Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus REVIEW: Android smartphone is best in class, but at a high price

Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus REVIEW: Android smartphone is best in class, but at a high price (Pic: SAMSUNG)

StarTech has been lucky enough to have already had the larger S10+ in our pocket for the past few weeks – and heres our verdict on this very latest flagship.

THE GOOD

The Galaxy S10+ is a cracking phone that is worthy of your attention. With a stunning curved 6.4in fully edge-to-edge screen you wont find a much better visual experience on a smartphone.

Everything you watch looks pinsharp, with this device one of the most accurate when it comes to colour. Spin the phone around and youll also get a triple lens camera which offers improved zoom and the ability to shoot images with an ultra wide-angle lens.

This trio of snappers offers a huge variety of choice when shooting your photos, and we are definitely sold on this giant camera upgrade.

Other solid updates include a bigger battery, faster processor and more memory to store all of your content – the S10+ can be configured with a whopping 1TB of storage.

Plus you can now use this phone to refill other devices using something called Wireless PowerShare. This reverse charging works really well and you could become hugely popular on a night out when your friends phones run out of juice.

THE NOT SO GOOD

Although theres plenty to love about the S10+ there are a few things that were not so fond of.

First, the front-facing dual-lens selfie camera is now punched through the display and it sticks out like a very sore thumb, especially when watching a movie.

Then theres the price, which certainly doesnt make this an affordable option.

You can buy entry-level S10e for just shy of £700 but if you want the top-end S10+ model, like the version we tested, it will set you back at least £899. Finally, Samsung has missed a key feature which you can now find on some of its rivals.

Both the Pixel 3 and Mate 20 Pro have a dedicated night mode which somehow makes pictures look bright in almost total darkness without using the flash.

This has become a hugely popular addition and were not sure why Samsung hasnt followed with its own version.

DAILY STAR VERDICT – 4/5

Theres no question the Galaxy S10+ is one of the best phones Samsung has ever made.

It looks fabulous, has that incredible triple rear camera, good battery life and extras such as the ability to refill other devices wirelessly.

The screen is also one of the greatest weve ever seen and is guaranteed to make your content look better than ever.

However, none of this technology is really that new with other manufacturers, including Huawei, already producing phones with many of these features.

Samsung is also battling against the ever-growing army of cheaper and feature-packed Android phones. If you buy the S10+ you are going to love it.

But with all that smartphone competition out there its a tough choice to make

SAMSUNG GALAXY S10+ REVIEW ROUND-UP

The Verge

After 10 years of Galaxy phones, its easy to dismiss the S10 as just another smartphone that doesnt really offer anything new or groundbreaking. That isnt necessarily wrong; I dont think theres much of a reason for S9 or even S8 owners to run out and spend $1,000 on an S10.

Samsung itself is going to release a wild folding phone in two months, and the S10 is just another slab smartphone like weve had for years.

But this is the 2019 flagship Android phone that more people will buy than any other, and it provides as strong an alternative to the iPhone as you can find.

It really comes down to personal preference — are you so married to iOS and iMessage that youll never leave, or are you looking for something that has features you just cant get on the iPhone? If youre the latter, the S10 is here for you.

Likewise, if youre debating between the S10 and a Pixel, the question is how important you think software updates and night photography are. If those things arent very high on your list, the S10 is better than the Pixel in virtually every other respect.

And finally, if youre wondering whether or not the S10 Plus is worth nearly double the cost of a OnePlus 6T, your extra money will go toward a better display, better speakers, waterproofing, wireless charging, and a much better camera. That might be enough stuff to make it worth it, provided you care about all of that.

Its clear that after a decade of Galaxy phones, Samsung knows what its customers want and what they expect. Weve already seen glimpses of where the next 10 years will take us, but if youre looking for the best Android phone available today, the S10 Plus is it.

(Pic: T3)

T3

If youre looking for the biggest, fastest, feature-packed Samsung Galaxy smartphone available right now, this is it. At least, until the Galaxy S10 5G and Galaxy Fold launch later this year. The Galaxy S10 Plus boasts the same premium build quality and stunning fit-and-finish we've come to expect from Samsung, but now sports a bigger display, bigger battery and faster internals. If youre looking for the ultimate SamsRead More

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