The Samsung Galaxy S10e is set to launch on February 20 alongside its more powerful – and more expensive – flagship siblings, the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus.
Update: We may now know the Samsung Galaxy S10e release date, after Samsung posted up a pre-order page on its US website with a March 8 delivery date.
However, the Galaxy S10e may be the most interesting of the three new Samsung phones, as it has been a number of years since the South Korean firm has produced a more affordable version of its top-end device.
You have to go all the way back to 2014, when Samsung announced the Galaxy S5 Mini, to find the last time it blatantly used the flagship moniker on a less high-end phone.
However now, in 2019, the proposition of the Galaxy S10e is likely to be very different, as it's tipped to maintain a premium look and feel, while cutting out some of the bigger features of the S10 to keep the cost down.
It's expected to go head-to-head with Apple's new iPhone XR, which itself offers a more affordable (but still not cheap) option to fans.
Early rumors reported the name of the handset as the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite, but the majority of rumors recently all point towards the Galaxy S10e name – including Samsung's own website.
- Meet the rest of the family: Samsung S10 | Galaxy S10 Plus
Cut to the chase
- What is it? The affordable S10 variant
- When is it out? Launch on February 20, release may be March 8
- What will it cost? Probably similar to the iPhone XR
Samsung Galaxy S10e release date
Hottest leaks:
- Galaxy S10e launch date: February 20
- Galaxy S10e release date: March 8
The Samsung Galaxy S10e launch date is set for February 20, when Samsung will be holding one of its Unpacked events in San Francisco, California.
While we expect the Galaxy S10e to make an appearance on February 20, it likely won't go on sale for another week or two.
The main Samsung Galaxy S10e release date rumor so far points to a March 8 release date, in South Korea at least.
We've also heard it could land in Italy on the same day, while another source also talks of a March 8 release, so this sounds like a global launch date.
However, even more tellingly, Samsung has posted a pre-order page for the handet(s) it'll announce at its Unpacked event with a delivery date of March 8 – which fits nicely with the other Galaxy S10e release date rumors.
Samsung Galaxy S10e price
Hottest leaks:
- Galaxy S10e price: rumored €749 (around $850, £655, AU$1,190)
One Samsung Galaxy S10e price rumor puts the cheaper model at $650-$750 (roughly £500-£585 / AU$900-AU$1,040), while a more extensive leak pegs the S10e price at a slightly higher €749 (around $850, £655, AU$1,190).
The currency conversions we've done here are direct, and the final price could be different (higher or lower), but we expect Samsung to adopt a similar strategy to the iPhone XR.
Apple's affordable iPhone starts at $749 (£749, AU$1229), and we wouldn't be surprised if the Galaxy S10e price followed suit.
Samsung Galaxy S10e design and display
Hottest leaks:
- A 5.8-inch screen
- 1080 x 2280 and 438 pixels per inch
- A punch-hole camera
The Samsung Galaxy S10e is set to be the smallest of the three new phones, with multiple leaks seemingly confirming this.
We've been given what appears to be a pretty good look at the handset, thanks to a leak from Evan Blass (below) which shows the Galaxy S10e in a protective case alongside its larger siblings.
What you'll notice is the Galaxy S10e appears to have just two rear-facing cameras – which has also been noted by other sources – and if you look closely, a 'punch-hole' camera built into the top right corner of the screen.
The Galaxy S10e (L), S10 (C) and S10 Plus (R). Image Credit: Evan Blass
The Samsung Galaxy S10e is rumored to come in a variety of colors, with one leak suggesting it will arrive in yellow, black, green, white and blue (with blue apparently arriving later).
That's been backed up by separate Galaxy S10e leaks, where a number of renders apparently showing the phone in different colors appeared online.
These images also show us the right side of the handset, where an enlarged power/lock key is rumored to house a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.
An older Galaxy S10e leak, which names the handset as the Galaxy S10 Lite, also shows a punch-hole camera in a screen which takes up the majority of the front of the phone.
This leak also pegs the screen at 5.8 inches, making it smaller than the rumored 6.1-inch S10 and 6.4-inch S10 Plus. We've also heard that the screen may have a resolution of 1080 x 2230 and a pixel density of 438 pixels per inch, as well as using Gorilla Glass 5 for protection.
If the Samsung Galaxy S10e display does turn out to be 5.8 inches, it would be the same size as the Galaxy S9 from last year.
The S10 Lite will more likely be named the Galaxy S10e. Image Credit: GSMArena/MobileFun
The 5.8-inch Galaxy S10e screen has had more mentions, including Evan Blass who posted an image (below) of all three handsets, complete with screen sizes and model IDs, on Twitter.
However, a major difference here is the front-facing camera is centrally located, which goes against the more recent Galaxy S10e leaks which have it in the right corner.
It also mentioned the supposed development name for the Galaxy S10e – Beyond 0 – as well as the SM-G970F model number.
Before this though, all the way back in June 2018, we heard that Samsung was working on three S10 handsets, with the one codenamed 'Beyond 0' set to feature a 5.8-inch display and a single rear camera.
This probably isn’t the Galaxy S10e. Image Credit: @evleaks
Samsung Galaxy S10e camera
Hottest leaks:
- 16MP and 12MP dual-lens rear camera
- Single-lens front camera
As we've already mentioned, most of the Samsung Galaxy S10e leaks point towards the handset coming with two rear cameras, rather than the three rumored for its siblings.
One report claims the Galaxy S10e will feature a 16MP ultra-wide f/1.9 lens and a 12MP variable aperture standard lens. Elsewhere we've heard that it could have a 12MP f/1.5 wide-angle lens and a 16MP f/2.2 ultra-wide lens.
Another leak reveals a single-lens 10MP f/1.9 front-facing camera which, according to various render leaks, will be surrounded by screen on the S10e.
Samsung Galaxy S10e battery
Hottest leaks:
- A 3,000mAh or 3,100mAh battery
- May sport fast wireless charging and reverse wireless charging
There's no conclusive information on the Samsung Galaxy S10e battery just yet, but it appears we're between two similar sizes – 3,000mAh or 3,100mAh.
One Galaxy S10e leak pegs the battery at 3,100mAh, but the source of this information doesn't fill us with a huge amount of confidence.
Elsewhere, we've seen a Galaxy S10e rumor which claims the handset will have a 3,000mAh power pack.
There are also reports that the Galaxy S10 will benefit from a boost to wireless charging speeds, with the handset being linked to wireless Quick Charge 2.0.
Whether or not the Galaxy S10e will also get this premium feature remains to be seen, but we wouldn't be surprised if Samsung opts to leave it out of the cheapest of the three phones.
Similarly, a reverse wireless charging feature has been rumored for the range (which would let the phones act as a charging mat for other devices), but don't be surprised if that too only makes it to the more premium models.
Samsung Galaxy S10e power
Hottest leaks:
- A Snapdragon 855 or Exynos 9820 chipset
- 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage
Samsung tends to crown its new Galaxy S flagship with its latest chipset each year, and we expect the S10 trio to be no different.
The South Korean giant has already announced its new Exynos 9820 chip, and it's expected to land inside the Galaxy S10e, with leaks suggesting the phone will have the same chipset as its bigger siblings.
That's potentially good news for those considering picking up the Samsung Galaxy S10e, as it should provide similar performance to the more expensive handsets.
However, for those in the US the Galaxy S10e probably won't come with Samsung's Exynos 9820, with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855 more likely to come in the trio of new phones.
Samsung has used a Qualcomm chip in its flagship handsets in the US for a number of years, and it appears to be the same case this time around.
While the chipset may be the same in the Galaxy S10e, it may only be available with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage according to a leaked benchmark and a spec slip.
While the S10 and S10 Plus are also tipped to come in versions with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, they may also be available in 8GB/512GB and even 12GB/1TB variants – something the Galaxy S10e won't benefit from.
That said, 6GB of RAM is still plenty and it's unlikely you'll be pushing the Galaxy S10e hard enough to require more, and the rumored 128GB of storage will be plenty for most.
Meanwhile, a different source claims the Samsung Galaxy S10e will come with either a Snapdragon 845 or 855 chipset and a choice of 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of storage.
No comments yet.