It’s no secret that Korean tech giant Samsung had plans to release a new flagship smartphone in the latter half of the year. But even after all the leaks that have been circling the Internet for the past few months, we’re still just as excited to see the official launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Series.
Like the Galaxy S series, Samsung’s flagship tablet phones have been a popular fixture among Android users over the last decade. The 10th iteration of the Galaxy Note is indeed a milestone in the series, sporting a host of brand-new features designed to take the smartphone experience to a new level.
Right out of the bat, the Galaxy Note 10 boasts a shiny new Infinity-O Display that screams opulence. Button-less screens, in favour of intuitive in-screen fingerprint sensors and motion gestures are the trend now in smartphones, and such is continued in the Galaxy Note 10.
Whether you’re using the 6.3-inch display on the regular Galaxy Note 10, or the 6.8-inch one on the Galaxy Note 10+, you’re front-loaded with plenty of screen real estate for all sorts of tasks, like browsing the web, watching videos or taking them. The onscreen frontal camera might seem a worry for many, but it doesn’t really interfere with your usage, seeing how small it is compared to the overall screen size.
A staple of any Galaxy Note device is the S Pen stylus. The new S Pen for the Galaxy Note 10 comes with the standard stylus functions, but also packs a couple of new surprises. The most significant of these is the Air Action capabilities, which turns the S Pen into a remote control for the Galaxy Note 10.
This is most prominent in the camera functions. By holding down the button on the S Pen, you can perform a couple of hand gestures, such as zooming in and out if your camera by rotating your hands clockwise or counter-clockwise, switching between the frontal and rear cameras by flicking your wrist up or down, and changing between camera modes by flicking left or right.
PC-like processing is another must-have in AAA smartphones these days, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 comes equipped with arguably the strongest smartphone processor to date. The new 7nm Octa-core chipset boasts processing speeds of up to 2.8GHz — nearly as fast as a MacBook Air, which is impressive, to say the least.
Whether you’re playing games such as Harry Potter: Wizards Unite or capturing footage, you’re most definitely getting a lot of kick out of the computing speed of the Galaxy Note 10. Couple that with a storage space of up to 1.5TB (512GB internal storage + an additional 1TB MicroSD card), and you have yourself a mini laptop.
Fast-charging is also another norm in smartphones, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 elevates that to new heights, with the introduction of Super Fast Charging. Typical fast-charging lasts for about an hour or so, and the new 45W chargers (sold separately) allow you to juice up your Galaxy Note 10 back to 100% in just 30 minutes. Not to mention the new batteries go up to an impressive 4,300mAh, so your downtime for using it is reduced significantly.
And of course, how can we forget about the camera? The Galaxy Note 10 series sports a series of lenses that enable for a wide variety of shooting in virtually any light condition.
On the rear, there are two 12-megapixel cameras, one of which is a dual-aperture wide-angle, which adapts to both light and dark settings, and a 12-megapixel. There’s also a 16-megapixel camera for all your ultra wide-angle needs. On the Galaxy Note 10+, there’s a fourth rear camera, which is a depth-sensing time-of-flight camera, which allows for the most cinematic of shots. While not as powerful as the Galaxy S10’s, the cameras on the Galaxy Note 10 are still a force to be reckoned with.
Video capabilities have marked improvements on the Galaxy Note 10 over its Note 9 predecessor. A new live focus video function adds a cinematic filter onto whatever footage you want to capture. There are four in total, and allow for some interesting cinematic effects for whatever content you want to make. Additionally, there’s an audio zoom function that allows you to hone in on a particular sound as you zoom. Granted, this feature has been done before, on the LG V30, but should come as a pleasant new addition for those who have yet to experience it.
Of course, while many of us are excited for the Galaxy Note 10, some will still be disappointed at the lack of a 3.5mm input, in favour of a sole USB-C one. No doubt the most controversial feature of the Note 10 series, a dongle (which will be probably released at a later time), should soften the blow.
Despite this, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10’s overall utility and power is still a major selling point, and it will no doubt compete with the likes of the Huawei P30 Pro and its Galaxy S10 sibling for best Android smartphone of the year.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ will be available in Singapore on August 24, at all major local telco operator outlets (M1, Singtel, StarHub), major IT and other authorised retailers across the island. The Galaxy Note 10 will retail for S$1,398 and the Galaxy Note 10+ will go from S$1,598.
Additionally, pre-orders are available on August 8, from 3pm onwards (with pre-orders at Galaxy Studio @ Plaza Singapura starting from 6pm onwards). Those who do so will be entitled to complimentary pre-order exclusives (while stocks last). They are:
- Galaxy Note 10 (256GB): Galaxy Buds in Black worth S$238 and a Samsung Wireless Battery Pack (10,000mAh) in Silver worth S$98
- Galaxy Note 10+ (256GB): Free upgrade to a 512GB version worth S$300 and a Samsung Wireless Battery Pack (10,000mAh) in Silver worth S$98
Specifications
| Models | Samsung Galaxy Note 10 | Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ |
| OS | Android 9.0 (Pie) | Android 9.0 (Pie) |
| Processor | Samsung Exynos 9825, 7nm Octa-core chipset (up to 2.7GHz) | Samsung Exynos 9825, 7nm Octa-core chipset (up to 2.7GHz) |
| Memory | 8GB RAM | 12GB RAM |
| Storage | 256GB internal storage | 256/512GB internal storage Up to 1TB MicroSD |
| Display | 6.3″, Dynamic AMOLED, Full HD+ Infinity-O Display, 19:9 aspect ratio (2280 x 1080) HDR10+ Certified Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | 6.8″, Dynamic AMOLED, Quad HD+ Infinity-O Display, 19:9 aspect ratio (3040 x 1440) HDR10+ Certified Corning Gorilla Glass 6 |
| Camera | Rear 16MP Ultra Wide (f/2.2) 12MP Wide-Angle Dual Aperture (f/1,5, f/2.4) 12MP Telephoto (f/2.1) Front 10MP (f/2.2) | Rear 16MP Ultra Wide (f/2.2) 12MP Wide-Angle Dual Aperture (f/1,5, f/2.4) 12MP Telephoto (f/2.1) VGA DepthVision Camera Front 10MP (f/2.2) |
| SIM | Dual SIM: 2x Nano SIM | Dual SIM (Hybrid): 2x Nano SIM or 1x Nano SIM + 1x MicroSD slot (up to 1TB) |
| Battery | 3,500mAh Super-Fast Charging (25W, 45W charger sold separately) | 4,300mAh Super-Fast Charging (25W, 45W charger sold separately) |
| Colours | Aura Glow, Aura Black | Aura Glow, Aura Black, Aura White |
| Price (In SGD) | S$1,398 | S$1,598 (256GB) S$1,898 (512GB) |
| Availability (Singapore) | August 24 | August 24 |
Marion has a serious RPG addiction. Sometimes it bleeds into real life; he forgets to sleep because he thinks he has a Witcher’s body clock. Forgive him in advance if he suddenly blurts out terms such as “Mind Flayer” and “Magic Missile”, because never once does he stop thinking about his next Dungeons & Dragons game.
Si Jia
Edwin Teo
Trinity Sun
