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We’ve recently compared the Galaxy Note 10+ with the Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy Note 10. Well, the time has come to check out the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ vs Samsung Galaxy S10+ comparison. These two phones are the best Samsung’s Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series have to offer at the moment.
The Samsung Galaxy S10+ is now considerably more affordable than the Galaxy Note 10+. The Galaxy Note 10+ got announced quite recently, and it does offer some new features, but should you upgrade?
Well, that’s what we’ll try to figure out in this comparison, is it worth spending all that extra cash on the Galaxy Note 10+. Some of you may be interested in both phones, so let’s see if the Galaxy S10+ is a better purchase than the Galaxy Note 10+ at the moment.
Specifications
Design
Despite the fact both of these phones launched in 2019, and both are Samsung’s flagships, their design is different. Samsung actually opted to include sharp corners on the Galaxy Note 10+. On top of that, the company changed the position of the display camera hole, it’s centered now. The cameras on the back of the Galaxy Note 10+ are also differently-positioned.
The Galaxy S10+ features horizontally-aligned cameras on the back. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10+, on the other hand, sports vertically-aligned cameras. The Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy Note 10+ sport a 16-megapixel, and two 12-megapixel cameras on the back. On top of that, the Galaxy Note 10+ also includes a ToF sensor.
The Galaxy Note 10+ offers slightly thinner bezels than the Galaxy S10+, while both phones feature curved displays. Both phones are also curved on the back, and both are quite slippery. The Galaxy S10+ sports a headphone jack on the bottom, while the Galaxy Note 10+ does not.
Those display camera holes are both quite noticeable, but the Galaxy S10+’s is considerably larger, as it houses two cameras. The Galaxy S10+’s camera hole is placed in the top-right corner of the display, while the Galaxy Note 10+’s is centered.
Both of these phones are quite sleek-looking, but we’ll give this category to the Galaxy Note 10+. The phone does sport a squarer design, which people tend not to prefer, but its camera hole is much smaller, and bezels are thinner.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
Display
Both of these phones offer gorgeous displays. The Galaxy Note 10+ features a 6.8-inch QHD+ (3040 x 1440) Dynamic AMOLED display. The Galaxy S10+, on the other hand, offers a 6.4-inch QHD+ (3040 x 1440) Dynamic AMOLED display.
Both displays are protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 6, and both support HDR10+ content. Both of these displays are curved on the sides, and both feature rounded corners. The Galaxy Note 10+ offers slightly higher screen-to-body ratio.
These two displays are probably in the top three in the market at the moment. The Galaxy Note 10+’s display has been improved in terms of output, but the Galaxy S10+’s is extremely close. These two displays are simply too similar for us to choose one, they’re both great.
Winner: Tie
Performance
The Galaxy Note 10+ does come with slightly more powerful specs, but that doesn’t make a huge difference. These two phones perform about the same, to be quite honest. We did not get a ton of time with the Galaxy Note 10+ at the event, but the performance felt really similar to the Galaxy S10+, a bit smoother perhaps.
The Galaxy Note 10+ comes with 12GB of RAM, while the Galaxy S10+ is available in both 8GB and 12GB RAM variants. The Galaxy Note 10+ does include UFS 3.0 flash storage, which is not the case with the Galaxy S10+. This should help future-proofing the device, as UFS 3.0 is considerably faster than the previous-gen option. Both devices are fueled by the Snapdragon 855 in the US. The Exynos 9820 fuels the Galaxy S10+ in Europe, while the Exynos 9825 is included in the Galaxy Note 10+.
All in all, you can’t go wrong with either phone when it comes to performance. Both devices can run pretty much any game out there without a problem, and should perform really well when it comes to other tasks. The Galaxy Note 10+ does have a slight edge, though.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
Battery Life
In terms of battery life, well, both phones have rather large batteries on the inside. The Galaxy Note 10+ comes with a 4,300mAh unit, while the Galaxy S10+ offers a 4,100mAh battery. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ does include a larger display, so keep that in mind.
The Galaxy S10+’s battery life was really, really good at first, but then things changed a bit. All in all, the Galaxy S10+ offers good battery life, but it’s not as great as you may think. The Galaxy Note 10+ may be able to change that, but we’ll have to wait until the full review in order to find out.
The Galaxy Note 10+ does offer considerably faster charging than the S10+. The phone supports 45W wired charging, and 20W wireless charging. The Galaxy S10+, on the other hand, ships with 15W charging, both wired and wireless. The Galaxy Note 10+ takes this category as well.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S10+
Cameras
Three main cameras on these two phones are almost identical. The Galaxy Note 10+ does offer some improvements in that regard, though, in addition to a fourth camera. That fourth camera is a ToF (Time of Flight) sensor, or as Samsung calls it, DeepVision camera.
Both phones include a 10-megapixel camera on the front, though with a different aperture lens. The Galaxy S10+ also has a secondary 8-megapixel unit on the front. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ seems to be more capable in the camera department. The Galaxy S10+ did become a lot better in that regard since launch, it even received a dedicated night mode. The Galaxy Note 10+ does seem a step above, though.
In our brief time with the phone, we’ve noticed plenty of detail in images, and very little noise in low light. Colors were on point, and even though pictures ended up a tad bit on the unrealistic side, that’s what most people prefer anyway.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
Audio
The Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy Note 10+ are somewhat similar in the audio department. Both phones offer stereo speakers, and Dolby Atmos audio. On top of that, their speakers are tuned by AKG.
The Galaxy S10+ does have one advantage, though, a 3.5mm headphone jack. Many of you may still be using that audio port, so nobody can blame you if you want it on your device. If that is something you need, the Galaxy S10+ should be your pick.
Speakers on both phones are quite loud, and offer well-balanced sound. The same can be said about audio when you plug in your headphones. Both devices are capable of reproducing 32-bit/384kHz audio, and chances are you’ll be happy with performance on both.
Considering that the two phones are quite similar in this regard, we’ll give an edge to the phone with an audio jack, the Galaxy S10+.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S10+
Conclusion
The bottom line is, the Galaxy Note 10+ is a better phone, but not by much. On top of that, the Galaxy Note 10+ is not for everyone. If you don’t need the S Pen stylus that the phone offers, you should probably get the Galaxy S10+ instead.
The Galaxy S10+ is now considerably more affordable than the Galaxy Note 10+, and it offers almost the same features, save for the S Pen stuff. It’s almost on par with the Galaxy Note 10+ in all categories, while it has some advantages on its own.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Note 10+