Buzz
Samsung's flagship smartphone for the first half of 2019 has received high praise. Its camera with an ultra-wide lens captures exceptionally well, though the fingerprint sensor falls short of expectations.
1. Impressions of the Samsung Galaxy S10+
The highest-end smartphone from Samsung in the first half of 2019 is highly acclaimed. Its camera, equipped with an ultra-wide-angle lens, captures exceptionally well. However, the fingerprint sensor doesn't meet expectations.
Breaking away from the 'notch' trend initiated by Apple in 2018, Samsung has pioneered a new trend - the 'hole-punch' display for the camera, seen in the Galaxy S10 series (S10, S10+, S10e). Among them, the top-of-the-line model is the Galaxy S10+ with a borderless screen and a system featuring 5 cameras, including 3 at the back and two at the front. It is also the world's first smartphone with an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.
The Galaxy S10+ (on the right) is the model with the largest display in the newly launched Galaxy S10 series.
Infinity-O Borderless Display with Unique 'Hole-Punch' Camera
From the Galaxy S6 to the S9, Samsung didn't change its design much. The most significant difference was the increasingly expansive screen, especially at the top and bottom. This aligns with the market trend of shrinking screen bezels. However, technology faced limitations when it came to the front camera. Apple chose the 'notch' in 2018, leading to a slew of similar-looking devices, especially from Chinese brands.
Samsung, having learned from Apple's success in the past, couldn't afford to make a 'notch' Galaxy S in the current position. Instead, the South Korean electronics giant introduced the Galaxy S10 series with the distinctive Infinity-O display technology, placing the front camera beneath the display frame.
Compared to the Galaxy S10 and S10e, the flagship model, S10+, uses two front cameras, resulting in a larger notch area. However, offsetting it to the right instead of the center makes it less intrusive and visually appealing during use. Network and battery icons are placed conveniently to the left, making them easily observable. Unlike the iPhone XS or XS Max, the 'hole-punch' design of the Galaxy S10+ is less distracting, providing a more immersive screen experience.
When browsing or using apps like Facebook and Messenger, both front cameras don't interfere with the content display. Watching videos is similarly unaffected since most videos today have a shorter width than the 19:9 ratio of the Galaxy S10+. This also applies when gaming, where the top and bottom edges of the screen are predominantly black, non-responsive areas, enhancing the entertainment experience without significant disruption. However, for users not keen on selfie photography, having just one front camera, as in the Galaxy S10 or S10e, may offer a more enjoyable experience.
In terms of display quality, the Galaxy S10+ has few rivals on the market. Renowned display quality evaluator DisplayMate ranks it as the best smartphone display currently available. The device's color reproduction is nearly flawless, with real-world experience confirming vibrant and beautiful colors, closely mirroring reality. The large screen brightness also ensures comfortable outdoor visibility. As the first smartphone to support HDR10+, the S10+'s display boasts deeper colors and higher contrast than HDR10 on standard products.
Outstanding Advantages include a large Super AMOLED display - up to 6.4 inches, high resolution of 1440 x 3040, pixel density of 522 ppi, surpassing the iPhone XS Max by a significant 458 ppi. The display occupies a remarkable 93.1% of the front area (or 89.9% without considering the hole-punch camera), far exceeding the 84.4% of the iPhone XS Max. Even smartphones employing a 'pop-up' mechanism to hide the camera, like the Oppo Find X or Vivo NEX, only achieve a display ratio of 86 to 87%.
'Chic' Design, Fingerprint Sensor Falls Short of Expectations
Except for the new display, the Galaxy S10+ maintains the traditional stylish design from the Galaxy S6. The new version utilizes a thinner aluminum frame and is still encased in glass on both sides. All surfaces are coated with the latest Gorilla Glass 6 for excellent durability. The colors on the device can change with viewing angles and lighting but still have the drawback of being prone to fingerprints. A transparent plastic back cover is included, which may temporarily address the issue but doesn't truly match the product's value.
Samsung also pays attention to small details, such as the curved edges at the corners and both sides, particularly at the rear interface, providing a comfortable, non-bulky feel. However, the large screen but relatively light weight (175 grams compared to XS Max's 208 grams with a nearly equivalent screen) gives a less solid grip. Samsung also equips a slightly elevated power button, beyond the reach of most users. Meanwhile, the Bixby button is conveniently placed but prone to accidental presses. Additionally, Samsung's Bixby virtual assistant is not yet useful in the Vietnamese market.
Samsung is one of the 'kind' smartphone manufacturers for retaining the 3.5mm headphone jack. Despite Apple's decision to 'retire' this standard, and more recently, Xiaomi following suit, many products in the market still use it, demonstrating the practicality of Samsung's choice. The USB-C port, offering two-way insertion convenience, along with the IP68 water resistance standard (submersion up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes), are significant advantages for the device.
Testing the Fingerprint Sensor on the Galaxy S10+.
One of the top-notch features on the Galaxy S10+ is the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor - a first on a smartphone. Using Qualcomm's technology, it offers precise and secure operation, better recognition even with wet fingers compared to optical sensors on Huawei Mate 20 or OnePlus 6T. The speed of operation surpasses competitors with under-display fingerprint sensors but still lags behind optical sensors used in the past.
Real-world experience also reveals that with slightly wet or sweaty fingers, the fingerprint recognition significantly decreases, posing challenges for users. Users can combine it with face recognition, but the security level is not on par, and low-light recognition is hindered due to the absence of infrared sensors found in iPhones and some Xiaomi, Huawei models.
Impressive Camera with Wide-Angle Perspective, Excellent Video Stabilization
Equipped with three rear cameras, the Galaxy S10+ scores 109 points according to DxOMark, trailing by 3 points compared to the leading Huawei P30 Pro. However, in practical shooting situations and for average users, hardly any model surpasses the Galaxy S10+ in terms of color reproduction, contrast range, and white balance. In the front-facing selfie camera assessment, Samsung's mobile device even leads the chart with 96 points, over 4 points more than the second-placed model, which happens to be... the Galaxy Note 9.
Compared to previous Galaxy S and Note smartphone series, the wide-angle lens is an entirely new detail. The short focal length enhances creativity, capturing more details without needing to stand too far in landscape or architectural photography scenarios. The wide-angle effect brings a distinctive touch compared to most conventional smartphones. Moreover, equipped with a quality lens and sensor, the wide-angle shots of the Galaxy S10+ outperform previous smartphones with similar focal length lenses, particularly in handling distortion and edge sharpness.
With a 2x zoom lens, the device continues its strength in portrait photography, mimicking the effects of professional DSLR cameras. On the Galaxy S10+, background blur is more realistically rendered, especially around the subject's edges. The simulated background blur adjusts easily according to the aperture setting.
Similar to the past two generations, Samsung has slightly toned down the image saturation, yet it still appears vibrant compared to reality and remains acceptable. Photos taken in well-lit conditions showcase good contrast and attractive colors, but in some wide-angle shots with vegetation, the focus area feels a bit 'edgy.' However, the device excels in white balance compared to competitors, even when compared to top-tier photography smartphones like the Huawei P30 Pro. In low-light photography, Samsung's mobile device currently lags behind Huawei's counterpart.
Excellent Performance, Decent Battery Life, and Reverse Wireless Charging
For a flagship smartphone like the Galaxy S10+, there's not much need to dwell on its performance, as the configuration is always in the 'top' with the Exynos 9820 chip and up to 8 GB of RAM. The device smoothly handles all resource-intensive games on the Play Store. It operates smoothly, and extended gaming sessions only result in a slight warmth at the back of the device.
However, compared to iPhone, Xiaomi, or Oppo, Samsung hasn't quite perfected the interface with gesture controls. The device still heavily relies on the basic three Android buttons, and swipe gestures as button replacements are a bit cumbersome, not as user-friendly as its counterparts.
Samsung surprises with a slim design while maintaining a large battery, boasting a capacity of 4,100 mAh, surpassing even the Galaxy Note9. However, the device's battery life in real-world usage is just decent, not overly impressive. It comfortably lasts through a day of work but extending into the second day might be a challenge. A significant advantage is the device's support for fast charging, reducing waiting time during charging.
Another intriguing feature of the Galaxy S10+ is its support for reverse wireless charging for other devices. In practice, this feature is convenient and useful for charging accessories like watches and wireless earphones. The device also supports fast wireless charging with a power output of 15W.
Galaxy S10+ stands as a formidable competitor to the iPhone XS Max in the market. Despite some OS instability, Samsung compensates users with the best display, impressive camera capabilities, and a sleek, stylish design.
Overall Review:
- Pros:
- Premium design
- Beautiful display
- Excellent camera, notable wide-angle lens
- Outstanding video stabilization - Cons:
- Slightly lightweight, lacking a robust feel
- Fingerprint sensor not as fast as expected
- Gesture-based interface is somewhat cumbersome
Specification Comparison with Competitors:
