Galaxy S10+ hands-on video points towards screen protector issues

With just seven days to go until Samsung’s highly-anticipated Unpacked event, the flagship Galaxy S10+ has just appeared in a new hands-on video courtesy of Mobile Fun.

Following a stream of leaked hands-on images and even official press renders, the video in question doesn’t reveal anything new about the premium smartphone’s design. However, it does confirm one rumored detail.

Around one month ago, a notable case maker determined through its own testing that the Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ wouldn’t be compatible with screen protectors. This was blamed on the ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner’s inability to work through extra layers on top of the display. And from the look of today’s video, it seems that, to some degree, this is indeed the case.

Despite this compatibility issue, it seems as though accessory makers have found a solution, albeit a rather odd-looking one. In addition to the usual sensor and camera cut-outs, the Galaxy S10 & S10+ screen protectors include huge holes that sit directly above the fingerprint sensor. This guarantees a working fingerprint scanner but does result in a rather ugly look.

Fortunately for consumers, it seems these compatibility issues will only be present with thicker screen protectors. In fact, Samsung itself is rumored to be shipping the Galaxy S10 lineup to consumers with some form of screen protector pre-installed.