Samsung Galaxy S10e: Features | Specifications | Pricing

Samsung Galaxy S10e

• Storage: 128GB 256GB
• Size: 5.8 inches
• Battery: Excellent (3,100mAh)

Pre-order

Samsung's lower-cost Galaxy S10e provides most of the premium features you'd expect of a Galaxy S phone, but at a more budget-friendly price.

Samsung has for some time offered up a standard and "plus" model of its flagship Galaxy S phone lines, but in 2019 it has expanded that line with a third-tier device at a lower price point. This is the Samsung Galaxy S10e.

Design

• 5.8-inch display
• Single hole-punch front camera
• Side-mounted fingerprint sensor

• Read more on the Samsung Galaxy S10e's design

  The Galaxy S10e features a similar design to the Galaxy S10, with a single "hole-punch" style camera design sitting on the upper right-hand side of the Galaxy S10e.

  The screen is the smallest of the Galaxy S10 family at just 5.8 inches compared to the Galaxy S10's 6.1 inches and the Galaxy S10+'s 6.4-inch display. That 5.8 inch display packs full HD+ resolution with a 19:9 aspect ratio, which isn't quite as sharp as its more-expensive siblings but is still quite respectable.

  Where the top-tier Galaxy S10 devices feature new, in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensors – a trick we've already seen in phones such as the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and Oppo R17 Pro – the Samsung Galaxy S10e makes do with a regular side-mounted fingerprint sensor.

  That's a shift from last year's Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, both of which featured rear-mounted fingerprint sensors.

  At least shifting it to the side means you shouldn't smudge the camera lens reaching for it it.

Camera

• 16MP/12MP Dual-camera array

• Read more on the Samsung Galaxy S10e's camera

  The Galaxy S10 family represents Samsung's ambitions for smartphone photography into at least mid-2019, when its higher-tier Galaxy S10 5G and Galaxy Fold handsets are set to launch.

  However, for the lower-cost Galaxy S10e, Samsung is playing it a little more conservatively, with a horizontally-mounted dual-lens system in place. It shares the same front-mounted "hole punch" camera system as the Samsung Galaxy S10, with a 10MP f/1.9 lens, while at the rear you'll find a 12MP f/2.4 - f/1.5 wide lens and a 16MP f/2.2 ultra-wide lens. The Samsung Galaxy S10e also supports the same features as its bigger sibling such as AR Emoji and Live Focus.

Performance

• Snapdragon 855 or Exynos 9820 expected

• Read more on Samsung Galaxy S10e's performance

  Samsung isn't cutting any corners with the performance of the Galaxy S10e, equipping it with the same processor as the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+. Depending on region, that means the S10e packs either a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor or Samsung's own Exynos 9820 processor instead.

  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 fourth-generation multi-core Qualcomm AI Engine, said to be up to 3 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.

  Alongside the high-end processor, the Galaxy S10e includes 6GB of RAM in its 128GB model, and 8GB in its 256GB model.

Battery life

• 3,100mAh battery
• Supports fast charging and wireless charging

• Read more on the Samsung Galaxy S10e's battery life

  The smaller frame of the Galaxy S10e gives Samsung less room to move when it comes to battery capacity, with just 3,100mAh compared to the 3,400mAh of the S10 and the 4,100mAh of the S10+. That's not a terrible quantity, but it's notably on the lower side for an Android flagship phone, even if it's the smallest member of that family.

  Samsung has long support across its Galaxy S lines for wireless charging using both the PMA and Qi standards. One trick that Samsung's picked up for the Galaxy S10 by way of the Huawei Mate 20 Pro is the inclusion of reverse wireless charging, which Samsung will calls "Wireless Powershare".

  The S10e benefits from all these features, offering Qi and PMA wireless charging as well as Fast Wireless Charging 2.0

Early outlook

• The Galaxy S10e might not be Samsung's sexiest phone for 2019, but it could still be a smart buy.

• Read our early Samsung Galaxy S10e verdict

  There's little doubt that the Samsung Galaxy S10 and especially the Samsung Galaxy S10+ are the stars of the Galaxy S10 family, with the Galaxy S10e being much more the utilitarian model.

  That doesn't mean it's a phone that should be outright dismissed, though. What we've seen of late has been an incremental climb in smartphone prices. The Galaxy S10 family sticks to this trend, with prices well in excess of $1,000.

  This makes the Galaxy S10e's lower-price quite attractive, providing a more-affordable entry point for those wanting top-of-the-line features.

Pricing and availability

Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S10e 128GB from Amazon AU

The most-affordable entry in Samsung's Galaxy S10 product line packs all the core features of its siblings at a less wallet-stinging price. Pre-order one now through Amazon Australia and get a free pair of Galaxy Buds.

View details

• The Samsung Galaxy S10e will launch on 8 March 2019.
• Pricing starts at around $1,045.

Samsung revealed the Galaxy S10e on 20 February 2019 in San Francisco, a week before Mobile World Congress 2019.

Samsung doesn't tend to wait all that long between launches of its prime Galaxy S phones and actual retail availability, and that was the case with the Galaxy S10 line. All three phones, including the S10e, are set to launch in Australia on 8 March 2019.

Samsung Galaxy S10e specifications

Compare Samsung Galaxy S10e plans

Latest Samsung news

What to expect at MWC 2019

5G, foldables and a whole lot of handsets are waiting to be unveiled at the MWC 2019, the world's biggest mobile show. Read more…

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G: Features | Specs

Samsung's first 5G smartphone promises to deliver much more than faster download speeds. Read more…

Opinion: Galaxy Fold isn’t the future, but it’s not a gimmick either

The Galaxy Fold is interesting, but Samsung hasn't made a case for it being the next big thing by itself. Read more…