The phone we used during this 30-day period is a Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ that is not the US model using a Snapdragon system-on-a-chip. Instead, this is the version using Samsung’s in-house Exynos 9825 SoC. The difference between these two chips is essentially imperceptible.
The Note 10+ is one of the fastest phones in the world, and its margins between the top contenders are hardly enough to influence your buying decisions unless you only care about synthetic benchmarks.
The first thing you need to know about our time with the Note 10+ is that it was a smooth experience. If something runs poorly on this phone, it will run poorly on any other phone. With that small point crossed off the list, we can explore the real-world experience of using the Note 10+. ..
What We Got In The Galaxy Note 10+ Box
Samsung has released a new update for its Galaxy phones that includes a number of new features and improvements. One of the most important changes is the addition of USB Type C support, which makes it easier for users to transfer files and data between their devices.
The Note 10+ comes with a single USB-C to USB-C cable, one pair of AKG “tuned” USB-C earphones, and a wall charger.
One issue with the Note 10+ is that if you want to connect it to devices that don’t have a USB-C port, you’ll need to purchase a Type C to Type A cable or find one on another device. This is strange since one of the Note 10+’s unique features, dockless Dex support, requires a USB cable connection to a PC. You’re unlikely to find USB-C connectors on PCs that are not relatively new. ..
The inclusion of a screen protector and silicon cover is a welcome addition. Both items are basic but very serviceable. The silicon cover does hide the rear finish of course, but if you are going to make use of a cover, it’s best to wait until your phone arrives to see if you like it.
The Galaxy Note 10+ is a great phone but if you’re happy with the bundled one it would make more sense to put that money towards a Samsung Care plan.
The Galaxy Note 10+ lacks a 3.5mm to USB-C adapter, which is inexcusable for a phone of this caliber and price. It’s a small additional cost, but there are no way the typical Note 10+ user isn’t going to need a way to connect an auxiliary 3.5mm audio cable to their phone at some point. Adding the cost of such an adapter would surely not have moved the needle on profitability. ..
Aesthetics & Build Quality
Samsung’s latest Galaxy phone, the S8, is a great example of the company’s design prowess. The phone has a futuristic design that feels too advanced for 2019, compared to what else is available. ..
The iPhone X has a double curved screen that eliminates the bezel. More than 90% of the front of the phone is screen.
The front-facing camera on the Galaxy S8 is a bit of a mystery, but it’s easy to see how Samsung could have made it less obtrusive. The camera has been reduced to a single, tiny hole that becomes invisible during daily use.
It’s fairly simple to toggle apps between full-screen and normal mode. So if you can’t abide the hole punch in certain apps, you can simply restrict the edges of the app to stop short of crossing into that zone.
Ergonomics
The Note 10+ is a massive phone. It’s difficult to operate with one hand, but by using all four fingers to lift and move the phone, you can just about reach every corner of the screen.
Samsung has had a “one-handed mode” in their note phones for a while now. It’s not activated by default and it does make using the phone with one hand as easy as using a smaller phone, by dynamically altering the display and user interface as you use it. ..
We didn’t feel the need to activate this feature, but users with smaller hands will surely be glad to have it. If you are curious, this mode isn’t hidden too deeply.
Open Advanced Features and head to Motions and gestures > One-handed Mode. Here, you can choose to have your device use one or two hands to interact with it. If you choose to use one hand, you’ll need to set up a gesture for it - for example, by selecting a hand from the list of available gestures.
The Under-Screen Fingerprint Reader
The S8’s facial recognition system is not as good as a traditional fingerprint scanner.
The back-mounted fingerprint reader on the Galaxy S8 and S8+ is a major usability issue. It’s difficult to unlock the phone when it’s in a car mount or if it’s laying on its back. ..
The under-screen fingerprint reader on the Galaxy S8 works flawlessly. It’s fast and easy to use, and everywhere we tested it worked as advertised. Whether it was web-based authentication for Paypal or in our banking app, it just worked.
Samsung released an update to its under-screen reader that includes speed improvements halfway through the month. While we are happy to believe it’s faster now, it seems just as snappy.
The Camera(s)
It’s increasingly difficult to find a flagship smartphone with a bad camera. Differences in camera performance between the top dogs these days often come down to subjective preference or subtle technical differences that make no difference to the average consumer. ..
The Galaxy Note 10+ is not the best phone on the market today by various measures. However, it’s hard to imagine anyone being unimpressed with what is clearly a serious push by Samsung to make this an incredible all-round content creation machine.
The Galaxy Note 9 has three rear-facing cameras - a super wide angle lens, a standard lens, and a telephoto lens. Here are some photos comparing the Note 9 to the Galaxy Note 8, with the exception of the new ultrawide lens. ..
The Note 10 Plus ultra-wide angle lens is a new addition to the Note 9 line of smartphones. This lens offers a wider field of view than the standard wide angle lens on other smartphones, making it perfect for capturing stunning images and videos.
Samsung’s new Note 9 has a standard wide-angle lens. ..
The Galaxy Note 10+ has a standard wide angle lens, which is the same as the Galaxy S10+. ..
The Note 9’s telephoto lens is a welcome addition and it still looks pretty darn good. ..
The Note 10+ is a great phone for anyone looking for a premium smartphone that can handle some serious off-road action. We took it on a test ride at the local motorcycle racing track and found that it was able to handle the challenges with ease.
Second, the ultra-wide angle lens is a great tool for capturing more of the scene. It gives you a better sense of scale and allows you to see details that would be missed with a regular lens. Third, YouTube’s “super stabilization” makes it easy to keep your video steady even when the camera is moving around. This makes it perfect for videos that need to be shot in difficult or unstable conditions. ..
For an action sports event, you want to be able to capture slow motion footage. The Note 10+’s standard slow motion setting was impressively smooth and clear. ..
The Note 10 Plus is a better phone than the Note 9, but you have to compare it to photos taken with the Note 9 to see if it’s worth upgrading. The ultra wide lens is a big deal, and if you’re a serious photographer, it’s worth the upgrade.
The phone was set to full-auto, and the camera app included plenty of manual options for those who wanted to achieve near-professional results.
Dockless Dex!
Samsung Dex is a desktop environment that lets you connect a screen, mouse and keyboard to your phone. By using the Dex Station accessory, you could dock the device and get access to all of the features of a regular light productivity machine.
The Dex stations were rather pricey, although these days you can pick them up for a fraction of the launch price. Still, it doesn’t seem that this has caught on with users, so Samsung has done something new with Dex for the Note 10 release. The Dex stations are now available at a much lower price, which is great news for those who want to buy one but don’t want to spend a fortune.
You can use Dex with a Windows or Mac by installing the Dex app on it. Then when you connect the phone to the computer via USB, Dex opens up as a desktop app.
Dex is a new way of logging into your computer that uses a special code to keep your personal information separate from work data. ..
Dex is a neat app that worked pretty well. There was certainly some detectable lag, but nothing that rendered the application unusable. Most importantly, Dex makes it dead easy to transfer data between a computer and your phone and the Note 10 is powerful enough that normal phone operations keep working as usual, even while Dex is running.
The Stylus
Galaxy Note devices are all about the Note bits. ..
The Note 10+ feels more responsive, but not that you’d notice day-to-day. The new stylus has a much longer battery (technically a supercapacitor) life.
The new stylus will keep trucking for more than 10 hours, which we did not test. Simply because there’s no reasonable scenario where you’d use the stylus for that long without putting it back into the phone. You don’t need to worry about the battery life anymore. ..
The stylus can now perform remote control functionality with the PowerPoint app and as a remote camera trigger. However, the app has to specifically support it. Some macro-like customization would have been nice.
The Note10+ is the best phone you can buy right now if you’re a doodler, writer, or presenter. If you don’t care about these features, the Galaxy S10+ is better off for you.
Real World Battery Performance
The Note 10+ has an absolutely massive 4300mAh battery and reviewers around the web have subjected it to torture tests that empty the phone out at a little less than 12 hours of abuse.
The Note 10+ is great for people who want to know what an average day-to-day performance looks like. We found that unless you plan to be away from any sort of charging facility for more than 24 hours, battery life isn’t something you need to spend any time thinking about.
We intentionally limited our use of phone during the day to avoid over-usage and battery drain. We found that using the phone at night or in bed resulted in a lower battery life.
After a full work day, the Note 10+ still had at least 40% left in the tank. We were sure very heavy users might get closer to that 12-hour torture test mark in real life, but the vast majority of users should have no issues.
The Note 10+ has a great battery life out of the box.
In a nutshell, the phone will not charge if it is left plugged in to an outlet. To recharge the phone, you must use a wall charger that is included with the device.
Who Should Buy a Note 10+?
The Note 10+ is a great phone that has no real weaknesses. It’s a premium device that meets or exceeds most people’s expectations. Whatever you want to do with it, it will comply without complaint.
The biggest problem with the Galaxy Note 9 is that it’s too large to be held in one’s hands. We recommend holding it in one’s actual hands before buying it, as this will make it easier to hold and use.
The Galaxy S10 and S10+ are better all-round choices if you don’t want the stylus functionality.
If you have a Note 9, don’t upgrade to the Note 10. It doesn’t offer enough of an improvement over the Note 9 to justify the cost. ..
If you’re thinking about buying a Note phone for the first time, now is the perfect time to do so. The Note 10+ is the real deal - it’s the best Note ever. ..
The Note 10+ is a phone that has the best specifications when it launched. It is aimed at enthusiast users, which is what many of us want. ..
Samsung has announced that it is releasing a new phone every month and that the Galaxy Fold will be the next in line. This phone is said to be very innovative and have many features that no other phone has. There are strong rumors that the Galaxy S10 and Note 10 phones will be the last of their respective lines.
Rumors are swirling that the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will be merged into a new hybrid device. If true, this would be the masterpiece capstone of a legendary smartphone line and it would undoubtedly be a great one. ..
