Before I wax poetic about Samsung’s new family of flagship smartphones, let’s talk money. The new line of Galaxy S10s are premium phones and they are premium priced. A 1TB Galaxy S10 Plus model will set you back $1,600. Yes, you read that right. It’s the most expensive smartphone on the market today. That said, Samsung has paid close attention to how its customers actually use their phones, and each phone is available in several configurations. So, before you apply for a second mortgage to finance your new phone, spend a minute to see which feature set fits your personal use case (and your budget). Somewhere on this page is the perfect Android phone for almost every Android lover.
The Galaxy S10 Line
On Wednesday, Samsung announced its line of Galaxy S10 handhelds, promising “more screen, cameras and choices.” Here’s what you need to know about the Galaxy S10, S10+, S10e, and S10 5G.
The Screen
All S10 devices feature the world’s first Dynamic AMOLED display and are the first smartphones to be HDR10+ certified. That means you’ll get vibrant colors, deeper blacks, and brighter whites.
Each model has a different size/quality screen:
- S10e: 5.8-inch, Full HD+ Flat Dynamic AMOLED, 19:9 (522ppi)
- S10: 6.1-inch Quad HD+ Curved Dynamic AMOLED, 19:9 (550ppi)
- S10+: 6.4-inch Quad HD+ Curved Dynamic AMOLED, 19:9 (438ppi)
- S10 5G: 6.7-inch Quad HD+ Curved Dynamic AMOLED, 19:9 (505ppi)
No Notch
The big news: there’s no notch! The S10’s Infinity-O Display hides its sensors and front-facing camera tech into its “hole-in display.” Complaints about the notch have been overblown, but this is a good step toward a device with an uninterrupted edge-to-edge display.
The S10 is also the first phone with an in-display Ultrasonic Fingerprint Scanner that reads the 3D contours of your thumb, rather than a 2D image of it. That means better security and “next generation biometrics [for] vault-like security to keep your device safe.”
The Cameras
Just about every new flagship smartphone offers the best camera experience that’s ever been included in a smartphone, of all time, period. The S10 features an “Ultra Wide Lens” with a 123-degree field of view, which matches the human eye’s field of view. That means your phone can capture exactly the same view you’re looking at.
Both the front-facing and rear-facing cameras can capture UHD video, and the rear-facing camera is the first in a smartphone that can capture video in HDR10+.
Each S10 model has different rear-facing camera specs:
S10e
- Dual Camera with OIS
- Wide-angle: 12MP Dual Pixel AF, F1.5/F2.4, OIS (77°)
- Ultra Wide: 16MP FF, F2.2 (123°)
- 0.5X optical zoom, up to 8X digital zoom
S10
- Triple Camera with Dual OIS
- Telephoto: 12MP PDAF, F2.4, OIS (45°)
- Wide-angle: 12MP Dual Pixel AF, F1.5/F2.4, OIS (77°)
- Ultra Wide: 16MP FF, F2.2 (123°)
- 0.5X/2X optical zoom, up to 10X digital zoom
S10+
- Triple Camera with Dual OIS
- Telephoto: 12MP PDAF, F2.4, OIS (45°)
- Wide-angle: 12MP Dual Pixel AF, F1.5/F2.4, OIS (77°)
- Ultra Wide: 16MP FF, F2.2 (123°)
- 0.5X/2X optical zoom, up to 10X digital zoom
S10 5G
- Quadruple Camera with Dual OIS
- Telephoto: 12MP PDAF, F2.4, OIS (45°)
- Wide-angle: 12MP Dual Pixel AF, F1.5/F2.4, OIS (77°)
- Ultra Wide: 16MP FF, F2.2 (123°)
- 0.5X/2X optical zoom, up to 10X digital zoom 3D Depth: hQVGA
If your photography skills need some work, the S10 offers a few features to keep your photos and videos looking great. “Super Steady recording” uses stabilization tech to keep your action shots looking great, while the phone’s Neural Processing Unit (NPU) helps you capture “pro-grade shots” by choosing the right camera settings. Don’t have a good eye for composition? The S10 even offers recommendations for perfect photo framing.
Wireless PowerShare and AI-assisted Battery Optimization
Most top-end smartphones offer wireless charging, but Samsung is rolling out Wireless PowerShare with the S10, the most useful and welcome innovation in years. Say you’re out at a restaurant with your friend and their phone battery is low. You just toggle on the Wireless PowerShare feature on your S10, and your friend can put their phone on top of your phone and charge it from your battery. It works really well, and at last week’s press briefing, another writer’s iPhone was down to 1%. She put it on the Galaxy S10 Plus for just a minute, and we saw the familiar Apple appear on the screen. Very cool.
The S10 has built-in AI to optimize its battery, CPU, RAM, and internal temperature, which helps everything work better based on how you use your phone. Samsung says the AI software can help you open your favorite apps faster … we’ll see how well that works.
Intelligent Wi-Fi
The S10 features “Intelligent Wi-Fi” for a safe and speedy connection by toggling between Wi-Fi and LTE, while reminding you that you probably shouldn’t connect to that sketchy, unsecured network. The S10 supports the new Wi-Fi 6 standard, which means prioritized connections and faster access over other users in crowded areas, like at airports.
Like Siri Shortcuts on the iPhone, Samsung added Bixby Routines to the S10 to help automate your routines (like when you’re driving, sleeping, or watching a movie), as well as offer personalized recommendations. The goal is for Bixby to learn how you use your phone, then automate those processes so that you spend less of your life fiddling with settings.
The Nuts & Bolts
The most noteworthy step up from previous smartphones to the S10 is the inclusion of 5G on the S10 5G model. Samsung is one of the first major smartphone manufacturers to unveil a phone with 5G capabilities. Apple likely won’t release a 5G-capable smartphone until 2020, so this is a big deal.
While 5G isn’t widely available yet, no matter what AT&T wants you to think, the S10 is the first Samsung device with 5G capabilities. Verizon will be the exclusive provider of the S10 5G for the first half of 2019, with other providers offering it later this summer.
Samsung is being tight-lipped about the processors included in these phones, but announced that all four models will feature one of two processors (likely the Snapdragon 855 in the United States and an Exynos chip in some other regions):
- 7nm 64-bit Octa-core processor (Max. 2.8 GHz + 2.4 GHz + 1.7 GHz)
- 8nm 64-bit Octa-core processor (Max. 2.7 GHz + 2.3 GHz + 1.9 GHz)
Each of the four models comes with different RAM/storage configurations, too:
S10e
- Memory: 6GB/8GB RAM (LPDDR4X)
- Storage: 128GB/256GB + MicroSD slot (up to 512GB)
S10
- 6.1-inch Quad HD+ Curved Dynamic AMOLED, 19:9 (550ppi)
- Memory: 8GB RAM (LPDDR4X)
- Storage: 128GB/512GB + MicroSD slot (up to 512GB)
S10+
- 6.4-inch Quad HD+ Curved Dynamic AMOLED, 19:9 (438ppi)
- Memory: 8GB/12GB RAM (LPDDR4X)
- Storage: 128GB/512GB/1TB + MicroSD slot (up to 512GB)
S10 5G
- 6.7-inch Quad HD+ Curved Dynamic AMOLED, 19:9 (505ppi)
- Memory: 8GB RAM
- Storage: 256GB (No MicroSD)
The Cost
If you’re looking for the Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, or Galaxy S10e, you’ll be able to pick one up at your favorite retailer starting on March 8. Preorders are available now. Consumers who preorder a Galaxy S10 or Galaxy S10+ by March 7, 2019 will get a free pair of Galaxy Buds (MSRP $129.99). Pricing starts at $899.99 for Galaxy S10, $999.99 for Galaxy S10+, and $749.99 for Galaxy S10e for both carrier and unlocked versions.
The S10 will be available in Prism White, Prism Black, Prism Blue, and Flamingo Pink in carrier and unlocked by Samsung versions in the United States. Looking for a new kind of color? The Galaxy S10+ will also be available in Ceramic Black and Ceramic White.
The Galaxy Fold
Featuring a new 7.3-inch Infinity Flex Display that allows the phone itself to have a tablet-sized screen that can be folded to fit into a pocket, the Galaxy Fold is something to see. The main display is QXGA+ resolution (4.2:3), and when it’s folded, a smaller 4.6-inch HD+ (12:9) display is used for the phone mode. It will be available on April 26, 2019 starting at $1,980. I’ll do a complete review as the date gets closer. And no, I don’t think I want one – I know I want one.
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. Samsung is a featured partner of the Shelly Palmer Innovation Series.