Samsung Galaxy S10+ review (Indian variant): More than an iterative upgrade

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At Unpacked 2019 Gala, Samsung launched a slew of amazing phones. Of these, the Galaxy Fold and Galaxy S10 5G are definitely groundbreaking but aren’t expected to land in India anytime soon. On the other hand, the Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, and the Galaxy S10E are more mainstream and are already official in the country. In fact, the three new Samsung flagships will start shipping on March 6, 2019. (Samsung Galaxy S10+ Review हिंदी में पढ़िए)

The build-up to the launch was plagued with incessant leaks, and thus there weren’t many surprises, but we were still very eager to test what the new innovation from Samsung feels like in person. We did get to spend some quality time with the new Galaxy S10+ and have jotted down our experience in the detailed review below. Let’s begin.

Page Contents:

Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus India (Exynos variant) Specifications

Model Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Display
  • 6.4-inch, 1440 x 3040 pixels (QHD+)
  • AMOLED HDR 10, Gorilla Glass 6
Processor
  • Exynos 9820 Octa (8 nm) Octa-core
  • 2×2.7 GHz Mongoose M4 + 2×2.3 GHz Cortex-A75 + 4×1.9 GHz Cortex-A55
  • Qualcomm SDM855 Snapdragon 855
  • 1×2.8 GHz Kryo 485 + 3×2.4 GHz Kryo 485 + 4×1.7 GHz Kryo 485
RAM 12GB/8GB
Internal Storage  1TB/ 512GB/128GB, 512GB Expandable (Hybrid slot)
Software Android 9.0 Pie based One UI
Rear Camera
  • Primary: 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55″, 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS
  • Telephoto: 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6″, 1.0µm, AF, OIS, 2x optical zoom
  • Ultrawide: 16 MP, f/2.2, 12mm
Front Camera
  • 10 MP, f/1.9, Dual Pixel PDAF
  • 8 MP, f/2.2, depth sensor
Dimension & Weight 157.3 x 74.7 x 8.2 mm, 185 gram
Others Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor, Bluetooth 5.0, Dolby Atmos, Dual-band Wi-Fi
Battery 4100mAh, Fast charging, Wireless Charging, Reverse wireless charging
Galaxy S10 Plus Price in India: 

  • 8GB / 128GB – Rs. 73,900
  • 8GB / 512GB – Rs. 91,900
  • 12GB/ 1TB – Rs. 117,900

Samsung Galaxy S10+ Review: Design and Build

Samsung ushered in a major design refresh this year, something that it now does once in every two years. The biggest change is that the S10 Plus display stretches further to the top and engulfs the selfie snapper while doing so. The end results are extremely narrow bezels on all sides (93% screen-to-body ratio) and some status bar space penalty.

We made our peace with the notch a long time back and didn’t quite know how we felt about the Infinity-O cutout when we first held the Galaxy S10+ in hands. After living with the phone for more than two weeks, we can say that Samsung’s cutout feels less intrusive than a regular notch.

Maybe this is because the notch is positioned on the top left corner, or maybe it’s because of the few extra pixel spacing between the notch and the top bezel, or perhaps its the extremely neat and precise cut made for the camera. Or perhaps all of the above.

It surely doesn’t feel hostile, though. Besides, the vast expanse of absolutely gorgeous AMOLED panel should make it impossible for anyone to feel upset while holding the new Galaxy.

We immediately noticed that the S10+ felt so much lighter (and slimmer) in hands than it was supposed to. As always, Samsung manages to meld the curved side edges into the Aluminum side frame as nobody else does.

Even with all that bezel-cutting, Galaxy S10+ is a big phone, but it’s really lovely to look at and to hold. And that’s a testament to Samsung’s design expertise.

Samsung sticks to the glass and metal construction for the entire S10 family save for the limited 12GB RAM and 1TB storage edition that will have a scratch-resistant ceramic panel. There are a few new colors too, and more should be released as the year progresses.

  • The Galaxy S10+ is thoroughly premium and extremely comfortable to hold and to operate.
  • The laser cut for front cameras is absolutely clean, there are no fuzzy pixels or shadows in the adjoining area.
  • Thankfully, the Galaxy S10+ retains the audio jack. All ports and speaker grills are at the bottom. The SIM tray has a hybrid card slot too.
  • The power button is a little too close to the top which makes it a tad inaccessible in portrait orientation, but you can almost always do without it.
  • The bixby button is still there, but you can now remap it to Google Assistant.
  • Samsung bundles a plastic case in the box, and a thin film plastic screen protector (good quality) is affixed on the phone.
  • The ceramic-finish back is more of a smudge magnet then regular glass, so it’s better if you use the case.

ALSO READ: Huawei Mate Quick Review

Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus Review: Infinity-O Display

Let’s talk some more about the display. On the Galaxy S10 Plus, Samsung uses a 6.4-inch QHD+ dynamic AMOLED display with a more conventional 19:9 aspect ratio (as compared to last year). Once again it’s nearly impossible to beat Samsung when it comes to high-end phone displays.

As expected, the display is HDR 10 supported, super vivid, and super sharp. But the best part this year is that Samsung has managed to cut blue light further by 42% (by using a new Blue OLED) which should help avoid eye fatigue.

Looks like Samsung is finally taking advantage of the wider gamut color support that was first introduced in Android Oreo. The S10+ has automatic color management, which means it can switch color profiles based on content.

Samsung has reduced color profiles from 4 to just 2. So, instead of Adaptive display (NTSC), AMOLED photo (Adobe RGB), AMOLED Cinema (DCI-P3), and Basic(sRGB), you get only two profiles – Vivid (wider DCI-P3 gamut) and Natural (sRGB).

The Vivid mode is the default and it’s a lot warmer than Adaptive Display profile from last year (which is a good thing).

  • As you’d expect of Samsung, the Galaxy S10+ Dynamic AMOLED display is simply remarkable. Comparing it to Galaxy Note 9 side by side, improvements are discernible. It also supports HDR 10+.
  • This year, Samsung has reduced color profiles from 4 to just two – Vivid and Natural. The default Vivid proile is warmer and lighter on eyes compared to the earlier default (adaptive display).
  • There is a blue light filter for people with sensitive eyes. You may also turn on greyscale using digital wellbeing option in settings.
  • The extra gap between top display edge and front camera sensor makes the Infinity-O display feel better than a conventional notch-screen. This, however, also increases the depth of status bar.
  • There is an option to hide the cameras, but the phone looks hideous thereafter (due to deeper status bar).
  • The status bar has less room for app icons, and you get 3 icons by default. You can choose to accommodate more from notifications settings.
  • You can force a few apps to open full screen. The notch is optimized for most apps.
  • As for display protection, there is Gorilla Glass 6.

Samsung Galaxy S10+ Review: Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor and Face Unlock

What you can’t see is the new Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor resting underneath the screen.  Unlike optical in-display sensors that we are quite familiar with by now, these don’t need to illuminate your digits to read them. The speed seems as fast as what you’d get on the best of optical in-display fingerprint sensors, and they also work with moist or sweaty fingers.

But unfortunately, the one on the Galaxy S10 won’t work with thick screen protectors and tempered glasses.

The new biometric reader also renders 3D touch home button redundant, which is why it’s not there on the S10 Plus (We kind of miss having it). Another omission is the Iris scanner, but that’s something we won’t miss. It didn’t work well for people wearing specs, anyway.

The Face Unlock feels like an improvement (and there is a slick face unlock animation too). Lift to wake gesture is turned on by default, and if you have Face Unlock configured, your phone will most probably unlock before you get to place your thumb on the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.

Overall, unlocking the Galaxy S10+ is more convenient and faster when compared to any other Galaxy phone from the past.

  • The Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is as fast as the best of optical fingerprint sensor. The accuracy and consistency is good enough.
  • Unlike optical sensors, the ultrasonic sensor works with moist and sweaty fingers. It won’t work well with thick tempered glasses and screen protectors, though.
  • The best part is that all you need to do a quick tap for the phone to grap your fingermap. No need to tap and hold like you’d on an optical in-display sensor.
  • You can use the ultrasonic in-display sensor without waking the phone, but fingerprint unlock icon shows only when you tap the display (when the option is toggled on).
  • The Face Unlock has finally been fixed. It’s fast, accurate, and works reasonably well in dark ambience.
  • You can opt between Face Unlock and Fingerprint sensor as the preferable biometric unlock for in-app authentication.

Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus Review: Performance and Software

The common denominator between all Galaxy S10-series phones is the chipset – 8nm Exynos 9820 for India and SD 855 for the US. We were perfectly happy with the performance of Exynos 9810 on the Galaxy S9 Plus (even in the long term) and the Galaxy S10+ is faster, supports latest connectivity options and has a more advanced camera ISP.

The phone supports HD streaming, Dual VoLTE, and WiFi 6. The UFS 3.0 didn’t make the cut for S10 or S10+ (Unlike on Galaxy Fold). But the base variant starts with 128GB storage, going all the way up to 1TB. RAM capacity starts at 8GB.

Needless to say, the Galaxy S10 is extremely smooth and works well. All sorts of games run flawlessly. The phone has a new vapor chamber cooling system. With around 20 minutes of playing PUBG, the temperature soared by 4 degrees, which is pretty good.

The software is Android Pie-based One UI, which is something you can already experience on last generation Samsung flagships. It’s a well thought out interface, one that managed to perk up Note 9 experience for us. We really like it.

Also Check: 9 Best 5G Phones Announced So Far In 2019

The app icons were cartoonishly big at the start so we had to increase app grid size for the launcher and home screen. It takes a bit of getting used to, but you will soon appreciate nifty animations and numerous big and small changes through the interface.

In case you wish to go into details, we have listed some neat One UI features and tricks in a separate article.

  • The Galaxy S10+ in India is powered by Exynos 9820 octa-core chipset. It’s fast and fabulous for all practical purposes.
  • The UFS 3.0 storage is only for Galaxy Fold, S10 series has UFS 2.1 storage (which is also quite fast). There is ample RAM and storage on all models.
  • The S10+ has a new vapour chamber cooling system. It stills gets reasonably hot while gaming.
  • Galaxy S10+ has Dual VoLTE support, Wi-Fi 6, and Dex built in.
  • The One UI interface counts as a major improvement too.
  • There is inbuilt Dex support that lets you connect your S10+ to any monitor using just an HDMI cable for a desktop-like experience.

Samsung Galaxy S10+ Review: Battery and Audio

The 4100mAh battery supports fast charging and reverses wireless charging. As of now, we are getting a convenient one-day mileage, but not more. The battery seems to be lasting longer than our Galaxy Note 9, so we assume the Exynos 9820 is notably more power-efficient than last-gen Samsung chipset.

The phone supports fast charging and fast wireless charging. Post Note 7 fiasco, Samsung has been understandably playing safe when it comes to batteries, which perhaps explains why their fast charging is still behind the likes of VOOC, SuperCharge or WarpCharge.

Samsung has added reverse wireless charging which could be helpful if you have wireless charging accessories. You can also wirelessly charge other supported phones.

The dual front speakers are loud and clear. Audio via headphones is awesome too.

  • Battery mileage is average. Fast charging needs to get faster.
  • The audio experience is awesome as usual.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy Buds Review – A Must Have Galaxy S10 Companion

Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus Review: Camera Performance

As for still photography, Samsung has focused on adding extra sensors and more AI modes. Samsung didn’t talk much about any magical algorithms or pathbreaking image computation techniques, kind of like what Apple and Google did.

The camera on the Galaxy S10+ is not a radical improvement over what we have on Galaxy Note 9, but it’s still better. The metering has improved, particularly in harsh sunlight.

With the S10+, We managed to capture some stunning shots with amazing dynamic range and contrast.

There is no night mode on Galaxy S10+, but we didn’t miss it. The night time shots are still excellent. Besides, Samsung image processing handles flash really well.

The AI scene optimizer unnaturally oversaturates images. Which is why we toggled it off.

This isn’t the first Samsung phone we have seen to excess on camera sensors, but on the likes of Galaxy A7 and A9, the wide-angle shooter and depth sensors were more of an afterthought. On the S10+, all different sorts of sensors get equal weightage. As a result, we found ourselves using the wide-angle mode more often.

The camera app has an option to reduce distortion on the edges.

The HDR processing on Samsung Galaxy S10+ is excellent.

Unlike last year, Samsung uses the primary camera for portraits and so the subject isn’t zoomed in when using the Live Focus mode. There are some cool portrait effects which you can also add aftrwards in post-processing. When they work (which is more often than not), they are really fun.

The extra selfie camera is a depth sensor, but once again, don’t expect any radical improvements.

Things are more interesting for videography. The Galaxy S10 Plus is the first phone that can capture HDR10 videos. And the super steady mode makes a difference.

Samsung is opening the Galaxy Camera SDK to developers, so expect third party camera apps to work better somewhere down the line. An Instagram mode will also arrive later via an OTA update.

Samsung Galaxy S10+ Review(Indian variant): Should you buy it?

So, overall is Samsung Galaxy S10+ a flagship we can recommend? The short answer is yes, it is.

The display is simply gorgeous, the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is convenient, performance is flawless, and the One UI is an interface we admire. On the downside, the battery backup fell short of our expectations.

It may not be a phone that redefines industry standards – Google is still best with cameras, and Samsung is still the best when it comes to displays and premium feel – but Overall the Galaxy S10+ is an excellent phone. Handling it in person has convinced us that it’s more than just an iterative upgrade. Of course, this isn’t anything as radical as Galaxy Fold, but it’s a solid mainstream phone most of us would rather be comfortable with.

Pros 

  • Excellent Display
  • Premium design
  • Fast performance
  • Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor works well
  • Only flagship with an audio jack
  • One UI software

Cons

  • Fast charging needs to get faster

 

Where can I buy the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus in India?

In India, Samsung sells the Samsung Galaxy S10+ Exynos 9910 variant. The Galaxy S10 Plus is currently available on the Samsung store, TatacliqAmazon India and from Wallmart backed Flipkart online store.

Deepak SinghDeepak Singh
Deepak has more than 8 years of experience in covering technology for several eminent publications in India. He currently leads an enthusiastic team of young writers at Smartprix and tries to uphold the highest quality standards.

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