At some point,
Samsung is going to release a
Galaxy S10 handset, or less likely a Galaxy S-X if it wants to borrow a page from
Apple (i.e.,
iPhone X series instead of iPhone 10). We can expect faster hardware, like a
Snapdragon 855 or
8150, and improved camera performance, both of which are staples of new flagship phones. But what about the display? A new patent application may shed some light on what is in store for the Galaxy S10's screen.
Samsung filed a patent application with the Korean Intellectual Property Office (Korea's equivalent of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO) for "Samsung Infinity-V." Samsung filed it under the "Classification 09" category, which includes smartphones and displays for smartphones. There aren't many details to go on, but we at least know it's related to mobile display panels.
The Galaxy S10 is a logical destination for a new display technology. For example, it could relate to Samsung implementing an in-display fingerprint scanner. We know this will be a feature of the Galaxy S10 because Samsung's mobile boss
DJ Koh essentially confirmed as much this past summer.
"DJ Koh said that the Galaxy S10 does not use an optical fingerprinting solution because optical fingerprinting can cause a bad user experience. Otherwise, Samsung could adopt it two years ago. We will bring a better screen fingerprinting experience for S10," prominent leaker and inside man 'Ice Universe' stated on Twitter.
Samsung also
owns a design patent that highlights a sensor embedded within an AMOLED display. So, we fully expect that to be a feature of the Galaxy S10.
That is not the only scenario where an Infinity-V patent might come into play. Samsung is rumored to be developing a phone with a
foldable display, called the
Galaxy F (some rumors have it pegged as the Galaxy X). The "V" in Infinity-V could be a clever way of indicating a fold—imagine folding a smartphone in a V shape. Calling it the Galaxy V would make more sense in that scenario, but who really knows what Samsung is thinking.