Samsung Galaxy S10: Features | Specifications | Pricing

Samsung Galaxy S10

• Display

  6.1 inches

  3040 x 1440

  ---

• Storage

  128GB, 512GB

  ---

• Battery size

  3,400 mAh

  ---

Buy at Amazon Compare plans

---

From a triple-camera array and a fingerprint sensor integrated into the screen, the Samsung Galaxy S10 is set to significantly disrupt the status quo in the smartphone space.

Alongside Apple, Samsung is arguably the biggest name in the smartphone business. Its Galaxy S handsets go toe-to-toe with the latest iPhones, outperforming practically all other Android smartphones in terms of both popularity and features.

Like Apple, Samsung iterates on its Galaxy S line each and every year. Sleeker designs, improved performance and even-steeper price tags are typically the order of the day, but for the Galaxy S10 line, Samsung has loftier ambitions in mind.

Design

• More screen space thanks to an under-screen fingerprint sensor and front-facing camera
• Front fingerprint sensor may create issues for screen protectors
• Goodbye notch, hello "holes"

• Read more on the Samsung Galaxy S10's design

  The biggest changes Samsung has made to the Galaxy S10 involve its new AMOLED display. Gone is that pesky notch, replaced with a pin-hole sensor hiding the S10's front-facing camera. The fingerprint reader has seen a significant redesign, too, with the Galaxy S10 packing an ultrasonic sensor that lives underneath the screen. This allows the S10's display to fully span its face without needing to reposition the fingerprint sensor awkwardly on the back of the handset.

  This ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is also more accurate than traditional fingerprint sensors. Though more expensive, it is able to register fingerprints even when dust, sweat and other environmental factors are present.

  Where this gets interesting is in how that ultrasonic sensor works with screen protectors. For a simple plastic screen protector this may not be an issue, but for glass protectors -- which are typically more durable and therefore more desirable -- there's potential for interference.

  Unsurprisingly, Samsung has gone big with the screen on the Galaxy S10, cramming in a 6.1-inch curved display with a 19:9 aspect ratio. That display supports HDR10+ – the first smartphone screen to do so – and features a new form of dynamic tone mapping that Samsung claims allows for a broader range of colours.

  Fancy hardware isn't all the Samsung Galaxy S10 offers, either. All models of the S10 ship with Android 9.0 "Pie", the latest version of the Android operating system.

  In colour terms, the Galaxy S10 comes in a wide range of styles including Prism White, Prism Green, Prism Black, Prism Blue, Canary Yellow and Flamingo Pink finishes.

Camera

• Triple-array 16MP/12MP/12MP camera
• 3D camera for facial recognition

• Read more on the Samsung Galaxy S10's camera

  Competition in the smartphone camera space has increased dramatically over the last few years, with companies like Huawei and Google delivering multi-lens cameras capable of truly extraordinary photography. Samsung hasn't always led the pack in this regard, but it's made a concerted effort with the camera tech in the Galaxy S10.

  While the very best camera technology that Samsung can muster sits on the higher-end Samsung Galaxy S10+, Samsung Galaxy S10 suggest is a very fine camera phone in its own right.

  At the rear, it packs in a 12MP f/2.4 telephoto lens, 12MP f/1.5 wide angle lens and a 16MP f/2.2 ultra-wide 123 degree angle lens. That's a potent combination, and essentially the same as found on the higher-end Galaxy S10+.

  At the front, however, there will be a single lens selfie camera clocking in at 10MP with a f/1.9 sensor. That's the same array as the lower-end Galaxy S10e, where the S10+ pushes two front-facing shooters.

  Cameras also need smart processors with the growth of AI-driven photography seen in many of Samsung's competitors, as well as the Samsung Galaxy Note9, and the new image signal processor in the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 powering the Galaxy S10 should give it further camera power to play with.

Performance

• Snapdragon 855 or Exynos 9820 promises enhanced performance in AI tasks

• Read more on Samsung Galaxy S10's performance

  Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 processor lies at the heart of most premium Android smartphones currently on the market, thanks in large part to its top-notch performance.

  It's no surprise, then, that the Samsung Galaxy S10 will feature the 845's impending successor, the Snapdragon 855. The new 7nm chip powers all variants of the Galaxy S10 but only in certain regions — here in Australia, we're likely to get Samsung's custom-made Exynos 9820 processor instead since that's the approach the company has taken in the past.

  Qualcomm has announced the feature set of the impressive Snapdragon 855 that powers the Galaxy S10 range. Its headline feature will be the inclusion of multi-gigabit 5G connectivity via Qualcomm's X50 modem.

  Qualcomm's claim is that the Snapdragon 855 is up to 45% more powerful than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 it replaces, while adding new features such as its 4th generation multi-core Qualcomm AI Engine, said to be up to three times faster than the already impressive 845 at working on AI tasks. An all-new image signal processor should beef up camera performance as well. Qualcomm's also promising something it calls "Snapdragon Elite Gaming Experience", an improved HDR-ready gaming feature that's said to boost frame rates and improve audio quality. We'll have to wait and see how Android games developers use those features, and how they adapt to existing Android titles as well.

  Samsung has also beefed up the memory capabilities of the Galaxy S10. The phone is equipped with 8GB of RAM, more than enough to handle the latest mobile applications and multi-task without a hitch.

  Continuing on the storage front, the Galaxy S10 is available in two configurations: 128GB and 512GB. Like most Android smartphones, it also includes a microSD card slot with support for up to 512GB more of external storage.

Battery life

• 3,400mah battery
• Wireless charging and fast charging supported

• Read more on the Samsung Galaxy S10's battery life

  Battery life on Samsung phones has generally been market leading, but it's still somewhat conservative when it comes to packing in larger batteries, no doubt due to the whole Galaxy Note7 fiasco. The Galaxy S10 continues this trend with a 3,400mAh battery. That's not the largest we've seen in a flagship phone, so we'll have to wait and see what that means for overall battery life. For what it's worth, the battery capacity of the Galaxy S9 is only 3,000mAh, so it's still looking to be a step up in real power terms.

  Samsung has long supported wireless charging using both the PMA and Qi standards, and that remains true with the Samsung Galaxy S10. What we've seen from competitor phones is wireless charging at faster rates, and Samsung isn't ignoring that either. The S10 supports Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 as well as regular wired fast charging.

  One trick that Samsung has picked up by way of the Huawei Mate 20 Pro is the inclusion of reverse wireless charging, which Samsung has dubbed "Powershare".

Early outlook

• Exciting features and a broader range of handsets bode very well for the Samsung Galaxy S10

• Read our early Samsung Galaxy S10 verdict

  In contrast to the fairly by-the-books design of the Galaxy S9, the Samsung Galaxy S10 is an impressive step forward for the Korean smartphone manufacturer.

  The triple-lens camera array in the S10 is a smart move that will allow the company to compete with the likes of Google and Huawei, while the addition of a cheaper and slightly less-powerful model gives a whole new breed of smartphone user a chance to join the Samsung family.

  It's also great to see Samsung taking a few more risks in its design approach. Integrating the fingerprint reader and front-facing camera within the screen could considerably change the way we interact with our smartphones, as could replacing traditional speakers with the sci-fi-esque vibration technology.

  At any rate, we're more interested in the Samsung Galaxy S10 than we've been for a Galaxy launch in quite some time.

Pricing and availability

Buy the Samsung Galaxy S10 128GB from Amazon AU

Samsung's Galaxy S10 features an in-screen ultrasonic fingerprint sensor and a pin-hole selfie camera, providing more room for its 6.1-inch screen to shine. Get yours now from Amazon Australia.

View details

• The Samsung Galaxy S10 will launch on 8 March 2019
• Pricing starts at $1,349 for the 128GB model

Samsung Galaxy S10 specifications

Compare Samsung Galaxy S10 plans

Latest Samsung news

Best Vodafone phones 2019: The 10 top phones you can buy on the Vodafone network

We help you find the best Vodafone phone on contract with our comprehensive guide to the best handsets available right now. Read more…

Best Telstra phones 2019: The 10 top phones you can buy on the Telstra network

We help you find the best Telstra phone on contract with our comprehensive guide to the best phones you can buy right now in Australia. Read more…

Camera Shootout: Galaxy S10+ vs iPhone XS Max vs Huawei P30 Pro vs Huawei Mate 20 Pro vs Pixel 3

We hit the streets of Paris and Sydney to find the low light camera king, with surprising results. Read more…