Galaxy S10 review: is it still worth buying in 2020?

The Boss

Galaxy S10 review: is it still worth buying in 2020?

buying, Galaxy, Review, S10, Worth


Price drop compared to S20 and alternatives

Reading time: 12 minutes

Is the Samsung Galaxy S10 still a good choice in 2020? Our practical tests reveal the strengths and weaknesses of Samsung phones, how they differ from the S20, and who the Galaxy S10 is still worth buying for.

table of Contents

  1. What is bad for buying?

  2. These are the best alternatives to the Galaxy S10

    1. Xiaomi Mi 9

    2. Apple iPhone XS

    3. Huawei Mate 20 Pro

  3. Samsung Galaxy S10 in actual testing

  4. Design and Craft

    1. Infinity-O-Display brings these advantages

    2. Color overview

  5. Equipment, performance and operation

    1. Display stand

    2. Fingerprint sensor

    3. Face recognition

    4. Performance and equipment

    5. Memory

    6. Other equipment

    7. Software

  6. Voice quality and battery life

  7. camera

  8. Price and availability

  9. in conclusion

New operating system version for Samsung Galaxy S10

The Galaxy S10 in Germany will now receive an update for Android 10. Samsung has begun launching the product. However, some users still have to wait patiently.

At first glance, there is little to say about buying a Samsung Galaxy S10. The market price of this phone is less than 600 euros. Although the price has dropped significantly, the built-in hardware is no longer old. This became obvious after a direct comparison with the subsequent Samsung Galaxy S20. The main difference from the S10 lies in three points. The display now offers a refresh rate of 120 Hz, which makes the animation look softer. For games rather than daily use, effects are especially important.

The S20 also tends to provide longer battery life, and the camera has stronger zoom. These are all good improvements, but there is no reason to reject the Galaxy S10, especially since the phone also has advantages over the S20-such as the classic headphone jack. Also in terms of software, the Galaxy S10 is not too old. The Galaxy S10 will definitely update Android 11, but otherwise, the phone will no longer receive the new Android version. Samsung will continue to provide monthly security patches for the Galaxy S10 until at least 2022.

What is bad for buying?

Still, there are reasons to oppose the purchase of the Samsung Galaxy S10. So there is no 5G version of the phone available for purchase, and the basic model of the Galaxy S10 series only supports the current 4G phone standard-better known as LTE. You should consider this if you want to use your new smartphone for a long time (more than two years). Although Germany's 5G network expansion is still in its infancy, we expect the new mobile communication standard to establish itself faster than LTE. For example, Vodafone has offered 5G use for free in all contracts. However, it should also be mentioned that the Galaxy S20 does not support all frequencies provided for the new cellular standard. For example, mobile phones cannot spark in the millimeter range. Only the more expensive Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra can do this.

To answer the question posed at the beginning: Samsung Galaxy S10 will still be a good choice for the next two years. However, if you only change your smartphone once every jubilee or flirt with the S10 due to contract extensions, you should invest directly in 5G enabled devices.

These are the best alternatives to the Galaxy S10

Do you no longer believe in buying the Samsung Galaxy S10? Then you will find the best alternatives for Samsung phones below.

Xiaomi Mi 9

Technically, it is very similar to the Galaxy S10, but again it is about 200 euros cheaper, that is, Xiaomi Mi 9. Since this Chinese manufacturer has also officially started business in Germany since the summer of 2019, the mobile phone is also better than the previous generation Much easier. You also have no 5G support here.

Apple iPhone XS

Compared with iPhone XS, Apple iPhone XS has longer software support. Apple typically provides five years of operating system updates to its devices. Apple phones also have more computing power, but you must not have an ultra-wide-angle camera. Similar to Samsung phones, 5G does not support iPhone.

Huawei Mate 20 Pro

The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is a few months earlier than the Samsung Galaxy S10, but has many advantages in comparison-such as a camera with triple optical zoom, longer battery life, and 3D facial recognition. Like the S10, you don't have to use the new 5G mobile radio standard, nor do you need a headphone jack. In addition, the update is unclear due to the US trade embargo.

Below you can find the original test report of the Samsung Galaxy S10 we launched on the market in March 2019.

Samsung Galaxy S10 in actual testing

New design, more cameras, new user interface: Samsung remains virtually unchanged in its 2019 top model Galaxy S10. But is this enough to take Huawei's Mate 20 Pro off the throne of smartphones? Our tests revealed just how good the Galaxy S10 is.

In June 2010, Samsung introduced the Galaxy S, a new model series for high-end smartphones. The rest is history. In the past few years, thanks to the success of the Galaxy S series, the Korean manufacturer has also become the world's largest mobile phone maker. But in the past few months, Samsung has faced fierce competition from China. Especially in the fall of 2018, Huawei vigorously scratched the throne of Korean smartphones with the Mate 20 Pro.

Therefore, not only Samsung fans are excited about Seoul's answer. You can learn more about what changes Samsung has made on its top smartphone 2019 in the video or in the following lines, and how the Galaxy S10 performs in daily life.

After the Galaxy S8 and S9 look basically the same, it's time to design new products for the S10. Samsung now uses a so-called Infinity-O display. Instead of the narrow black bar above the screen that houses the front-facing camera, it is in a "hole" in the upper right corner of the screen. The display actually flows around the camera.

Design and Craft

This makes the installation of the screen more borderless and increases the ratio of display to housing. According to Samsung, more than 90% of the front of the S10 is now covered by the screen. In S9, only 84%. This naturally also increases the diagonal of the screen: if the S9 only has a 5.8-inch display, the S10's screen is now 6.1 inches, and the size of the phone has not changed significantly.

Infinity-O-Display brings these advantages

Another positive effect: Unlike the notches used by many manufacturers on displays, the camera hole is less disruptive in daily life. By the way: even if it looks like the camera is in a hole, it doesn't recess into the housing. If you place your finger on the lens, you will not feel any interference. The display glass also covers the camera.

Samsung Galaxy S10 in pictures

Picture 1/17

Samsung uses the Infinity O display for its new top smartphone.
(Source: Netzwelt)

This design is not new! Samsung has used it last year in the Galaxy A9 Pro released only in South Korea. In this case, the "hole" is in the upper left corner of the screen, and it is now moved to the right. The reason can only be speculated. We suspect that the front camera of the S9 is on the right side of the phone speaker. Therefore, users need not get used to it. By the way, the black bars at the top of the screen have not completely disappeared. It has a width of less than a millimeter, and it still has speakers. There have been rumors that Samsung is using the screen itself to play audio signals.

Color overview

Material selection has not changed: the frame of the Galaxy S10 is still made of 7000 aluminum. The front and back are made of Gorilla Glass. Samsung installed a new sixth-generation product here, which is twice as rugged as its predecessor, according to the manufacturer. This phone weighs 157 grams and is lighter than previous phones. According to Samsung, all components have been tested during development, especially for displays and frames, and manufacturers can significantly reduce weight.

The S10 is available in "Prism Black", "Prism White" (white), "Prism Blue" (blue) and "Prism Green" (green). Since S6, Samsung has never used the latter color. However, unlike the S9, the entire case is not colored, only the back is colored. However, the frame is always silver. Like previous products, the device also meets IP68 dust and water resistance standards.

Equipment, performance and operation

From a technical point of view, what must the successor of S9 provide? Infinity-O-Screen has a resolution of QHD + (3,040 x 1,440 pixels), and we were impressed with its brightness, wide viewing angle, and excellent color display. However, the resolution has been reduced to Full HD + at the factory and you must manually switch it to QHD +. However, this is not absolutely necessary, because even with Full HD resolution, we were unable to identify any single pixel in the test.

Display stand

The color display is usually AMOLED bright, but it can now be adjusted in the system settings for a more natural display. You can also determine the color temperature here, and even the ratio of individual RGB colors.

According to Samsung, the maximum brightness of the screen should reach 1200 nits. However, only when a single pixel is activated under laboratory conditions. In everyday life, the screen can light up to 800 nits. Samsung phones do not offer "super bright mode" for outdoor use like the LG G7 ThinQ, but in most cases, the screen should be easy to read, even outdoors.

Samsung also claims that the screen is the first mobile phone screen to support the new HRD10 + standard. This is not surprising, as Korean manufacturers are one of the dominant forces behind the standard. However, at launch, you can only play HD10 content you created and HDR content from Amazon and Netflix. The Galaxy S10 is not yet certified for HDR content playback on YouTube, but it should be completed as soon as possible.

Fingerprint sensor

The fingerprint sensor is finally integrated into the screen. Unsurprisingly, Samsung uses 3D ultrasonic sensors instead of optical sensors like many other manufacturers. A wise step: Tests have shown that the fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy S10 works a bit faster than the fingerprint sensor on the OnePlus 6T or Mate 20 Pro display. The static sensor in the S10e still feels faster. It's also easier to set up. It's enough to put your finger lightly on the display, and you have to put more pressure on the competing products mentioned above.

However, sensors sometimes have problems with some screen protectors. Samsung confirmed this in an interview with netzwelt. Therefore, the South Korean manufacturer decided to equip the device with a pre-installed screen protector, which works properly without any problems with the sensor. Services already known to Chinese manufacturers such as OnePlus. In addition, if the finger is not fully placed on the sensor, we sometimes encounter difficulties in testing. Samsung hopes to improve this with software updates.

According to Samsung, the sensor cannot be tricked with a 2D image of a fingerprint because it can capture a 3D image. However, sensors are not yet able to distinguish between moving and dead objects. In fact, this is irrelevant for most users.

Face recognition

By the way, the S10 does not offer 3D facial recognition like the Mate 20 Pro or new iPhone models. It only has the 2D face recognition function used by the front camera. However, this is not a real protection, and Samsung has pointed out during the setup process that face scans can be compared to photos. Therefore, it is recommended to use a password or fingerprint to additionally protect sensitive content or forgo facial recognition.

Performance and equipment

The Galaxy S10's processor is the new Exynos 9820 eight-core chip, and according to the manufacturer, Samsung fans can expect improved performance compared to previous generations. Samsung promises to increase single-core performance by 20%, and it is said that multi-core performance is improved by 15%. With the new graphics processing unit, demanding gaming performance should increase by 40%. These values ​​refer to the manufacturer's own measurements compared to the Exynos 9810 chip.

Samsung did not say how the performance of the Exynos 9820 compared to its competitors. Our benchmark comparison provides the answer. Therefore, the performance of Samsung processors is significantly better than the Kirin 980 in the Mate 20 Pro. Samsung phones are comparable in performance to the iPhone XS, although Apple phones are even faster.

Benchmark / Mobile Galaxy S10 Huawei Mate 20 Pro iPhone XS Max
Antutu 323,740 points 303,718 points 358,855 points
Geekbench (single core) 4,517 points 3,232 points 4,732 points
Geekbench (multi-core) 10,020 points 9,786 points 11,212 points

Galaxy S10 vs. Mate 20 vs. iPhone

Explanation: AnTuTu and Geekbench are probably the most popular tools for measuring the performance of your smartphone. The two applications not only checked the performance of the processor (CPU), but also tested other smartphone components, such as the graphics unit or main memory. The higher the score, the better the result. If you want to test the performance of your smartphone, you can download our AnTuTu and Geekbench for free from the download archive.

The good news is that the performance of the Exynos 9820 will not decrease quickly under load. Although the Mate 20 Pro quickly reduced the computing power to 60% after a longer load, the S10 still has up to 84% of the available computing power.

How does Samsung achieve the performance improvement of Exynos 9810? The improvement in performance should be partly due to changes in manufacturing processes. If Exynos 9810 is still produced in the 10-nanometer process, the current successor will be produced in the 8-nanometer process. By reducing the size of the structure, simply, the data stream must cover a short distance on the chip. However, Exynos 9820 is bigger than its competitors. Apple and Huawei already use 7-nanometer processes on their current chipsets.

Therefore, the improvement in performance should be largely attributed to the computing core developed by Samsung itself. Samsung installed a fourth-generation so-called custom CPU in Exynos. For example, the previously installed third generation is clearly superior to the ARM Cortex core used by Huawei.

As with previous chips, Samsung does not just rely on its own computing core, but on the extended big.Little principle. The Exynos 9820 has three clusters consisting of two or four cores. When full performance is required, the Exynos 9820 uses only two built-in custom CPU cores provided by Samsung. For less computationally intensive tasks, two Cortex-A75 or four Cortex-A55 computing cores from British chipmaker ARM can be used.

According to Samsung, the Galaxy S10 can also analyze your user behavior and automatically load your frequently used applications into working memory after a period of time to speed up startup. According to the manufacturer, data about user behavior remains on the device and is not transmitted to Samsung.

Incidentally, a GPU Mali-G76, also manufactured by ARM, is used as a graphics solution (GPU). It has been rumored in advance that Samsung will rely on its own smartphones to rely on its own graphics solutions in the future. However, this is clearly not ready for the market.

In addition to the eight computing cores mentioned, Exynos 9820 also provides a dedicated NPU processor. This uses, among other things, artificial intelligence to speed up the image recognition process. This benefits users, such as when taking pictures or using augmented and virtual reality applications. Samsung does not provide any information on speed. Apple and Huawei have been installing such coprocessors in their chips since 2017.

A new LTE modem is also installed on the chip, enabling download speeds of up to gigabits per second. According to Samsung, this would theoretically be able to download 3.7 GB of film in 15 seconds. To date, Germany lacks a corresponding mobile phone network.

By the way, the Galaxy S10 offers different chipsets in the US. Here, Samsung relies on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855. In the past, Galaxy S models equipped with Snapdragon processors usually provided minor advantages in terms of performance and battery life. Whether this will happen in 2019 remains to be seen.

Memory

Samsung provided 8 GB of RAM and 128 or 512 GB of device memory for the S10 in Germany. You can use a memory card to expand as usual. Unlike Huawei, Samsung does not rely on its own format, but insists on using microSD cards.

We tested the 128 GB variant. At the factory, you will have nearly 109 GB of free storage space, and the rest will be occupied by the system. With the right settings, you can squeeze more memory out of your phone when setting up the Galaxy S10.

Other equipment

Other features of the Galaxy S10 are also at the highest level. In addition to the camera, there is a heart rate monitor and a headphone jack is also installed. You can also use headphones with a jack plug with the Galaxy S10 without an adapter. The S10 does not provide FM radio in Germany.

Software

Android 9.0 Pie is used as the operating system of the Galaxy S10. Samsung has covered Google's operating system with its new user interface, One UI. This Korean manufacturer introduced this feature in November 2018 and has updated it to Note 9, S9 and Note 8.
A user interface already includes a system-wide night mode that makes smartphone use more enjoyable at night. Google will only integrate it natively into systems with Android 10. In addition, Samsung has reduced the number of screen elements; each screen now only displays symbols that are important to the user.

Android 9 Pie: Innovation in Video

Compared to the S9, one UI of the S10 contains some innovations: under the term "digital health", you will find features in your smartphone's settings that help prevent "mobile addiction". Among other things, you can limit the screen time of some applications. This feature is reminiscent of the Google app of the same name, but is currently only available on select Android phones.

In addition, the language assistant Bixby now allows you to create your own routines. Bixby then does this on demand. So you can launch your browser or your favorite radio app in the morning. Now, the Bixby button that many Samsung users hate can also be different from the apps used by Samsung Voice Assistant. Before doing this, you should give Bixby a chance. After two years of development, the program finally speaks German.

Voice quality and battery life

The Galaxy S10 has microphones on the top and bottom. Despite the second microphone, the phone failed to completely filter out noise during the test. Our conversation partners still consider the car to be slightly noisy. The sound was always a little glum in both directions. By the way, Samsung only sells the dual SIM version of the S10 in Germany. You can insert an additional nano SIM card in the slot instead of a memory card. Both slots are equivalent and can go online at 4G speed.

The biggest criticism of the Galaxy S9 is battery life. In long working days, the authors of this article often have to go to a socket or carry a mobile power supply so that the S9 will not go out. Using S10 should be better. The phone now has a 3,400 mAh battery.

Galaxy S10: This is new article Overview of innovation Samsung introduced the Galaxy S10, S10 +, S10e and S10 5G in San Francisco. Netzwelt gives you an overview of innovations in Samsung phones. Read now

In the PCMark battery test, the phone ran for nearly 11 hours. Depending on the intensity of use, it can be recharged with a battery for a whole day and a half. This is a slight improvement over the S9, but not a big improvement.

If you have enough capacity and are willing to donate, you can use the Galaxy S10 to wirelessly charge other devices. Samsung calls this feature Wireless Powershare. The S10 itself can be charged wirelessly or via cable as usual. The phone must hover on the socket for about 90 minutes.

camera

Galaxy S9 users only need to be satisfied with a camera on the back or resort to the more expensive Plus model, but this is different from the S10. Even the cheapest model, the Galaxy S10e offers dual cameras; Samsung even uses triple cameras in the S10. In principle, this is the dual camera module of the Galaxy S9 +, and a 16-megapixel ultra-wide angle has been added.

Samsung Galaxy S10 (Plus): Camera samples

Picture 1/9

Galaxy S10 Camera Sample 1: Main Camera
(Source: Netzwelt)

This covers a field of view of 123 degrees, which is roughly equivalent to the field of view of the human eye. Samsung has already installed this sensor in the mid-range model Galaxy A7 (2018). It allows for larger image sections, but the Galaxy S10 cannot make objects closer than other smartphones. Samsung says that there is no three-lens interaction like the Huawei P20 Pro to improve digital zoom. Telephoto lenses can be used to create bokeh effects only in Live Focus mode.

In the test, photos taken with the new three-in-one camera still made a good impression, day or night. Experts on the DxOMark website have confirmed this. You will see that the camera of the Galaxy S10 is comparable to that of the Mate 20 Pro. Huawei phones currently have the best phone cameras. However, we noticed that images taken with the ultra-wide-angle sensor showed sharp noise in the edge areas. This is especially noticeable when viewed on a monitor.

Price and availability

The Galaxy S10 has been available in Germany since March 8. The suggested retail price is 899 Euros. Sometimes, various dealers offer the device at a lower price. The current price can be found in the test report.

Jan Cruznyok

Mature top smartphone without top effects

Aside from the new, more frameless design, the Galaxy S10 doesn't offer any revolutionary innovations. Samsung has gone to great lengths to eliminate the weaknesses of the Galaxy S9 and to close the technology gap of competitors. This has been largely successful-for example, using a fingerprint sensor, user interface, or triple camera, only battery life will be longer. Samsung fans should once again lack the surprise effect brought to the Galaxy S in 2019. Therefore, the pole position in the smartphone rankings is not enough this time.

we like

  • Design
  • Performance
  • user interface
  • Headphone jack

We don't like

  • Average battery life
  • No innovative features
  • Camera only offers double optical zoom

Design and Craft

10/10

Design and Craft At this point, the design language, color choices, selected materials, feel, and the so-called appearance of the device will be evaluated.

Equipment and operation

9.0 / 10

Equipment and operation At this point, the monitor, processor, device memory, operating system, and user interface will be evaluated.

Voice quality

7.0 / 10

Voice quality What does an interlocutor sound like? Is there any interruption in the connection? This was evaluated at this point.

Battery Life

7.0 / 10

Battery Life Assess battery run and charge time and structure (fixed or variable) at this point

Camera and multimedia

9.0 / 10

Camera and multimedia Cameras, speakers, and other multimedia features such as infrared transmitters have been evaluated at this point.

Information about test products

Netzwelt leased the test equipment for three months.
You can find more information on how we use test products, how we conduct testing, and general guidelines for editors in our transparency guide.

  • Device memory

    128, 512 GB

  • Expandable memory

    microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC

  • Main camera image sensor

    12.19 miles

  • Main camera resolution

    4032 x 3024 pixels

  • Video

    3840 x 2160 pixels

  • display resolution

    1440 x 3040 pixels

  • Show diagonal

    6.1 inches

  • Display pixel density

    551 ppi

  • wireless network

    802.11a (IEEE 802.11a-1999), 802.11b (IEEE 802.11b-1999), 802.11g (IEEE 802.11g-2003), 802.11n (IEEE 802.11n-2009), 802.11n 5GHz, 802.11ac (IEEE 802.11ac )), Dual Band, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct

  • LTE

    700 level 13, 700 level 17, 800, 850, 900, 1700/2100, 1800, 1900, 2100, 2600, 1900 (B39), 2300 (B40), 2500 (B41), 2600 (B38), 700 (B12) , 700 (B28) MHz

  • GSM

    850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz

  • Headphone jack



    Yes

  • Accelerometer



    Yes

  • Ambient light sensor



    Yes

  • SAR value subject

    1.593 W / kg

Samsung Galaxy S10's current mobile tariff

Current price

All prices include VAT and may include shipping costs. You can find detailed information about the offers on their respective websites / stores.

Saturn tariffs huge global deal: Galaxy S10 and PS4 Pro

Samsung Galaxy S10

Mobilcom Debitel's "Green LTE 18GB" tariff was transmitted on Vodafone's LTE network and brought up to 18 GB of data. The basic monthly price is 31.99 Euros. If you do not cancel after two years, the monthly price will increase to 36.99 Euros. In addition, there is a one-time fee of 39.99 Euros. Overall, the equipment price and related costs when you order the equipment are about 90 Euros.

Samsung Galaxy S10

Samsung Galaxy S10

In February 2020, the online store Modeo will offer the best price for the Galaxy S10. Here you pay 608.95 Euros for your mobile phone. If your suggested retail price is 899 Euros, this is a good choice.

Alternatives to Samsung Galaxy S10

Samsung Galaxy S10 comparison

Are you sure you want to buy Samsung Galaxy S10 or prefer a competing product? The following comparative tests will help you make a purchasing decision.
We compared the Samsung Galaxy S10 to its fiercest competitors.

Leaderboard

The Samsung Galaxy S10 has been categorized into the following smartphone rankings.

Article keywords

Test report for smartphones and Samsung Galaxy S10

Image Source

Internet

Over time, the Samsung Galaxy S10

1 of 18

  • Galaxy S10: Samsung phones have the best display

    May 03, 2019 Even before its launch, the Galaxy S10 was highly praised. DisplayMate's experts chose the phone's screen as the best screen currently available in a smartphone. According to the company's analysis, the screen provides near-perfect color accuracy. In this regard, the S10 is the best phone tested by DisplayMate.

    But testers also praised the Galaxy S10 in other areas. Compared to the Galaxy S9, Samsung increased the maximum brightness of the touch screen by 17%. The maximum brightness at the top of the screen is 1200 nits. The phone only reaches this value when a single pixel is activated. Samsung engineers told us at the Unpacked Event in London that the screen can light up to 800 nits in daily life.

    However, the Galaxy S10 is still brighter than most current laptops. To enjoy this high brightness, you have to give control of the brightness of the display to Samsung phones.

    DisplayMate claims to be a testing laboratory for all types of screens. Das Unternehmen bietet seine Expertise beim Testen, Kalibrieren und Optimieren von Display unter anderem Fachmagazinen aber auch Herstellern an.

    Nicht nur DisplayMate bescheinigt dem Bildschirm des Galaxy S10 eine hohe Qualität. Auch der Video-Streaming-Dienst Netflix erachtet den Screen als gut. Noch vor dem Marktstart hat das S10 die für die Wiedergabe von Netflix HDR-Inhalten ertenitererzier dieselercheer Displays hat allerdings ihren Preis. Mit knapp 86 US-Dollar ist der Bildschirm die teuerste Komponente in der Produktion des Galaxy S10 +.

    Das Galaxy S10 ist ab dem 8. März im Handel erhältlich. Zeitgleich startet auch der Verkauf der Schwestermodelle Galaxy S10e und Galaxy S10 +. Wie sich die drei Samsung-Handys unterscheiden, erfahrt ihr in unserem Galaxy S10-Vergleich. Mch könnt ihr übrigens das S10 vorbestellen und euch als Prämie die Bluetooth-Kopfhörer Galaxy Buds sichern.

Zurück

Weiter

Table of Contents

Leave a Comment