November 21, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] Manufacturing lines for tech giant Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S10 in Korea, as well as overseas, have started running at full throttle since last week, churning out what will mark the 10th anniversary of the tech giant’s entry into the Android smartphone market, according to sources on Jan. 30.

“Samsung started mass producing the Galaxy S10 at its manufacturing lines in Korea on Jan. 25,” a source from a supplier firm told The Investor on condition of anonymity, adding the global mass production of the new phones also started simultaneously.

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He also confirmed that the Galaxy S models being produced at the lines are models running on the 4G network, not 5G.

It was previously reported that the tech giant would roll out 5G-enabled Galaxy S10 and the long-awaited foldable phone at its Gumi plants in Korea while three variants of the S10 with 4G support are mainly manufactured overseas.

“The 5G Galaxy S10 is still in the pipeline and will start being produced later during the first half,” said the source.

Touching upon the specifications of Galaxy S10, he said multiple cameras and the in-display fingerprint technology will be some of the features that will differentiate the upcoming flagship from its predecessor.

“All three S10 smartphones will house a fingerprint sensor beneath the screen allowing users to identify themselves in a more convenient manner than before,” said the official, adding Samsung has been trying to put focus on offering easy user experience with the next-generation Galaxy S.

It is expected that the two high-end variants will feature an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor while the low-end variant will utilize an optical fingerprint sensor.

The ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, developed by US chipmaker Qualcomm, helps identify users by mapping fingerprints in three dimensions while the optical sensor creates 2D images. The ultrasonic fingerprint tech boasts better accuracy than traditional ones, such as those featured in the current iPhone and Galaxy S, and shows excellent performance in harsh conditions, like grease, sweat or light.

The S10 will also be fitted with a detachable screen protector, which can perfectly cover both rounded corners of the smartphone, while the highest-end variant, S10 Plus, will come with 1TB storage.

“The triple-lens camera, the on-screen fingerprint identification and even the pre-installed screen protector will be able to best cater to the needs of consumers,” a different industry official said.

While praising the S10, he was skeptical over the foldable smartphone which switches from a 7-inch tablet PC to a 4-inch mobile device.

“The expensive price will be a major hurdle for the foldable phone to go mainstream,” the official said.

The transformable smartphone will reportedly be priced at more than 2 million won (US$1,789).

The Korean tech giant is scheduled to unveil three S10 variants along with its first foldable smartphone at its annual “Unpacked,” event in San Francisco on Feb. 20.

By Park Ga-young and Kim Young-won (gypark@heraldcorp.com)  (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)