New details have emerged about Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.’s next flagship smartphone and the foldable handset that the company recently confirmed it’s developing.

Citing anonymous sources, Bloomberg reported today that the upcoming Galaxy S10 will support 5G networking technology, which promises to enable connections 10 to 100 times faster than today’s carrier infrastructure. Leading telecom companies worldwide, including Verizon Communication Inc. and AT&T Inc., have recently started the process of upgrading to 5G gear.

Beyond the high-speed connectivity, the S10 will reportedly sport a heavily upgraded display design. The tipsters said Samsung plans to embed a fingerprint sensor into the display and tuck the front-facing camera beneath it.

The exact layout will apparently vary among S10 models. Bloomberg’s tipsters said Samsung has three versions in the pipe: a standard edition with an OLED display similar in size to the 5.8-inch screen on the current S9, a “supersized” variant and a third, more budget-friendly option. The latter model could reportedly ship without an in-display fingerprint sensor.

Today’s report didn’t go into detail about the screen size of the last two versions, but respected mobile industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in July that he believes the S10 will come in 5.8-inch, 6.1-inch and 6.3-inch editions. Kuo has developed a reputation for successfully predicting the specifications of Samsung and Apple Inc. handsets ahead of their launch.

It will be a while before official specifications are released for the S10, but today’s report indicated that Samsung could reveal details about its long-rumored foldable phone in the foreseeable future. A source was quoted as saying that the company plans to unveil “a detailed conceptual image of the phone, its features and user interface” at its developer conference next month. A teaser video that Samsung recently released for the event appears to hint at the device.

According to Bloomberg, the foldable phone is codenamed “Winner” internally and could arrive in one of two forms. One variation that Samsung is said to be considering can be closed vertically like a book, while the other features a vertically oriented hinge that is reportedly the front-runner for release.

The tipsters said the company has already put together a physical prototype. The device’s primary screen is reportedly coated with a film that “feels like ones used in photography instead of glass,” while a secondary four-inch display on the exterior makes it possible to perform tasks such as checking alerts without unfolding the device. In all, the phone is said to weigh more than 200 grams thanks to its extraordinarily large screen.

Rumors about Samsung’s foldable display have been swirling for years. Sources told the Wall Street Journal in July that the device’s primary screen will measure about seven inches across, making it “roughly the size of a smaller tablet.”

Image: Samsung