Galaxy S10 5G Tipped for May 16 Release: Buy or Skip?

Samsung is getting ready to launch its long-awaited Galaxy S10 5G, according to a new report. But should you be one of the first to get your hands on this phablet, or should you wait?

Credit: Tom's Guide

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Evan Blass, who has been one of the more prolific — and reliable — leakers in recent memory, has tweeted that Samsung is planning to launch its Galaxy S10 5G on May 16. He said in the tweet that the handset will be exclusive to Verizon's network.

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S10 5G in February alongside 4G LTE models. The Galaxy S10 5G comes with a very large 6.7-inch screen and features a triple-lens rear camera system with a depth sensor to cap things off. It also has a 4,500mAh battery pack, which should translate to solid battery life.

MORE: Verizon Just Launched Mobile 5G: Everything You Need to Know

For comparison, the Galaxy S10 Plus has a 6.4-inch display and a 4,100 mAh battery, which lasted an excellent 12 hours and 35 minutes on our web surfing battery test. However, it remains to be seen how much juice the 5G connection will use.

Blass' tweet comes just a day after Verizon announced that it had turned on its 5G network in Chicago and Minneapolis. And at least so far, it's getting strong, but not necessarily unblemished reviews.

Tom's Guide conducted a speed test in Chicago on Wednesday (Apr. 3) to see just how fast the network performed. The test was conducted on the Moto Z3, the handset that's compatible with Verizon's 5G network. In the first round of tests (using the Ookla.net Speedtest app), we saw that the Verizon 5G network delivered download speeds of 641Mbps. On the upload side, speeds hovered at around 24Mbps.

While that's fast — and notably faster than 4G — it's far from the 1Gbps Internet some 5G boosters had promised.

There's also the problem of availability. As nice as 5G might be, Verizon and other carriers need to roll it out across the U.S. For example, Verizon will reach just 30 cities by the end of this year, while AT&T has plans to cover at least 21 cities.

T-Mobile is aiming to get 30 cities launched by the end of this year and says it will offer nationwide 5G by 2020. Sprint will have four cities in May with more to come.

In other words, if you're living in an area that won't get 5G anytime soon, there's no rush to get the Galaxy S10 5G.

For its part, Samsung hasn't commented on its plans for the Galaxy S10 5G and has stopped short of providing a launch date. The company's Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, and Galaxy S10+ are all available now.

We'll be sure to let you know when the 5G version's launch date is made official.

TOPICS

Don Reisinger is CEO and founder of D2 Tech Agency. A communications strategist, consultant, and copywriter, Don has also written for many leading technology and business publications including CNET, Fortune Magazine, The New York Times, Forbes, Computerworld, Digital Trends, TechCrunch and Slashgear. He has also written for Tom's Guide for many years, contributing hundreds of articles on everything from phones to games to streaming and smart home.

Latest in Samsung Phones
Galaxy S25 Plus held in the hand.
Samsung could delay One UI 7’s release in the US — here’s what we know
Galaxy S25 Ultra Now brief
Samsung’s Personal Data Engine is a big addition to the Galaxy S25 — here’s why
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge next to Galaxy S25 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs. Galaxy S25 Plus: Everything we know so far
Showing the front of a Galaxy S25 Ultra held in hand
One UI 7 will arrive late for US Samsung users — here’s when it’ll launch for you
samsung galaxy s25 edge mockup at galaxy unpacked
Galaxy S25 Edge is overhyped — I want Samsung to make this phone thinner instead
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Older Samsung phones are finally getting One UI 7 — here's all the devices
Latest in News
ChatGPT on iPhone
ChatGPT is down — updates on major outage affecting users worldwide
Emma D'Arcy in House of the Dragon season 2
‘House of the Dragon’ season 3 has officially begun filming — what it could mean for the potential release window
AirPods Max in various colors
AirPods Max is getting a big update with lossless audio and ultra-low latency — here's how it works
A mosquito resting on a plant
Experts predict a spring surge in these 9 pest populations — here's what's forecast for your area
Apple Watch SE (2022) shown on wrist
Apple Watch SE 3 reportedly in ’serious jeopardy’ — here’s why
Galaxy S25 Plus held in the hand.
Samsung could delay One UI 7’s release in the US — here’s what we know