Galaxy S10+ Video Hints at a Screen Protector Problem

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A video from a smartphone accessory company may show that the Samsung Galaxy S10’s in-screen fingerprint reader can’t work through screen protectors.

Samsung’s Galaxy S10+ looks to be back on camera for another pre-release sneak peek, this time showing off most of its angles on video and perhaps one new peculiarity that would-be users might not love.

Though this footage doesn’t provide any real looks at the S10+’s build that we haven’t seen in previous leaked images, the large hole in the bottom of the screen protector on the phone — apparently to allow access to the in-screen fingerprint reader — is something we’ve yet to get the chance to gawk at.

MORE: Samsung Galaxy S10 Rumors: Release Date, Price and Specs

Add that to the cutout any S10 screen protector will already be forced to have for the phone’s in-screen selfie camera and … holy moly.

It’s been reported that Samsung tapped Qualcomm to supply its ultrasonic, in-display fingerprint reader for the Galaxy S10 line of phones. Though this vibration-detecting tech is expected to be faster and more secure than the optical sensors that can “see” fingerprints from behind the screens of OnePlus, Vivo and Huawei devices, one side effect is that it might not work with screen protectors. Smartphone accessory manufacturer Armadillotek confirmed that its protector won’t work on the S10 and that the company was opting not to build a version a hole for pressing your thumb through.

Credit: Mobile Fun/YouTube

(Image credit: Mobile Fun/YouTube)

The Mobile Fun video seems to go further and actually show that, yep, if you want a screen protector on your S10, and you want to be able to unlock it with your thumb, it’s going to have to have a great big hole punched through it. At least if you believe that the video is legit, and that Friday, Feb. 23 date on the screen is causing some YouTube commentors to express some doubt. (Feb. 23 was on a Friday last year, sparking some skepticism about the video.)

While this latest leak offers just a look at the S10+, previous reports have outlined that the phone packs a 6.4-inch screen, runs on the new Snapdragon 855 processor with either 6GB, 8GB or 12GB of RAM, carries 128GB to 1TB of storage and has three camera lenses on its back. The expected S10 will have a smaller screen and smaller RAM and storage options, while the S10E (or S10 Lite) will serve as an entry-level version with even fewer bells and whistles, including an even smaller screen and no in-screen fingerprint reader.

Samsung will unveil its S10 line of phones on Feb 20 at an event in San Francisco. All of your questions about how screen protectors will work on the phone and whether it will eventually be offered in a 5G or be accompanied by a foldable model will hopefully be answered then.

Daniel Bean

Daniel Bean is a freelance writer with years of experience whose articles have appeared in Tom's Guide. He has previously worked for LinkedIn, Yahoo News, and the Observer, as well as TripleByte, Circa, Inverse, CBS, and ABC. Currently, he is full-time content lead for Mixpanel's blog, The Signal, writing about innovators and analytics.