Galaxy Note 9 beta firmware suggests Verizon phone, Samsung 5G 'Bolt'

Over at XDA Developers, the team did a teardown of the latest One UI Android 9 Pie beta for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. Within the firmware, they found something peculiar: a reference to an as-yet-unknown Samsung 5G smartphone.

The firmware refers to a smartphone with the codename “bolt5gvzw.” The “5G” aspect of the codename is relatively easy to figure out, as is the final three letters, “VZW,” which reference Verizon Wireless. The “Bolt,” however, is unknown at this point, but is very likely the name of a smartphone.

If so, the codename suggests there is a Samsung 5G smartphone on the way to Verizon which will either be codenamed Bolt or be called the Samsung Bolt.

To be clear, this codename is different than the previously-rumored “ultimate” variant of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S10. That device’s codename is “beyondx” with the vanilla Galaxy S10 codenamed “beyond1,” the Galaxy S10 Plus codenamed “beyond2,” and the Galaxy S10 Lite codenamed “beyond0.”

The Note 9 firmware references all of these devices as well, including the “beyondx.” As such, this “bolt5gvzw” is something else entirely.

A few weeks ago, we heard that a Samsung 5G phone would hit Verizon, followed quickly by news that it would hit AT&T and T-Mobile, too. It’s possible that this “Bolt” smartphone is that 5G device. Or, it could be that this is a Verizon exclusive.

Whatever the case, one thing is for certain: Samsung is clearly going to be pushing 5G devices hard in 2019.

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