Verizon has finally unveiled how much the 5G version of Samsung's Galaxy S10 is going to cost — $1,300. But there'll be a few exceptions.
The Big Red has now opened preorders for the handset. While that price puts the device out of reach for most people, there'll be a number of options to trim it down a bit. Verizon is offering up to $450 for trade-ins on eligible phones, and it's also adding a $200 prepaid Mastercard for those who switch to Verizon, purchase the device on a payment plan, and sign up for Verizon Unlimited.
In addition, the company will also waive the $10 monthly fee for 5G Ultra Wideband access. It'll also throw in a Samsung VIP kit, which includes a free pair of Samsung's Galaxy Buds, a wireless charging battery pack, and a free water bottle. Though to get these perks, the customer must preorder a Galaxy S10 5G between now and May 15 and then register the device in the Shop Samsung app.
Customers will be able to purchase the Galaxy S10 5G from Verizon stores on May 16.
5G Deployment
The carrier previously said it plans to deploy 5G in more than 30 cities this year. Now, it's named 20 of those cities, including Chicago and Minneapolis where the service has already been activated. The new cities, covering all coasts in the country, will all receive Verizon's millimeter wave 5G Ultra Wideband service before this year ends. The 20 cities are as follows:
• 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
• Washington DC
Verizon will announce more 5G cities sometime later this year, as well.
Should You Buy A 5G Phone Right Now?
Even for someone who lives in an area where 5G is accessible, it might not be wise to buy a phone with 5G capabilities at the moment. As many publications have discovered while testing Verizon's network in Chicago, the service tends to be spotty and typically requires the user to be outside most of the time to get decent speeds, since walls, windows, and other obstructions can quickly reduce 5G speeds down to regular 4G LTE speeds. That kind of compromise is a major no-no, especially for a phone that costs this much.
Still, 5G is poised to be the future of mobile connecitivty, and at the moment at least, $1,300 is the price one has to pay to have a device proofed for the future.
