Watch out plus-sized phones, there’s a new king in town. Samsung has taken the wraps off its new Galaxy S10 range, and it has spared no expense in upgrading its signature flagship range. If you’re a fan of phablets, the Galaxy S10 Plus has probably caught your eye — and with the Snapdragon 855, five camera lenses, and a 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED display, we can see why. But a big phone attracts big competition, and the iPhone XS Max is one of the biggest. Samsung vs. Apple is one of the greatest rivalries around, but which wins when these two phones go head-to-head? Specs Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus Apple iPhone XS Max Size 157.6 x 74.1 x 7.8 mm (6.20 x 2.91 x 0.30 inches) 157.5 x 77.4 x 7.7 mm (6.20 x 3.05 x 0.30 inches) Weight 175 grams (6.17 ounces) 208 grams (7.34 ounces) Screen size 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED 6.5-inch Super Retina HD OLED True Tone display Screen resolution 3,040 × 1,440 pixels (526 pixels per inch) 2,688 x 1,242 pixels (458 pixels per inch) Operating system Android 9.0 Pie iOS 12 Storage space 128GB, 512GB, 1TB 64GB, 256GB, 512GB MicroSD card slot Yes No Tap-to-pay services Google Pay, Samsung Pay Apple Pay Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Apple A12 Bionic RAM 8GB, 12GB 4GB Camera Triple lens 16-megapixel ultra wide-angle, 12MP variable aperture, and 12MP telephoto rear, 10MP and 8MP front dual lens Dual 12MP (with dual OIS) rear, 7MP TrueDepth front camera Video 4K at 60 fps, 1080p at 240 fps, 720p at 960 fps 4K at 60fps, 1080p at 240fps Bluetooth version Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth 5.0 Ports USB-C port, 3.5mm audio jack Lightning Fingerprint sensor Yes, ultrasonic in-display No Water resistance IP68 IP68 Battery 4,100mAh Fast charging (QuickCharge 2.0) Qi wireless charging 3,174mAh Fast charge capable (Additional charger needed) Qi wireless charging App marketplace Google Play Store Apple App Store Network support T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint Colors Prism Black, Prism White, Prism Blue, Flamingo Pink, Ceramic Black, Ceramic White Silver, Space Gray, Gold Price $1,000 $1,100 Buy from Samsung Apple Review score 4.5 out of 5 stars 4 out of 5 stars Performance, battery life, and charging You want power? Both these devices put an incredible amount of power at your fingertips and will allow you to play the latest 3D games, view amazing augmented reality (AR) content, and more. You’ll find Apple’s A12 Bionic processor in the iPhone XS Max, while the Galaxy S10 Plus uses the all-new Snapdragon 855. We haven’t had a chance to test the S10 Plus properly yet, but some initial Snapdragon 855 benchmarks suggest it could eclipse the XS Max in pure power. However, it’s not likely to translate to better real-life performance, as the XS Max is silky-smooth. The S10 Plus has the edge in RAM with 8GB, and the base model comes with 128GB of storage and room to expand via MicroSD card. The iPhone XS Max makes do with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage in the base model with no expansion option. The RAM difference may not be very telling, as the two platforms handle memory differently, but the extra storage will be important for some people. Both of these phones also come with the biggest batteries in their range — 4,100mAh in the S10 Plus and 3,174mAh in the XS Max. Again, we haven’t had much chance to play with the S10 Plus, but at least a day’s worth of use between charges is expected. The XS Max delivers similar usage. Battery charging is where both fall slightly. Samsung persists in including the outdated QuickCharge 2.0, and it means fast charging isn’t as fast as what you can expect from the XS Max. However, you’ll need to buy an additional fast charger for the XS Max, as it doesn’t come with one in the box. Qi wireless charging is included in both. Since we haven’t had much time with the S10 Plus yet, performance is tough to judge, so we’re going to call this a tie for now. Winner: Tie Design and durability The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is one exceptionally beautiful phone, and Samsung’s new design includes a display with a hole-punch camera. Simply put, the front of the phone is almost all display, except for a single cutout for the dual front-facing cameras. It’s an exceptionally clean design, and that cleanness extends to the glass back too. There you’ll find three camera lenses and no fingerprint sensor — as it has moved into the display. The 512GB and 1TB models will also come with a ceramic back plate, rather than glass, which offers improved durability and an exceptionally luxurious feel. But the XS Max is no stranger to luxurious beauty, and Apple’s supersized phone is definitely a match for Samsung’s on a style front. The new gold effect is quite stylish, and the edge-to-edge notched design has quickly become iconic, despite some people still disliking the notch. You’ll find IP68 water-resistance on both, so they can survive a slip into the pool or bath. Glass is glass though, so you might want to slap on a case regardless of your choice. The ceramic-backed S10 Plus will be more durable, but ceramic is still prone to shattering, so it’s still even here. There’s no obvious winner here — both are beautiful, fragile phones. It’s a tie. Winner: Tie Display The iPhone XS Max packs a beautiful 6.5-inch AMOLED screen running a 2,688 x 1,242-pixel resolution. Apple’s penchant for odd resolutions aside, the screen is beautiful — it’s bright and crisp, and shows vibrant colors and deep, inky blacks. TrueTone, Dolby Vision, and HDR10 are back too, so expect some excellent viewing. But Samsung makes the best phones screens in the business, and its latest are its best yet. The S10 Plus is packing a 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED display, and it’s a beauty. The first phone screen to be HDR10+-certified, it filters blue light, and offers incredible color accuracy. It’s also running a extremely crisp 3,040 x 1,440-pixel resolution. While the iPhone XS Max’s display is beautiful, the S10 Plus’ screen hits a new level. Winner: Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus Camera The iPhone XS Max has two rear-facing lenses — both 12-megapixels, with a f/1.8 and f/2.4 aperture respectively. The second lens is a telephoto lens, which helps with portrait mode shots. It’s a stunner of a camera, and easily one of the best camera phones. The 7-megapixel TrueDepth front camera also takes great selfie shots, and you can capture 4K video at 60 frames-per-second with the rear camera’s video capabilities. The S10 Plus has really taken things up a notch, though. It’s packing a triple-lens camera — a 12-megapixel lens with variable aperture, another 12-megapixel telephoto lens, and a new 16-megapixel wide-angle lens. The front camera uses two lenses, a 10-megapixel and an 8-megapixel lens — which should hopefully improve selfie shots. Both front and rear cameras will also record 4K video. We haven’t had a chance to play with the S10 Plus’ camera system yet, but camera specialist DxoMark has awarded it the highest rating for selfies, and placed the rear cameras at the top of the heap along with the Huawei P20 Pro and Mate 20 Pro. You’ll get a phone with a phenomenal camera regardless of which you choose, but we think the versatile S10 Plus camera suite is a winner. Winner: Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus Software and updates The S10 Plus runs Samsung’s new One UI software based on Android 9.0 Pie. We really like it — it’s much better than previous Samsung UIs. But is it better than the iPhone XS Max’s iOS 12? A lot of that will be personal preference, so we can’t really judge for you. Updates don’t come down to personal preference, though, and it’s here that Apple runs away with it. Since it creates and distributes the OS itself, Apple’s iOS updates have always been extremely prompt and come to a lot of older iPhones. The last iOS 12 update came to 2013’s iPhone 5S. By comparison, it takes Samsung months to update to the latest Android version, and most phones can usually only expect to see two major upgrades — three at most. By comparison, the aforementioned iPhone 5S started on iOS 7, and has been upgraded ever since. Winner: iPhone XS Max Special features There phones are packed with the latest tech, from the AR-powered Memojis and AR Emojis, to the range of available A.I. assistants. While the S10 Plus has the advantage in sheer number of features — the Dex desktop mode, virtual reality support, and reverse wireless charging with Wireless PowerShare — we think the audience for these will be fairly niche. Of much larger interest are the unlocking features available on both. The XS Max eschews a fingerprint scanner in favor of Face ID facial unlocking. It’s fast, and thanks to the TrueDepth camera, it’s secure too. The S10 Plus still uses a fingerprint scanner, but it’s been moved inside the display, and it uses ultrasonic technology — which Samsung claims boosts security. While it’s impressive, we’ll need some time with it before we can judge which is better. Winner: Tie Price The iPhone XS Max is currently available, and prices start at $1,100 for the 64GB model. It’s available from a variety of retailers, and works on most major U.S. carriers. The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is currently available for pre-order, and releases March 8. The 128GB model costs $1,000, and it will also work on all major U.S. retailers. Overall winner: Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus As ever with these two brands, it’s an exceptionally tight race — but the Galaxy S10 Plus takes the title with just one more category than the iPhone XS Max. But there are a lot of ties, and we haven’t had much chance to play with the S10 Plus yet, so this verdict may change during our testing period. It’s also worth pointing out that many of the elements that matter most to people — performance and battery life span — came up tied. While the S10 Plus has a superior display and likely a superior camera, most users will be more than happy with both of those things on the iPhone. So really, it all comes down to personal taste — do you love iOS or Android? Either way, we think you’ll be satisfied with whichever one of these amazing phones you choose. Editors' Recommendations<doc-sep>Samsung chose to unveil not just one but five new phones at its Unpacked event this week, complementing its range of Galaxy S10 devices with the innovative Galaxy Fold. The Galaxy S10, S10+, S10e, S10 5G and Fold all offer something unique for users, be it size, specs, or the ability to unfold and transform into a tablet. Combined with the vast range of non-Samsung alternatives – the iPhone XS, the Google Pixel 3, the Huawei P30 Pro, to name just three – it may seem more difficult than ever to decide which device is the right one to buy. As American psychologist Barry Schwartz wrote in Paradox of Choices, having too many options "no longer liberates but debilitates" consumers. With prices ranging from around £700 to close to £2,000 for the new Samsung phones, making the wrong choice could be costly. So considering all the options, which is the best smartphone for you to buy? Galaxy S10e This is the entry-level phone – the 'e' stands for 'everyone' – designed to entice people into the Galaxy family. It comes with 6GB to 8GB of RAM, either 128GB or 256GB of internal storage, an HD+ screen and a 3,100 mAh battery. A 10 megapixel front camera is complimented with a dual-lens setup on the rear that holds a 12 megapixel and 16 megapixel camera. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at California’s Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty The Galaxy S10e is also the smallest of the Galaxy family, measuring 5.8-inches, meaning some people may favour it simply for its pocket-friendly size. Prices for the Galaxy S10e start at £669. Galaxy S10 This is technically Samsung's true flagship, serving as the direct successor to the Galaxy S9. Like the S10e, there are a number of design features that sets this anniversary edition apart from its predecessors, including a hole-punch design to hold its front-facing camera. Samsung announced a range of new Galaxy smartphones on 20 February, 2019 (Samsung) The Galaxy S10 goes one better than the S10e – and two better compared to the S9 – when it comes to the rear camera, featuring a triple lens setup to significantly boost its picture-taking credentials. An in-screen fingerprint scanner and reverse wireless charging also adds to its flagship status, keeping it at the cutting edge of the smartphone space. It is also slightly bigger, measuring 6.1-inches and weighing 157 grams, and comes with a standard 8GB of RAM. Prices for the Galaxy S10 start at £799. Galaxy S10+ As the name suggests, the S10+ is essentially a plus-sized version of the S10. Measuring 6.4-inches, the S10+ features the same triple-lens setup on the rear of the phone but adds another lens to the front. It can also hold an incredible 1.5 terabytes of data – 500GB more than its nearest rival (the Galaxy Note9) – if its 512GB expandable memory is utilised. The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus was unveiled on 20 February. Its release date is scheduled for early March (Samsung) The battery on the S10+ is also enormous, though without real-world testing it's difficult to say how far this will go in an average user's day. Up to 12GB of RAM makes this smartphone more powerful than most modern laptops. Prices for the Galaxy S10+ start at £899 Galaxy S10 5G The Galaxy S10 5G is huge – and not only because of its 6.7-inch frame. Its real significance comes in its support for 5G, the next-generation mobile network that will define communications for the next decade. This phone will appeal to anyone wanting to see what this new world might look like, though it's likely going to be at least a year before 5G rolls out on any significant scale. In terms of general specs, the Galaxy S10 5G is most similar to the Galaxy S10, with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. Samsung is yet to announce a price or exact release date for the Galaxy S10 5G, though it will likely be coming at some point in the summer. Galaxy Fold While some may be questioning what the point of a folding phone is, others are heralding the Galaxy Fold as the future of smartphones. Like the S10 5G, this is a phone for early adopters, with future generations likely to iron out any kinks that may arise from such a radically new technology. The Samsung Galaxy Fold represents the biggest evolution in mobile technology since the first ever smartphone (Samsung) It comes with 512GB of internal storage as standard, 12GB of RAM and an incredible six cameras. Samsung is yet to announce the cost of the Galaxy Fold in the UK, but with prices in the US set at $1,980 and €2,000 in Europe, British buyers can expect to pay around £1,600.<doc-sep>
Samsung just announced the 10th iteration of its flagship Galaxy smartphone, the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus. I had a brief chance to poke around the S10 and S10 Plus ahead of today’s announcement, and here’s what you should know: these are unmistakably Samsung phones in that they follow the Samsung playbook of maximizing every possible spec, but they do so in a way that seems more elegantly integrated than the last few Galaxy iterations. Also, they look really nice. This S10 pair succeeds last year’s Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus, and they are also accompanied by a new Galaxy S10E model. All three phones will be available for preorder starting tomorrow, February 21st, and they will start shipping on March 8th. In addition to all four major US carriers, the S10 family will also be available unlocked from Samsung and other retailers, starting at $899.99 for the S10 and $999.99 for the S10 Plus. We have a whole other article dedicated to the S10E, but for everything concerning the S10 and S10 Plus, keep reading. Continuing Samsung’s years-long effort to eliminate bezels and provide the most screen possible in a device you can hold in your hand, the S10 and S10 Plus’ design centers on 6.1-inch and 6.4-inch screens, respectively, with nary a bezel around them. Both models have considerably larger displays than the S9 and S9 Plus, but their overall dimensions are just a smidge larger than before. In fact, the S10 Plus is actually slightly shorter than the S9 Plus, despite having a 0.2-inch larger display. Still, both of these phones are big, and if you’re at all put off by that, the S10E is more likely up your alley. Samsung Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus specs: Screen: 6.1-inch / 6.4-inch “Dynamic AMOLED” display, Quad HD+ resolution in a 19:9 aspect ratio Rear cameras: Wide angle 12-megapixel (77-degree) lens, telephoto 12-megapixel (45-degree) lens, and ultra wide 16-megapixel (123-degree) lens Selfie camera: 10-megapixel, 8-megapixel RGB depth camera (S10 Plus) Dimensions: 70.4 x 149.9 x 7.8mm, 157 grams (S10) / 74.1 x 157.6 x 7.8mm, 175g (Ceramic: 198g) (S10 Plus) Processor: Snapdragon 855 (in the US, Exynos in some regions) Memory: 8GB or 12GB RAM Storage: 128GB to 512GB (1TB on S10 Plus), expandable via microSD Battery: 3,400mAh (S10) / 4,100mAh (S10 Plus) OS: Android 9 Pie with Samsung One UI Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5, LTE Cat.20 Wireless charging, USB-C, headphone jack Aside from size, the displays on both models are identical: 1440-pixel wide 19:9 OLED panels (with Samsung’s “Dynamic AMOLED” branding) with HDR10+ certification. Both have curved sides that meld into the aluminum frame and make it easier to hold. They are as bright, colorful, and vibrant to view as any prior Samsung screen, and based on what I’ve seen so far, I wouldn’t be surprised if Samsung continues to have the best displays available on a phone this year. The S10 screens have two other special features (one you can see and one you can’t). The one you can see is the new hole-punch cutout for the front camera, which allows Samsung to avoid a notch-style design and still have a front-facing shooter. The S10 Plus has a wider punch for the two cameras on its front; the S10 makes do with a circular one. I’m still not convinced that hole-punch displays are any better than a notch, but given how many people seem to irrationally hate notches, Samsung is here for them. The feature you can’t see is the ultrasonic fingerprint scanner that’s embedded below the screen, which replaces the traditional capacitive scanner that used to be found on the back of the S9. Samsung claims this scanner is the “most advanced” one on the market, and it’s more reliable, harder to spoof, and generally better performing than the optical-based scanners used in the OnePlus 6T and other phones. I was only able to test the new scanner briefly, but it did work remarkably well at reading my thumb and unlocking the phone quickly. My colleague Vlad Savov has more to say on it here, and we’ll be doing more extensive testing in our forthcoming review. One downside to an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner is that it can’t work through thick screen protectors, so Samsung is certifying certain third-party screen protectors that have been tested to work with the S10.