Attention, Samsung fans; the Galaxy Note 10 is here. Samsung's latest notable smartphone is now available and this year there are two of them: the standard Galaxy Note 10 and the super-sized Galaxy Note 10+.
If you're a fan of big phones, we're sure you'll be considering the Note 10+ this time. But how does it compare to Samsung's Galaxy S10+? Here's everything you need to know.
Galaxy Note 10+ vs. Galaxy S10+
Unless you really want the S Pen or a massive screen, the Galaxy S10+ is the smarter buy. It's cheaper, but is just as fast, still greats photos, and lasts just as long per charge.
Galaxy Note 10+ vs Galaxy S10+: Price
The Galaxy S10+ will save you a nice $200 over the Note 10+. If price is your biggest concern, you should choose the S10+.
While neither phone can be described as cheap, the S10+ is definitely cheaper, both outright and on a plan.
Outright Samsung Prices
| Model | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy S10+ (128GB) | $1,499 | Go to plans |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ (256GB) | $1,699 | Go to plans |
| Samsung Galaxy S10+ (512GB) | $1,849 | Go to plans |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G (512GB) | $1,999 | Go to plans |
Fans of supersized smartphones know they don't come cheap, but some are cheaper than others. However, this gets a little more complicated when you take storage into account.
The entry-level Galaxy S10+ is your cheapest option, priced at $1,499 for 128GB of storage. The Note 10+ is next up, with 256GB out of the box for $1,699. And then you've got the 512GB Galaxy S10+ for $1,849, or the 512GB Galaxy Note 10+ 5G for $1,999.
The Note 10+ 5G is identical to the Note 10+, other than storage and 5G connectivity.
Both the Galaxy Note 10+ and Galaxy S10+ have expandable storage, however. With that in mind, if you want the cheapest option, go for the S10+ 128GB.
Here are some of the best Galaxy S10+ plans on a 24-month term.
However, Woolworths Mobile, Vodafone, and Telstra offer the option to repay your S10+ over 36 months to cut your bill, and Vodafone also offers 12-month repayments if you're super keen to own your phone faster.
Galaxy Note 10+ vs Galaxy S10+: Camera
The Note 10+ and Galaxy S10+ have pretty similar camera setups, but the Note 10+ has had a few tweaks and upgrades to make it a little more versatile. Both will take great photos, but Note 10+'s slight edge makes it the better camera.
When it comes to photography, the Galaxy Note 10+ has a slight edge over the the Galaxy S10+. Both phones have a 12MP primary lens, a 12MP zoom lens, and a 16MP wide-angle lens. The Note 10+ also as a Time of Flight lens.
While the overall camera configuration is pretty similar to the S10+, the Note 10+ zoom lens has a faster aperture. This helps make it more reliable in low light. The Note 10+ also has the addition a Time of Flight lens for capturing more accurate information to make your portrait shots prettier.
Both the S10+ and Note 10+ take great shots, but the Note 10+ is just that little bit more versatile. Here are some camera samples:
Galaxy Note 10+ Camera Samples
Check out these camera samples taken on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+. Click or tap on any photo to see a larger version.
Galaxy S10+ camera samples
Check out these camera samples taken on the Samsung Galaxy Note S10+. Click or tap on any photo to see a larger version.
Meanwhile, looking at the front, both phones have a 10MP primary lens for selfies. However, S10+ also has a secondary 8MP depth-sensing lens. This is meant to improve portrait mode selfies, but the difference between Note 10+ selfies and S10+ selfies is minuscule.
With that in mind, here are some plans for the Note 10+. These plans are offered with 24-month terms. However, Woolworths Mobile, Vodafone and Telstra also offer the option to repay your Note 10+ over 36 months, and Vodafone has 12-month repayment options too.
Galaxy Note 10+ vs Galaxy S10+: S Pen
If you're after a Samsung smartphone with a stylus, the Note is your only choice. You won't get an S Pen with the Galaxy S10+.
One thing the Note 10+ unarguably has over the S10+ is the stylus. The S10+ simply doesn't have an S Pen. Try saying that three times fast.
The Note's signature S Pen is neat if you want to sketch or take hand-written notes with your phone. Better yet, the Note 10+ can translate written words into text this time around. It even does a pretty decent job with my trash fire scrawl.
However, there's more to the S Pen than just note-taking. For example, you can use it as a remote for your phone. A button on the S Pen lets you trigger the camera shutter, change the track on your playlist, or flip through presentation slides, all without actually touching the Note 10+ screen.
In addition, Samsung will make an SDK available to developers, allowing them to incorporate this kind of functionality in their apps.
Galaxy Note 10+ vs Galaxy S10+: Performance
The Note 10+ is ever so slightly more powerful than the S10+ on paper, but not to the point where it will make much of a difference in terms of day-to-day usage. Both phones are speedy as heck.
When it comes to performance, both the Note 10+ and the S10+ are pretty much on par. The Note 10+ is powered by a slightly a newer processor when compared to the Galaxy S10+; you'll find an Exynos 9825 in the Note 10+, and an Exynos 9820 in the S10+.
However, in terms of performance, the phones are pretty much identical. The main difference between these processors is power efficency.
If you're after a zippy smartphone, neither handset will disappoint.
Galaxy Note 10+ vs Galaxy S10+: Battery
The Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy Note 10+ are similar enough in terms of battery life that we'd call this a tie. In both cases, you're looking at about a full day per charge.
Both the Galaxy Note 10+ and Galaxy S10+ will give you about a full day of usage per charge. Unless your usage is incredible light, neither phone is going to last long into a second day.
However, the Galaxy Note 10+ can charge faster. If you pick up a 45W charger (sold separately), Samsung says you can get a full day of usage from a 30 minute charge.
Galaxy Note 10+ vs Galaxy S10+: Design
The Galaxy Note 10+ is easily the slicker looking phone.
The Galaxy Note 10+ and Galaxy S10+ are cut from the same cloth, but Note 10+ is the more refined device.
Both phones are absolute units. The Galaxy S10+ screen measures in at 6.4-inches, while the Note 10+ comes in at an even larger 6.8-inches. It can be a struggle to get a grip on 6.8-inches with just one hand.
While the S10+ is a little easier to manage one-handed, the pair are smaller than you might expect thanks to the lack of bezel. In both cases, Samsung has pretty much pushed the display right to the edge of the phone.
In order to achieve this, Samsung built the phone's selfie cameras directly into the screen. The Note 10+ has the camera cut-out placed in the top centre of screen, whereas the S10+ has its two selfie camera cut-outs in the top right.
While some will hate either option, the Note 10+'s centred camera-cut out simply looks better. It's symmetrical, and it doesn't disturb the flow of the phone's status bar. It's the more elegant approach.
Camera hole aside, the Note 10+ is just a little slicker all round. The finishes are flashier, more seamless, and the phone just feels nicer. Samsung did however axe the headphone jack with the Note 10+, so that's one design feature the S10+ still has going for it.
Check out plans for both phones from all major carriers below:
Still undecided? Check out our guide to the Galaxy Note 10 vs the Galaxy Note 10+.
Alex Choros
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