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Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Galaxy S10
...


9/10
Informr score
The Samsung Galaxy S10 currently has an Informr score of 9 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 49 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

The "1-Minute" Review

Verdict

Sitting in the middle of Samsung’s 2019 lineup, the S10 offers an excellent balance of performance and design with a price typical of today’s high-end phones. If you’re looking for a capable phone that still fits in your pocket, reviews show the phone is a great choice.

What's good

  • Stunning HDR display
  • Great build quality
  • Excellent performance
  • Plenty of storage
  • Headphone jack
  • Latest version of Android

What's bad

  • Sluggish fingerprint sensor
  • Camera so-so in low light
  • Hole punch camera annoyed some reviewers

Samsung’s Galaxy S phones are the pinnacle of their lineup. And they consistently top Android sales charts with their mix of power, refinement, and beautiful displays. So has Samsung met expectations with their latest release? Reviewers across the web are weighing in. We’ve scoured what they’re saying to bring you this summary.

Design

One look at the phone and it’s obviously Samsung. It features an aluminum frame with glass on the front and rear. Like many top-end phones, it also boasts IP68 water and dust resistance.

Reviewers loved the rounded edges and near-bezel-less design but worried about the phone cracking if dropped. So you’ll want to use the included case or pick one up when you buy your phone.

Good Gear Guide says, “If anything, the feel-factor here reminds me most of the iPhone XS. It's cutting edge tech paired up with appropriate luxury aesthetics. To Samsung's credit, it's the first (and only) Android device I've ever used that's managed to strike that same decadent chord.

Display

Around front, the phone features a 6.1-inch curved Dynamic AMOLED display with HDR10+ support running at 3,040-by-1440 pixels. With a 522PPI rating, it’s one of the sharpest on the market.

Reviewers loved the bold colors, bright backlight, and the edge-to-edge look of the screen. The display also has full support for streaming HDR content from your favorite video providers to help you put the screen to good use.

Android Authority praises the screen’s quality, saying, “Simply put, the S10 has one of the best displays I’ve ever seen. It’s a stunner top to bottom.

Unlike past releases, the S10 includes an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner built into the display. This allows them to make the screen nearly bezel-free.

Unfortunately, reviewers had minor issues with finger recognition and delays when using the in-display scanner. However, most noted the delay was only around 1 second. So it might not matter as much to you.

What could matter, however, is that some screen protectors are not compatible with the fingerprint sensor technology. While the phone ships with a screen protector already applied, you’ll want to be careful to check that your replacement is compatible should you ever need a new one.

And, in what will probably become the big debate of 2019, the screen includes a hole punch camera. Instead of the notches of last year, the camera setup is reduced to a single round camera in the upper corner of the display. Much like the notch, reviewers either loved or hated it. If you’re not sure how you feel, be sure to check a few videos or look at the phone in person before purchasing.

Performance

Depending on your region, the phone sports either an octa-core Snapdragon 855 or an octa-core Samsung Exynos 9820 processor. Regardless of region, all Galaxy S10 models come with 8GB of RAM.

And, as expect for a brand new Samsung release, the benchmarks for the phone are outstanding. It still won’t keep up with the latest iPhone… but no Android phone does. Still, it’s more than powerful enough to take on heavy multitasking, play the latest games, or capture beautiful 4K video.

Digit notes, “... The Samsung Galaxy S10 performs the way a flagship smartphone should: it runs multiple heavy apps simultaneously without any signs of sweat or delay.

Software

The phone ships with Android 9.0 Pie and Samsung’s OneUI skin. Unlike past Samsung skins, reviewers quite liked the subtle changes offered. While there are a few redundant Samsung apps, they’re easily uninstalled. And any changes to the UI are functional instead of mere eye candy.

Good Gear Guide praises Samsung’s redesigned skin, saying, “All told, I'm honestly thrilled with OneUI. I feel like it sets a new high watermark for Android skins that aren't terrible. I wish every Android phone out there felt this good to use from moment-to-moment.

Storage

You have two choices for internal storage with the S10 -- 128GB or 512GB. While both are likely enough for the average person, you’ll also find microSD cards support for cards up to 512GB should you need more space.

Cameras

Samsung’s marketing focuses on the “next-generation” cameras in their latest release. While reviews are positive, the triple camera rear setup with 12MP telephoto and wide-angle lenses and a 16MP ultra-wide angle lens weren’t without fault.

Low-light images have a tendency to get noisy. The ultra-wide angle lens also had issues with fisheye effects when shooting objects close to the camera.

While it might not keep up with the absolute best camera phones out there, it puts up a respectable fight and is fast and flexible enough for the average person.

The front-facing 10MP camera also received praise for its well-lit shots and effective portrait mode. However, reviewers noted selfies often looked softer and “beautified” even with beautification settings disabled.

Android Authority shot pictures with their phone around Los Angeles and said, “I was generally happy with exposure and white/color balance. Photos appeared to be balanced properly with respect to bright and dark regions. I saw very little grain in dark shots… White balance is accurate, but color was pushed a bit much for my tastes. This is signature Samsung.

Battery Life

Things pick back up again with battery life. The phone includes a 3,400mAh battery with USB-C quick charging and Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 support.

Digit put their review unit through its paces and said, “If you’re a medium to heavy user of your phone, you can expect the Samsung Galaxy S10 to last you a little over a day on a single charge.

If you’re a heavy game player or video watcher, you might need to keep a charger around. However, for most, you’ll reach a full day on a single charge with no problems.

Audio

Bucking top-end phone trends, the Galaxy S10 keeps its headphone jack. There are also stereo speakers using a bottom-firing speaker and the earpiece. Dolby Atmos support also helps to add more spatial effect to the audio.

No matter how you listen, reviews indicate you’ll enjoy plenty of volume and a well-rounded sound.

_

The Takeaway

Overall, reviews for the S10 are positive. The biggest questions surrounding the phone are whether it’s worth the extra price of the S10e or cheap enough to justify not jumping to the S10 Plus.

NDTV declares, “If you are looking for a smartphone that does it all and fits comfortably in the palm of your hand, your search ends here.

Stuff says, “If you've got to have the best Samsung and arguably the best Android, yet don't see the point in twin selfie cameras or ridiculous zooming capabilities, the S10 is pretty much all the phone you'd ever need.


Android
Operating system
Operating system
Android
2.8 GHz
Processor
Processor
2.8 GHz
6.1"
Screen Size
Screen Size
6.1"
12+ MP, f/2.4
Camera
Camera
12+ MP, f/2.4
3400 mAh
Battery


What the Critics Are Saying...


TechRadar
TechRadar

The Galaxy S10 is a fitting 10th anniversary phone for Samsung and its storied S series. It delivers on change with a novel-looking Infinity-O screen so large it displaces the front camera, and a triple-lens rear camera that takes ultra-wide photos. Its in-screen fingerprint sensor tech should serve...

- Matt Swider, John McCann, TechRadar
Geeknizer
Geeknizer

It still hаѕ a big, bеаutіful ѕсrееn that’s grеаt for wаtсhіng vіdеоѕ, but іt dоеѕn’t make уоur hаnd hurt holding іt. Pеrfоrmаnсе is gооd, thе саmеrа’ѕ gооd and the ѕоftwаrе іѕ the start оf a rethink of how wе uѕе bіg phones. Thе ultrasonic fingerprint scanner wоrkѕ wеll еnоugh tоо and thеrе’ѕ еvеn...

- Karan S, Geeknizer
Pocket-lint
Pocket-lint

A compact and powerful phone that offers a great consistent experience. The battery life isn't great and the camera isn't best in class when it comes to mode challenging situations. The software remains some of the most mature and comprehensive making it a pleasure to use, but there are equally-powe...

- Chris Hall, Pocket-lint
The Guardian
The Guardian

The Samsung Galaxy S10 is an all-round great phone that thankfully keeps things at a manageable size. It still has a big, beautiful screen that’s great for watching videos, but it doesn’t make your hand hurt holding it. Performance is good, the camera’s good and the software is the start of a rethin...

- Samuel Gibbs, The Guardian
BGR
BGR

The Samsung Galaxy S10 is the perfect premium smartphone that we’d expected from Samsung in 2019. Among the Galaxy S10 series trio, the Galaxy S10 is company’s most-balanced smartphone, which is not too big or small, and comes with flagship-grade camera and specifications. In my opinion, the Galaxy...

- Hitesh Arora, BGR


Prices (Where to Buy)




Common Questions


The Galaxy S10 price will vary depending on retailer, age, special offers and whether or not it's purchased with a service plan. If purchased with a 2 year service contract for example, you would likely pay much less for the phone itself up front. You can compare Samsung Galaxy S10 prices from around the web here on The Informr.


We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Samsung Galaxy S10 user manual here.


Samsung backs up the Galaxy S10 with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.


If your Galaxy S10 has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Samsung support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Samsung's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.



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Quick view

Screen Size
6.1"

The Samsung Galaxy S10's screen size is 6.1 inches with 1440 x 3040 pixels resolution.

Processor
2.8 GHz

There is a Qualcomm SDM855 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) Octa-core 2.8 GHz processor (CPU).

OS

The phone runs on the Android 9.0 Pie (Update Available: 11) operating system (OS).

Camera
12+ MP

You can take photos or capture video with the phone's onboard 12+ MP, f/2.4 camera.

There is also a secondary front facing camera with 10+ megapixels resolution.

Storage
128/512 GB

Internal memory is 128/512 GB. An external, MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 512 GB) expansion slot is available for increased storage capacity.

Battery
3400mAh

The phone is powered by a Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion), 3400 mAh battery. Samsung's performance ratings are 1260 minutes, 840 minutes Wi-Fi surfing.

Galaxy S10 Specs

Overview
Release Date March 8, 2019
Regions Available USA, Canada, United Kingdom
Operating System Android 9.0 Pie (Update Available: 11)

Compare Android Smartphones

Processor Qualcomm SDM855 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) Octa-core 2.8 GHz
Internal Storage 128/512 GB
RAM 8 GB
Hearing Aid Compatible Yes
TTY/TDD Yes
Noise Cancellation Yes
SAR Head: 0.39 W/kg
Body: 1.37 W/kg
Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year
Accessories Included USB Power Adapter, Manual, Headphones, Data Cable
Cellular
Networks
GPRS, EDGE, EV-DO, HSUPA, HSPA+, LTE
Mobile / Cellular Data
4G/LTE
Push-to-talk (PTT) No
Wi-Fi Calling Yes
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) Yes
SIM card size
Nano-SIM
Dual SIM No
Connectivity
USB USB Type-C
USB OTG Support Yes
GPS Type A-GPS
Infrared No
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth Profiles A2DP, AVRCP, OPP/FTP, HID, HFP, HSP, PAN
Bluetooth Audio Codecs SBC, aptX
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Mobile Hotspot Yes
Memory Expansion Slot Yes
Expansion Slot Info MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 512 GB)
NFC Yes
Data Tethering Compatibility Yes
Camera
Main Camera
Resolution / Aperture
12+ Megapixels, f/2.4
Zoom
2x optical, 10x digital
Flash
Yes (LED)
Additional Rear Camera Info
Auto focus, Brightness control, Effects, Face detection, Geotagging, Image stabilization, ISO, Multi-shot, Night mode, Panorama, Red-eye reduction, Self-timer, Smile detection, White balance, 2nd camera feature (12 MP, F1.5/F2.4), 3rd camera feature (16 MP, F2.2), HDR, Time lapse mode, Slow motion recording
Video Recording Formats
MPEG-4
Video Recording Parameters
Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 pixels), 60 fps
Front Camera
Resolution / Aperture
10+ Megapixels
Additional Front Camera Info
Auto focus, Image stabilization, HDR, Aperture F1.9
Video Recording Parameters
Display / Screen
Type Color
Technology AMOLED
Colors 16.7 million
Resolution 1440 x 3040 pixels
Pixel Density 550 pixels
Size 6.1 inches
Secondary Display No
Sensors Ambient Light, Proximity, Motion / Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Digital Compass
Multi-Touch Yes
Fingerprint-Resistant Coating No
Additional Display Features Capacitive touchscreen, Corning Gorilla Glass 6, HDR
Power & Battery
Battery Type Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)
Battery Capacity 3400 mAh
Removable Battery No
Wireless Charging Yes
Fast Charging Yes
Video Playback Time Up to 1200 minutes
Internet Use (Wi-Fi) Up to 840 minutes
Internet Use (Cellular) Up to 840 minutes
Talk Time Up to 1260 minutes
Standby Time Up to 13 days
Mixed Usage
Physical Characteristics
Design Type Bar
Material Glass
Colors Prism White, Prism Black, Flamingo Pink, Prism Blue, Prism Green, Cardinal Red
Dimensions [H x W x D] 14.99 x 7.04 x 0.78 cm (5.9 x 2.8 x 0.3 in)
Weight 157 grams
Water Resistant / Waterproof Yes
Rugged design No
IP Rating IP 68
Headset Jack 3.5mm
External Speakers Stereo
Input / Navigation
Sleep / Wake Key Yes
Home Key No
Input / Keyboard Type Touchscreen
Navigation Type Touchscreen
External Volume Control Yes
Fingerprint Sensor Yes
More
Additional Information Other Names (AKA):

Additional sensors:

  • Barometer
  • Heart Rate Sensor
Related Links Manual (PDF)
Samsung Galaxy S10 Reviews
Where to buy Samsung Galaxy S10
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