Samsung: Galaxy S10 Offers 'Compelling Story' For Businesses

With the 10th anniversary release of Samsung's flagship Galaxy S series, the company is pointing not only to its expanded reputation with U.S. consumers, but with businesses, as well.

That's thanks to a combination of business-centric features that are increasingly appearing in Samsung smartphones—including the brand-new Galaxy S10 models—and a major push in the IT channel in recent years, Samsung mobile channel chief Mike Coleman told CRN in an interview.

[Related: Samsung Looks To Stand Apart From Apple With Smartphones Geared To Business]

Samsung is "absolutely" the most channel-friendly smartphone vendor out there right now, Coleman said.

"I think our design, our functionality, our security, our flexibility and some of the business enhancements that we've added—I think that creates a very compelling story for many of our business customers," Coleman said. "And the channel partners are starting to see that and then position these devices as such."

For the Galaxy S10—which is soon launching in three versions, with a fourth, 5G-enabled version planned for a later date—new business- and channel-friendly features span from advanced fingerprint security to new wireless charging options to camera enhancements that can better meet professional needs.

Instead of the usual two Galaxy S models, Samsung is introducing three new models this year—the 6.1-inch Galaxy S10, 6.4-inch Galaxy S10+ and 5.8-inch Galaxy S10e.

The fingerprint scanner has gotten a revamp with the introduction of what Samsung is calling "ultrasonic" fingerprint scanning. The scanner offers a security boost with better anti-spoofing technology, where the scanner actually reads the 3-D ridges of a user's fingerprints, unlike other scanners that just take a 2-D picture.

The ultrasonic scanner is also what has been called an in-display scanner, which is less obtrusive because it just appears on the unlock screen to show users where to place their finger, and then disappears afterward. The scanner is the "holy grail" for advocates of fingerprint authentication, said Marco Nielsen, vice president of managed mobility services at Stratix, a Norcross, Ga.-based MSP and Samsung partner.

Meanwhile, Samsung is introducing a new camera sensor—an "ultra-wide" lens for capturing large scenes. The 16-megapixel ultra-wide camera features a 120-degree field of view, which is four times wider than the normal camera field of view, Samsung said. The camera "is really compelling for many businesses including health care, retail, manufacturing, warehousing," Coleman said.

The S10e will include one other camera, a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens, while the S10 and S10+ will include two additional cameras—the 12-megapixel wide-angle lens and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens.

All of the Galaxy S10 models will feature an AMOLED display, but one difference with the S10e is that it will include a fully flat screen while the S10 and S10+ will have curved edges.

The 10e was "designed specifically" for use with protective cases—which is a common need among businesses, Coleman said. "Without the curved edges, it's much easier to put a case on it and use it in a ruggedized environment," he said.

Another key new feature of the Galaxy S10 is the ability to wirelessly charge other Qi devices—even non-Samsung devices—by placing them on the back of the S10. The Wireless PowerShare feature essentially turns the S10 into a Qi wireless charging mat, allowing users to bring fewer charging cables with them—which could be an especially useful feature for business travelers, Samsung said.

Even some of the basic spec upgrades in the Galaxy S10 should be very important to business users, Nielsen said. All of the S10 models, for instance, will feature larger batteries than in previous Galaxy S phones. "Battery life is still the most important thing" for many users, Nielsen said.

In addition, the Galaxy S10 will move up to the high-performance Snapdragon 855 processor, and will also enable stronger performance by supporting the latest Wi-Fi standard, known as Wi-Fi 6.

Pricing for the Samsung Galaxy S10 starts at $899.99, while pricing starts at $999.99 for the Galaxy S10+ and at $749.99 for the Galaxy S10e. Pre-orders will launch for the Galaxy S10, S10+ and S10e on Feb. 21, and the three phones will ship on March 8. Samsung did not disclose pricing for the Galaxy S10 5G, but said it will be available during the first half of 2019.