Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
THE OG 5G.
THE GALAXY S10 5G made sense as the spiritual successor to the S10. It offered 5G connectivity where the original did not, had a bigger 6.7-inch screen (.3-inches larger than S10+), and replaced the much-maligned notch cut-out on the top of the screen with a daintier hole-punch.
Indeed, Telstra offered the 5G as a free upgrade for those who bought the S10+ on a plan. It was a good stop-gap measure that helped Samsung fans overlook the lack of 5G in the original Samsung Galaxy S10 range.
But fast forward a mere three months to the launch of the Note 10+, and the S10 5G’s existence doesn’t make as much sense anymore. Granted, it has almost all of the trappings we love in the Note 10+, namely the gorgeous AMOLED screen, excellent camera system and built-in DeX platform. But the Note 10+ outperforms the S10 5G in almost every area (as it should, being the newer phone), with the built-in S Pen functionality, more RAM, a slightly larger screen and a microSD slot.
And yet despite this, the Note 10+ 5G (which is only available in the 512GB storage capacity) costs the same as the equivalent 512GB Galaxy S10 5G if you buy it outright.
On a plan, both Telstra and Optus have managed this discrepancy by only offering the S10 5G in 256GB, thus giving the 512GB-packing Note 10+ a clear runway as the obvious choice for power users. But there’s a big price difference between the two carriers. While Telstra charges an extra $16.79 a month (on a two-year contract) for the Note 10+ 5G over the S10 5G, it’s only a $5 difference on Optus.
But price isn’t the only consideration when choosing between the two models. As it happens, there are a few reasons you may want the older S10 5G. If you’re maniacal about holding onto a headphone jack on your smartphone, you’ll be pleased to know the S10 5G still has one (a nicety ditched in the Note 10).
The S10 5G’s selfie game is also stronger, with an additional wide-angle mode that
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lets you fit more of the background into the shot, and a 3D depth camera that’s better at simulating bokeh (ie that creamy background blur) on your selfies. Finally, it has a bigger 4,500mAh battery – an additional 200mAh that somehow managed an extra day over the Note 10+, clocking in an impressive 60 hours of run-time with minimal usage. Aesthetically, we also preferred the
S10 5G over the Note 10+. While the latter is somewhat of a featureless slab, the S10 5G inherits more of the Galaxy S10’s design language, with nicely rounded corners that feel better in the hand.
There are certainly reasons to consider the S10 5G over the Note 10+. It may be older, but it’s still very much a current device, and you can save a bit of money if you get it on a contract with Telstra or Optus. That said, we’re always of the opinion that you should get the best smartphone you can currently afford. The Note 10+ certainly ticks the first box.
THE S10 5G’S SELFIE GAME IS ALSO STRONGER, WITH AN ADDITIONAL WIDEANGLE MODE THAT LETS YOU FIT MORE OF THE BACKGROUND INTO THE SHOT, AND A 3D DEPTH CAMERA THAT’S BETTER AT SIMULATING BOKEH ON YOUR SELFIES.