But is Samsung’s latest Galaxy a perfect 10? Hitting the high Note
SAMSUNG’S flagship Note devices have traditionally been the biggest and best things the Korean tech giant has made – and the new models are no different. The Note 10, revealed at a special Samsung Unpacked event in New York, packs a punch spec-wise – it is a beast. It does deviate from the path in one major way, though – it now comes in a small version.
I say small, what I should say is smaller. There is still a giant version with a 6.8in screen – that’s the natural successor to last year’s Note 9. But now there’s a version with a 6.3in screen, too, which is around the same size as the plus-sized version of Samsung’s own Galaxy S10 smartphone.
The Note has traditionally been categorised as a “phablet” – bigger than a phone, yet smaller than a tablet (although the big version is not that much smaller than a 7.9in iPad Mini).
Apart from its size, it’s also distinguished itself from a smartphone by supporting the S Pen, a stylus that neatly stores away inside the Note’s body.
So now that we have a Note that’s about the same size as a big smartphone, we have, for the first time, a phone that you can use a stylus with. That might not seem like a big deal to you, but there are a couple of features of the new Note that might make it a game-changer.
Firstly, software wise, the Note is now able to read your handwriting, which makes it searchable. You can also copy and paste it as text into other apps.
Secondly, there is a new version of Samsung’s DeX software, which
allows you to attach the device to a screen, and use it more-or-less like a real computer, with apps opening in their own windows on the big screen.
That feature has been made more useful on the Note 10, as you can now install an app on your Windows or Mac computer and use it as a screen for DeX
– you don’t necessarily have to have a dedicated monitor.
All this means the Note 10, with its high specs, could very well be the only device you need, whether you want a small screen that works with a stylus, or you need a big space to work on larger projects. You don’t have to choose, the Note 10 can do it all.
In addition to the new sizes, there’s a third version of the Note 10 – the larger phone is also available in a 5G variant to make the most of the very latest mobile speeds.
Beyond all that, the Note 10 boasts all the other features you get in a smartphone these days.
The rear camera is pretty much identical to the one in the S10, but adds a great feature for video – the microphone is able to zone in as you zoom in on something.
It’ll direct its mics to capture only the sound coming from that source, which seems very clever to me.
The S Pen stylus has also had an upgrade.
It now features a gyroscope and an accelerometer, so you can use it to control things like the camera by waving it about in the air like a wand. Third-party developers can take advantage of this feature, so maybe soon you’ll be able to use the S Pen to control things like PowerPoint as you present.
The Note 10 follows hard on the heels of other new tech revealed by Samsung over the last couple of weeks. There’s a new tablet, the Galaxy Tab S6, which, like the Note, is compatible with the new S Pen, and a new touch-screen laptop/ tablet hybrid called the Galaxy Book S (which is coming soon).
There’s also a new smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch Active 2, which features a touch-sensitive circular bezel around the outside of the device, with which you can control on-screen apps.
The Note 10 is available for pre-order on Samsung’s website now, for delivery by August 23. The smaller version starts at £869, with the larger 10+ starting at £999.
The 5G version of the Note 10 starts at £1,099.
All three are available in either “Aura Glow” (which is a subtle multi-coloured reflective finish), or “Aura Black” (which is black).