What's with the crazy specs all of the sudden? Want to know more about the Galaxy S10? Check out our dedicated rumor review , where we collect all the bits and pieces of information! Alright, we've been hearing and seeing a ton of leaks about the upcoming Galaxy S10 phones. Here's the rundown: we'll get three models — a "budget" Galaxy S10e and decked out Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ models. Following a pricing model similar to the 2018 iPhones, the new Galaxies will range from standard $750 flagship pricing to crazy expensive.The bottom tier S10e will have some corners cut. No in-screen fingerprint scanner , no dual camera up front. But hey, it will get some vibrant colors , at least.But what will the most expensive models get? For one, you will have a ceramic back to show off with, making the pricey variants instantly recognizable. And we just got our first look at the "ceramic white" and "ceramic black" models in glorious high res. Check them out:Is that all? Well no, it's not. Remember how the Galaxy Note 9 had the option of going up to a mind-boggling 1 TB storage ? You could get that by buying the 512 GB version of the Note 9 and inserting a 512 GB microSD card in it.Well... According to leaks, the most expensive Galaxy S10+ will come with 1 TB of internal storage straight out of the box. Now, that's a lot of storage! Wait, not done here! It will, allegedly, also have a whopping 12 GB of RAM!Even powerusers will find it hard to argue that Android needs 12 GB of RAM in its current form. But this may be an effort by Samsung to future-proof its phones.You may have noticed that flagship smartphones have started getting more and more expensive recently. The reason here might be because the market is stagnating — people are less and less inclined to upgrade their old phones, since they are still pretty good. As a result, sales are dropping To make up for declining sales, manufacturers are switching strategies. One major thing is the introduction of ecosystems and services that center around specific device families. The other is an increase in price to raise the profit margins.So, in this new age of smartphone evolution, manufacturers will want to make devices that are future-proof. People are no longer looking for a phone that'll last them a year or two — many rely on their handsets to last for three, four, or even more years.That said, when you see a premium-priced phone that has 1 TB of storage and 12 GB of memory, you can at least tell yourself "That's a hefty sum of money, but it does appear like a good long-term investment". In other words, Samsung is looking to give you major bang for your hefty buck. The top-tier Galaxy S10+ is expected to cost nearly $1500 — the Android community wouldn't accept anything less than overkill specs and quality for that price.At least that's our train of thought here.Other phone makers have also switched to future-proofing messaging with their devices. Apple has been playing the long-term game for a while now, with 5-year-old iPhones still running the latest version of iOS. LG announced its dedication to product longevity by opening a Software Upgrade Center earlier in 2018. We have yet to see how that pans out.<doc-sep>Samsung has seemingly decided that a single black model isn’t enough, as new leaked renders show the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus in both Ceramic Black and Prism Black. Shared by Roland Quandt (a reputable leaker), the Ceramic Black (which you can see below) has what he describes as a “metallic/brownish hue” which is also visible on the frame, while the Prism Black model looks a bit darker, glossier, and more like glass, which it is. We’ve heard mentions of a ceramic shade before, though some rumors suggest this will be reserved for the top model of the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus. Samsung Galaxy S10 news and rumors All the news about the S10 Plus All we know about the foldable Samsung Galaxy X In any case, this is the first time we’ve had a clear look at it side by side with the non-ceramic black and the differences are subtle but clear. If black’s not your thing you shouldn’t be short on options though, as a whole range of colors including white, green and blue have previously been rumored. Here's what the "Ceramic Black" variant of the Samsung #GalaxyS10 Plus looks like compared to regular Prism Black. Both are official press renders... didn't even notice the difference at first. Ceramic has a bit of a metallic/brownish hue to it, that is also visible on the frame. pic.twitter.com/GUtG9us3Dj6 February 2019 See more Of course, you should take these images with a pinch of salt, as while they come from a reliable source and look convincing enough, they’re still leaks. Nothing is certain until it’s shown by Samsung, but fortunately there’s not long to wait for that as the Galaxy S10 range is set to be announced on February 20.<doc-sep>Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus Score Details DT Editors' Choice “Samsung’s Galaxy S10 Plus has everything you’d want in a phone, and more.” Strong performance Great battery life Versatile triple cameras Gorgeous, expansive HDR10+ screen Clean, smart OneUI software Slim bezels means accidentally interacting with the screen Slow wired charging MSRP $999.99 Want a great deal on a smartphone this holiday? Check out our best Black Friday smartphone deals. It’s the details. The light that circles around the selfie camera when the phone tries to scan for a face; the sudden realization there’s no need for a dongle because of the headphone jack; the software that’s easier to reach with one hand. The Galaxy S10 Plus is Samsung’s best smartphone yet, and not just because of its hardware. It’s the slick and thoughtful software that ties it all together for an impressively polished experience. I generally go back to a Google Pixel after reviewing a new phone, but the Galaxy S10 Plus will be staying in my pocket for some time. It is priced at $1,000 though, making it the most expensive phone in the history of the Galaxy S-line. Keep in mind there’s also the smaller Galaxy S10 ($900), as well as the Galaxy S10e ($750), which we’ll be looking at soon if you want slightly more affordable options from Samsung (there are also plenty of great phones that cost far less if you’re on a budget). So, is the S10 Plus worth it? Spectacular display Clean and elegant are the first words that pop into my head after looking at the S10 Plus. The differences over last year’s S9 Plus are small, but impactful, drastically altering the design language of the phone. The bezels around the screen look razor thin thanks to the new “hole-punch” Infinity-O display. A laser cuts out a small hole from the screen without damaging pixels, allowing the camera to float at the top like a hole-punch in a piece of paper. It looks better than the notch design present in a lot of phones from 2018, and while a true full-screen experience would be ideal — like the Oppo Find X — Samsung’s approach looks great. The status bar is bigger now, but most apps look good on the thin-bezel screen in portrait orientation. Swap to landscape, and the screen looks a little funky. Third-party apps don’t wrap around the hole-punch camera but use a black bar that ruins the symmetry of the bezels. You end up with a thicker bezel on the side with the selfie camera than the other. It’s not a deal breaker, but it’s something you notice. The screen is the big reason to buy the S10 Plus. It’d be nice if full-screen apps adapt to make use of the screen space. YouTube, for example, lets you watch a full-screen video that goes edge-to-edge on the S10 Plus — which looks more immersive — but Netflix has yet to add this support. The S10 Plus has 6.4-inch screen and uses Samsung’s new “Dynamic AMOLED” display technology. It’s the first screen to be HDR10+ certified, which means you’ll see sharper details with incredible color accuracy. Indeed, the colorful screen is beautiful, and the Wide QHD+ (3,040 × 1,440) resolution ensures everything looks crisp (though by default the screen is set to Full HD+). The screen is the big reason to buy the S10 Plus. Its large size is perfect for consuming movies and shows, and it helps that the stereo speakers sound great. It feels like a movie theater that can fit in your pocket. The new Dynamic AMOLED display looks a little warm, something I only noticed when comparing it to the Galaxy S9 Plus. That may be because the screen natively reduces blue-light exposure by 42 percent, a feature that is certified by TÜV Rheinland, an independent product testing company. Blue light can be harmful to your health as it can affect sleep, so it’s nice to see this baked in. That said, the beautiful thin bezels cause problems. I’ve never accidentally activated a phone more than the Galaxy S10 Plus. Its large size and 93.1-percent screen-to-body ratio means I’ve frequently sent the Facebook thumb in messaging threads because my palm touches the edge of the screen. The vision of achieving a full-screen design has its drawbacks, and Samsung needs to put more effort into improving its palm rejection technology. New fingerprint sensor, elegant design Flip it around, and the back of the S10 Plus is the cleanest-looking Samsung phone in existence. It has three cameras now, placed horizontally like on the Galaxy Note 9. Aside from the Samsung logo, there’s nothing to clutter the design. Wait, so where did the fingerprint sensor go? It’s under the display! It’s an embedded ultrasonic fingerprint scanner which captures 3D contours of thumbs and fingerprints. This offers better anti-spoofing measures than traditional optical sensors, which rely on an image of a fingerprint. There are machine-learning algorithms in place to prevent spoofing, and the fingerprint data never leaves the device. Like the fingerprint sensor on the back of phones, you do need to precisely place your thumb or finger on the right spot — at the bottom of the S10 Plus’ screen — to unlock the phone. It takes some getting used to, but it’s the best in-display fingerprint sensor I’ve tested. I’d love if all phones switched to this design. It’s not the quickest, but it’s more convenient. If you set up the face unlock option, though, it’s near impossible to use the fingerprint sensor because the phone unlocks so quickly. But face unlock is not as secure — it can be triggered with just a picture of your face. I recommend going to Settings > Biometrics and security > Facial recognition and toggle off Faster recognition, which makes the unlocking speed a little slower, but it won’t be as easy to spoof the technology. You can use the secure fingerprint scanner to log into sensitive apps and authenticate payments through Samsung Pay, though it’d have been nice to have a secure face unlock option like Apple’s Face ID as an alternative. The S10 Plus’ unwieldy size is a sacrifice I’m willing to make for the beautiful display. The S10 Plus is tall and difficult to use one-handed. I wish the volume rocker and power button were a little farther down, as it would make it easier to reach. Handling the 6.1-inch Galaxy S10 is more manageable, so it is the far better option for people who want a smaller phone (the new Galaxy S10e is technically the smallest, at 5.8 inches, but that’s a different product). Still, the S10 Plus’ unwieldy size is a sacrifice I’m willing to make for the beautiful display. The aluminum frame isn’t completely rounded, offering a good grip when holding the phone — important as both the front and back are completely glass (Gorilla Glass 6 on the front, Gorilla Glass 5 on the back). Encasing it to protect the phone from cracks is a good idea. Speaking of the metal used in the body of the phone — it’d have been nice to see stainless steel here like Apple used on the iPhone XS and XS Max instead of aluminum. I should note there are two special editions that use a different material. The 512GB and 1TB Galaxy S10 Plus come with a glass front and a white or black ceramic back plate to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the Galaxy S-series. These phones feel far more luxurious than the all-glass models, offering better durability and scratch resistance. They’re worth considering since you’re already spending $1,000, but the 128GB of storage in the base model is more than enough for most people. I’m happy to see Samsung still including the headphone jack for those holding on to their 3.5mm earbuds and headphones. There are moments when I’ve forgotten my wireless earbuds (or they’re not charged) and I can’t find my dongle, so I’ve been unable to listen to music on other phones, but that’s not a problem with the S10 Plus. You can even charge the phone via the USB-C port and listen to music at the same time!<doc-sep>
While they may have been the most leaked smartphones of all time (often for ridiculous reasons), Samsung’s 10th-anniversary Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus smartphones are now official. On the outside it’s all-change, but are these redesigned models as innovative on the inside and are they worth their significantly increased asking prices? Here’s everything you need to know… PhoneArena Displays - Ultrasonic Knock-Outs There’s only one place to start analysing the Galaxy S10 range: their controversial new ‘hole punch’ displays. While the decision to integrate their front cameras directly into the screen is polarising, the move allows Samsung to further reduce bezel size and fit even larger panels: Galaxy S10 - 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED+, 19:9 aspect ratio, Wide Quad HD+ (1440 x 3040 pixels), Gorilla Glass 6 (front), Gorilla Glass 5 (back) Galaxy S10 Plus - 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED+, 19:9 aspect ratio, Wide Quad HD+ (1440 x 3040 pixels), Gorilla Glass 6 (front), Gorilla Glass 5 (back) Yes, these are notable increases from the 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch displays of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus and they bring a step up from their native resolution (1440 x 2960 pixels). But the big talking point are the cut-outs for the cameras. Samsung claims the new displays give the phones body-to-aspect ratios of over 93%, but this ignores the cameras themselves which lower the Galaxy S10 to 88.3% and the Galaxy S10 Plus to 87.5% - still high, but not class leading. Samsung More important, however, is these are superb displays which are even brighter than their predecessors (1200 nits Vs 1100 nits) and even more colour accurate. But the biggest talking point is their built-in world-first Ultrasonic fingerprint readers. Ultrasonic readers use acoustic vibrations to map not only the pattern of your fingerprint but also their 3D structure. This makes them much faster and more secure than any previous reader (in-display or otherwise) and gives Samsung a genuine rival to Face ID. Apple is worried enough to be working on rival technology. Samsung Something that hasn’t changed? Durability. That has increased on one side: Gorilla Glass 6, which launched last year promising increased scratch and impact resistance, is in the display but (disappointingly) not in the back. Design - More For Less Look beyond their displays, and the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus look very familiar, but there’s one crucial improvement: Galaxy S10 - 149.9 x 70.4 x 7.8 mm (5.90 x 2.77 x 0.31-inch), 157 g (5.54 oz) Galaxy S10 Plus - 157.6 x 74.1 x 7.8 mm (6.20 x 2.92 x 0.31-inch), 175 g / 198 g (ceramic) (6.17 oz) Galaxy S9 - 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5 mm (5.81 x 2.70 x 0.33-inch), 163g (5.75 oz) Galaxy S9 Plus - 158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5 mm (6.22 x 2.91 x 0.33-inch), 189g (6.67 oz) Despite their larger screens, additional cameras (more next) and bigger batteries (ditto), somehow Samsung has managed to make both phones thinner and lighter than their predecessors. This is a really impressive achievement as this range has been steadily gaining weight for a decade (the original Galaxy S was just 119g). The exception is the ceramic edition of the Galaxy S10 Plus. This is reserved for the top of the range 1TB model (again more below) and it’s a premium, hard wearing finish but that weight penalty may put buyers off. Samsung Elsewhere, however, things are reassuringly familiar: stereo speakers (one on the bottom, one amplified earpiece) with Dolby Atmos support, IP68 water resistance, USB-C, microSD (support up to 512GB) and the headphone jack have all been carried over from the Galaxy S9. The last of these will be a crowd pleaser as it was long feared for the chop, it is also a growing differentiator in 2019. One welcome superficial change: a wider range of launch colours. Both models will come in Prism White, Prism Black, Prism Green, Prism Blue, Canary Yellow and Flamingo Pink while there is the aforementioned ceramic finish (in black or white) at the top. Cameras - Triple Up There’s good and bad news with the Galaxy S10 range’s cameras.