Confirmed: Galaxy S10 includes crypto functionality

Rumors began circulating late last year that Samsung’s newest iteration of its popular S10 smartphone would come with a cryptocurrency wallet. Since then, Samsung appeared and denied the rumors, asserting that the tech giant wasn’t going to offer crypto capabilities in the phone. It now appears that there is at least a little bit of truth to the rumors, as well as to Samsung’s assertions. The S10 definitely includes crypto – to a point. 

According to a Samsung press release yesterday, the S10 includes “defense-grade Samsung Knox.” It also includes a “secure storage backed by hardware, which houses your private keys for blockchain-enabled mobile services.”

This is more than likely just the first step for the leading smartphone manufacturer. It wouldn’t be surprising if, with future releases, additional crypto and blockchain features were added. 

Samsung describes Samsung Knox as a platform “built into Samsung smartphones, tablets, and wearables at the manufacturing stage, so you have it the moment you unpack your device. The Knox platform consists of overlapping defense and security mechanisms that protect against intrusion, malware, and more malicious threats.” It has been included with many Samsung products previously, but this is the first time that the company includes additional security for crypto.

According to eToro analyst Mati Greenspan, “The new added feature built into Samsung’s S10 is certainly noteworthy and is yet another sign that more people and companies are taking crypto and blockchain seriously.”

The new S10 is now available for pre-order in certain locations and are expected to start shipping on March 8. The S10 5G will initially be exclusively available through Verizon Wireless during the first half of the year, according to Samsung, and then will be offered by AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Spectrum Mobile and Xfinity mobile at a later date. 

In line with the Finney and the Exodus, the phone’s price tag approaches the $1,000 mark for the base models and goes up from there. The S10e will run around $750, the S10 will set users back about $900 and the S10+ is right at $1,000. Both the S10 and the S10+ come with a free pair of Galaxy Buds.