Introducing Samsung’s premium flagship handset in 2019 – or at least it will be, until the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G comes out
Two months into the year and the steady flow of smartphones has turned into a torrent – nay, a disaster movie flood. Luckily for fans of the Samsung Galaxy S range, that flood includes three all-new Galaxy S10 smartphones that will be launching in March 2019. To add to the excitement, there’s also the promise of a super luxurious 5G-enabled S10 handset towards summer of this year.
Right now, though, I’m focusing on the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, which for a time will be Samsung’s highest-end flagship smartphone in 2019. A lot has changed since the Galaxy S9 Plus – but plenty has stayed the same too. Read on for a deep dive into the specifications of Samsung’s latest pride and joy.
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus review: Key specifications and release date
- 6.4in, 19:9, Quad HD, Dynamic AMOLED display
- Octa-core 8nm processor
- Up to 12GB RAM
- Up to 1TB storage (expandable up to 1.5TB)
- Triple rear camera: 16MP (f/2.2), 12MP dual pixel (f/1.5, f/2.4), 12MP (f/2.4)
- Dual front camera: 10MP (f/1.9), 8MP (f/2.2)
- 4,100mAh battery
- Fast Wireless Charging 2.0
- Ultrasonic fingerprint reader
- IP68 dust- and water-resistance rating
- 157.6 x 74.1 x 7.8mm
- 175g
- UK release date: Buy from 8th March, pre-order from 20th Feb
- UK price: 128GB, £899; 512GB, £1,099; 1TB, £1,399 (SIM free prices)
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus review: Design, key features and first impressions
Samsung likes to mix up the design of its flagships once every couple of years and, as you can see from my photos, the S10 Plus is a significant departure from the S9 Plus. One of my colleagues mentioned that it looks more like an iPhone than ever, and they’re quite right – the rounded corners, edge-to-edge display and metallic sides bear a close resemblance to Apple’s latest string of handsets.
The upper and lower bezels have been drastically reduced on the S10 Plus and, for the first time ever, the phone features an in-display selfie camera. Samsung is notch-free, and loving it!
The camera setup has undergone a facelift too, changing from a vertically stacked arrangement to a horizontal position. There’s also an additional rear camera, an “Ultra Wide” 16MP (f/2.2) to complement the 12MP (f/2.4) telephoto and dual-pixel 12MP (f/1.5, f/2.4) wide angle camera. The triple-camera is a first for Samsung but the dual aperture camera, which switches between f/1.5 and f/2.4, did appear on the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus.
The 6.4in 19:9 Dynamic AMOLED display of the S10 Plus is marginally bigger than the 6.2in S9 Plus, but the use of the in-display dual selfie camera (10MP f/1.9 and 8MP f/2.2) also gives it a much better screen-to-bezel ratio. Actual display resolution has yet to be revealed by Samsung but it says that the Galaxy S10 Plus has an eye-melting maximum brightness of 1,200cd/m2. That’s unheard of on a phone display and I eagerly await a review sample to test out that particular claim.
Until the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G drops in summer 2019 the S10 Plus will be the most premium Samsung Galaxy phone on the market – and it has the specs to match. The exact model of octa-core 8nm processor has not been revealed, but it will have up to 12GB RAM and 1TB internal storage that will be expandable up to 1.5TB via Micro SD. Those are some ludicrous specifications and Samsung will no doubt feel justified in charging a vast sum of money for the privilege.
The fingerprint reader, which is incorporated into the display, now uses an “ultrasonic” 3D technology that enhances security by preventing the use of a 2D print to ‘hack’ into the phone. It’s the same on the regular S10, but the cheaper and smaller S10e has a side-mounted fingerprint reader. All three models have wireless charging capabilities and it’s possible to wirelessly power share between them should you weirdly end up with all three in your pocket.
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus review: Early verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, like the Apple iPhone Xs Max is eye-wateringly expensive, especially if you go for the top whack version with 1TB of storage. With such incredibly high-end specifications and an additional rear camera that’s understandable, if not particularly affordable.
I can’t say whether or not the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is worth the money until I get a review sample in for testing at the Expert Reviews labs. Still, with the most advanced Samsung Exynos chipset to date and a whopping 12GB of RAM, it should comfortably outperform any Samsung Galaxy S phone that has gone before. And that triple camera is looking like a real treat, too.
The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, S10 and S10e are available for pre-order from February 20th and go on general release on March 8th, 2019. Stay tuned for our full reviews of all three.
Source: expertreviews.co.uk