Though each the Galaxy S10 and Note 10 launched final yr, Samsung’s 2019 flagship telephones and ultraluxe telephones are nonetheless incredible gadgets. Both provide high-end specs that embody sensible AMOLED shows, highly effective cameras and ultrafast processors. In addition, now that the 2020 Galaxy S20 is out, Samsung has discounted the Galaxy S10 considerably from $900, £799 and AU$1,349 to $750, £669 and AU$1,149. If you are deciding between the 2 telephones, we advocate the Galaxy S10. You’ll get related specs and efficiency to the Note 10 (give or take just a few issues that we’ll go intimately about later), however at a decrease value. For extra about each telephones, learn CNET’s walk-through that compares these on the idea of design, digicam, efficiency and storage. And for one more comparability, learn CNET’s Note 10 Plus vs. Note 9: Which Galaxy Note is the higher purchase?
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With its massive show, cheaper price ticket and comparable {hardware} specs to the Note 10, the Galaxy S10 is the higher worth. Currently priced at $750, £669 and AU$1,149 from Samsung, the telephone’s show is a tad smaller than the Note 10’s by simply 0.2 inch, but it surely has the identical processor and almost the identical triple rear-camera setup. It additionally has a sharper show, a headphone jack and expandable reminiscence. What you will not have, after all, is the embedded S-Pen. But when you’re not an influence person and will not have a lot use for it anyway, go for the S10 and pocket the additional money.
Read our Samsung Galaxy S10 evaluation.
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Is the Note 10’s built-in stylus well worth the $200 you would be saving when you went with the Galaxy S10? To most customers who can swipe and faucet simply positive with out it, we might say no. And since most of what is underneath the Note 10’s hood is so just like the Galaxy S10, we might advocate going for that as a substitute. However, when you really assume you’d get a number of use out of the S-Pen (which may do different issues than draw, like remotely take pictures and management apps), you will not be disillusioned within the $949, £869, AU$1,499 Note 10, as that is nonetheless a superb, albeit costly, telephone.
Read our Samsung Galaxy Note 10 evaluation.
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S-Pen: The Note 10’s final benefitYou cannot examine the Note 10 and the Galaxy S10 with out first addressing the previous’s one massive benefit: the S-Pen good pen stylus. Stored contained in the Note 10, the S-Pen provides further performance to productiveness apps and options which can be baked into the telephone. In addition to shortly jotting down notes and doodles, you need to use the S-Pen as a distant, firing off the digicam’s shutter or controlling music on Spotify from a distance. The S-Pen is actually the largest draw of the Note 10 and you must in the end determine if this is a vital sufficient device so that you can pay more cash for it. If you see your self utilizing the stylus usually and have the price range for the Note 10, go for it. On the opposite hand, if it isn’t a mandatory function, save your cash now and take a look at the Galaxy S10. If you are still on the fence between the 2, then learn on. The Note 10 is all in regards to the S-Pen
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Design: Galaxy S10 has a sharper display and headphone jack When Samsung’s first Note telephone launched, its display was notably a lot greater than these of the telephones that have been out in the course of the time. These days, nevertheless, many telephones have generously sized screens, together with the Galaxy S10. With its 6.1-inch show and the Note 10’s 6.3 inches, you may get a big-screen expertise with both telephone. But the telephones’ shows differ in one other approach. The Galaxy S10 has a sharper 1,440p decision and the next pixel density than the Note 10 (550ppi in contrast with 401ppi). Side by aspect, your eyes won’t discover a distinction between 1,440p and 1,080p. But when you watch a number of video or play graphics-intensive video games in your telephone, the Galaxy S10’s display gives crisper particulars, at the very least on paper. Because the Note 10 homes its stylus pen inside, the telephone is barely heavier and thicker. The telephone additionally would not have a headphone jack, not like the Galaxy S10. That means you may have to make use of a dongle, wi-fi headphones or USB type-C headphones to hearken to music and calls. Lastly, each telephones have black and white variants, however the Galaxy S10 is available in 4 extra colours as properly: inexperienced, blue, silver and purple. The Note 10 has one further “fun” coloration, identified particularly as Aura Glow. With its iridescent shine and placing coloration gradient, although, this third coloration variant is basically, actually enjoyable.
Galaxy S10, S10 Plus, S10E: Every digicam lens and curve
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Camera: Galaxy S10 and Note 10 are almost similar For probably the most half, each telephones have the identical triple rear-camera setup and video options: a 12-megapixel wide-angle digicam, a 16-megapixel ultrawide-angle shooter and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens. Both have a 10-megapixel front-facing digicam too. But Samsung did tweak the digicam {hardware} barely between the 2 telephones. For the selfie and telephoto cameras, the Galaxy S10 has a set aperture lens at f/1.9 and f.2.4 respectively. The Note 10 makes use of a barely narrower f/2.1 aperture on the selfie digicam and f/2.2 on the telephoto by comparability. Generally, the bigger the aperture (or the smaller the f-stop quantity), the extra gentle the digicam can seize. This will help seize sharper low-light pictures that do not endure from digicam shake. However, regardless of the slight variations in {hardware}, in most eventualities, you should not discover a lot distinction in photograph high quality between both of those telephones. (Note that on each telephones, the principle wide-angle digicam has a variable aperture that may shift between f/1.5 and f/2.4.) At launch, the Note 10 did have just a few further digicam options that the Galaxy S10 did not have, like making use of bokeh blur on video and Night Mode on the front-facing digicam. However, lots of these options have been ported over to the Galaxy S10 with an October 2019 replace. Both telephones even have newer Galaxy S20 digicam updates like Single Take and Night Hyperlapse. For extra on photograph high quality, take a look at pictures taken with the Galaxy S10 and Note 10 right here
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Galaxy S10 and Note 10’s efficiency and battery: About equal Both telephones have 8GB of RAM and are outfitted with an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset, however relying on what market you are in, some fashions of the Note 10 have a Samsung Exynos 9825 processor. We did not run benchmark checks on these two particular telephones, however we did on the Galaxy S10 Plus and Note 10 Plus, which additionally share the identical Snapdragon 855 processor. Both telephones scored related Geekbench 4 and 3DMark Slingshot Unlimited check outcomes. However, the Galaxy S10 Plus did have a decrease rating on 3DMark’s Ice Storm Unlimited check (57,320) than the Note 10 Plus (79,190). In any case, each the Galaxy S10 and Note 10 have lightning-quick processors and there needs to be little distinction in efficiency and velocity in the case of day-to-day duties. Given its barely bigger display, it is sensible that the Note 10 has a barely bigger battery. But the Note 10’s 3,500-mAh battery really clocked in the identical 18-hour runtime because the Galaxy S10’s 3,400-mAh battery for steady video playback in Airplane mode. The S10 has a headphone jack whereas the Note 10 doesn’t.
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Storage: Note 10 would not have expandable reminiscence One essential factor to notice is that not like the Galaxy S10, the Note 10 doesn’t have expandable reminiscence. This should not be an enormous deal on condition that the telephone comes with 256GB of onboard storage, however for individuals who shoot a number of pictures or 4K video, that is one thing to think about. Meanwhile, you need to use a microSD card with the Galaxy S10. However, it has two storage tiers that, funnily sufficient, sit beneath and above the Note 10’s: 128GB and 512GB. Only you possibly can determine how a lot storage is sufficient, however choosing the 128GB mannequin of the Galaxy S10 and investing in a microSD card later (a 128GB card runs for about $30) is the most affordable approach to go. Galaxy S10 vs. Galaxy Note 10
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Galaxy Note 10
Display measurement, decision
6.1-inch AMOLED; 3,040×1,440 pixels
6.3-inch AMOLED; 2,280×1,080 pixels
Pixel density
550ppi
401ppi
Dimensions (inches)
5.9×2.77×0.31 in
5.94×2.83×0.31 in
Dimensions (millimeters)
149.9×70.4×7.8 mm
151×71.8×7.9 mm
Weight (ounces, grams)
5.53 oz; 157g
5.93 oz; 168g
Mobile software program
Android 9.0 Pie
Android 9.0 Pie
Camera
12-megapixel (wide-angle), 16-megapixel (ultrawide-angle), 12-megapixel (telephoto)
12-megapixel (wide-angle), 16-megapixel (ultrawide angle), 12-megapixel (telephoto)
Front-facing digicam
10-megapixel
10-megapixel
Video seize
4K
4K
Processor
Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor or Samsung Exynos 9825
Storage
128GB, 512GB
256GB
RAM
8GB
8GB
Expandable storage
Up to 512GB
No
Battery
3,400 mAh
3,500 mAh
Fingerprint sensor
In-screen
In-screen
Connector
USB-C
USB-C
Headphone jack
Yes
No
Special options
Wireless PowerShare; hole-punch display notch; water resistant (IP68)
S-Pen stylus; Wireless PowerShare; hole-punch display notch; water resistant (IP68)
Samsung Galaxy S10The higher worth purchase
Samsung Galaxy Note 10Not value the additional $200 if S-Pen is not a precedence