Samsung has confirmed that it will ship the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ with a screen protector. So, you won’t need to hunt for one that works with the new ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor when you get your Galaxy S10.
Note that the screen protector is the basic type, and not any sort of tempered glass options that you can find in retail channels. It is not uncommon for device makers to include screen protectors or have them preinstalled out-of-the-box. Many China phone makers, namely OnePlus, Huawei, Honor, and vivo include this in the box.
Samsung will be offering its own branded screen protectors in its retail stores, and is said to sell for USD30.
The Galaxy S10’s fancy new ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is posing a challenge for accessory makers. Protectors will either need to have a cutout where the fingerprint sensor is on the display, or the protectors will need to be thin enough to work.
The entry-level Galaxy S10e is unaffected as it has a side mounted fingerprint scanner instead.
My Galaxy S10+ media unit (European sourced) did not come with a bundled screen protector, so I’ve been trying to source for alternatives online. I’ve managed to pre-book a Samsung-branded one from a reseller on Lazada, and it should be arriving in a couple of days. Samsung Malaysia confirmed that Malaysian units will also come preinstalled with the plastic screen protector.
The new Galaxy S10 family hits stores on 8 March. Check out the three-day nationwide roadshow for exclusive goodies. Did you know Samsung Malaysia launched 10 units into space? You can win one of them!
For more about the Galaxy S10 read this announcement post.
