Some devices appear at the studio, but hands never get around to them. Others you use all the time, while others come into view occasionally. You try to write, but then you get distracted by things to do and the texts remain in a half-finished state. Neither living nor dead. And this is bad, because if you wanted to talk about the device, then finally tell us.
In the case of the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, everything turned out exactly like this: we got the phone back in the fall, for which many thanks to our friends from Biggeek.ru, they were able to quickly get hold of this exotic modification of the main Korean flagship. We needed it for a video: we wanted to film how 5G works in Moscow on Tele2 networks. But unfortunately, it was not possible to get a smartphone on the operator’s frequencies: 5G does not work there. Since it didn’t work out with the video, at least let the text appear in the light.
Hole in the screen
The decision is extremely ambiguous.
Korean marketing tried to present this as some kind of feature. Infinity-O display, that's it. In practice, it turns out that the developers themselves are embarrassed by the camera sticking out in the screen. How else can you explain that all the stock wallpaper is darkened exactly in the corner where the front camera is located?
Let's say that on the desktop, using stock wallpaper, a hole gaping with black emptiness was hidden. What about the rest of the interface? Here a team of developers and designers came to help marketing.
All stock applications from Samsung (dialer, settings, calendars, etc.) received a dark theme. This is also excellent because AMOLED in this mode consumes much less energy. Double benefit!
However, there are other programs and also stock ones. You can't paint them black. For example, Google Play Store, where the front camera is always looming before your eyes. Moreover! The camera eye is not located symmetrically relative to the sides of the screen and interface elements. The window touches the interface strips tangentially. Looks extremely doubtful.
Of course, you can get used to it, get used to it and stop noticing the spot that always sticks out in front of your eyes. However, when you spend about a thousand dollars on a smartphone, you don’t want to get used to something. I would like to get a top without any “BUT” and “WELL, SO IN SHORT.”
It’s interesting that the creators of wallpapers and applications came to the rescue almost at lightning speed. They immediately made a bunch of covers for the desktop of the new ten. Looks extremely funny.
It’s just a pity that the Koreans didn’t have the self-irony to do something like that.
How does Face Unlock work?
As already mentioned, there is no fingerprint scanner in the A10, and Face Unlock takes over the security functions. If the confidentiality of personal data is a fundamental issue for you, you should not trust it, since access to a smartphone can be obtained by showing it a photo of the owner’s face on the screen of another gadget. To be fair, it is worth noting that this situation is typical for the vast majority of devices, where recognition occurs through the front camera.
There are no complaints about the work of Face Unlock. It does not work as lightning fast as on the company’s top smartphones, but quite quickly and stably. In the settings, you can choose what will happen after unlocking - whether the desktop will open immediately, or whether the lock screen screen saver will remain, which will need to be reset by swiping. In general, as an alternative to the scanner, which was sacrificed to make the smartphone cheaper, facial recognition has its place.
Display
After the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S10, I don’t want to look at other displays. Amazing color rendition, excellent contrast, off-scale brightness - all these are features of a truly top-end display on the market.
In addition, there is the most accurate sensor and excellent oleophobic coating. The last one is even a little too slippery. The finger constantly moves back and forth. In general, you can safely give Samsung a 5+ for its screen.
The only thing that upset me is the Always On Display. The chips themselves are cool, very functional and customizable. However, with a constantly active screensaver on the display, the smartphone will not survive until 5 pm. It is worth switching the option to active mode only during touch. In this case, the critical battery level will shift to 8-10 pm. It’s still sadness and sadness, but you can live with it.
In-screen scanner
And the Samsung Galaxy S10 is the first smartphone in my life where the in-screen scanner works adequately. Recognition is successful in 8 out of 10 cases, and this is a record.
Don’t be fooled by competitors’ statements, saying that they themselves have the sharpest scanner of some fifth generation (Xiaomi Mi 9 and Vivo V15 Pro). These sensors work extremely mediocre. But in the S10 the technology is really brought to mind. Finally, you can use it comfortably.
Connection quality
The A10 copes well with conversational tasks; the device confidently communicates and provides excellent audibility of interlocutors in both directions. Regarding wireless interfaces, there are 2 compromises - big and small. Single-band Wi-Fi is less of an issue, but most users probably won't even notice the lack of 5GHz support. But the fact that Samsung decided to save money on the NFC module is upsetting. Support for wireless payments could be a big plus for the A10.
Interface and performance
In the S10, right out of the box we can see the new Samsung One UI shell. Not only to see, but also to use, and to truly get high from it.
Firstly, the system has been greatly simplified and optimized. Everything is in its place, everything is logically systematized and does not overload the interface one bit. You can understand the details and all the subtleties of the settings very quickly.
Secondly, gestures are beautifully implemented here. Of course, there are three standard gestures: back, to the home screen and going to the list of running applications. But I liked something else. Directly from the desktop you can go to the matrix of installed applications. You just need to pull your finger down anywhere on the screen. And to reach the upper settings, you don’t need to intercept the device. The entire interface can slide down. It's a pity that this feature was not implemented in other stock applications like calendar and so on.
Thirdly, everything flies. The smartphone is reactive, really very fast. Of course, any Samsung device works great the first time. All the fun begins at 3-4 months, when the interface, launching applications, etc., everything begins to mercilessly slow down and lag.
However, it is not possible to determine whether this is so in our case. I've only had the smartphone for two weeks.
Either way, the S10 is a fierce beast right now. The smartphone is not afraid of the highest graphics settings in PUBG Mobile - everything flies. Several runs in AnTuTu in a row revealed slight throttling. Along the way, the device became very hot - up to 45 degrees. Although performance did not drop critically.
Possibilities
By this I mean the following:
- excellent stereo sound
- USB-C port
- headphone jack
- full moisture and dust protection according to IP68 standard
You buy Samsung and don’t feel deprived in any way. Well, except that you have to put up with a combined slot for memory cards. Although this is not so important, because we have 128 GB in stock. This is enough for all occasions for 99% of users.
Equipment
The first thing you notice when you open the box with a smartphone is the traditionally rich equipment, familiar to us from previous generations of smartphones in this series.
In addition to the smartphone itself, it includes:
- power adapter
- charging cable
- case
- AKG headphones
- adapter from USB to USB Type-C
The package package is definitely an advantage of this smartphone, and there is absolutely no need to say that there is something else that was not included in the package.
Cameras
The sweetest thing. Each new flagship from Samsung raises the bar for mobile photography quality higher and higher. That was until 2018, when Huawei rolled out its beast P20 Pro. Last fall, two more monsters entered the market: iPhone XS Max and Huawei Mate 20 Pro. And as a direct comparison showed, in terms of photography, the Chinese device is more powerful than its overseas competitor.
Unfortunately, I only have an iPhone XS Max on hand. This is the second device in the world in terms of photo quality, so we will compare it with it (in Super G gradation). Second, if you do not include Google Pixel 3 XL in the rating. I haven't tried it, so there's nothing to say about it.
As a direct comparison showed, the iPhone produces better quality pictures. In terms of dynamic range, contrast and other parameters, both flagships can either suck or produce an amazing picture. However, in terms of detail, the XS Max is still slightly better.
Comparing night shots only strengthens the iPhone's leadership. Here the detail is higher, and there is less glare from night lights. And this, if you remember, is a distinctive feature of the new Apple flagships. On the usual ten there were highlights. The same as now on S10.
However, the quality of the rear camera alone will not get you far. I propose to compare smartphone telephoto lenses, namely 2x zoom.
It may seem that the picture from the iPhone is looser. But this is a question of terminology. The S10 is dominated by noise reduction, which completely removes noise and harshness. At the same time. Thus, the texture of surfaces, miniature architectural elements - everything goes under the knife of Samsung algorithms. Same approach, why not. True, detail suffers, although it could not.
With night zoom, the iPhone's lead only increases. All the same soap and highlights as on cameras with a regular angle.
However, there is one thing where the S10 is clearly better than its American rival: wide angle. The XS Max simply does not have a third camera, which means it has nothing to cover it with.
Portrait shots come out quite well. Yes, there are a couple of strange modes “Rotation” and “Scale” - they are not for everyone.
As always, we take all pictures in original resolution from here.
Front-camera
Even though we have one camera on the front, it is still top-end. Quite simply the best I've ever come across.
Excellent sharpness, excellent color rendition and a ton of settings - just yum! Below are the first couple of examples: one shot was taken with a normal angle, the other with a wide angle.
32 mm
25 mm
In addition, there is background blur. Yes, the algorithms go through the hair a little carelessly. But look how neatly the automation adorns my face - it’s like I’m again... 4 years old. Along the way, check out three additional blur filters.
S10
Video recording
Like its predecessor, the S10 can record 4K video at 60 frames per second. The video is of excellent quality with excellent detail.
The only pity is that stabilization does not work in this scenario. It becomes available only in 4K 30 FPS mode, which is also not bad.
Below is a video comparison with the iPhone XS Max. Both videos were shot at 60 FPS. Personally, I find it difficult to assess which of them is better at making videos. As for me, both there and here the quality is excellent.
As before, Super Slow Motion video is available at 960 fps and 720p resolution. There was no increase to 1080p, we are waiting for the next generation.
Sound
For those who periodically listen to music from a smartphone, there is good news in this section. So, the Galaxy S10 has one main speaker, which is accompanied by a conversational one. Together they are, in my opinion, if not the best, then one of the best. The sound is loud, detailed and expressive, with good bass for a smartphone. Videos, games, music - everything is given to the speakers with excellent playback quality.
Nobody prohibited the use of headphones. The standard 3.5mm jack remains in place for now. The set includes a branded AKG headset, it is the same as with the Galaxy S9, but now painted white. To listen to sound, I used vacuum Monster and reinforced Ultimate Ears, which sound good with the S10, without any noticeable distortion in comparison with conventional sound sources. Well, for adherents of wireless headsets, the same Bluetooth 5.0 awaits here.
The earpiece is neatly hidden in the frame. It is enough for most situations, which is not surprising, given its power (after all, it plays along with the main one). The microphone picks up and transmits voice well, but the noise reduction system can let extraneous sounds into the conversation, even when the user himself is silent. Ideally, she should behave a little differently.
No less important nuances
The Bixby button stays out of the way and there are virtually no accidental clicks. The key cannot be reassigned, because it first asks you to sign in to Bixby. This was the case until the release of the new firmware, where such an opportunity finally appeared.
The smartphone is extremely slippery. Sooner or later he will definitely get acquainted with asphalt, tiles and other surfaces that are not very pleasant for him. So purchasing a case for the device is strictly necessary. Vital, I would say.
The battery life of the Samsung Galaxy S10 is disappointing. In the best case scenario, the device will survive until 10 pm. It will definitely have to be charged every day, because even with average use, by the end of the day the charge percentage is near zero. And this despite the fact that the screen resolution has been reduced from the standard to 2280 by 1080 pixels. I'm even afraid to turn on the stock resolution.
The charging speed is quite normal for a modern flagship:
- 30 minutes - 41%
- 1 hour - 78%
- 1 hour 38 minutes - 100%
Of course, the smartphone can also be charged wirelessly. From a station that produces no more than 7 W, the device is fully charged in 4.5 hours. In addition, the device can charge other wireless devices. The function is called PowerShare and is specially activated from the notification shade.
Autonomy
It is difficult to judge from a test sample, because the software is not yet the final version, and there may be some shortcomings. The battery capacity for the S10 was increased to 3400 mAh. Our sample lasted 7.5 hours in the PCMark battery life test. This is a good result. In my case, battery life was always enough for a day, but games, frequent use of the camera or navigation can greatly reduce the operating time, so I had to keep an eye on the remaining battery charge. On average, I got, as usual, about 5 hours of screen operation per day, and the charge remained about 20%.
Of course, the new flagship can quickly charge via wire, or at proprietary induction stations. It’s hard to be surprised by this. Another interesting feature is the ability to turn your smartphone into a wireless charger and share some charge with headphones, watches or another smartphone.
Bottom line
Samsung Galaxy S10 makes a good impression. This is a modern, beautiful and very powerful flagship with an incredible screen. Believe me, you cannot find a better display on the market now. Among smartphones, of course.
Unfortunately, there were also a couple of bottlenecks. For example, a comparison of cameras with the iPhone XS Max revealed the leadership of the latter. Apple's smartphone takes pictures a little better. But in contrast, the Korean flagship offers another camera - with a wide angle. A very useful thing when traveling. And here the iPhone simply has nothing to answer. In addition, the device received a gorgeous front camera.
And even though the hole for it in the screen is a bit of an eyesore, it takes really cool pictures.
The final bottleneck is price. Now you can buy a Samsung Galaxy S10 for 68,990 rubles. It is expensive. On the other hand, where have you seen a 2022 flagship that would be cheap? Such are the realities with such, admittedly, quite tasty pies.
iPhone XS Max Samsung Samsung Galaxy S10
First impression
When you pick up a smartphone for the first time, you are surprised at how compact it is. The latest generations of Galaxy smartphones have always been quite small and pleasant in the hand, but this time the difference between expectations and reality was even greater.
An additional contribution to compactness is made by the narrowed edges of the body on the sides. Thanks to this, the smartphone seems even thinner, and the light weight only complements the picture.
I was also relatively pleased with the location of the camera on the rear wall. In addition to the fact that it does not stick out much, it is also located in a wide module that occupies almost the entire width of the smartphone. Thanks to this, it allows the smartphone not to wobble when it lies on the table.
There were some downsides to this decision. When you take a photo or video, some gripping methods close the camera modules with your fingers. As a result, you have to change your grip to open the camera and fingerprints remain on it.
Another thing I definitely didn't like is the Power button, which is located too high to be considered comfortable. You have to reach for it, and this spoils the whole impression of the overall convenience of the case.
