New Galaxy Note 10 leak corroborates FHD+ display rumors but there may be improved water resistance to make up for it

Last week, rumors claimed that Samsung would further differentiate the Note 10 from the Note 10 Pro by saddling the former with a FHD+ display, instead of the QHD+ displays we've come to expect from Samsung flagships. There looks to be substance to that story, as a new tweet corroborates it.

According to the source, popular leakster Ishan Agarwal, the Note 10 will have to make do with a FHD+ panel. That's eerily reminiscent of what Samsung did with the Galaxy S10e. We've shared our thoughts on the fragmentation between the Note 10 and Note 10+ already, so there's not much else to say about that.

While a FHD+ display is disappointing, Samsung may introduce IP69 certification on the Note 10 phones. We're not sure how it works, really. IP68 refers to the ingress protection against dust and similar particles (6), and extended immersion, generally up to 1.5m of freshwater for 30 minutes (8). The 9 in IP69 refers to protection against high-pressure, high-temperature jet sprays and steam cleaning procedures.

Bumping the IP rating to IP69 doesn't necessarily mean it retains its IP68 capabilities. And IP69, in its own right, doesn't make much sense on an appliance as delicate as a smartphone. For one, a high-pressure jet spray would damage the display itself way before the owner can think about water damage. It's likely this may just be a marketing move to pacify users after the recent lawsuit over Samsung's water resistance.