Stung by a lukewarm reception to the S9- Samsung has come out fighting- with their 10th anniversary of the S series smartphone the Samsung S10.
As an avid user of Samsung and having sold phones for a living –I’m able to give the lowdown of the S10, its hidden gems- and why it’s been raved as arguably the best Android phone so far.
I won’t lecture about tedious ‘drop tests’ – I see no need to launch the brand new shiny S10 off a bridge or mash it with a mallet to see how ‘robust’ it is – any normal person isn’t going to wreck a phone worth nearly a grand…
All the thickened screen glass (the S10 uses the latest Gorilla Glass 6) in the world won’t protect it- a slip out the pocket can damage the glossy exterior in the S Series.
Appearance
Samsung has upped its game, the Dynamic AMOLED infinity 0 screen goes all out beast mode- it has a large 6.1 screen (the S9 is 6.2), it’s HDR10+certified- currently the only one in the world.
Producing colours that are unearthly, cavernous blacks and bright whites- ensuring finest details are seen. The quest for a bezel free phone has taken 10 years- it’s almost here, just an outline along the edges.
The curious paper-punch hole for the camera can be easily hidden- it’s craftily under the AMOLED panel, like the ultrasonic finger sensor- that maps ridges and contours – and at last on the front!- making life easier than stretching that pesky finger.
Another pleasing touch is the trusty phone 3.5mm jack has been saved- so no need for those expensive Bluetooth earpieces.
Performance
The phone is no slouch, and with 8 RAM under the hood, with careful usage, you could get a day from its above average battery of 3100mAh (The S10 plus has a bigger 4100mAh). In comparison, only a few like the Huawei Pro 30 fare better in the premium battery phone range- but can’t keep up with S10 processor – an 8nm chip Exonys that allows effortless gaming and streaming.
However nit-picking the UK S10 version doesn’t have the speedier Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 surprisingly – that better’s the Google Pixel 3’s Snapdragon 835- but it’s impossible to the naked eye which is faster.
The chance of running out of storage is quite frankly near nigh impossible- unless you have more videos than Amazon. There are tons– and the S10 starts at 128GB, with the added bonus of a micro-SD is almost limitless- the Google Pixel 3 and Huawei Pro 30 don’t have this capability.
The S10 has an IP rating of IP68, still no improvement on the S8 from a decade ago – ensures it’s dust resistant and still waterproof for up to 30mins- if it ain’t broke why fix it?
The only android phones that have this, are the Samsung’s Series, and the Caterpillar S61- main attribute being -built like a tank – with none of the frills of the top performers.
Camera
The Google Pixel 3 and The Huawei Pro30 have brilliant cameras- the S10 has … a trident of them on the back and one on the front- allowing more shooting modes that include, telephoto, wide angle and ultra –wide angle. Compared to the Pixel 3 considered the best – the Pixel 3 has the brilliant Night-Sight, however, a recent update by developers for the S10 UK version has possibly surpassed the Google Pixel 3- the introduction of Night-Mode an added boost- ensuring the S10 camera can’t be rivaled for sheer creative shots.
Added Features
The S10 features the super-cool Wireless PowerShare- I love this- you’re not limited to just Samsung, it works across the board on all Qi wireless devices- regardless of brand. At events and concert, this could be the difference for everyone catching those memorable photos and videos. Juicing someone else’s phone is perfect for group outings.
Cost
To be the one of the best comes at a price- the S10 retails at £799, for the 128GB model, and £999 for the 512GB version- and Samsung offer a trade, for any S series phone- saving more.
The Google pixel 3 and the Huawei Pro 30 considered nearest rivals are normally £100 cheaper- Samsung just lowered their price.
The Oneplus7 is a good alternative at £649 – but doesn’t have wireless charging and its IP rating is lower than expensive competition.
Overall
The phone screams premium- and doesn’t feel gimmicky. It’s the best all- rounder I’ve experienced.
Samsung has seamlessly entwined the elements of the smartphone- tried to improve or just gone all out kick-ass – one niggle is the micro under-achiever processor chip for the UK, but the camera update more than makes up for it – now where’s that mallet for my S9…
