Galaxy Note 10 Release Date & Specs: What to Expect

Now that the Samsung Galaxy S10 is out on shelves, consumers are turning their attention to the company’s rumored Galaxy Note 10 flagship. A Samsung Galaxy Note 10 is reportedly in the works and today we want to help set proper expectations as we push toward its release later this year.

The Galaxy S10 has arrived and many people are adopting the new Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, and Galaxy S10e. And for good reason. These are three of the best smartphones Samsung’s made and they are three of the top options for those hunting for a new smartphone in 2019.

There are some great reasons to buy a Galaxy S10 right now. There are also some great reasons to put your wallet away and wait.

One reason you might want to hold off is if you hold some interest in Samsung’s Galaxy Note series. The Galaxy Note 9 is a solid Galaxy S10 alternative, but the company is reportedly working on a new version for release later this year.

Galaxy Note 10 rumors have started to pickup as development continues behind the scenes. We don’t have a full list of features just yet, but we’ve seen credible information emerge.

With interest in the Galaxy Note 10 rising we want to take you through some things you should and shouldn’t expect from this year’s flagship Note.

These predictions are based on the current state of rumors, the changes Samsung made to the Galaxy S10, and the company’s rather predictable release protocol.

Expect the Galaxy Note 10 Launch in August

With the dust from the Samsung Galaxy S10 barely settled, don’t expect Samsung to talk about the Galaxy Note 10 anytime soon. We might get some hints here and there but the official announcements won’t come until later in the year.

If you’re unfamiliar with Samsung’s release protocol it works like this. Early in the year, it’s all about the Galaxy S. And with the Galaxy S10 5G still unavailable in most countries, we expect a longer promotion than usual.

Samsung typically sprinkles in a few other mid-range devices throughout the year with the second big launch coming later in the summer ahead of Apple’s iPhone launch in September.

We haven’t heard anything about a faster Galaxy Note 10 launch. And with the Galaxy S10 5G set to arrive in some markets in late 1H 2019, we aren’t expecting one.

As of right now, the best case scenario is a launch sometime in the usual August launch window. This is typically when Samsung launches new Galaxy Note models.

Our best guess at this point is a Galaxy Note 10 launch in late August or early September just ahead of IFA 2019. Much like it did with the Galaxy S10 and MWC 2019, look for the company to use its own event to confirm the Galaxy Note 10 and IFA 2019 to show it off.

IFA 2019 kicks off on September 6th.

Expect a Huge Display

One of the hallmarks of the Galaxy Note series is its massive display. The Note has always had a big screen and its only grown in size as the industry’s trended toward huge smartphone screens.

This year, Samsung’s supersized the Galaxy S series. The Galaxy S10e, the budget model, has a 5.8-inch Full HD+ Flat Dynamic AMOLED display.

The Galaxy S10 comes with a 6.1-inch Quad HD+ Curved Dynamic AMOLED display and the Galaxy S10+ features a 6.4-inch Quad HD+ Curved Dynamic AMOLED display.

Samsung’s Galaxy S10 5G features the largest display at 6.7-inches and it looks like the Galaxy Note 10’s display will sit right around 6.7-inches.

Galaxy Note 9 display rumors put the screen right around 6.6 or 6.7-inches. This could change, but this is what you should expect right now.

So if you don’t think you can wait for the Galaxy Note 10 launch this fall, you might want to start looking at the Galaxy S10 5G.

Expect S Pen Upgrades

With the Galaxy S10’s display intruding on the Note’s territory, we expect Samsung to offer some big improvements to one of the Galaxy Note’s unique features to help differentiate it from the Galaxy S10 5G.

We’ve heard some interesting rumors about the Galaxy Note 10’s S Pen, the stylus that will almost certainly come bundled with the new flagship.

Camera integration or not, we do expect Samsung to soup up the S Pen to help the device standout amongst its Galaxy S10 options.

Hardware upgrades are possible (the Note 9 introduced a Bluetooth-enabled S Pen with upgrades) but we expect some heavy upgrades to the Note’s software.

Expect Plenty of Hardware Upgrades

We don’t have a leaked spec sheet yet, but you can expect the Galaxy Note 10 to come with a host of hardware upgrades including a new camera setup.

Unsurprisingly, the Galaxy Note 10 reportedly has four cameras in the rear which means it could share a lot in common with the Galaxy S10 5G. The Galaxy S10 5G comes with a quadruple camera setup with a 3D Depth Camera and Dual OIS.

If Samsung uses the same setup on the Note 10, you’ll be able to shoot Live Focus (also known as Bokeh) videos and enable new Augmented Reality (AR) experiences on the device.

On top of that, you can expect a new processor, a ton of RAM, great battery life, and a lot of internal storage. The Note series is Samsung’s workhorse and we expect a new level of power from the Galaxy Note 10.

Expect an In-Display Fingerprint Sensor

One of the Galaxy S10’s biggest selling points is the in-display fingerprint sensor.

Most phones require you to put your finger on a specific button to unlock the phone. The Galaxy S10 unlocks when you put your finger anywhere on the display.

We haven’t heard anything definitive about the Galaxy Note 10 but now that Samsung’s delivered this experience on the Galaxy S, we’d expect the Note series to adopt the same technology.

Don’t Expect the Note 10 to Miss 5G

Samsung and other Android manufacturers are starting to confirm 5G-powered devices. The first batch of devices will arrive in the first half of the year.

The Galaxy S10 5G is the first Samsung device with 5G, but we expect many others to follow in its footsteps. And we expect the list to include the Galaxy Note 10.

Verizon’s essentially confirmed 5G support for the Galaxy Note 10 and many believe the “5” in the Galaxy Note 10’s rumored SM-N975F model number hints at 5G support. Galaxy Note model numbers typically end in “0.”

Bringing 5G to the Note series is inevitable and we’d be surprised if the company failed to roll out a high-end Galaxy Note 10 5G option ahead of the holiday shopping season.

Don’t Expect It to Run Android Q Out of the Box

Samsung’s made some huge improvements to its Android roll out process.

First, the company expanded its beta program to include older flagship models. The Android Pie beta rolled out to the Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy S8, Galaxy Note 8, and Galaxy A series. Samsung kept the Android Oreo beta limited to the Galaxy and Galaxy S8+.

The company also improved the speed of its updates. We used to see a huge gap between the update roll outs for flagships and the roll outs for older models but the company’s eliminated that.

Android Pie hit the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9 first but the Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S8 weren’t too far behind. This bodes well for the future, but it doesn’t confirm faster Android Q updates.

The Android Q beta for Pixel devices and other devices in Google’s beta program will stretch through the summer culminating with an official release in late July or August. After that, the update will start rolling out to non-Pixel devices.

It would be great to see the Galaxy Note 10 run Android Q out of the box but at this point we expect the Note 10 to start on Android Pie and get upgraded to Android Q after the update does a stint in beta.

The good news is the Galaxy Note 10 will be among the first (if not the first) Galaxy devices to Android Q.

Don’t Expect a Cheap Galaxy Note 10

At the time, the Galaxy Note 9 was the most expensive phone in Samsung’s lineup. The device started at $1000 and went up to $1250 making it the most expensive phone Samsung’s sold in the United States.

We haven’t seen any definitive pricing yet but we expect the Galaxy Note 10’s price point to sit in and around $1000. If Samsung offers a 5G model, it’ll break the $1000 mark with ease.

Expect Freebies & Big Trade-In Offers

Fortunately, Samsung is pretty good about offering early deals to entice buyers and we expect the company to provide some excellent Note 10 pre-order offers and trade-in deals to help offset the cost.

Galaxy S10 pre-orders included a free pair of Galaxy Buds (Samsung’s AirPods alternative) or a $130 eCertificate to put toward select products on Samsung.com or the Shop Samsung app.

The company also offered up to $550 to those trading in an old phone for a Galaxy Note 10.

You can expect the same kind of offers to apply to come during the Galaxy Note 10 pre-order period so make sure you keep your old phone in good condition if you plan to sell it.

Wait Because the Note 10 Release Date is Close

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If you're interested in the Note 10 and you can wait through July, think about putting off a purchase until Samsung takes the stage.  Samsung's hosting an Unpacked event in New York City on August 7th and the Note 10 will be in attendance based on the teaser image for the gathering.  This means you'll have to wade through a few more weeks of Galaxy Note 10 rumors before Samsung and media outlets confirm the device's release date, features, and price.   If you can't picture yourself doing that, stop waiting for the Galaxy Note 10 and move on. However, if you aren't in a hurry, wait around for the announcements and see if they're to your liking.  As for the release date, the Galaxy Note 10 recently hit the FCC and we expect the devices to go up for pre-order soon after the announcements. As of right now, it looks like Samsung might be targeting a release on August 23rd in some regions. If true, the device would hit shelves a few weeks before Apple's 2019 iPhone models.

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