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Analysts have been all too happy to discuss 5G’s cart and horse problem, even as they wax poetic about the wireless technology’s future. Networks require devices and devices require networks. And while many have positioned 2019 as the year of 5G, both seem to be trickling out at a 2G rate.
Verizon (disclosure: our parent company’s parent company) just revealed a one-two punch: opening up preorders for the Galaxy S10 5G and announcing a list of 20 cities that will be getting the technology before year’s end.
The markets run coast to coast in the continental United States, including: Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Des Moines, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Little Rock, Memphis, Phoenix, Providence, San Diego, Salt Lake City and Washington, DC.
That bunch join Minneapolis and Chicago, which had 5G turned on in certain areas earlier this month.
The S10 5G, meanwhile is the first of two 5G phones announced by Samsung this year. The company will also be selling a 5G version of the Fold in certain markets — assuming it gets to the bottom of the base model’s screen issues. One assumes that a 5G version of the Note is also in the works.
At $1,300 for the 256GB model and $1,400 for the 512GB version, the 5G model is a downright bargain compared to the Fold, which starts at $1,980. We can probably expect 5G models to be priced north of $1,000 for a little while, at least. There are also carrier contracts available if renting to own is your thing.
When I interacted with the S10 5G earlier this year, there wasn’t much to discuss, as it was a dummy model that wouldn’t actually turn on. But you can expect something like a premium version of the Samsung flagship with a larger battery to deal with that extra 5G power consumption.
