The GoodThe Galaxy S10 Plus has a phenomenal AMOLED screen, monster battery life and loads of useful camera tools. The option to wirelessly charge another device is convenient and really works.
The BadNighttime and low-light shots on the Galaxy S10 Plus aren’t as clear or crisp as dedicated night modes on the Pixel 3 and Huawei Mate 20 Pro. The ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint reader isn’t always fast or accurate. Mispresses on the curved edge-to-edge display are a minor annoyance.
The Bottom LineGalaxy S10 Plus is a killer phone for 2019, although serious photographers will find its nighttime camera shots lacking.
9.0 Overall
- Design 9
- Features 9
- Performance 9
- Camera 8.5
- Battery 10
The Galaxy S10 Plus may be the first major flagship phone of 2019, but it’s already clearly one of the best phones for the year. I say this even though the Galaxy S10E is a better value buy, even though the foldable Galaxy Fold and Galaxy S10 5G are right around the corner, and even with Huawei’s P30 Pro applying the heat with four rear cameras that could overpower the S10 Plus’ photo skills. Although the S10 Plus isn’t without fault (two major ones, really), but its 6.4-inch AMOLED screen, all-day battery life, wireless power-sharing feature and combination of three rear cameras are stellar.
It also doesn’t hurt that the S10 Plus is the only one of Samsung’s four new Galaxy S10 phones to have a 1TB storage option and a ceramic finish for the 512GB and 1TB models. Do you really need all that storage? Is it worth the $250 price tag to pay for it, and for the ceramic finish? “Need” would be a stretch, but if you want it, it’s nice to know it’s there. Samsung is clearly making the Plus its no. 1.
At $1,000 for the 128GB model, $1,250 for 512GB and a cool $1,600 for the 1TB storage option (!), it’s a costly device. (It starts at £1,099 in the UK and AU$1,499 in Australia.) Of course, when you look at the Galaxy Fold’s $1,980 starting price and Huawei Mate X’s $2,600 price tag, the S10 Plus seems almost reasonable as a phone you can buy today, without emptying out your bank account or waiting for 5G networks to kick in.