Samsung is in the middle of rolling out stable versions of Android 10 to a few of its flagships, most notably the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 families. However, there is now a device that holds the distinction of being the first Samsung smartphone to ship with Android 10 out-of-the-box: the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G on T-Mobile.
While the Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G has been out and available for months now, the T-Mobile version of the device is slightly different in that it doesn’t support mmWave signals (the Verizon variant of the device does). Instead, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G on T-Mobile is designed to work on that carrier’s sub-600MHz 5G band, which is active now for about 200 million people across the United States.
Regardless, the phone comes out of the box with Android 10 skinned-over with Samsung’s One UI 2.0, as confirmed by T-Mobile itself on Twitter:
I CAN CONFIRM
#Note10Plus5G DOES HAVE #Android 10 OOTB! pic.twitter.com/3Nv4HH03w0
— Des (@askdes) December 3, 2019
While this doesn’t assure us that the other variants of the Galaxy Note 10 will receive a stable version of Android 10 soon, it certainly suggests that the outcome is likely. Samsung set a goal for itself to launch stable Android 10 to its 2019 flagships by January 2020, but it’s absolutely possible most people will see it before the end of the year.
If you’re a T-Mobile customer and thinking you might want to purchase the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G on that network, you should keep in mind that the device isn’t exactly future-proof. Since it doesn’t support mmWave signals, you won’t have access to “true” 5G that T-Mobile has active in specific areas of certain cities. As mmWave technology expands to more locations, you’ll be missing out on that service.
Related: Samsung One UI 2.0 beta hands-on: A subtle Android 10 update for Galaxy phones
However, the device will still get very high speeds (roughly 500-600Mbps) and low latencies in areas where the sub-600MHz bands are active. So if you just want speed now and know you’ll upgrade in the next year or two, this phone might be a good fit.
As of now, there is no 5G-capable device from T-Mobile that can access both sub-600MHz bands and mmWave signals. You’ll need to wait for 2020 phones for that. If you’re interested in buying the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G on T-Mobile, click the button below!