Samsung has launched one of the world’s first 5G smartphones – the Galaxy S10 5G – and Australians will be among the first customers to use it in the first half of 2019 on the Telstra 5G network
Unveiled alongside Samsung’s Galaxy S10 smartphones in San Francisco, the Galaxy S10 5G is the company’s first 5G-enabled device that will offer customers speeds up to 20 times faster than 4G.
Telstra has partnered with Samsung to offer the Galaxy S10 5G to its customers.
Telstra customers who purchase the Galaxy S10+ on a plan will be able to upgrade to the Galaxy S10 5G when it becomes available before the end of June.
“5G speeds will demonstrate unparalleled connectivity and be critical in transforming the way Australians live, work, connect and communicate,” said Garry McGregor, Vice President of IT and Mobile, Samsung Electronics Australia.
“Out-of-the-box, Galaxy S10 5G will also unlock new experiences for our customers thanks to hyper- fast upload and download speeds.
“For example, the ability to download a full-length feature movie to your mobile device in seconds and enhancing real-time applications like AR, VR, gaming and video conferencing.”
The device itself will have a huge 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED display as well as a large 4500mAh battery along with an all-new camera system.
Design-wise, it looks similar to the Galaxy S10 4G LTE smartphones but is slightly larger and thicker.
It also has the Infinity O technology which makes room for the dual front cameras to be seen through the screen and provides the ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor.
With even thinner bezels and the screen that runs edge to edge and top to bottom, the Galaxy S10 5G will be about the same size as the Galaxy Note 9 which has a 6.4-inch screen.
On the back there will be four cameras including a 3D camera that will allow DSLR level photography and videography.
And like the Galaxy S10 smartphones, the S10 5G has Wireless PowerShare so it can charge other smartphones as well as the Galaxy Buds earphones and Galaxy Watch Active smartwatch.
Telstra will become the first network to offer the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G in Australia.
The telco has done a deal with Samsung to allow its customers to upgrade at no extra cost from a plan with the Galaxy S10+.
Those eligible plans are expected to be $129 per month with 160GB included data.
Customers who purchased the 128GB or 512GB Galaxy S10+ will be able to upgrade to a Galaxy S10 5G with similar storage.
“Telstra has been a global leader in the testing, development and rollout of 5G in Australia and now our customers will be among the first in the world to experience it with Samsung,” says Kevin Teoh, Telstra Consumer Segment Executive.
“This delivers the best of both mobile worlds for our customers. Getting their hands on a smartphone by one of the world’s biggest brands, powered by our world leading 4GX technology, and then being able to upgrade to the next generation in mobile technology later in the year is an exciting opportunity that we are looking forward to sharing with them.”
Telstra says 5G will offer significantly faster downloads, and improved gaming experience and will open up opportunities for augmented reality and virtual reality applications as well as appealing to business users.
There are already more than 200 5G Telstra sites in Australia mainly around major metropolitan centres but the rollout is slowly expanding to regional areas as well.
* Stephen Fenech travelled to San Francisco as a guest of Samsung