The latest-generation Samsung Galaxy S model is here

Mar 4, 2019 13:27 GMT  ·  By

Samsung launched the Galaxy S10 with much fanfare at its very own Unpacked event on February 20, with three different models included in this year’s lineup.
 

First and foremost, it’s the base Galaxy S10, officially called Galaxy S10e and coming with a 5.8-inch screen, a fingerprint sensor placed on the side, and a dual-camera configuration on the back.

Then, it’s the standard Galaxy S10, this time equipped with a 6.1-inch display, the fingerprint reader embedded into the glass, and four different cameras, three on the rear and one of the front.

And last, the Galaxy S10+, which is the top model with a 6.4-inch display, the same fingerprint reader under the glass, but this time with five cameras, again three on the back but two on the front for selfies and video calls.

Samsung also unveiled a more capable 5G model, but this would only be launched in limited markets where 5G networks are already available.

The model I’m reviewing is the standard Galaxy S10 in Prism Black and with 128GB storage.

The way I see it, this is just the perfect configuration for people who aren’t necessarily looking for a bigger screen, but also want the best of the best Samsung has to offer right now.

Samsung Galaxy S10

While this model comes with just one front-facing camera, you won’t feel like you’re losing anything, and the dimensions of the phone are just perfect. At 149.9 x 70.4 x 7.8 mm (5.90 x 2.77 x 0.31 inches) and tipping the scales at 157 grams, the Galaxy S10 is super-easy to carry around in a pocket.

However, as I almost discovered the hard way, Samsung’s flagship remains a slippery smartphone, and I really don’t think I can use it without a cover that adds some grip. As compared to the previous models, the S10 appears to come with a redesigned frame that offers better support when holding it in hand, but overall, the phone still feels slippery like a watermelon seed.

The 6.1-inch display seems to be much better calibrated than on the Galaxy S9, and at first glance, it looks like the yellow tint that I complained about previously is no longer there. Samsung offers the Galaxy S10 with a screen protector pre-installed, just in case the Gorilla Glass 6 isn’t enough for you – and the chances are that it isn’t, as durability tests have shown that the phone scratches easily.

While I won’t discuss about the performance right now, I think it’s more important to tackle the Infinity O display and the punch hole camera in the top right corner.

I wasn’t a big a fan of notches, but I used the iPhone X just fine. And right now, I can easily say that I’m not a big fan of Samsung’s approach either, but despite this, I think it’s all just a matter of time until I get used to the hole in the screen as well.

What I don’t like, however, is the lack of symmetry caused by this new design. Status bar icons that have until now been on the right are pushed closer to the center on the Galaxy S10, so you won’t see info like the battery percentage level. You can reveal it by swiping down from the top of the screen a la iPhone X.

Samsung Galaxy S10 photo sample
Samsung Galaxy S10 photo sample

The same problem in Android, where the camera doesn’t seem to be aligned with the UI in all apps and it sometimes covers the separator between the status bar and the rest of the interface. If you use the phone with the black mode enabled, you can barely notice the punch hole camera, as the top of the screen is dark in most apps.

The fingerprint sensor has until now provided mixed performance. If you get the Galaxy S10 and the fingerprint reader’s accuracy leaves a lot to be desired, make sure you install the available updates. Samsung has significantly refined the performance of the reader after the update and everything is much faster and accurate now.

However, it occasionally fails to read my fingerprint correctly, and on some occasions, it feels slower than on others. Again, this is something that I believe Samsung will improve in the coming updates.

As for the camera, it’s once again top-notch, though I still don’t think it matches the performance of the Google Pixel 3. And speaking of the Pixel 3, the S10 comes with a Night Sight mode of its own, but we’ll discuss about it in my in-depth review coming later this week.

For now, the Galaxy S10 feels modern and fresh, and I just love the new tech, like the fingerprint sensor embedded into the screen. I already came across several annoyances with this one too, but circle back in a few days and I’ll talk about each of them in every little detail.

Photo Gallery (4 Images)

Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Galaxy S10Samsung Galaxy S10
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