Samsung’s Galaxy S10 lineup has a lot going for it, with an attractive new design and the company’s best software yet. But Samsung customers that were expecting significant camera improvements may be left disappointed. While we’ll have to spend more time with the final phones to know for sure, yesterday’s launch event was not convincing. That’s not to say Samsung didn’t talk up the Galaxy S10’s photographic potential. Product marketing director Suzanne De Silva described the phone’s new camera system as “a pro-grade camera that you don’t have to be a pro to use.” This is in reference to the triple-lens array on the back of the S10 and S10 Plus, letting you switch between 123-degree ultra-wide, 77-degree wide, and 45-degree telephoto perspectives; the suggestion was that the main advantage of professional cameras is the ability to change lenses. Samsung had little to say on image quality But that’s not exactly true, otherwise we’d all be hailing last year’s LG V40 as the best phone camera on the market. The main advantage of pro cameras is their vastly superior image quality, and on that topic Samsung had very little to say. At last year’s Mobile World Congress, Samsung placed a huge focus on the Galaxy S9’s photographic qualities, blanketing Barcelona in banners proclaiming “The Camera. Reimagined.” The biggest justification for that claim was the dual-aperture lens that could switch from f/1.5 to f/2.4 depending on the situation. It was certainly something new for smartphones, but in practice it was a gimmick; there are very few situations in which you’d want a smartphone camera to capture less light. That exact same lens and sensor combination returns this year on the Galaxy S10, and Samsung didn’t even mention it on stage. Instead, most of the discussion was concentrated on the extra versatility provided by the three-lens setup. Which, to be clear, is a legitimately neat feature — I’ve been a fan of ultrawide and telephoto phone cameras ever since LG and Apple introduced them respectively, and having both on the Galaxy S10 will be great. I do worry, though, that Samsung isn’t focusing enough on the basics. Perhaps I shouldn’t say “the basics,” because what I mean by that is actually extraordinarily complex. Google is the undisputed smartphone camera leader right now even though the Pixel 3 includes just a single lens, and that’s because the company has put more time and effort than anyone into the field of computational photography. Google uses AI, machine learning, and acutely designed algorithms to help produce phenomenal results from all of its Pixel cameras. Apple isn’t quite there yet, but did make significant strides in that direction with last year’s iPhones. And it doesn’t look like Samsung has an answer. Samsung did mention AI on stage, but didn’t say anything about how computational techniques might be used for basic photography. The Galaxy S10 is now said to make use of a neural processing unit (NPU) to help recognize scenes and adjust image settings accordingly, which is a feature Samsung has already been shipping on its phones alongside several other competitors. But it’s unclear to what extent the NPU will improve the results, or how the results will differ with the US-bound version of the phone that’s based around a Snapdragon 855, which has different machine learning capabilities. The Galaxy S10 sold in most other regions will use Samsung’s own NPU-equipped Exynos 9820 processor, which the company has already touted for its AI potential. Either the different versions of the S10 will have different AI capabilities, or Samsung isn’t tying its AI features particularly strongly to its hardware; neither outcome suggests that it’s a priority for the company. For me, the best camera-related feature in the Galaxy S10 actually pertains to video: it can capture footage in HDR10+, a standard that Samsung has pushed more than anyone else as an open alternative to Dolby Vision. HDR video capture of any kind is still uncommon in phones, but HDR10+ is a dynamic format where different brightness levels can be recorded for each scene, which seems like a great fit for the often uncontrolled lighting situations that we tend to shoot mobile video in. It should also be a good way to show off the S10’s undoubtedly class-leading display. There’s no reason to think that the Galaxy S10 will have a bad camera. Subjective assessments of image processing aside, the company has been competitive in this area throughout the history of the Galaxy S series, if rarely the outright leader. But the S10 doesn’t look to be innovating much either in hardware or software. Adding more lenses is one thing, but without meaningful improvements in image quality, that’s something that anyone can emulate. And this really has to be Samsung’s major concern as it heads into 2019 under heavy attack from Chinese manufacturers. In recent years, maintaining a certain level of flagship-caliber camera performance has been one of the main reasons to go with a Samsung phone over cheaper competitors like OnePlus and Honor. We’ll have to see what kind of results the S10 turns in, but right now Samsung’s pitch seems surprisingly muted.<doc-sep>It was only officially launched yesterday, but the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is already earning top marks for its photo-taking prowess from DxOMark, the industry standard for all things smartphone camera-related. Last month, DxOMark announced a new test for smartphone selfie cameras designed to tell you which phone's front-facing camera setup is best overall. Well, the Galaxy S10 Plus, with its dual selfie sensors and second RGB depth camera, has already won that distinction, earning a terrific overall score of 96 on the DxOMark Selfie scale. Citing "good target exposure on faces in most conditions" and "pleasant skin tones, white balance, and color rendering", the review also praises the selfie camera's "detail in bright light at all shooting distances". Of course, not everything scored so highly – DxOMark notes that the camera's narrow depth of field can result in "soft faces in group portraits and to soft background details" and that its selfies also exhibit "dull colors in low light". Not to be outdone by the selfie camera, the Galaxy S10 Plus's rear cameras also earned a first-place score, earning a joint number one position alongside the Huawei Mate 20 Pro with an overall score of 109 on the DxOMark Mobile ranking. According to DxOMark, the Galaxy S10 Plus "comes with the best camera we’ve seen on a Samsung smartphone, and will no doubt be one of the devices to beat in 2019." Of course, TechRadar will soon put the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus and its siblings through their paces in our own in-depth reviews. In the meantime, you can check out our hands on reviews of the Galaxy S10, S10 Plus and S10e.<doc-sep>Editor's note, March 6: Our Galaxy S10 Plus review is now live and our Galaxy S10E review is ongoing. Keep reading for more about the Galaxy S10, S10 E, S10 Plus and Galaxy S10 5G. And here's more about the Galaxy Fold, Samsung's first foldable phone. With the Galaxy S10, Samsung celebrates its 10th anniversary Galaxy S phone by going big and bold. How bold? Each of the four new Galaxy S10 models is more impressive than the last: there's the cheaper S10E ($750, £669, AU$1,199), the Galaxy S10 ($900, £799, AU$1,349), S10 Plus ($1,000, £899, AU$1,499) and Galaxy S10 5G, the brand's first 5G phone. This is Samsung seeking to whip up excitement, roar back in sales and defend its title as the world's top smartphone brand. But the Galaxy S10 phones also represent a quest for perfection. What does "perfection" mean to Samsung in 2019? An edge-to-edge screen with teeny-tiny bezels. The (remarkable) ability to wirelessly charge another device. An Infinity-O display that cuts a small circle (or oval) to make room for front-facing cameras. The world's first ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint reader, which unlocks the Galaxy S10 using sound waves. Up to four rear cameras. Up to 1TB of built-in storage. The all-new One UI. Android Pie. A cutting-edge Snapdragon 855 processor. And, in one case, 5G capabilities. Samsung also lays claim to a screen advancement that reduces blue-light emissions, which studies have shown can slow or halt the production of melatonin, the hormone that signals our brain that it's time for bed. Now playing: Watch this: New Galaxy S10 phones pile on sweet specs This is an impressive list of changes, but when I held them in my hands (except for the 5G model, which we couldn't touch), the Galaxy S10 phones looked and felt extremely familiar. That's not a bad thing at all. It means the camera "notch" stays out of the way, and that the edge-to-edge screen feels natural. And yes, you still get a headphone jack. Where Apple dramatically retooled the iPhone X by removing its signature home button and adding a screen notch, Samsung opted for an unbroken continuum. The Galaxy S10 simply picks up where the Galaxy S9 left off. One thing does startle me though, and that's the fact that none of the four new Galaxy S10 phones has 3D face unlock. The 5G model will come with a 3D depth-sensing camera on the front and back, but that will only assist with photography and AR, not with the iPhone XS-style of unlocking your phone with your face. (More on this in the fingerprint unlocking section below.) Preorders for all but the 5G phone began on Feb. 21, for a March 8 release date. Each preorder comes with a free set of Galaxy Buds as a gift. Keep reading for details on the four new Galaxy S10 phones, how wireless power sharing works, some new camera features and software changes like the in-screen fingerprint reader and One UI. You'll find the full specs comparison at the very end. Let's go! Now playing: Watch this: Galaxy S10 features: New cameras, colors and fingerprint... Galaxy S10: The baseline model ($900) The I-hate-to-call-it-standard Galaxy S10 is a natural entry point because it is the standard-bearer of the S10 family. It all starts with a 6.1-inch screen in a relatively compact frame thanks to the slim bezels around the sides. Samsung boasts that this is the first screen to earn HDR10+ certification. HDR10+ is Samsung's format that competes with Dolby Vision. The S10 gets you three rear cameras -- a 16-megapixel ultrawide sensor with fixed focus, a main 12-megapixel dual aperture wide-angle lens with OIS, and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with OIS that can achieve 2x optical zoom. That means you're able to take portrait photos and photos from any of the sensors, just by toggling on the screen. Sarah Tew/CNET For selfies, you get a 10-megapixel front-facing camera, also with dual aperture. Introduced in the Galaxy S9, dual aperture means that the camera automatically lets in more light when it senses you're in a low-light environment. You'll be able to buy the S10 in 128GB or 256GB storage configurations, both with 8GB RAM. It'll take up to 512GB in microSD storage, and battery capacity is 3,400 mAh. You get two curved screens, plus Gorilla Glass 6 on the front, and Gorilla Glass 5 on the back. The S10 phones also support Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 and Wi-Fi 6. Colors for all: The Galaxy S10, S10 Plus and S10E will come in Flamingo Pink, Canary Yellow, Prism Green and Prism Blue, as well as Prism Black and Prism White (which a coworker misheard as "Prison White"). Not every country gets every color: US buyers will have to pine away for Canary Yellow and Prism Green, for example. Sarah Tew/CNET Galaxy S10 Plus: The 1TB storage king with all the things ($1,000) No surprise here that for $100 more, you get a larger screen (6.4 inches) and a bigger battery (4,100 mAh). You'll have the same triple-camera setup as the S10 on the back, but the S10 Plus adds a second selfie lens to augment that 10-megapixel camera -- an 8-megapixel sensor that can help take depth-mode portrait selfies using hardware, rather than software algorithms. Sure, you can get the S10 Plus in 128GB or 512GB storage options, but if you never want to worry about storage again, the 1TB version -- with 12GB RAM -- is the configuration for you. Samsung kicks in a supposedly more durable ceramic backing option in white and black if you buy the 512GB or 1TB models. Stay tuned for a drop test to see how tough that ceramic really is. Sarah Tew/CNET Galaxy S10E: The 'value' S10 ($750) Think of the 5.8-inch Galaxy S10E as "compact" rather than "small." You still get a large helping of screen on a body that's shorter and thinner than last year's Galaxy S9. It's hard not to draw parallels with Apple's iPhone XR here, which costs the same and also self-styles as the "value" iPhone XS. For the Galaxy S10, the big trade-off is having "only" two rear cameras -- the wide and ultrawide sensors, but no telephoto lens. There's also "just" the single 10-megapixel selfie cam, just like what you get on the Galaxy S10. You also lose the curved screens (it's flat) and in-screen fingerprint reader, but Samsung throws you a bone and inserts a sensor into the power button on the phone's right side, which is one of my favored placements. And yes, it works just fine. Sarah Tew/CNET The battery's a tad smaller at 3,100 mAh (but hey, so is the phone), and your storage options are either 128GB with 6GB RAM or 256GB with 8GB RAM. Gorilla Glass 5 adorns the front and back. I'd like to point out that these are still extremely competitive specs on paper, especially considering that this phone uses the same Snapdragon 855 chipset as the other S10s. Samsung isn't just going after the iPhone. It's also aiming its harpoon at OnePlus' traditionally cheaper flagship phones. Galaxy S10 5G: The deluxe edition (price TBA, but likely over $1,000) Here's what we know about the Galaxy S10 with 5G: this model has a 6.7-inch screen, two cameras on the front and four cameras on the back. Yes, four, because the 5G model gets a 3D depth-sensing camera in addition to all the lenses on the S10 Plus. But here's the thing. This camera is only for fancy photo tricks and AR, and not for securely scanning your face like Apple's Face ID. Just to set your expectations. Sarah Tew/CNET The fun continues. The Galaxy S10 5G also has a 4,500-mAh battery and comes with 256GB of storage with 8GB RAM. This part's important because the 5G phone is the only Galaxy S10 model that doesn't have a microSD card slot. (Again with the expectations.)<doc-sep>
Samsung’s Galaxy S10 and S10+ both combine three lenses on the rear for one of the most sophisticated camera systems we’ve ever witnessed in a smartphone. Add in a supercharged Scene Optimizer mode powered by artificial intelligence, and a new feature called Best Shot that aims to help you take better photos in real time, Samsung’s latest cameras are smarter than ever before, too. But how do they compare to the single-lens rear camera on the back of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL? Google’s flagships are our favorite camera phones at the moment for their ability to capture incredibly lifelike shots, as well as their power when shooting in the dark. To find out how Samsung’s camera efforts stack up, we took an S10+ and a Pixel 3 and hit the streets of San Francisco for a little photography tour following Samsung’s Unpacked event. Here are the results of our smartphone camera face-off: Portrait The weakest link in the Galaxy S9’s photo repertoire was definitely its Live Photo mode, which routinely turned in hazy shallow depth-of-field portraits with muddy bokeh and overexposed highlights. But from this particular comparison with the Pixel 3, we can clearly see Samsung has stepped up its portrait game with the S10+. The Galaxy handset certainly has the brightness advantage, with the shadows in our colleague Mark’s face not being quite as dark and pronounced as they are through the single lens of Google’s flagship. Mark’s details are also sharper all around with the S10+, which is especially evident in the fabric of his jacket. MORE: Best Smartphone Camera - Phones With the Best Quality The Pixel 3’s shot is a fair bit darker by comparison, and without a complementary wide-angle lens like the S10+ has, the resulting shot from Google’s phone is a bit more cut in, with less of the background being visible in the frame. Some users may prefer that, as it helps really embed the subject in their surroundings. Conversely, the more pulled-back perspective of the S10+ really makes Mark pop out of this San Francisco scene. Winner: Samsung Galaxy S10/S10+ Group Portrait (with Bokeh) Samsung’s cameras have had a tendency to blow out subjects in bright sunlight, and that unfortunate trend continues here with this shot of my colleagues Mike and Sherri in Bryant Park. Winner: Google Pixel 3/3 XL Group Portrait (No Bokeh) We wanted to see how well the Galaxy S10 Plus and Pixel 3 could handle a bright background with sun and subjects in the foreground in shadow. Samsung’s camera once again delivered a brighter image, but in this case it’s mostly welcome, as the subjects pop more in the photo. On the other hand, the Pixel 3’s image has more contrast, and the colors are more saturated and less washed out across the board, from the green shrubs to the yellow cabs. Winner: Draw Outdoor Shot: Hats If the S10+ favors brighter shots, then the Pixel 3 has a tendency to punch up vivid colors. The hues in some of these knitted hats are a tad too extreme, especially with respect to pinks and reds. Then again, because Google’s phone doesn’t punch up those highlights quite as much, it doesn’t blow out certain aspects of the frame like the S10+ does — look at the sky in the background or the facade of the building in the background at the top right. Overall, though, the S10+ gets more about the scene right. If you zoom in, the S10’s shot hits the finer details, like the weave in the hats, with greater sharpness, and the less vivid but still striking color is a bit more in-tune with what our eyes see. Winner: Samsung Galaxy S10/S10+ Indoor Shot: Cupcake At first glance, the S10+ provides a shot that seems more presentable overall, with significantly lighter shadows. But as you zoom in, it becomes clear that the Pixel 3 has a significant advantage in terms of sharpness — particularly evident in the texture of the icing on top of the cupcake. The white balance is also vastly different in both photos, with the Pixel 3’s rendition coming off with less of a yellow cast, the paper beneath the cupcake being more of a straight pink and the whipped cream taking on a more mocha-toned appearance. Neither shot may be perfect, but Google’s handset definitely captured the more accurate shot here.