Samsung's first 5G smartphone finally has a release date in the US

Henry Nicholls/Reuters

• Samsung announced that the Galaxy S10 5G, the first Samsung smartphone that will connect to the new and faster 5G networks, will be available in the US starting in May.
• Pre-orders for the Galaxy S10 5G will begin "soon," the company said.
• According to Verizon's Galaxy S10 5G product page, Verizon customers will be able to pre-order the Galaxy S10 5G on April 17 at midnight.
• Verizon has a seemingly short exclusivity period for the Galaxy S10 5G, with other carriers saying they'll offer the phone in May.
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Samsung announced on Thursday that its first smartphone that's compatible with new and faster 5G networks - the Galaxy S10 5G - will be available to buy in the US in May, with pre-orders starting "soon."

If Verizon's product page for the Galaxy S10 5G is anything to go by, "soon" for pre-orders means six days from Thursday on April 17 at midnight, at least for Verizon customers.

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Verizon has exclusivity for the Galaxy S10 5G, but it's not clear for how long. To date, Verizon has activated its 5G networks in two cities, including parts of Minneapolis and Chicago.

AT&T announced that it will offer the Galaxy S10 5G in the spring of 2019, so it's likely to be available for AT&T customers shortly after it's made available for Verizon customers. It's perhaps a matter of a few weeks, not months. AT&T has activated its 5G network in "parts" of 19 cities in the US to date.

Samsung

Sprint is also rolling out its 5G network in May, and will also make the Galaxy S10 5G available in the spring along with a phone from LG.

T-Mobile's 5G network rollout is more vague, with availability "this year." T-Mobile says that 5G phones will also be available "this year," without specifically mentioning the Galaxy S10 5G.