Samsung Galaxy Note 10/10+ Unpacked Event on August 7

While the Samsung foldable phone has been beset by issues upon issues, though the device may be released in September according to recent news, the GalaxyNote line of Samsung’s high-end smartphones will probably maintain the annual release schedule we have come to expect from the world’s Number One smartphone manufacturer. In Specifics, it’s rumored that Samsung has set 7 August 2019 as the day for the Unpacked Event for Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+. The event will reportedly take place in New York City.

Something seems different this time around about the Galaxy-Note line: there will be three versions, as opposed to the single version of previous releases. Galaxy Note 10 will be the regular version. We’ll also have Galaxy Note 10+ and Galaxy Note 10+ 5G. The first two versions are based on 4G. The 5G variant reportedly will be available only at the carrier Verizon, where you may pre-order the device. When you do, you will receive a standard Galaxy Note 10 free-of-charge. It is not clear at this point whether the 5G device will be available to other phone carriers, and when it would, if so.

Let’s take a look at the features of the new phones, as per the rumors. The standard Note 10 will be driven by Android 9 (Pie) and Samsung One UI. The display will be 6.3 inches, with full HD+ resolution Dynamic AMOLED. (AMOLED, for active-matrix organic light-emitting diode, refers to a display technology used in a variety of electronic devices.) Note that this display resolution represents a downgrade relative to the Quad HD+ resolution of Galaxy Note 9. Moreover, Galaxy Note 9 has a 6.4 in. display. Also, with a 3,500 mAh battery, the standard Note 10 is less impressive compared to its predecessor, which has a 4000 mAh battery. The random-access memory (RAM) of Note 10 is 12 GB, which is significantly superior to the 6 GB RAM of Note 9.

Galaxy Note 10+ is said to offer a 6.8-inch Quad HD+ resolution display with a 4300 mAh cell. The phone will weigh approximately 198 g, and have storage starting at 256GB. It too will have 12GB of RAM.

Regarding the camera, both Note 10 and 10+ will offer a Night Mode feature for the front-facing camera. With this, you will be able to capture great selfies even in low-light. The phones will also have three rear cameras, which would probably consist of the primary, telephoto, and ultra-wide sensors. In addition, the Galaxy Note 10+ is expected to have a time-of-flight sensor, just as in Galaxy S10 5G. Both phones will have in-screen fingerprint sensor and USB-C ports, and will feature the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ or Exynos 9820 processor. Note that the Note 9 runs on Android v8.1 (Oreo) operating systems (OS), and is powered by Octa core (2.7 GHz, Quad core, M3 Mongoose with 1.7 GHz, Quad core, Cortex A55) processor. The OS for both new Notes is Android v9 (Pie) and Samsung One UI.

The S Pen for the Galaxy Note 10 series will support touchless gestures. It will allow you to swipe through images in the Gallery. Another new S Pen feature that Samsung will probably introduce this year will be a sound effect similar to a highlight marker when taking notes. The rumors have it that the Galaxy Note 10 series will be ditching the Bixby button, which will now be accessible via the power button.

Should you upgrade? It depends on what you are using now, and, of course, your wallet. The Samsung smartphones aren’t cheap, to be sure. In the US, the basic Galaxy Note 7, Note 8, and Note 9 devices retailed for $834, $930, and $1000, respectively. You can be sure Note 10 will cost slightly more than Note 9, while Note 10+ will cost even more. Who knows, the basic Galaxy Note 10 might cost you around $1100, while Note+ could set you back by $1300 or more. With Note 9 barely a year old, and a power phone as such, it might not be a bad idea to consider waiting for future releases. Except, of course, you need the huge RAM, the faster processor, or the better cameras of the new devices.

But then maybe not, because of the rather aggressive incentives reportedly being planned by Samsung to get you to switch to the Note 10 phones. For example, you may be able to obtain a credit of $600 toward your Galaxy Note 10/10+ if you trade in the following phones: Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, Galaxy S10e, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max. You may also be able to obtain credits for older phones from Samsung, Apple, or Google; say to the tune of $200. Devices that qualify for this include Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Active, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8 Active, Galaxy S8+, Google’s Pixel, and Pixel XL. For perspective, Samsung Galaxy Note 9 currently retails for about $660 on Amazon. You may also be able to obtain an instant credit from Samsung in the amount of $50 toward device and/or accessory purchase. You can initiate this in Samsung’s website.