Review of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ - new Samsung phablets with stylus

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Everything about these gadgets is great except for the price.

Table of contents

• Specifications
• Equipment
• Appearance and ergonomics
• Screen
• Sound
• Camera
• Stylus
• Performance
• Software
• Unlocking
• Autonomy
• Comparison with other Samsung flagships
• Outcomes

Specifications

	Note 10	Note 10+
Colors	"Aura", red, black	"Aura", white, black
Display	6.3 inches, Full HD + (1,080 × 2,280 pixels), Dynamic AMOLED	6.8 inches, Full HD + (1,440 × 3,040 pixels), Dynamic AMOLED
CPU	Exynos 9825 (2x2, 73GHz Mongoose M4 + 2x2.4GHz Cortex ‑ A75 + 4x1.9GHz Cortex ‑ A55)	Exynos 9825 (2x2, 73GHz Mongoose M4 + 2x2.4GHz Cortex ‑ A75 + 4x1.9GHz Cortex ‑ A55)
GPU	Mali ‑ G76 MP12	Mali ‑ G76 MP12
RAM	8 GB	12 GB
Built-in memory	256 GB	256/512 GB + support for microSD ‑ cards up to 1 TB
Cameras	Rear - 12 MP (main) + 12 MP (telephoto) + 16 MP (ultra wide angle). Front - 10 MP	Rear - 12 Mp (main) + 12 Mp (telephoto) + 16 Mp (ultra wide-angle) + TOF ‑ camera for determining the depth. Front - 10 MP
SIM card	Two slots for nanoSIM	Two slots for nanoSIM
Wireless interfaces	Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX, GPS, NFC	Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX, GPS, NFC
Connectors	USB Type ‑ C	USB Type ‑ C
Unlocking	By face, by fingerprint, PIN-code	By face, by fingerprint, PIN-code
Operating system	Android 9.0 + One UI	Android 9.0 + One UI
Battery	3,500 mAh, fast, wireless and reversible charging supported	4 300 mAh, fast, wireless and reversible charging supported
Dimensions (edit)	151 × 71.8 × 7.9 mm	162, 3 × 77, 2 × 7, 9 mm
The weight	168 g	196 g

Equipment

An engineering sample of Note 10+ came to us without a box, but the Note 10 in the edition turned out to be exactly the one on store shelves - in a box and in a complete set. It includes a smartphone, a power adapter with USB Type-C cables, headphones with three pairs of ear pads of different sizes, instructions, and two spare stylus rods with a special extractor crab.

Appearance and ergonomics

Smartphones are sold in classic black and a new one called "aura". At the same time, each model has its own additional option: the Note 10 has a red modification, the Note 10+ has a white modification. We got gadgets in red and "aura".

The new color looks great. From one angle it will appear greenish, from another - bluish, and from the third - silver. The back panel of such a smartphone is an almost mirror-like glossy surface with bright iridescent tints.

The red gadget looks cute too. It is a rich color that goes from burgundy to scarlet at different angles.

The back panels are quite easily soiled and easily collect finger stains. The design is minimalist: here is the Samsung inscription, barely noticeable markings and the classic vertical camera module. There is a flash to the right of it, and the Note 10+ also has an additional TOF camera. And the Note 10+'s eyes have something indented. This is not noticeable at first glance, but if you look closely, it is real hell for a perfectionist.

On top of both models there is a slide-out module for SIM cards, on the bottom there is a USB Type-C input and a compartment with a stylus. The right side is empty, the power and volume buttons have migrated to the left side. This is a bit unusual, but quite convenient.

The Galaxy Note is traditionally large smartphones. But the usual version even wants to be called compact: it lies in the hand more conveniently than most phablets. The width of the gadget is identical to, for example, the iPhone XS. With 10+, everything is expectedly more complicated: this is a huge smartphone for lovers of large screens and almost tablet dimensions. This is how it looks in comparison with a Troika card the size of a classic credit card:

Screen

Samsung's flagships traditionally have some of the best screens. Brightness, pixel density, detail, colors are all very good. For those who like numbers more than enthusiastic emotions, here is some technical information:

	Note 10	Note 10+
Diagonal	6.3 inches	6.8 inches
Permission	1,080 × 2,280 pixels	1,440 × 3,040 pixels
Pixel density	401 ppi	498 ppi

The company does not publish information on the brightness of the Galaxy Note 10. The Note 10+ peaks at 1,308 nits, according to DisplayMate. This is a lot. As a reminder, almost half a year ago we said “a lot” about the 800 nits brightness of the Galaxy S10 +.

In the Note ‑ series, the South Korean company repeated the experience of the latest models of the S line: the displays are of the Dynamic AMOLED type and support HDR10 + playback. This, of course, is great, but videos of this format are still rare in nature.

The edges of the display are traditionally bent on the sides. There are no more accidental clicks from this: if the base of the thumb still fits on the screen, the smartphone does not respond. The display seems to be limitless. The eyebrows, even the lower one, are almost absent here, and there is a hole in the upper center for the front camera. Personally, it does not bother me in any scenario.

Sound

Both smartphones are equipped with stereo speakers, producing loud and balanced (at least for the size of the device) sound. Also included is an AKG headset with a remote control to control playback and answer calls. The sound of the headphones is not bad and with a slight emphasis on bass.

Camera

Galaxy Note series smartphones are equipped with the same set of main cameras. On the back is the main 12-megapixel camera with mechanical aperture f1, 5 / f2, 4, 12-megapixel zoom lens with f / 2, 1 aperture and 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera with f / 2, 2 aperture.

Also, the Note 10+ has a TOF sensor here, which Samsung has already shown in the Galaxy A80. Thanks to him, in theory, you can make better shots with bokeh (for example, in the Note 10, the background in the video is separated by face recognition and software). In the future, 3D cameras may be useful, but now the TOF sensor does not affect the user experience.

Below are the frames obtained by shooting in automatic mode. The result is excellent. It seems to be one of the best camera phones ever made to the editor. Photos were taken with different cameras.

Night shots can work better with the Night mode. Judging by the fact that with this option the smartphone cannot be moved, the camera takes a frame with a long exposure. But the bright areas of the image do not turn out to be overexposed, which means that some algorithm is working here that equalizes the exposure settings and removes unnecessary light trails, which would inevitably appear if you used a long exposure yourself.

Taking a photo in the "Night" mode takes a few seconds. It is always inconvenient to use it, but if you really want to take a beautiful shot, then you can.

The portrait mode sometimes flips and gets confused in defining the edges of an object, but in general it gives a nice result at the level of flagships. You can make avatars.

The front camera has a resolution of 10 megapixels and an aperture of f / 2, 2. When taking a selfie, the smartphone offers two types of zoom. There is also a tree panel here, thanks to which we usually switch between the ultra wide angle, main and zoom lenses. But there is only one lens in front. Most likely, in one of the modes, the full image from the camera is simply cropped. But the pictures are of high quality anyway. And you can take good portraits with the selfie camera, too.

A function that has recently come to Samsung smartphones, which has received the ugly name “Live video. fok.”, allows you to make videos with bokeh. Here's an example shot with a Galaxy Note 10 (so you didn't need a TOF lens):

And here is a video in the same mode, but shot with the front camera:

Samsung software chips remained in place, and new ones appeared. The standard application has a mode for shooting food, panoramas, two types of slow-motion videos and hyperlapse video. There is also a professional mode with manual exposure settings. Video shooting with stabilization is available. Maximum resolution is 2 160p, frame rate is 960 FPS for slo ‑ mo ‑ video.

Stylus

The main difference between the Galaxy Note line and any other series of smartphones is the S Pen, and the main difference between the "dozen" from previous models is the presence of an accelerometer and a gyroscope in this stylus. Frankly, this is still more outlandish than useful. But first things first.

This is what the company envisions the need for an electronic pen:

• Quick notes. Sketches can be drawn even on the locked screen.
• Painting. It is more convenient to create images with a stylus than with a finger.
• Work with text. For example, you can write by hand, and the smartphone will automatically decipher everything.
• Managing presentation slides. The stylus can replace the clicker.
• Remote control shooting. Bluetooth module, accelerometer and gyroscope help control camera settings.

But in reality, everything is more complicated. You can't draw for a long time with an electronic pen: it is thin and light. It's like with a pen rod: yes, you can pull it out and even draw something with it, but this is inconvenient.

It takes much longer to write text by hand than habitually, by poking your thumbs over the sensor. Advanced scenarios for using the camera application are difficult to master.

On the other hand, Galaxy Note owners have a modern flagship with an electronic pen. In a time when almost all smartphones are the same, such unnecessary and frivolous little things can please. The stylus button is fun to press, it makes a believable pencil sound when used in a "drawing", and you can quickly and accurately depict a heart in Instagram Stories with it. Do you need something else?

If you find the S Pen comfortable and used to it, then the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ should be yours. Styluses just got better.

Performance

Models with Snapdragon 855 are not officially sold in Russia, instead of it there is a seven-nanometer eight-core Exynos 9825 with a core frequency of up to 2.73 GHz. Also, the European version did not receive the Adreno 640 graphics chip, it is replaced by the Mali ‑ G76 MP12. Between themselves, Note 10 and Note 10+ differ in the amount of RAM: 8 and 12 GB, respectively.

Here are the Note 10's benchmark results in Geekbench:

And in AnTuTu:

And here's the Note 10+ on Geekbench:

And in AnTuTu:

These are all just numbers. In fact, these are some of the most powerful smartphones on the market, which are enough for any task.

Software

The devices run Android 9.0 with the One UI add-on. The Note series has some nuances associated with the use of an electronic pen. Otherwise, this is the same system as, for example, on the S10 +.

The smartphone has a set of applications from Google, Samsung and Microsoft out of the box.

Quick access panels are located at the top and right. Above - quick settings, on the right - application icons.

One UI is Samsung's proprietary shell, familiar to all owners of the company's smartphones. It's easy to figure out and easy to use, although it has features you won't get to.

Unlocking

Galaxy Note supports face and finger unlocking. Both options are quite convenient and work quickly. The fingerprint sensor is right in the screen. It is located conveniently: the finger rises there automatically.

The only complaint is the possible insecurity of face unlocking. If you have something to hide, it's best to use your finger.

Autonomy

The capacity of the Note 10 and Note 10+ batteries is 3,500 and 4,300 mAh, respectively. In both cases, the battery capacity should be sufficient for a day of active work. Supports fast charging from the included adapter, as well as wireless and reversible. This means that the gadget can power any Qi-enabled smartphone.

Samsung flagship comparison

Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+

There are few differences between the models. Here are the essential ones:

• Colors. Only the Note 10 is sold in red and only the Note 10+ in white.
• Screen. 6.3 inches versus 6.8.
• Built-in memory. Note10 is sold only with 256GB of memory and does not support microSD cards. If you want to take a lot of photos and videos, or, for example, store movies on your smartphone, the Note 10+ with the possible expansion of memory up to 1 TB is more suitable.
• Dimensions. The Note 10 sits more confidently in one hand.
• Price. 76,990 rubles versus 89,990 rubles for the Note 10+ with 256 GB of memory.

Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy S10

The differences between these models are not as many as it might seem. Smartphones of the S and Note series came out with a difference of several months and completely coincided, for example, in camera specifications. And the operating experience is similar. Important differences: the place of the cutout for the front camera, the support of the Note smartphones for the stylus and the price. In the S series, it starts at 68,990 rubles (excluding the Galaxy S10e).

Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 9

Here the changes are exclusively evolutionary. Note 9 is still a relevant smartphone that looks good among today's flagships, so there is no need to rush to change it to the top ten. The key differences are the screen (the Note 10+'s display is almost half an inch larger), the camera array (the Note 9 does not have an ultra-wide-angle lens) and the presence of additional sensors in the stylus. And of course, the price. The average cost of a Note 9 with 128 GB of ROM is 45,000 rubles.

Outcomes

This smartphone has no obvious drawbacks. In every chapter of this review, it deserves praise. Galaxy Note comes with the best screens, great cameras, and the latest processors. These smartphones are good not only in the race for specifications: their character is expressed here in the software, in the design, and in the presence of the stylus.

Expected minus one: price. The younger model will cost 76,990 rubles, while for the Note 10+ you will have to pay 89,990 rubles. A modification of the Note 10+ with 512 GB of internal memory will also go on sale, its price is not yet known.