Samsung just announced the 10th iteration of its flagship Galaxy smartphone, the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus. The phones maximize every possible spec, but they do so in a way that seems more elegantly integrated than the last few Galaxy iterations.
This S10 pair succeeds last year’s Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus, and they are also accompanied by a new Galaxy S10E model. All three phones will be available for preorder starting tomorrow, February 21st, and they will start shipping on March 8th. The S10 family will also be available unlocked from Samsung and other retailers, starting at $899.99 for the S10 and $999.99 for the S10 Plus.
Continuing Samsung’s years-long effort to remove bezels and provide the most screen possible in a device you can hold in your hand, the S10 and S10 Plus’ design centers on 6.1-inch and 6.4-inch screens, respectively, with nary a bezel around them. Both models have considerably larger displays than the S9 and S9 Plus, but their overall dimensions are just a smidge larger than before. In fact, the S10 Plus is actually slightly shorter than the S9 Plus, despite having a 0.2-inch larger display. Still, both of these phones are big, and if you’re at all put off by that, the S10E is more likely up your alley.
Samsung Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus specs:
- Screen: 6.1-inch / 6.4-inch “Dynamic AMOLED” display, Quad HD+ resolution in a 19:9 aspect ratio
- Rear cameras: Wide angle 12-megapixel (77-degree), telephoto 12-megapixel (45-degree), and ultra wide 16-megapixel (123-degree)
- Selfie camera: 10 megapixels, 8-megapixel RGB depth camera (S10 Plus)
- Dimensions: 70.4 x 149.9 x 7.8mm, 157 grams (S10) / 74.1 x 157.6 x 7.8mm, 175g (Ceramic: 198g) (S10 Plus)
- Processor: Snapdragon 855 (in the US, Exynos in some regions)
- Memory: 8GB or 12GB RAM
- Storage: 128GB to 512GB (1TB on S10 Plus), expandable via microSD
- Battery: 3,400mAh (S10) / 4,100mAh (S10 Plus)
- OS: Android 9 Pie with Samsung One UI
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5, LTE Cat.20
- Wireless charging, USB-C, headphone jack
The is a new kind of in-display fingerprint sensor and one downside to an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner is that it can’t work through thick screen protectors, so Samsung is certifying certain third-party screen protectors that have been tested to work with the S10. We’ll have to see what those look like when they are released, but the short of the matter is: don’t expect many tempered glass options for the S10.
3 cameras
The S10 and S10 Plus both have the same rear camera systems: a three-lens array that provides wide, super wide, and telephoto framing options at the touch of a button. The wide and telephoto cameras are the same ones that were found on last year’s S9 Plus, with 12-megapixel sensors and optically stabilized lenses. The telephoto lens has an f/2.4 aperture, while the wide camera has the same aperture-switching system that debuted last year and allows for switching between f/1.5 and f/2.4. The new ultra wide camera offers a 123-degree field of view through an f/2.2 lens and has a 16-megapixel sensor. Unfortunately, it is a fixed-focus lens that lacks autofocus. But at those super wide angles, that shouldn’t be that much of a problem.
There are a couple of new software features related to the camera: an expanded set of “Scene Optimizer” selections that can automatically identify 30 different scenes and optimize the camera’s settings for them, and a new “Shot Suggestion” feature that can help fix poorly framed photos.
For video recording, the S10 supports 4K UHD recording on both the front and rear cameras, and it can record in HDR10+. There’s also a new “super steady video” mode for smoother footage. The iPhone remains the leader when it comes to video recording, but we’ll see if Samsung has been able to make up any ground this year.
The S10’s front camera has been upgraded to 10 megapixels, with an f/1.9 aperture lens and dual-pixel autofocus. The S10 Plus has a second, 8-megapixel front camera that it uses for improved depth sensing and portrait modes. Unlike the Pixel 3, the S10 Plus’ second front camera does not offer a wider field of view; it is used solely for depth effects. Samsung says the standard S10 will also have portrait mode features, though they will not be as “advanced” as what’s on the S10 Plus.
Unsurprisingly, the S10 and S10 Plus’ feature lists don’t end there: they also have IP68 water and dust resistance, 3.5mm headphone jacks, and support for Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5, and 2Gbps LTE.
The S10 is launching with Android 9 Pie and Samsung’s new One UI interface, which just recently arrived on the S9 models. And, yes, it still has a Bixby button that launches Bixby and does Bixby stuff and likely can’t be easily reprogrammed to anything else. Samsung says it has developed new routines for Bixby, so we’ll have to see how well they work in practice.
