Released around a year ago, the
Galaxy Note 9 (shown above) is still an excellent smartphone, though technology moves at a frenetic pace. Both the
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (US models) and
Samsung's own
Exynos 9810 (most international models) are last-generation processors, supplanted by the
Snapdragon 855 and
Exynos 9820, respectively. It is expected that the Galaxy Note 10 will leverage the latest and greatest system-on-chip (SoC) silicon that
Qualcomm and Samsung have to offer, but there might also be a SKU with an burlier processor.
Based on previous leaks and rumors,
what we know so far about the Galaxy Note 10 is that it will ship in
two display sizes, which would be a first for the Galaxy Note series. The 'smaller' of the two will feature a 6.28-inch screen, while the bigger model will wield a 6.76-inch display, if the rumors are true. This is where things get interesting.
It's said that both versions will be available with or without
5G connectivity, but if Samsung opts to follow the same trail it blazed with its
Galaxy S10 family, there could be a separate 5G SKU—the Galaxy Note 10 Pro 5G.
We know (or strongly suspect) that Samsung will use Qualcomm's Snapdragon hardware in the US models and its own Exynos silicon in most of the international variants. However, XDA TV host and writer Max Weinbach spotted a reference to a Exynos 9825 SoC in what he claims is a benchmark that Samsung uses internally.
"A long time ago, I found the benchmarking Samsung uses internally. It shows model number, a score, and SoC along with build numbers for the devices. The Note 10 showed up today confirming the Exynos 9825," Weinbach stated on Twitter.
According to Weinback, this is for sure the SoC that Samsung will use in the Galaxy Note 10 Pro 5G model. While no benchmark data was provided, this suggests that the top-end Galaxy Note 10 SKU will separate itself from the pack with slightly better performance—we would expect a Exynos 9825 SoC to be clocked faster than the Exynos 9820.
This probably will not result in a huge disparity in benchmarking performance, and the real-world benefits will likely be negligible. Still, it's interesting that Samsung has some new (or revised) silicon waiting in the wings.
We won't have to wait too terribly long to find out. If the past is any indication, Samsung will formally introduce the Galaxy Note 10 family in August.