Is the Galaxy S10 Plus still worth buying now that the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 Plus and Galaxy S20 Ultra are here? That is if you want to spend less on a flagship phone.
You won’t get 5G, but there’s still a lot to like about the Galaxy S10 Plus. The Infinity-O display is stunning and this Samsung phone lasted over 12 hours in our battery test. We also like the ultra-wide-angle camera on the back of the S10 Plus and the night mode for better photos in low light.
If in doubt, be sure to check out our Galaxy S20 vs Galaxy S10 comparison to see all the differences.
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus Review: Price:
The Galaxy S10 Plus starts at $849 with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage after a price cut since the Galaxy S20 launched. You can also save up to $160 with Samsung trade-in offers.
The Galaxy S10 Plus is available from all major carriers, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon, as well as from US Cellular and Xfinity Mobile.
Cheat sheet for Galaxy S10 Plus review:
- The in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor works well as long as you keep your finger on the screen for a while rather than a quick tap.
- The S10 Plus’s 4,100mAh battery lasted a whopping 12 hours and 35 minutes in our web browser test, beating the rest of the best Android phones of 2019.
- The Infinity-O display looks great, but the two holes for the front cameras can be distracting. You can hide them if you want.
- Wireless Power Share lets you charge other phones through the back of your S10 Plus and Galaxy Buds.
- The ultra-wide-angle camera delivers impressive results, but Samsung’s camera isn’t the best in low light.
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus Review: Design:
Full screen phone search is almost done. The Galaxy S10 Plus’ Infinity-O screen really goes from edge to edge. Other than the narrow chin at the bottom, the S10 Plus has virtually no bezels. Samsung was able to do this because it cut holes in the top right corner of the screen with a laser cutter for the front cameras.
Now that I’ve lived with the S10 Plus, I’d say the holes can be distracting, especially when using a white-backed app like Gmail. It’s like two little eyes staring at you. And there’s a reason why Samsung made wallpapers for this phone that are darker in the top right corner: to hide those holes.
Are holes better or worse than the iPhone XS’s notch? It’s a sham for me because while the notch is bigger, it drops down from the top of the screen and isn’t a break like the camera holes. Interestingly, you can choose to hide the front cameras altogether so that a black bar appears at the top of the screen, but that feels like an even bigger waste of ownership. (We have detailed instructions on how to hide the front camera if you want.)
Measuring 6.2 x 2.91 x 0.3 inches and weighing 6.17 ounces, the Galaxy S10 Plus isn’t a one-handed phone, at least not for me. I had to move the device in my hand to reach the Recent apps button on the left with my thumb.
There is a slightly bigger problem with the design, and that is the curve of the screen. This isn’t a new problem, but since the screen is curved and goes from edge to edge, I accidentally pressed things I didn’t mean when I was just holding the device.
However, the Samsung phone is an ounce lighter and significantly narrower than the iPhone XS Max (6.2 x 3.05 x 0.3 inches and 7.34 ounces). In addition, you activate the one-handed mode by swiping diagonally up and to the left from the bottom right corner of the screen.
We tested the Galaxy S10 Plus in Prism White, which has a futuristic look and hides fingerprints. You can also get it in Prism Black, Prism Blue, and Flamingo Pink. If you want a more durable ceramic back than glass, you can spend an extra $250/£300 on a ceramic white or ceramic black finish.
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus Review: Specifications:
- Price $999 / £799
- 6.4 inch screen (resolution) (large quad HD+)
- Rear camera ultra wide angle 16 MP (f / 2.2), 12 MP two pixels wide (f / 1.5, f / 2.4), 12 MP telephoto (f / 2.4)
- 10-megapixel (f/1.9) dual-pixel front camera(s), 8-megapixel (f/2.2) depth detection
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor - RAM 8GB, 12GB
- Memory 128GB, 512GB, 1TB
- microSD Yes, up to 512 GB
- 4100 mAh battery
