It’s true, you’ve received the Galaxy Note to thank in your large telephone. When the gadget hit the scene at IFA 2011, giant screens have been nonetheless a punchline. That similar 12 months, Steve Jobs famously joked about telephones with screens bigger than 4 inches, telling a crowd of reporters, “nobody’s going to buy that.”
In 2019, the common display measurement hovers round 5.5 inches. That’s a contact bigger than the unique Note’s 5.3 inches — a measurement that was fairly broadly mocked by a lot of the trade press on the time. Of course, a lot of the mainstreaming of bigger telephones comes courtesy of a a lot improved display to physique ratio, one other place the place Samsung has continued to cleared the path.
In some sense, the Note has been doomed by its personal success. As the remainder of the trade caught up, the road blended into the background. Samsung didn’t do the product any favors by dropping the pretense of distinction between the Note and its Galaxy S line.
Ultimately, the 2 merchandise served as a chance to have a six-month refresh cycle for its flagships. Samsung, in fact, has been hit with the identical form of malaise as the remainder of the trade. The smartphone market isn’t the unstoppable machine it gave the impression to be two or three years again.
Like the remainder of the trade, the corporate painted itself right into a nook with the smartphone race, creating flagships ok to persuade customers to carry onto them for an additional 12 months or two, vastly slowing the improve cycle within the course of. Ever-inflating costs have additionally been part of smartphone gross sales stagnation — one thing Samsung and the Note are as responsible of as any.
So what’s a poor smartphone producer to do? The Note 10 represents child steps. As it did with the S line lately, Samsung is now providing two fashions. The base Note 10 represents a uncommon step backward when it comes to display measurement, shrinking down barely from 6.4 to 6.3 inches, whereas decreasing decision from Quad HD to Full HD.
The seemingly regressive step lets Samsung are available a bit beneath final 12 months’s jaw dropping $1,000. The new Note is just $50 cheaper, however shifting from 4 to 3 figures might have a optimistic psychological impact for cautious consumers. While the marginally smaller display coupled with a greater display to physique ratio means a tool that’s surprisingly slim.
If something, the Note 10+ feels just like the true successor to the Note line. The baseline gadget might have simply as nicely been labeled the Note 10 Lite. That’s one thing Samsung is keenly conscious of, because it targets first-time Note customers with the 10 and true believers with the 10+. In each circumstances, Samsung is confronted with the identical activity as the remainder of the trade: providing a compelling purpose for customers to improve.
Earlier this week, a Note 9 proprietor requested me whether or not the brand new gadget warrants an improve. The reply is, in fact, no. The tempo of smartphone innovation has slowed, whilst costs have risen. Honestly, the 10 doesn’t actually provide that many compelling causes to improve from the Note 8.
That’s not a slight in opposition to Samsung or the Note, per se. If something, it’s a mirrored image on the truth that these telephones are fairly good — and have been for some time. Anecdotally, trade pleasure round these gadgets has been tapering for some time now, and the gadget’s launch within the midst of the doldrums of August possible didn’t assist a lot.
The previous few years have seen smartphones remodel from coveted, bleeding-edge luxurious to necessity. The excellent news to that finish, nonetheless, is that the Note continues to be among the many greatest gadgets on the market.
The frequent chorus within the earliest days of the phablet was the shortcoming to wrap one’s fingers across the gadget. It’s a practical challenge. Certainly you don’t wish to use a telephone each day that’s inconceivable to carry. But Samsung’s outstanding job of bettering display to physique ratio continues right here. In truth, the 6.8-inch Note 10+ has roughly the identical footprint because the 6.4-inch Note 9.
The challenge will nonetheless persist for these with smaller palms — although fortunately Samsung’s received an answer for them within the Note 10. For the remainder of us, the Note 10+ is definitely held in a single hand and slipped out and in of pants pockets. I understand these look like bizarre issues to say at this level, however I guarantee you they have been legit issues within the earliest days of the phablet, when this stuff have been large hunks of plastic and glass.
Samsung’s curved show as soon as once more does a lot of the heavy lifting right here, permitting the display to stretch practically backward and forward with solely slightly bezel on the edge. Up high is a hole-punch digicam — that’s “Infinity O” to you. Those with eager eyes little question instantly observed that Samsung has dropped the twin selfie digicam right here, shifting towards the extra well-liked hole-punch digicam.
The firm’s reasoning for this was each aesthetic and, apparently, sensible. The firm moved again right down to a single digicam for the entrance (10 megapixel), utilizing related reasoning as Google’s single rear-facing digicam on the Pixel: software program has vastly improved what corporations can do with a single lens. That’s actually the case to a level, and a robust case might be made for the selfie digicam, which we usually require much less of than the rear-facing array.
The firm’s gone more and more minimalist with the design language — one thing I admire. Over the years, because the smartphone has more and more turn into a each day utility, the product’s design has more and more gotten out of its personal means. The back and front are each made from a curved Gorilla Glass that butts up in opposition to a skinny metallic kind with a complete thickness of 7.9 millimeters.
On sure easy surfaces like glass, you’ll sometimes discover the gadget gliding barely. I’d say the probabilities of dropping it are fairly respectable with its frictionless design language, so that you’re going to wish to get a case in your $1,000 telephone. Before you do, admire that coloration scheme on the again. There are 4 selections in all. Like the remainder of the press, we ended up with Aura Glow.
It contains a pretty, prismatic impact when gentle hits it. It’s confirmed a bit difficult to {photograph}, actually. It’s additionally a fingerprint magnet, however these are the costs we pay to have the prettiest telephone on the block.
One of the attention-grabbing footnotes right here is how a lot the design of the 10 might be outlined by what the gadget misplaced. There are two lacking items right here — each of that are a type of concession from Samsung for various causes. And for various causes, each really feel inevitable.
The headphone jack is, in fact, the biggie. Samsung kicked and screamed on that one, holding onto the 3.5mm with expensive life and roundly mocking the competitors (learn: Apple) at each flip. The firm will need to have recognized it was a matter of time, even earlier than the iPhone dropped the port three years in the past.
Courage.
Samsung glossed over the tip of the jack (and apparently unlisted its Apple-mocking advertisements within the course of) throughout the Note’s launch occasion. It was a stark distinction from a briefing we received across the gadget’s announcement, the place the corporate’s reps spent considerably extra time justifying the transfer. They know us nicely sufficient to know that we’d spend slightly time taking the piss out of the corporate after three years of it making the as soon as ubiquitous port a function. All’s truthful in love and port. And actually, it was principally just a few good-natured ribbing. Welcome to the membership, Samsung.
As for why Samsung did it now, the reply appears to be two-fold. The first is a type of vital mass in Bluetooth headset utilization. Allow me to cite myself from just a few weeks again:
The tipping level, it says, got here when its inner metrics confirmed {that a} majority of customers on its flagship gadgets (the S and Note traces) moved to Bluetooth streaming. The firm says the quantity is now in extra of 70% of customers.
Also, as we’re all abundantly conscious, the corporate put its large battery ambitions on maintain for a bit, because it handled…extra burning issues. A few recollects, a humble press launch and an eight-point battery verify later, and batteries are getting larger once more. There’s a 3,500mAh on the Note 10 and a 4,300mAh on the 10+. I’m pleased to report that the latter received me by means of a full day plus three hours on a cost. Not dangerous, given all the music and movies I subjected it to in that point.
There’s no USB-C dongle in-box. The rumors received that one mistaken. You can decide up a Samsung-branded adapter for $15, or get one for less expensive elsewhere. There is, nonetheless, a pair of AKG USB-C headphones in-box. I’ve mentioned this earlier than and I’ll say it once more: Samsung doesn’t get sufficient credit score for its free headphones. I’ve been recognized to make use of the pairs with different gadgets. They’re not the best the world, however they’re higher sounding and extra snug than what numerous different corporations provide in-box.
Obviously the usual no headphone jack issues apply right here. You can’t use the wired headphones and cost on the similar time (until you go wi-fi). You know the deal.
The different lacking piece right here is the Bixby button. I’m positive there are a handful of oldsters on the market who will bemoan its loss, however that’s nearly actually a minority of the minority right here. Since the button was first launched, of us have been asking for the flexibility to remap it. Samsung lastly relented on that entrance, and with the Note 10, it drops the button altogether.
Thus far the sensible assistant has been a disappointment. That’s due in no small half to a late launch in comparison with the likes of Siri, Alexa and Assistant, coupled with a common lack of functionality at launch. In Samsung’s protection, the corporate’s been working to repair that with some fairly huge funding and a giant push to courtroom builders. There’s hope for Bixby but, however a majority of customers weren’t desperate to have the assistant thrust upon them.
Instead, the facility button has been shifted to the left of the gadget, just below the amount rocker. I most popular having it on the opposite facet, particularly for sure features like screenshotting (one thing, granted, I do rather more than the common consumer when reviewing a telephone). That’s a reasonably small quibble, in fact.
Bixby can now be rapidly accessed by holding down the facility button. Handily, Samsung nonetheless permits you to reassign the operate there, if you happen to really need Bixby out of your life. You may maintain right down to get the facility off menu or double press to launch Bixby or a third-party app (I opted for Spotify, most likely my most used lately), although not a special assistant.
Imaging, in the meantime, is one thing Samsung’s been doing for a very long time. The previous a number of generations of S and Note gadgets have had nice digicam techniques, and it continues to be the primary level of enchancment. It’s additionally certainly one of few factors of distinction between the 10 and 10+, except for measurement.
The Note 10+ has 4, rely ’em, 4 rear-facing cameras. They are as follows:
Ultra Wide: 16 megapixel
Wide: 12 megapixel
Telephoto: 12 megapixel
DepthVision
That final one is just on the plus. It’s comprised of two little circles to the proper of the first digicam array and slightly below the flash. We’ll get to that in a second.
The fundamental digicam array continues to be probably the greatest in cell. The inclusion of telephoto and ultra-wide lenses permit for a variety of various pictures, and the {hardware} coupled with machine studying makes it much more tough to take a foul photograph (although imagine me, it’s nonetheless attainable).
The reside focus function (Portrait mode, primarily) involves video, with 4 totally different filters, together with Color Point, which makes the whole lot however the topic black and white.
Samsung’s additionally introduced a quite simple video editor into the combination right here, which is good on the fly. You can edit the size of clips, splice in different clips, add subtitles and captions and add filters and music. It’s fairly beefy for one thing baked immediately into the digicam app, and one of many higher makes use of I’ve discovered for the S Pen.
Note 10+ with Super Steady (left), iPhone XS (proper)
Ditto for the improved Super Steady providing, which smooths out shaky video, together with Hyperlapse mode, the place handshakes are a giant challenge. It works nicely, however you do lose entry to different options, together with zoom. For that purpose, it’s off by default and ought to be used comparatively sparingly.
Note 10+ (left), iPhone XS (proper)
Zoom-on Mic is a intelligent addition, as nicely. While capturing video, pinch-zooming on one thing will amplify the noise from that space. I’ve been taking part in round with it on this cafe. It’s attention-grabbing, however lower than good.
Zooming into one thing doesn’t precisely cancel out ambient noise from outdoors of the body. Everything nonetheless will get amplified within the course of and, like digital image zoom, numerous noise will get added within the course of. Those hoping for a type of spy microphone, I’m sorry/pleased to report that this positively will not be that.
The DepthVision Camera can also be fairly restricted as I write this. If something, it’s Samsung’s try to brace for a future when issues like augmented actuality will (theoretically) play a a lot bigger function in our cell computing. In a dialog I had with the corporate forward of launch, they instructed that numerous the digicam’s AR features will fall within the palms of builders.
For now, Quick Measure is the one sensible use. The app is lots like Apple’s extra merely titled Measure. Fire it up, transfer the digicam round to get a lay of the land and it’ll measure close by objects for you. An attention-grabbing showcase for AR potential? Sure. Earth shattering? Naw. It additionally appears to be a little bit of a battery drain, sucking up the previous couple of bits of juice as I used to be operating it down.
3D Scanner, alternatively, received by far the largest applause line of the Note occasion. And, certainly, it’s spectacular. In the stage demo, a Samsung worker scanned a stuffed pink beaver (I’m not making this up), created a 3D picture and animated it utilizing an affiliate’ actions. Practical? Not actually. Cool? Definitely.
It was, nonetheless, not accessible at press time. Hopefully it proves to be greater than vaporware, particularly if that demo helped push some viewers over to the 10+. Without it, there’s simply not numerous use for the depth digicam in the intervening time.
There’s additionally AR Doodle, which fills an analogous spot as a lot of the corporate’s AR choices. It’s type of enjoyable, however once more, not notably helpful. You’ll possible find yourself taking part in with it for a couple of minutes and overlook about it solely. Such is life.
The function is constructed into the digicam app, utilizing depth sensing to orient reside drawings. With the stylus you may attract area or doodle on folks’s faces. It’s neat, the AR works okay and I used to be uninterested in it in about three minutes. Like Quick Measure, the function is as a lot a proof of idea as something. But that’s all the time been part of Samsung’s kitchen-sink strategy — some mixture of helpful and foolish.
That mentioned, factors to Samsung for persevering with to de-creepify AR Emojis. Those have moved firmly away from the uncanny valley into one thing extra cartoony/cute. Less ironic utilization will certainly observe.
Asked about the important thing variations between the S and Note traces, Samsung’s response was easy: the S Pen. Otherwise, the traces are comparatively interchangeable.
Samsung’s return of the stylus didn’t catch on for handsets fairly just like the phablet kind issue. They’ve made a reasonably important comeback for tablets, however the Note stays pretty singular in terms of the S Pen. I’ve by no means been a giant consumer myself, however those that prefer it swear by it. It’s a type of issues just like the ThinkPad pointing stick or BlackBerry scroll wheel.
Like the telephone itself, the peripheral has been streamlined with a unibody design. Samsung additionally continues so as to add capabilities. It can be utilized to regulate music, advance slideshows and snap photographs. None of that’s more likely to persuade S Pen skeptics (I favor utilizing the buttons on the included headphones for music management, for instance), however extra versatility is usually a superb factor.
If something goes to persuade folks to select up the S Pen this day out, it’s the improved handwriting recognition. That’s fairly spectacular. It was even capable of decipher my terrible hen scratch.
You get the identical form of bleeding-edge specs right here you’ve come to anticipate from Samsung’s flagships. The 10+ will get you a baseline 256GB of storage (upgradable to 512), coupled with a beefy 12GB of RAM (the common Note is a nonetheless good 8GB/256GB). The 5G model sports activities the identical numbers and battery (possible making its whole life a bit shorter per cost). That’s a shift from the S10, whose 5G model was specced out like loopy. Likely Samsung is bracing for 5G to turn into much less of a novelty within the subsequent 12 months or so.
The new Note additionally advantages from different latest additions, just like the in-display fingerprint reader and wi-fi energy sharing. Both are good additions, however neither is probably going sufficient to warrant an instantaneous improve.
Once once more, that’s not an indictment of Samsung, a lot as a mirrored image of the place we’re within the life cycle of a mature smartphone trade. The Note 10+ is one other good addition to one of many main smartphone traces. It succeeds as each a productiveness gadget (due to additions like DeX and added cross-platform performance with Windows 10) and an on a regular basis handset.
There’s not sufficient on-board to actually suggest an improve from the Note 8 or 9 — particularly at that $1,099 worth. People are holding onto their gadgets for longer, and for good purpose (as detailed above). But if you happen to want a brand new telephone, are on the lookout for one thing large and flashy and are keen to splurge, the Note continues to be the one to beat.