The Galaxy S10 is part of Samsung’s flagship smartphone line for 2019. If you are shopping around for an Android-based smartphone, then this guide will help you quickly review the Samsung Galaxy S10 pros and cons.
Pulse 2.0 Score: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
The Samsung Galaxy S10 has received a Pulse 2.0 Score of 4.5 out of 5 stars. The reason why the score was on the higher end is due to the beautiful display, high-quality camera, and impressive specifications.
Pro: Large Edge-To-Edge Display
One of the best selling points of the Samsung Galaxy S10 is the gorgeous 6.1-inch Super AMOLED Infinity Display that makes colors pop and features deeper blacks. Plus the brightness works so well that you can still see what you are doing when the sun is out in full force.
The 6.1-inch display puts the Galaxy S10 at the middle size between the Galaxy S10e (5.8-inch) and the Galaxy S10+ (6.4-inch). Since the display is large, Samsung had to relocate the front-facing camera — which is now integrated into a small “punch-hole” built into the screen.
By using a punch-hole at the top right-corner, Samsung was able to avoid using the notch design. This is refreshing to see since a number of Samsung’s rivals went that route.
And the display has an HDR10+ specification, which is a video format that dynamically adjusts brightness levels on a scene-by-screen and frame-by-frame basis. This drastically improves the gaming and video viewing experience.
Pro: Elegant Design
What Samsung really gets right is the aesthetics of its devices. The front and back of the Galaxy S10 are made with glass. And the curves feature polished metal.
Pro: Excellent Screen-To-Body Radio
The Samsung Galaxy S10 features an impressive 93.1% screen-to-body ratio. And the bezels are so thin, the display stretches edge-to-edge from top to bottom and left to right. The display even stretches down Samsung’s signature curved edges.
The Galaxy S10’s dimensions are 149.9mm x 70.4mm x 7.8mm. This means it should easily fit in the palm of most people and can be used one-handed.
Pro: High-End Cameras
On the back of the Galaxy S10 is a triple-lens rear camera. The triple camera array features a normal, a telephoto, and a new ultra-wide lens. The ultra-wide lens makes it easier to capture more of the landscape without you having to physically move back. And the Galaxy S10 camera is able to take clear photos even in low light conditions.
The Live Focus feature allows you to blur the background. And you can adjust the blur intensity once the photo is taken. There are blur filters like artistic, spin, zoom, and color point.
And the bump housing the rear camera is not that big, which is also impressive. Many other smartphones this year have larger-sized bumps to house the rear cameras.
Pro: 3.5mm Headphone Jack Is Available
If you have wired headphones that you want to use with your Galaxy S10, then you are in luck because it has a 3.5mm headphone jack. This is impressive because Samsung has been able to reduce the thickness of the device without having to remove the headphone jack.
Pro: IP68 Rating
The Galaxy S10 has an IP68 rating, which means it is resistant to dust, dirt, and sand. And it is resistant to submersion up to a maximum depth of 1.5 meters underwater for up to thirty minutes.
Pro: Ultrasonic Fingerprint Sensor
Underneath the display of the Galaxy S10 is an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, which provides an extra layer of security without compromising screen real estate. So Samsung’s flagship devices no longer have a fingerprint reader on the back of the device nor is it visible on the device.
Pro: Wireless PowerShare
One of the unique Samsung Galaxy S10 features is known as Wireless PowerShare. The Wireless PowerShare feature allows you to use the back of the Galaxy S10 to charge another Qi-compatible device. However, PowerShare does not work when the phone battery life is under 30%.
Pro: Powerful Internal Components
Some of the other best Galaxy S10 features are the ones that you cannot see. For example, the Wi-Fi chip built into the Galaxy S10 supports the faster Wi-Fi 6 protocol. This means it is multiple times faster than 802.11ax.
Depending on your location, the Galaxy S10 either has a Snapdragon 855 or Exynos 9820 chipset. And pairing it with the 8GB of RAM that comes with the devices makes apps with high-quality graphics feel lightning fast.
Pro: Expandable Storage
The Galaxy S10 has two storage options: 128GB and 512GB. In terms of expandable storage, the Galaxy S10 single SIM model supports one Nano SIM and one MicroSD slot (up to 512GB) and the Dual SIM model (Hybrid SIM slot) features one Nano SIM and one Nano SIM or one MicroSD slot (up to 512GB)
Pro: Better Battery Life
Samsung has improved the battery life in the Galaxy S10 compared to the Galaxy S9 predecessor. The Galaxy S10 has a 3,400 mAh battery, which is a bump up from the 3,000 mAh battery capacity on the Galaxy S9. This should guarantee an “all-day” battery life even with heavy use.
And with moderate use, the battery should last you nearly two days. The Galaxy S10 charges through the USB-C port at the bottom or you can also charge it wirelessly.
Con: The S10e And S10+ Have Higher Value Propositions
While the Galaxy S10 has some excellent features, the value proposition of the Galaxy S10e and S10+ makes them sound more appealing than the main Galaxy S10.
For example, the Galaxy S10e has high-end specifications at a low price point. And the Galaxy S10+’s display is even more immersive, the battery lasts longer, and it has vapor chamber cooling so gaming on that device feels even more fluid.
Con: Higher Price Point
The retail price of the Samsung Galaxy S10 started out at $899 (128GB) and $1,149 (512GB) — which is on the higher end of smartphones. But now there are a number of deals available such as buy one get one free at T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T.
What are the Samsung Galaxy S10 specifications?
Here is an overview of the Galaxy S10 specifications:
Weight: 157g
Dimensions: 149.9mm x 70.4mm x 7.8mm
Colors: Prism White, Prism Black, Prism Green, Prism Blue
Display: 6.1-inch Quad HD+ 19:9 Dynamic AMOLED Infinity-O Display HDR10+ certified
Resolution: 3040×1440 (550 ppi)
Front Camera: 10-megapixel selfie camera, dual pixel AF, 1.22μm pixel size, 80˚ FOV, F1.9 aperture
Rear Camera: Triple camera, dual OIS, 0.5x out and 2x optical zoom, up to 10x digital zoom, HDR10+ recording, tracking AF
Telephoto Camera: 12-megapixel, PDAF/OIS, 1.0μm pixel size, 45˚ FOV, F2.4 aperture
Wide-Angle Camera: 12-megapixel Super Speed Dual Pixel AF / OIS, 1.4μm pixel size, 77˚ FOV, F1.5 mode/F2.4 mode dual aperture
Ultra-Wide Camera: 16-megapixel, 1.0μm pixel size, 123˚ FOV, F2.2 aperture
Camera Modes: Food, Panorama, Pro, Live focus with bokeh effect, photo, video, super slow-mo, slow motion, hyperlapse
Additional Camera Features: AR Emoji, Full View, Timer, HDR, Grid Lines, Floating Shutter Button, Motion Photos, Location Tags, Quick Launch
Video Recording: 4K UHD video recording at 60 fps (3840×2160), 1080p FHD video recording at 60 fps (1920×1080), 720p HD video recording at 30 fps (1280×720)
Shooting Speed: Super Slow-mo 720p video support at 960 fps / Hyperlapse 1080p video support / Slow motion 1080p video support at 240 fps
Battery: 3400 mAh
Charging: Improved wireless charging speeds with Fast Wireless Charging 2.0
Network: Enhanced 4×4 MIMO, Up to 7CA, LAA, LTE Cat.20 / Up to 2.0Gbps Download and up to 150Mbps Upload
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (2.4/5GHz),VHT80 MU-MIMO,1024QAM
Up to 1.2Gbps Download / Up to 1.2Gbps Upload
Processor: Snapdragon 855 or Exynos 9820 Mobile Platform
Memory: 8GB RAM
Storage Options: 128GB or 512GB
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