up being pushed ahead of its traditional late August debut as Samsung is now hoping its new phablet will help it revitalize some momentum in the premium segment of the market.
While both the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9 lines represent iterative generational upgrades, the Galaxy S10 series is expected to introduce more innovative novelties, at least as far as Samsung’s product portfolio is concerned. Among other things, at least one member of the upcoming flagship family is said to feature an in-display fingerprint reader and a triple-camera setup on the back. Samsung is also set to introduce its first foldable smartphone in 2019 and will continue to expand its artificial intelligence ecosystem centered around Bixby, Mr. Koh confirmed. The Galaxy S10 line is likely to be announced at MWC 2019 near the end of the first quarter of 2019.