The Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite concept has just surfaced online. This concept smartphone is presented in form of a video on YouTube, and has been published by the “Phone Industry” YouTube channel. The Galaxy S10 Lite refers to a “budget” Galaxy S10 model that had been mentioned in several rumors, and if those rumors are to be believed, this will be the most affordable variant of the Galaxy S10 flagship, even though it has not been referred to as the “Galaxy S10 Lite” in none of those rumors, as the “Lite” branding usually suggests a mid-range processor and a mid-range smartphone, and rumors are actually suggesting that this phone will sport a flagship processor, and be one of the company’s flagships. In any case, the concept Galaxy S10 Lite smartphone which you can see in the video that is embedded down below has been designed with those rumors and leaks in mind, that’s where the designer got his inspiration, so it’s even possible that the real deal will at least somewhat resemble this concept handset.
The device that is shown in the video is made out of metal and glass, and it has three cameras on the back. Those three cameras are horizontally-aligned, and they do protrude on the back, quite noticeably. Next to those three cameras, you will notice an LED flash, and a heart rate sensor, it seems. A fingerprint scanner is located on the back of the Galaxy S10 Lite concept smartphone, while most other Galaxy S10 units are rumored to arrive with an in-display fingerprint scanner, even though some rumors have been suggesting that a side-facing fingerprint scanner is also an option. Samsung’s logo is included on the back of the device, of course, while the back side of the phone is curved on the sides. The power / lock button sits on the right-hand side of this smartphone, while you will notice the volume up, down and Bixby keys on the left side of the phone. If we flip the phone around, you will notice that it has no bezels, basically, but it has a display camera hole in the top-left corner, which is something all Galaxy S10 units are expected to sport. The phone’s SIM card tray seems to be located at the top, while the Type-C USB port, and a loudspeaker sit on the bottom of the device. The phone’s display is curved, and it does sport rounded corners, while you will notice holes for an earpiece at the very top of the display. Only two Galaxy S10 Lite color options have been shown in the video down below, Black and White. There’s one more piece of info shared here, the designer envisioned this smartphone to be only 6.5mm thick.
Background: The Galaxy S10 rumors have been popping up like crazy, and depending on which rumor you opt to believe, the company is either planning to release three or four smartphones next year. Some rumors are even suggesting that the company may introduce two Galaxy S10 models in January, and then the premium Galaxy S10 variant during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona in February. In any case, the company is expected to announce the Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10 Plus and the premium 5G-enabled Galaxy S10 unit which is not only rumored to sport 5G connectivity option, and a ceramic back, but rumors are also suggesting that it will ship with 12GB of RAM. That variant of the phone is also said to sport a 6.7-inch display, and six cameras, four on the back and two on the front. If these rumors are true, the “premium” Galaxy S10 unit may actually be the largest Galaxy S10 model overall, which is quite interesting, as the Galaxy S10 Plus is expected to sport a rather large display as well.
All Galaxy S10 smartphones are expected to ship with a display camera hole in the upper left corner, at least if rumors are to be believed, and chances are that all of them will sport the same design, though the “premium” model may ship with a ceramic back. Only the “premium” Galaxy S10 model is expected to ship with 5G support, and it’s actually rumored to cost quite a bit, it is expected to cost a lot more than the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus. All Galaxy S10 units are expected to come in two SoC variants, as their predecessors did, in the US and China, the Galaxy S10 will be fueled by the upcoming Qualcomm-branded flagship processor, the Snapdragon 8150 or 855, depending on what name Qualcomm opts for, while the Exynos 9820 will fuel the Galaxy S10 in Europe and India. All units will ship with Android 9 Pie out of the box, with Samsung’s all-new One UI skin that the company detailed quite recently, and which is currently available in a beta form for some of the company’s smartphones.
Impact: So, if rumors are true, we’ll see at least three different Galaxy S10 variants announced next year, but those are not the only flagships that the company is planning to announce in the first half of 2019. Samsung is also expected to introduce the Galaxy Fold, its very first foldable smartphone. That device got demoed by the company during its developers’ conference recently, and the “Galaxy Fold” name has been trademarked recently as well. That device will ship with a flexible display, which you will be able to fold, in a way, and thus basically get both a large display and a smaller display (separate panel), depending on how you use the device. The Galaxy Fold is expected to cost around $2,000, and will be considerably more expensive than the premium Galaxy S10 it seems, while both devices are expected to launch in early 2019. It remains to be seen if the Galaxy Fold will affect the sales of the Galaxy S10, though that’s highly unlikely as the device will be extremely expensive, at least according to rumors, and it’s basically the company’s very first foldable smartphone, so consumers will surely be quite careful before purchasing it.
