Samsung Suddenly 'Confirms' New Galaxy's Nasty Surprise

There is much to admire about Samsung’s crucial 10th-anniversary Galaxy S10 range. But cracks are starting to appear, and now their headline feature has been exposed as having a very nasty surprise indeed…

‘Great Secret Features’ and ‘Nasty Surprises’ are my regular columns investigating the best features / biggest problems hidden behind the headlines.

Samsung Galaxy S10+ conceptCONCEPT CREATOR

Popular Dallas, Texas accessory maker ArmadilloTek has revealed the cutting-edge ultrasonic fingerprint reader which is built into the displays of the Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10 Plus and 5G Galaxy S10 has a fatal flaw: it doesn’t work with screen protectors.

“We have tested our cases on real #GalaxyS10 phones. The in-screen fingerprint does not support [a] screen protector,” ArmadilloTek explained. Consequently, the company confirmed its premium protective Vanguard cases for the Galaxy S10 will be the only version to ship with the screen-protector removed.

Of course, not everyone uses screen protectors (or even cases) but given Samsung’s steep price rises across the Galaxy S10 line-up, not having the option to fit one will be a deal breaker for some people.

The news also gives Samsung a headache.

The '3D sonic sensor' is an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint reader coming to smartphones in 2019QUALCOMM

Ultrasonic sensors, which are both faster and more secure than any previous fingerprint technology, were meant to be a big differentiator against both standard fingerprint readers and Apple’s Face ID facial unlock system. Given both these alternative technologies work with screen protectors, it seems Samsung has dug itself a hole it cannot escape.

On the flipside, the Galaxy S10 will still be one year ahead of Apple’s 2019 iPhone in terms of both connectivity and design so Samsung still has aces up its sleeve. Furthermore, with the launch date close, there isn’t long to wait to see if Samsung has got the balance right for you…

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