5G support is a massive plus for the Galaxy S10, but that is not the sole benefit people will have with this phone. Featured a durable battery, large display, and lots of storage, this phone is a top-tier offer for those who are willing to pay for the best.

Design

With a display measuring 6.7 inches, Galaxy S10 5G is a quite large phone. However, the thickness of 7.94 mm and weight of 198g make for a comfortable grip. On the right edge sits the power button while the volume rocker and Bixby button on the left; all of them are easy to reach.

The SIM slot is at the top of the phone, but there is no microSD card like the rest of S10 lineup. The absence of the ability to extend the onboard storage might deter some buyers from upgrading, but the 256GB is more than enough for an average user.

On the base, there are a speaker grille, a headphone jack, and a USB-C port. The massive 6.7-inch display is a 19:9 Dynamic AMOLED screen with a punch hole where the front camera pokes.

The screen also curves over the edges of the phone, making for the familiar futuristic look that Samsung’s flagship smartphones come with lately. For authentication, we have the ultrasonic fingerprint scanner that can work even when wet.

Users have the choice to acquire the Galaxy S10 in Majestic Black, Royal Gold, and Crown Silver.

Display

You can always count on the display of Samsung phones, and the Galaxy S10 5G with 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED display is no exception. With an aspect ratio of 19:9 and a screen-to-body ratio of 90%, it is a tall smartphone, but not as much as the Sony Xperia 1.

The 1440 x 3040 pixels can be translated to 502 pixels-per-inch density, meaning the display is crystal clear. We have the Gorilla Glass 6 to thank for the hardness of the Galaxy S10 5G; the durability is further proven with IP68 dust and water resistance.

The brightness and viewing angles are strong, and even under direct sunlight, users can still see what is on display on the phone. The Smart Stay feature means that the phone will not sleep until users stop looking at the display.

Battery Life

Galaxy S10 5G packs serious power under the hood, which coupled with a large display and 5G connection, justifies the 4,500mAh battery.

To further prolong the battery life, users have four modes to choose from: Maximum Power Saving, Medium Power Saving, Optimized, and High Performance. There is also the Adaptive Power Saving mode that will optimize the power mode based on your usage patterns.

With 5G connection for several hours a day, the Galaxy S10 5G can last a whole day with one single charge. However, with extensive use, the battery is drained faster, and the phone cannot last for long away from the power socket.

Camera

Galaxy S10 5G is the second handset from Samsung that comes with four cameras on the rear other than the Galaxy A9. The first three are identical to what found on the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus, consisting of a 12MP variable-aperture camera, a 12MP telephoto lens, and a 16MP 123-degree ultra-wide camera. The fourth is a 3D depth-sensing camera, or you may call it a ToF camera.

The last one can improve the photos captured by the other and offers better blurring effect for portrait images.

The options you have are Photo (Auto), Live Focus Video, Slow Motion, Hyperlapse, Instagram, Pro, Food, Panorama, Night, Live Focus (Portrait), Super Slow-mo, and Video.

Photos come with lots of clarity, but when the light is gone, the cameras struggle a bit with its night mode, which cannot rival that of Google Pixel 3 or Huawei P30 Pro. However, it is still better than that of iPhone XS and XS Max.

Galaxy S10 5G is the only one that comes with front-firing autofocus and the photos captured by the front camera looks good when it packs only 10 MP.

OS And Interface

Galaxy S10 5G runs on Android 9 with One UI on top. Swipe down, and the pull-down notification bar and the quick toggle menu will appear. Swiping up and you will have the apps drawer.

Users have the choice to change the home screen grid size, and you can even eliminate the app tray for a more iPhone look. The advanced features include performance optimizer and Digital Wellbeing.

When you use the smartphone for the first time, you can install a wide range of proprietary apps, and the pre-installs are limited.

You still have to put up with Samsung’s Galaxy Store with not-so-good user experience. However, you have Google Play at hand for new apps.

Specs And Performance

The hardware can give users top-notch gameplay, multitasking, and movie playback. The larger screen, competent stereo speakers and high frame rates make for an excellent gaming experience.

The Galaxy S10 5G that comes with Exynos chipset can heat up quite a lot when the cameras are in use for long and when users connect to 5G, but playing games do not cause the same nuisance.

5G Performance

In Seoul, when the Galaxy S10 5G has 5G connection, download is nearly instantaneous, and we had 4K video without the waiting time for YouTube to buffer. In other regions, the performance will depend on the infrastructure.

Verdict

With plenty of storage, 5G, a large screen, and slender frames, Galaxy S10 5G is an excellent device.

Without 5G connection, what the phone comes equipped with is enough to make it a great smartphone anyone can buy for now. However, the connection is the features that explain why it is expensive.

If you are an early adopter that want the latest tech right away, you can never go wrong with the Galaxy S10 5G. But if you are not, there are plenty of other options with 4G connectivity out there that will not put a strain on your budget.