Samsung’s getting into the Lite game.
Every year for the past few years, Samsung’s smartphone release pattern has been pretty predictable. We get the new Galaxy S lineup in the first part of the year, and then around August/September, the latest Galaxy Note is released.
We’re still expecting new Galaxy S and Note hardware as we usually do, but before any of that happens, Samsung’s kicking things off with the Galaxy S10 Lite and Galaxy Note 10 Lite.
Both phones aim to offer a premium Galaxy experience at low price points, making them compelling options for anyone that wants a reliable phone without spending a heap of cash.
Here’s everything you need to know!
- Let’s talk about the phones’ design
- The specs are quite impressive
- Are these replacing the Galaxy S20?
- When and where you can buy the phones
- The Galaxy S10e is still a great buy
Not done yet
Samsung Galaxy S10e
$600 at Amazon
Lots of power in a compact package
Can’t wait for the Galaxy S10 Lite or Note 10 Lite? Samsung’s Galaxy S10e from 2019 is absolutely still worth picking up. It has a wonderfully compact body, a stunning AMOLED display, and blazing-fast performance. Add that together with dual rear cameras, lots of storage, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, and you end up getting a lot of phone for not much money.
Here’s what the two phones look like
Galaxy S10 Lite
First thing’s first, let’s take a look at the design of both phones.
Starting with the Galaxy S10 Lite, it looks a lot like leaked renders we’ve seen for the Galaxy S20. There’s a 6.7-inch display with a centered hole punch cutout, with the back being home to a large camera housing.
The S10 Lite’s display is notable for the fact that it has flat edges rather than rounded ones like most of Samsung’s phones, and the large hump on the back should house a total of three cameras.
Unfortunately, just like the Note 10 from late last year, the Galaxy S10 Lite doesn’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Galaxy Note 10 Lite
As for the Galaxy Note 10 Lite, it looks very similar. The display has a centered hole punch for the selfie camera with, the edges of the display are flat, and there’s a square rear camera bump for three sensors.
The Note 10 Lite offers the iconic S Pen just like every Note before it, making it the most affordable phone we’ve seen to-date to offer the full Note experience.
The specs have us impressed
That’s what the S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite look like, but what’s going on inside of the two handsets?
Despite having “lite” in their names, Samsung is loading the phones with flagship-tier specs. Here’s what you get:
| Operating System | Android 10 One UI 2.0 | Android 10 One UI 2.0 |
| Display | 6.7-inch 2400 x 1080 Super AMOLED Plus | 6.7-inch 2400 x 1080 Super AMOLED |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 7nm 64-bit octa-core processor | Samsung Exynos 8895 10nm 64-bit octa-core processor |
| Storage | 128GB | 128GB |
| RAM | 6GB 8GB | 6GB 8GB |
| Rear Camera 1 | 48MP primary camera | 12MP primary camera |
| Rear Camera 2 | 12MP ultra-wide camera | 12MP ultra-wide camera |
| Rear Camera 3 | 5MP macro camera | 12MP telephoto camera |
| Front Camera | 32MP | 32MP |
| Battery | 4,500 mAh | 4,500 mAh |
Specs-wise, the S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite have a lot in common. One of the biggest differences lies with the processor, with the S10 Lite using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 where the Note 10 Lite opts for Samsung’s own Exynos 8895 chip.
There’s also the matter of cameras, with the S10 Lite getting a “Super Steady OIS” feature that’s not present at all on the Note 10 Lite. Also, where the S10 Lite features a high-res 48MP primary sensor, the Note 10 Lite gets 12MP sensors across the board.
The 4,500 mAh battery in both phones is also pretty impressive, especially when you consider that it’s bigger than the battery found in 2019’s Note 10 and Note 10+.
How does this affect the Galaxy S20?
Galaxy S20
If you’re worried that the S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite are being released instead of the expected Galaxy S20, don’t be.
The S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite are being released as kind-of-successors to the S10 and Note 10, respectively, but they’re being added as additions to Samsung’s lineup rather than replacements.
Furthermore, with rumors hinting at Samsung not releasing an “e” variant of the Galaxy S20 and instead choosing to offer the Galaxy S20, S20 Plus, and S20 Ultra, the Galaxy S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite should be in a good position to fill that missing space for people that want a flagship Samsung handset without spending a heap of money.
How much do they cost and when can I buy them?
As of right now, pricing and availability info for the S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite is mostly unknown.
Samsung has said that it’s going to offer the phones at “accessible price points,” but that’s all we have to go on right now.
It’s also unclear if the phones will ever be launched in the United States, but we’re inclined to say that they won’t.
Don’t forget about the Galaxy S10e
We don’t blame you one bit for being excited about the Galaxy S10 Lite or Note 10 Lite, but if you’re shopping for a new phone right now and want a quality Samsung device that won’t break the bank, the Galaxy S10e is still one heck of a device.
Marketed as a “lite” version of the Galaxy S10, the S10e has a gorgeous 5.8-inch AMOLED display, dual rear cameras, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 processor, and your choice of 128GB or 256GB of internal storage.
It may not be the newest phone in Samsung’s lineup these days, especially with the S10 Lite now official, but it’s also something we can still wholeheartedly recommend.
Not done yet
Samsung Galaxy S10e
$600 at Amazon
Lots of power in a compact package
Can’t wait for the Galaxy S10 Lite or Note 10 Lite? Samsung’s Galaxy S10e from 2019 is absolutely still worth picking up. It has a wonderfully compact body, a stunning AMOLED display, and blazing-fast performance. Add that together with dual rear cameras, lots of storage, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, and you end up getting a lot of phone for not much money.
