Hits and Misses: An in-depth comparison of all the Galaxy Note 10 rumors and their accuracies
Eleven days ago, Samsung launched its new flagship phones, the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+. The phones have received mixed reviews so far, but that's a subject we've tackled already. This time out, though, we're more interested in having a look at all the Galaxy Note 10 rumors that surfaced before the devices were launched, and seeing which ones turned out to be true...or utter nonsense.
Devices like the Note 10 get into the eyes of the media way before they're launched, in the forms of leaks, teasers, and just all-around unverifiable hearsay. It's the nature of the business after all. Most times, those leaks turn out to be completely unsubstantiated. At other times, though, gold is struck.
For some perspective, the first direct reference to the Galaxy Note 10 in our archives dates back to June 2018. The piece was on the Exynos 9820, in which it was claimed the SoC would feature Samsung's new M4 cores, said to be better than ARM's Cortex-A76. Solid enough rumor, we would say. The Note 10 ended up using the new Exynos 9825, but the S10 phones did make use of the Exynos 9820. On the flip side, the rumor claimed the Exynos 9820 would be a 7nm SoC, while it ended up being an 8nm one.
Rumors will be graded on a four-point system:
- Spot On
- Pretty Accurate
- Ehhh
- Nonsense
# | Rumors | Spot On | Pretty Accurate | Ehh | Nonsense |
| 1 | Samsung Galaxy Note 10 gets fancy codename, foreshadows innovative designs | √ | |||
| 2 | Samsung may ditch the 3.5 mm audio jack on the Note 10 and Galaxy S11 models | √ | |||
| 3 | Samsung rumored to have completed graphene battery development, may bring it to Galaxy Note 10 | √ | |||
| 4 | New leak alleges that the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 will have a 6.75 inch screen | √ | |||
| 5 | 5G version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 could be in the works; mysterious "luge" spotted | √ | |||
| 6 | Rumored camera and hardware specifications for upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 10 leaked; possible August launch | √ | |||
| 7 | Goodbye Bixby? Button-less Samsung Galaxy Note 10 may have a pressure-sensitive display | √ | |||
| 8 | The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 could have a compact variant | √ | |||
| 9 | Samsung Galaxy Note 10 now rumored to come in 4 different variants | √ | |||
| 10 | New leak reveals more on the four Samsung Galaxy Note 10 models | √ | |||
| 11 | Rumor states there will be a Pro version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 | √ | |||
| 12 | Renowned leaker offers cryptic clues about Samsung's "symmetrical" Galaxy Note 10 | √ | |||
| 13 | Fresh Samsung Galaxy Note 10 leaks: 4500 mAh battery, 25 W fast charging, model numbers deciphered | √ | |||
| 14 | Samsung Galaxy Note 10 whispers: No 25 W fast charging after all but maybe a pop-up camera to make up for it | √ | |||
| 15 | More possible insights on Samsung Galaxy Note 10 "Pro" spill on YouTube | √ | |||
| 16 | Something super is coming to the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 | √ | |||
| 17 | This is NOT the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 | √ | |||
| 18 | We have some bad news about the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 | √ | |||
| 19 | Expected colors for upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 10 phablets revealed | √ | |||
| 20 | Samsung could be upsetting the applecart with radical camera setup changes for the Galaxy Note 10 | √ | |||
| 21 | Updated | Gorgeous new Samsung Galaxy Note 10 concept renders give the clearest idea yet of what the phablet will look like | √ | |||
| 22 | Fingers crossed for an IR blaster: Latest leak about the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 reveals increased remote control interoperability | √ | |||
| 23 | Controversial main camera setup design has cast a cloud over the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 but there is a silver lining | √ | |||
| 24 | New Galaxy Note 10 concept render gives life to the rear camera setup; Samsung possibly targeting 90%+ screen-to-body ratio | √ | |||
| 25 | Something tasty is seemingly coming to the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 | √ | |||
| 26 | A cheaper Samsung Galaxy Note 10 may be in the works after all | √ | |||
| 27 | Hit the road jack: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 to join the USB-C brigade by ditching the headphone jack | √ | |||
| 28 | Renowned tipster contradicts latest Galaxy Note 10 buttons rumour | √ | |||
| 29 | Cryptic clues: Samsung looks set to bring 45 W charging to the Galaxy Note 10 | √ | |||
| 30 | Samsung Galaxy Note 10 rumor roundup: Alleged Geekbench appearances show different SoCs; gaming potential; concept render given the thumbs up | √ | |||
| 31 | Glorious Samsung Galaxy Note 10 concept renders reveal every aspect of the upcoming baby phablet | √ | |||
| 32 | This is the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Pro in all its glory | √ | |||
| 33 | Some Galaxy Note 10 Pro rumors were false after all | √ | |||
| 34 | The Galaxy Note 10 may have more models than it does rear-facing cameras | √ | |||
| 35 | The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 will be a chinless wonder | √ | |||
| 36 | Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Pro 5G confirmed to be powered by the 7 nm Exynos 9825 SoC | √ | |||
| 37 | Galaxy Note 10 locked in for August 7 Unpacked event in New York | √ | |||
| 38 | Simple but effective new Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Pro render will have you falling in love with it again | √ | |||
| 39 | TOF camera now projected for Samsung Galaxy Note 10 | √ | |||
| 40 | The latest Galaxy Note 10 rumor could be a deal breaker | √ | |||
| 41 | New Samsung Galaxy Note 10 5G renders point to a stunning flagship smartphone | √ | |||
| 42 | Leaked real-life photos of the Galaxy Note 10+ appear online | ||||
| 43 | Leak reveals Galaxy Note 10 launch prices | √ | |||
| 44 | Previously debunked feature now said to be coming with the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ | √ | |||
| 45 | Samsung’s upcoming 45 W fast charger will cost almost as much as a low-end smartphone | √ | |||
| 46 | Galaxy Note 10's display, battery capacity, and S Pen improvements get detailed in a new report | √ | |||
| 47 | Shafted: The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 could feature an underwhelming FHD+ display | √ | |||
| 48 | Galaxy Note 10 phones confirmed to feature a brand new SoC as pricing details leak | √ | |||
| 49 | Samsung is being touted to almost completely revert to Exynos SoCs on the Galaxy Note 10 phones | √ | |||
| 50 | New hands-on leak claims the Galaxy Note 10+ will feature a OnePlus 7 Pro-esque display | √ |
- Spot On: 12
- Pretty Accurate: 26
- Ehh: 3
- Nonsense: 9
Of the fifty considered articles, it's obvious that the majority were, well, pretty accurate. Deciding whether that is due to Notebookcheck's news-vetting system, or the nature of the grading system used here, is up to you. What this means, though, is that 76% of all Galaxy Note 10 published articles had some substance to them. On the flip side, about one in five were complete nonsense.
Those are some pretty solid odds, we must say.
Some other notable takeaways:
- Leaks by Ice Universe were almost always accurate. Even if not to the tee, they usually had substance to them.
- Most leaks on the batteries and charging technologies were inaccurate.
- Early renders were mostly inaccurate but it's surprising how soon an accurate render was put together.
- Renders by Onleaks were accurate.
- Initial pricing leaks were inaccurate, but a week prior to launch, correct prices were revealed
- Wild rumors generally turned out to be false. 100W fast-charging, IR blasters, graphene batteries, buttonless designs.
- Details of the phone's display were generally accurate, even as far back as last year.
- Articles with headlines using concrete terms like "confirmed" turned out to be correct.
- Just before the launch, two rumors surfaced that were completely false: the 90 Hz display, and Exynos-preference leaks. Unexpected reveals just prior to launch are to be taken with a grain of salt.
- Leaks by anonymous personas were mostly false. That's surprising, as we wouldn't expect anyone to lie on the Internet.
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