Samsung fans are all excited about the Galaxy S10 unveiling next month. While the Korean company is teasing the S10 to build hype ahead of the big event, it’s also working behind the scenes on the next-gen Galaxy Note 10, which would arrive in the second half of this year. If a new report is to be believed, the Galaxy Note 10 camera will see significant improvements. Cameras on Samsung’s existing phones are already world-class, and they will get even better with the Note 10.
Galaxy Note 10 camera could use Corephotonics’ technologies
Israeli news site Globe recently reported (via TechRadar) that the Korean company was in advanced talks to buy Israeli startup Corephotonics. On its website, Corephotonics describes itself as a “pioneer of the multi-aperture imaging technologies.” Sources familiar with the matter told the Globe that the startup was valued at $150-$160 million by Samsung.
Previously, Corephotonics has provided its technology to Chinese vendor Oppo to help improve zoom capabilities of its device. Oppo showed off a prototype device at the MWC 2017 that featured Corephotonics’ technology to offer 5x lossless zoom. The technology was later used in the Oppo Find X, according to TechRadar. The Chinese smartphone vendor is also said to be working on a similar technology that offers up to 10x lossless zoom using a prism.
Corephotonics holds about 150 patents along with some other advanced technologies that Samsung could use to improve the Galaxy Note 10 camera. According to Android Authority, Samsung has already agreed to acquire it for $155 million. The Galaxy S10 might not feature Corephotonics’ technology considering the device is only a few weeks away. The advanced lossless zoom is more likely to find its way into the Galaxy Note 10 camera and next year’s Galaxy S11.
Other exciting features coming to the Note 10
The Galaxy Note 10 is rumored to have many other exciting features that could encourage some Samsung fans to wait for the phablet instead of buying the Galaxy S10. The Galaxy Note 10 camera’s lossless zoom capabilities are enough to attract photography enthusiasts. Recent reports suggest the Galaxy S10 won’t be 5G ready as the company has decided to keep the feature for the Note 10.
Chinese tipster Ice Universe said in a Weibo post that the Galaxy Note 10 would run an upgraded Exynos 9825 processor. The Note line usually gets the same processor as the Galaxy S series, but that’s not going to happen with the Note 10. The Galaxy S10 would run Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 in the US and Samsung’s in-house Exynos 9820 in other markets. While the Snapdragon 855 is based on the 7nm process, the Exynos 9820 is an 8nm chipset.
Sources told Ice Universe that the Exynos 9825 that would power Galaxy Note 10 would be based on the 7nm ultraviolet lithography, meaning it would deliver better performance and energy efficiency than the Exynos 9820. The Exynos 9825 is also said to have an integrated 5G modem, giving it a big advantage over the S10. If Samsung launches a 5G variant of Galaxy S10, the Exynos 5100 modem would be attached to the Exynos 9820 chipset rather than being fully integrated.
Earlier, iGeekPhone had reported that the Galaxy Note 10 would feature an even bigger display than its predecessor, which had a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED screen. The Note 9’s screen size was dwarfed by the iPhone XS Max with a 6.5-inch OLED panel. Sources told iGeekPhone that the Note 10 display would measure 6.66 inches diagonally. It will likely be marketed as 6.7-inch. Korean site The Bell has also claimed that the company had asked Samsung Display to make 6.66-inch screens for the Note 10.
Other reports claim the screen could be as big as 6.75 inches. Despite a bigger display area, the phablet won’t be too large to hold in your hand. Samsung would use the Infinity-O display on the Galaxy S10 as well as Note 10 to maximize the screen space. The display would have a punch hole near the top for the selfie camera to reduce bezels. Samsung is developing the Note 10 under the code-name ‘Da Vinci.’
On the software front, the Note 10 is expected to run Samsung’s new One UI on top of Android 9 Pie, though it could receive the Android Q update towards the end of this year. Samsung has started rolling out the One UI skin to the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus devices in the US. The Note 9 owners will also get the update in the next few weeks.
The One UI software aims to make the interface more natural and intuitive as smartphone displays continue to get bigger. It places buttons within the reach of your thumb and shows the most used functions first. The One UI uses the top half of the screen to display content and the bottom half for navigation. Samsung is also said to use the One UI software on its upcoming foldable phone.
