Hi all!
5G has arrived in the UK - and the brand new Samsung Galaxy S10 5G goes on sale this week! (Why do I feel like saying that in the voice of Kevin Bacon?) So thought we’d have a thread about it.
"What networks can I use a Samsung Galaxy S10 5G on?"
Initially, EE (5G available now); and Vodafone (5G launch on 3 July 2019).
Other networks' 5G launch TBC.
"Where can I use 5G network on my S10 5G?"
EE have a neat 5G signal coverage map here: https://ee.co.uk/why-ee/mobile-coverage.
Update: Vodafone have their signal coverage checker here: https://www.vodafone.co.uk/network/status-checker
"How fast is 5G?"
So, 5G is engineered to greatly increase the speed and repsonsiveness of wireless cellular networks, using a wider frequency band:
Technically speaking, data transmission speed can be up to 20 times faster than 4G. However, the speeds you get will depend on several factors; including where you are, what network you’re connecting to, and how many other people are connecting.
Currently, in the UK, EE are using sub-6GHz (as opposed to mmWave) – which is at the comparatively slower end of the 5G scale. (Still very fast though!)
"Apart from 5G, is there anything different about the S10 5G?"
There is! A quick Galaxy S10 spec comparison:
Expanding on those specs:
"Does the S10 5G have dual-SIM?"
The S10 5G supports single-SIM only.
"What's Super-Fast Charging? And will it work with wireless charging?"
The S10 5G and its included charger support 25W Super-Fast Charging for getting your phone back up to 100% quickly. Existing wireless charging pads are unable to support that Super-Fast Charging feature - but can still wirelessly charge the S10 5G at a standard rate.
"Can I transfer my data (photos, videos, music etc.) the same way?"
Super-Fast Charging requires a USB type-C to type-C connection - and a cable for this is included. However, for USB type-C to type-A connections (e.g. for wired connection to a PC) you'd need a separate suitable cable. Alternatively, there's also the option of wireless data transfer via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
"What's the memory and storage on the S10 5G? Is there a memory card slot"
In the UK, 8GB of RAM; and a choice of either 256GB or 512GB storage.
SD Card is not supported due to the current SD Cards on the market not supporting the 5G download speed. If you do need something beyond those high 256GB or 512GB storages though, the super-fast network speeds you'll have will allow for quick access to cloud and streaming services.
"What's the S10 5G battery life like? And does the phone get hot?"
The S10 5G comes with a 4500 mAh battery to meet the demands of 5G; but quicker battery consumption than a standard S10 is to be expected (at least intially). That’d be whilst on 5G itself, along with what you've got in terms of signal coverage where you are.
Going into that a bit more (with some techy jargon!), current 5G is Non-Standalone (or NSA), and so is supported by the existing 4G infrastructure. 5G-enabled devices connect to 5G for data throughput, but will still use 4G for features such as connecting to the base stations/servers. What that translates into is that the S10 5G uses both 5G and 4G circuits simulataneously - hence the quicker battery consumption.
Accordingly, the device will also operate at a slightly warmer temperature than previous ones.
However, the S10 5G uses AI-based software to more efficiently control battery consumption and device temperature by learning a user's usage pattern over time; and software updates to further improve battery consumption are also planned.
“How does the 3D Depth camera work? Any major differences between the front and rear ones?”
The S10 5G’s 3D Depth camera is based on Time-of-Flight (ToF) tech; which means that it uses an infrared light emitter and sensor to bounce an infrared signal back from objects to determine distance and depth info. Together with the other cameras in dedicated Camera mode, this helps produce the cool Live Focus effect in video; and, with AR, the Quick Measure feature.
Rear 3D Depth camera works best within 3 meters; and the front one works best within 1 meter.
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There's more that we could talk about! So let us know if you have any questions about the Galaxy S10 5G below - and we'll update this post.
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