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Huge Galaxy Note 10/Pro leak points towards major design changes

By Joshua Swingle

Updated: May 20, 2019, 11:16 AM

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Samsung Android

Huge Galaxy Note 10/Pro leak points towards major design changes

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 concept render

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Pro are arguably two of the most anticipated smartphones this year. According to tipster Ice Universe, they will be “the optimization and perfection” of the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 9, and to back these claims up he has now shared a number of interesting details.

New front camera position, no horizontal layout on the back

The current-gen Galaxy Note 9, as many of you probably already know, features an 18.5:9 display paired with relatively thick bezels. But as verified recently, the Galaxy Note 10 series will be making the switch over to a taller 19:9 panel, thus allowing for thinner bezels and a higher screen-to-body ratio.

As a direct consequence of this change, the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Pro are expected to adopt small camera cutouts on their respective displays, like the Galaxy S10 series that was released earlier this year. According to Ice Universe, though, Samsung will “change the front camera position.”

Specifics about the new layout weren’t provided, but a “symmetrical” design on the Galaxy Note 10 that’d presumably involve a centered punch hole rather than one positioned in the corner has previously been teased. On a related note, the tipster has also revealed in the past that the Galaxy Note 10’s camera cutouts will be smaller than those on the Galaxy S10 series.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 concept render

Accompanying the updated front panel design will reportedly be a modified rear that focuses on a new “camera position.” When asked by a follower if this meant the presence of a vertical layout, Ice Universe responded with a tick symbol, thus suggesting Samsung has plans to ditch the horizontal camera setup used on the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 9.

Samsung previously used a centered vertical camera layout on the Galaxy S9 series in a bid to differentiate it from the Galaxy Note 8. Earlier this year, though, the company ditched the setup due to the battery constraints that it created. And with the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Pro rumored to include 4,300mAh and 4,500mAh batteries respectively, a centered setup seems extremely unlikely, therefore leaving the South Korean giant with just one option.

Like the Galaxy Fold and many of the company’s mid-range smartphones, there’s a strong possibility the Galaxy Note 10 series will adopt a vertical camera setup positioned in the top-left corner. This would successfully differentiate the flagships from the Galaxy S10 range and avoid any potential battery constraints, ultimately allowing the big batteries mentioned above to be included.

UPDATE: Leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer has now come forward to corroborate the redesigned front and rear camera layouts mentioned above.

The Galaxy Note 10 could borrow the Galaxy S10's camera hardware

While on the topic of cameras, multiple rumors have been floating around lately regarding potential upgrades Samsung may introduce. But according to Ice Universe, the Galaxy Note 10 will borrow the Galaxy S10’s camera hardware entirely.

If the claim is accurate, it means the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Pro will utilize a 12-megapixel variable aperture camera on the rear paired with optical image stabilization and phase detection autofocus. In addition to this, a second 12-megapixel sensor with optical image stabilization and a 2x optical zoom lens is to be expected too.

The Galaxy Note 10 Pro's quadruple-camera setup could resemble the Galaxy A9'

Accompanying these will be a 16-megapixel camera coupled with a super-wide-angle lens. Lastly, a dedicated Time-of-Flight sensor for improved bokeh will be included too, although this may be exclusive to the larger Galaxy Note 10 Pro.

Regarding the front-facing setup, both Galaxy Note 10 devices and their respective 5G variants will borrow the 10-megapixel selfie snapper found on the Galaxy S10. Also, as another potential Galaxy Note 10 Pro exclusive, a dedicated 8-megapixel depth sensor may be thrown into the mix in order to create better portrait images.

A new storage standard just like the OnePlus 7 Pro

Aside from the cameras and overall design, few Galaxy Note 10 details were shared today by Ice Universe. However, when asked about the storage, he pointed towards the presence of the UFS 3.0 standard used inside the OnePlus 7 Pro rather than the UFS 2.1 alternative used in the Galaxy S10 series.

In terms of how this will affect everyday performance, it means Samsung’s next flagships should open apps faster and load games quicker. Moreover, the phones should take less time to boot up, handle larger image and video files with ease, and access files faster.