Friends+Design
- Absolutely gorgeous, slick design, which is truly all-screen, and zero bezels - with punch holes for the front cameras
- Top quality build
- Feels great in the hand thanks to curved sides on the front and back
- The new in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor also works well, and even with wet/greasy fingers - plus it's more secure than the 2D optical sensor on the likes of the OnePlus 6T, since it creates a 3D map of your finger
- There is also lightning fast face unlock
- The Galaxy S10 Plus is pretty large, and not really a one-handed phone - you will be shifting the device in your hand as you reach the Recent Apps button on the left side with your thumb (though it's still a bit easier to handle than the iPhone XS, because of being narrower, and lighter)
Display
- Brilliant, killer display - the new quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED display on the Galaxy S10 Plus is Samsung’s best display yet and arguably the best smartphone display yet, and absolutely immersive, with its all-screen design
- Dynamic Tone Mapping delivers enhanced brightness and a wider color range and Samsung has worked to reduce blue light emission, which can be harmful for your eyes
- The Galaxy S10 Plus’s panel also gets plenty bright at 625 nits of peak brightness
- The punch holes for the front cameras can be a bit distracting at times - especially when you’re using an app with a white background like Gmail - whether you prefer this approach to a 'full screen' device or the water-drop notch approach may be down to personal preference - while notches are usually larger, they still maintain the symmetry of the phone - so it's a bit of a toss-up - though, just like a notch, this is something you quickly get used to, and ultimately stop even noticing
Software
- The OneUI software on the Galaxy S10 is slick and streamlined as promised, and fairly easy to use - it's one of the better Android UIs you will come across - in fact, it is arguably the best custom Android skin after Oxygen OS, and that’s a huge deal for the Samsung brand
Performance
- With the power beast Exynos 9820 chip inside, the Galaxy S10 Plus is simply the fastest Android phone yet - and only a shade behind Apple's iPhone XR/XS - it will steamroll through anything you throw at it - and gameplay in even the most complex games is smooth like butter
- There is also a new set of features Samsung calls “Intelligent Performance” - using artificial intelligence, the Galaxy S10 lineup can automatically and continuously optimize battery, CPU, RAM, and even device temperature based on what you’re doing with the phone at any given time - Intelligent Performance also learns when you use certain apps over time, and it can pre-load them in the background based on time and location - this way, your most frequently used apps are lightning-fast to launch
Camera
- Continuing Samsung's tradition of including some excellent cameras on its flagships, the 5 cameras on the S10 Plus (3 rear + 2 front) pack quite some punch are are easily among the best on any phone available currently - taking the top spots along with the Pixel 3/XL and the iPhone XS/Max
- The three cameras in the rear include a 12-MP dual-pixel main shooter with a variable aperture (f/1.5, f/2.4), a 12-MP telephoto lens (f/2.4) with a 2x optical zoom and an ultra-wide 16-MP camera (f/2.2) that gives you a 123-degree view
- The ultra-wide angle lens on the S10 Plus can produce dramatic-looking photos, giving you a more captivating view of almost any scene
- If you like portraits, you’ll like the Live Focus effects Samsung has added to the mix - you can choose from Blur, Spin, Zoom and Color point (which puts the main subject in color and the background in black and white) - you can also apply these effects to portraits or selfies after you shoot
- Low light photography is pretty strong too, though not quite to the level of the Pixel 3
- The front cameras are great too, and give you the option of snapping a normal or wide-angle selfie, and you can apply all of the same Live Focus effects when taking portraits - though the overall image comes out a bit too smooth and over-processed compared to the Pixel 3
- Video recording is top-notch too, especially with the new 'Super Steady' mode - that produces the kind of smooth tracking shots you’d see in a movie
- Overall, while the cameras on the Galaxy S10 Plus are right up there with the very best, they are still a shade behind the Pixel 3 and the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, in terms of low-light photography
Audio
- Includes a headphone jack, something that's not that easy to find among flagships today
- Has pretty powerful speakers (though they are not up to the level of the the stereo sound from the iPhone XS Max which delivers more robust bass and richer audio overall)
Battery
- Excellent battery life with a large 4100mAh battery, an optimized processor, and AI based 'Adaptive Battery' chops - in battery tests it beats every other major flagship phone in recent times
- The handy PowerShare feature lets you use the back of the S10 Plus to wirelessly charge other phones and gadgets that use the Qi standard (including the iPhones XS, and Galaxy Buds)
- While fast charging is of course supported, the charging speeds over the Adaptive Fast Charging protocol aren't all that impressive for a 2019 flagship - it will take you 30 minutes to charge the phone to about 36% with the included 15W charger in the box - it's a decent speed but the fast charging standards of the likes of OnePlus, Oppo, and Vivo are significantly better
Verdict
- The Galaxy S10 Plus is easily one of the best Android phones money can buy, with a slick design, a gorgeous display, blazing fast performance, an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, further improved cameras and extra-long battery life
- There is strong competition though - while the S10 Plus is a great, powerful all-rounder, if you are looking for the best camera, you should consider the Pixel 3, and if you are looking for even more powerful performance, brighter display, or prefer the iOS ecosystem, you should look at the iPhone XS
- And if you prefer a easier-to-use-one-handed device, then the Galaxy S10 might be a better suited option
