Samsung's Note10 will come in two different sizes for the first time ever
It's that time of year again. Like clockwork, Samsung has announced the latest version of the acclaimed Galaxy Note series, the Note10.
Samsung has been adding a new update to the Galaxy Note series every year since 2011, right from the original Galaxy Note. Nine iterations (and a few offshoots) later, the Galaxy Note is steadily progressing into the double digits.
What's different this time? For starters, the Galaxy Note 10 doesn't come in one size. There's now the 6.3" Note10, and the 6.8" Note10+. That half an inch divides the Note10 up into the standard sizing that the Note is known for, as well as what Samsung calls the smaller, 'compact form'.
The display
Those who love a crisp, bright screen will be pleased to know that The Note10 features the Dynamic AMOLED display, with a bunch of features like HDR10+ certification and blue light reduction and 98% colour and brightness uniformity. In other words, it's a pretty good display.
Feature-wise, the Galaxy Note10 comes with a redesigned S Pen that pairs nicely with converting handwriting to digital text in Samsung Notes. The S Pen expands on capabilities introduced in the Note 9 by adding air actions, which are essentially like using the pen to make gestures.
The cameras
Like just about every smartphone maker these days, Samsung clearly believes that more cameras are better. There are three rear cameras on the Note10, and four rear cameras on the Note10+. That generosity doesn't quite extend to the front camera – both models both have only one camera.
Granted, four rear cameras will be useful for making use of photography and videography. Live focus video adds depth-of-field adjustments so you can blur the background to focus on your subject. Zoom-In Mic amplifies the audio in frame and pushes background noise aside to help focus on the sounds that users want. To remove the bumps and shakes that usually make an action shot blurry, new and improved Super steady also stabilises footage, and is now available in Hyperlapse mode for steady time-lapse videos.
Performance and key features
There are two different types of processor: The 7nm 64-bit Octa-core processor (Max. 2.7 GHz + 2.4 GHz + 1.9 GHz); and 7nm 64-bit Octa-core processor (Max. 2.8 GHz + 2.4 GHz + 1.7 GHz). These should be able to deal with more intense apps (think mobile games as they become more demanding and graphics-rich.
"Galaxy Note10 features the world's slimmest vapour chamber cooling system, which delivers optimal performance during gameplay while keeping the device slim and sleek. With the AI-based Game Booster, Galaxy Note10 optimises performance and power consumption depending on the game. With the PlayGalaxy Link P2P streaming service, users can also pick up where users left off on any PC game and enable them to continue playing on the move with no need for local storage," Samsung says.
The Note10 also features super fast charging, so a 30-minute charge should in theory get users through the day. There's also Wireless PowerShare, which helps users charge their Samsung devices (namely the Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Buds and other Qi-enabled devices) with the Note10.
It doesn't seem like Samsung has made too many improvements to battery capacity – the Note10 rates at 3500mAh, while the Note10+ rates at 4300mAh. These aren't exactly the highest specs for battery life, but considering they have to power feature-rich devices running Android 9 (Android Pie).
Samsung knows that 5G is coming, which is why the Note10 comes with a range of 5G-ready and LTE options. "Galaxy Note10+ 5G harnesses the full power of the next generation network for streaming high resolution video, downloading content hyper fast, and streaming graphics-heavy games in real time.
Keen buyers should also be sure to consider whether they require the Note10 to have a single SIM slot or a dual sim, as both models are available as single- or dual-sim options.
Of course, there are plenty more features that we haven't covered here but the Note10 looks to continue Samsung's longstanding line of premium smartphones that have recovered well after the Note7 battery issue saga.
While pricing will depend on your telco provider's options and bundles, the Samsung Galaxy Note10 and Galaxy Note10+ will be available for pre-order in Aura Glow and Aura Black starting from 8am on August 9, and will be available in stores from August 23.
