Samsung’s new Notes are here — let’s talk about them.
In the second half of each year, Samsung launches a new entry in its Galaxy Note series to showcase the very best it has to offer in smartphones. For 2019, Samsung used the Galaxy Note 10, Note 10+, and Note 10+ 5G to do just that.
2019 was the first year Samsung’s ever launched three Notes at the same time, and along with that, the company also made some controversial decisions when it comes to legacy Note features. Even so, these handsets stand out as some of the best smartphones Samsung has to offer right now (even with the Galaxy S20 now available).
Eager to learn more? Keep on reading.
- Check out our review
- The Note 10 has impressive specs
- One UI 2.1 is available now
- We’ve compared it to other phones
- There are three different models
- It’s true — Samsung got rid of the headphone jack
- Samsung upgraded its charging speeds
- Here’s what’s new with the S Pen
- Take a look at the Note 10’s colors 😍
- You can buy the phone right now!
- Make sure you get some accessories
- Samsung made a Note 10 Lite
New Notes
Galaxy Note 10
From $950 at Samsung
Samsung’s 2019 Note is still a powerhouse
The Galaxy Note is back, but it looks a little different than usual. Samsung is selling three different models, removed the headphone jack, and is starting to phase out the microSD card. However, with gorgeous AMOLED displays, faster performance, and an S Pen that does more than ever before, these Notes are certainly worth a look.
First, read and watch our full review
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVfERGw7MCM?modestbranding=0&html5=1&rel=0&autoplay=0&wmode=opaque&loop=0&controls=1&autohide=0&showinfo=0&theme=dark&color=red&enablejsapi=1]
Before you do anything else, we first recommend taking a look at our review of the Note 10+.
The Note 10+ is one of the best phone Samsung has to offer in 2020, only being outdone by the Galaxy S20. Some of its highlights include an incredible AMOLED display, outstanding hardware, consistently good camera performance, and excellent battery life.
There’s a lot going for the Note 10, but the removal of the headphone jack is a big change for the Note series and low-light images taken with the camera aren’t quite as strong as we would have liked. There’s also the annoying fact that the baseline Note 10 doesn’t have expandable storage.
Read and watch our full reviews to learn more!
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ review, 4 months later: Even better with Android 10
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ review: Coasting to victory
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10 review: Finally, an S Pen in a smaller phone
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ Exynos review: Almost great
Take a look at the specs
Note devices are always chock-full with the latest specs, and that’s no different with the Note 10 and Note 10+.
Powering the phones are Qualcomm’s blazing-fast Snapdragon 855 processor, you can get up to 12GB of RAM, the displays support HDR10+, and Samsung’s finally boosted its wired charging speeds (up to 45W!).
| Operating System | Android 9 PieOne UI 1.5 | Android 9 PieOne UI 1.5 |
| Display | 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED3040x1440, HDR10+ | 6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED2280x1080, HDR10+ |
| Processor | Snapdragon 855 | Snapdragon 855 |
| Memory | 12GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 256/512GB | 256GB |
| Rear Camera 1 | 12MP, f/1.5-2.4, OIS, 77° FoV | 12MP, f/1.5-2.4, OIS, 77° FoV |
| Rear Camera 2 | 16MP, f/2.2, 123° FoV | 16MP, f/2.2, 123° FoV |
| Rear Camera 3 | 12MP, f/2.1, OIS, 45° FoV | 12MP, f/2.1, OIS, 45° FoV |
| Rear Camera 4 | VGA DepthVisionf/1.4, 72° FoV | n/a |
| Front Camera | 10MP, f/2.2, 80° FoVauto focus | 10MP, f/2.2, 80° FoVauto focus |
| Battery | 4300mAh45W wired15W wireless | 3500mAh25W wired12W wireless |
No matter how you slice it, these are flagship phones through and through.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ specs: Everything but the headphone jack
One UI 2.1 is here, and it’s spectacular
On April 3, 2020, Samsung started rolling out its One UI 2.1 update to the Galaxy Note 10 in the U.S. This isn’t the largest update Samsung’s ever released, but it does come with some notable upgrades and changes you’ll want to be aware of.
Most importantly, One UI 2.1 brings some of the best camera features from the new Galaxy S20 over to the Note 10 — including an improved Night Mode, Night Hyperlapse, Pro Video, and more. You’ll also want to check out the Intelligent Gallery, which makes it easier than ever to find and organize all of your pictures.
If you have a friend or family member that also has a Samsung phone, you can utilize the new Quick Share feature and instantly share pictures, videos, and other files to people by doing nothing more than tapping your phones together.
See how the Note 10 compares to other phones
Last year’s Notes are forces to be reckoned with — no doubt about that. However, they’re also far from existing in a bubble.
The flagship smartphone space is crowded with tons of other competing handsets, with some of them offering similar features for hundreds of dollars less.
Before you pull the trigger on the Note 10, be sure to give our comparisons a look to make sure you’re buying the phone that’s right for you.
Note 10
- OnePlus 7T vs. Galaxy Note 10: Which should you buy?
- Galaxy Note 10 vs. OnePlus 7 Pro: Which should you buy?
- Galaxy Note 10 vs. Galaxy S10: Which should you buy?
Note 10+
- Pixel 4 XL vs. Galaxy Note 10+: Which should you buy?
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ vs. Huawei P30 Pro: Which should you buy?
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ vs. OnePlus 7 Pro: Which should you buy?
- Galaxy Note 10+ vs. Galaxy S10+: Which should you buy?
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ vs. Galaxy Note 9: Should you upgrade?
- Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus vs. Galaxy Note 10 Plus: Which should you buy?
There are three models
As mentioned above, Samsung’s shook up its Note release formula with the Note 10 by launching not just one new Note, but three — the Note 10, Note 10+, and Note 10+ 5G.
The regular Note 10 is the cheapest of the bunch, and for the first time since we can remember, offers a true Note experience in a surprisingly manageable form factor. Samsung usually tries to make Notes as big as it can, but the Note 10 has a similar footprint to the Galaxy S10. While we still wouldn’t consider it a small phone, it’s definitely a breath of fresh air for the Note series.
Unfortunately, the Note 10 does come with some drawbacks to achieve its “low” price. Its display is only 2280 x 1080 Full HD+, there isn’t support for expandable storage, and the battery capacity isn’t the largest at just 3,500 mAh.
If you want this year’s best Note, you’ll want to get the Note 10+. It has a larger display with a higher Quad HD+ resolution, a bigger battery, an additional Time-of-Flight rear camera, and supports microSD cards for extra storage space.
Last but not least, there’s the Note 10+ 5G. As the name suggests, this is essentially the same phone as the Note 10+, save for the fact that it can connect to 5G networks.
- Which Galaxy Note 10 model should you buy: Regular, Plus, or 5G?
- Why the Galaxy Note 10 (not the Plus) is the one to buy
- Here’s exactly how big the Note 10 and 10+ are next to other phones
- Galaxy Note 10+ vs. Galaxy Note 10: Which should you buy?
- Does the Note 10 have an SD card slot?
Samsung got rid of the 3.5mm headphone jack
Yep, the rumors were true. The 3.5mm headphone jack, one of the Note series’ staple features, is no more with the Note 10. No matter which Note 10 you get, you won’t find the legacy port anywhere on the phone.
As with other phones that lack the 3.5mm jack, you can still use wired headphones with the Note 10’s USB-C port — either with the USB-C headphones Samsung includes in the box or with a 3.5mm to USB-C adapter.
Alternatively, if you prefer wireless headphones, the Note 10 supports the latest Bluetooth 5.0 standard so you can listen to your tunes with great wireless range and minimal interference.
- Does the Note 10 have a headphone jack?
- Does the Note 10 include a headphone adapter in the box?
Charging speeds are faster than past Notes
While Samsung’s been a proponent of wireless charging for some time now, its wired charging speeds have consistently been slower than what a lot of the competition has offered. With the Note 10, the company finally changed things.
Both phones come equipped with USB Power Delivery, meaning that you get out-of-the-box charging speeds of 25W.
That’s a sizable upgrade on its own, but if you splurge for the Note 10+, you can take advantage of even faster 45W charging. However, in order to get these increased speeds in a safe and reliable manner, you’ll need to spend another $50 for Samsung’s official 45W USB-C Fast Charging Wall Charger.
Does the Galaxy Note 10 support USB Power Delivery?
The S Pen picked up some new features
For a lot of people, the S Pen is the reason to get a new Note phone each year. With the Note 10, Samsung continued to improve the S Pen and added even more features to it.
For avid selfie-takers, Samsung introduced something called Air Actions. Building upon the Bluetooth functionality first introduced with the Note 9’s S Pen, Air Actions allow you to point the S Pen at the Note 10 to act as a camera shutter button, switch between different shooting modes, and zoom in/out.
Air Doodle is another new feature, allowing you to draw wigs, mustaches, and more on people in the camera’s frame. Through the use of algorithms, the Note 10 can map these drawings on top of people through the viewfinder in real-time.
If video editing is more your thing, the S Pen is also a key component to the Note 10’s new native video editor, making it super easy to splice, scrub, rearrange timeline items, and more.
Here’s everything new with the Note 10’s S Pen
It’s available in some beautiful colors
With 2018’s Note 9, Samsung had some fun with its creative side with colors like Ocean Blue and Lavender Purple. For the Note 10, Samsung kicked its color wheel up to 11.
The Note 10 comes in a variety of awesome colors, including a striking Aura Glow one that’s essentially a rainbow colorway and changes its appearance all the time depending on how light is hitting it.
If that’s not your thing, Aura Red, Pink, and Blue are also pretty great. Check out the link below to see all of them for yourself 🎨.
What color Galaxy Note 10 should you buy?
You can buy the Note 10 right now
As of August 23, 2019, the Galaxy Note 10, Note 10+, and Note 10+ 5G are all available for immediate purchase. The Note 10 has a starting price of $950, whereas the Note 10+ will cost you at least $1100.
For those interested in the Note 10+ 5G, it costs the most at $1300 and is available at AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. If you’re on Sprint, you’re out of luck.
You can find a lot of ongoing promotions to make the phones more affordable, and while these are changing all the time, there’s always something out there to help make these phones as affordable as can be.
Where to buy the Galaxy Note 10
Don’t forget to get some accessories
After you buy the Note 10, we recommend picking up some accessories for the phone.
The Note 10 is big, beautiful, and definitely not something you want to risk shattering with just the right drop. As such, we urge you to get a screen protector and case at the bare minimum.
If you opt for the larger Note 10+, you’ll also want to consider getting a microSD card.
Take a look at our accessory guides if you want to see what we recommend picking up.
- Best Wireless Charging Pads for Note 10 and Note 10+ in 2019
- Best Battery Packs for Galaxy Note 10 and 10+ in 2019
- These are all the first-party Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ cases
Note 10
- Best Galaxy Note 10 Cases in 2019
- Best Heavy-Duty Cases for the Galaxy Note 10 in 2019
- Best Thin Cases for Note 10 in 2019
- Best Wallet Cases for Note 10 in 2019
- Best Clear Cases for Note 10 in 2019
- Best Galaxy Note 10 Screen Protectors in 2019
- Best 25W Chargers for Galaxy Note 10 in 2019
Note 10+
- Best Galaxy Note 10+ Cases in 2019
- Best Heavy Duty Cases for Galaxy Note 10+ in 2019
- Best Thin Cases for Note 10+ in 2019
- Best Wallet Cases for Note 10+ in 2019
- Best Clear Cases for Note 10+ in 2019
- Best Galaxy Note 10+ Screen Protectors in 2019
- Best 45W USB-C Chargers for Galaxy Note 10+ in 2019
- Best MicroSD Cards for Galaxy Note 10+
There’s a Note 10 Lite, but you probably can’t buy it
In January 2020, Samsung unveiled something we weren’t expecting — the Galaxy Note 10 Lite. Taking a look at the phone, it’s an interesting hodgepodge of specs. It offers a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display with a 2400 x 1080 resolution, Samsung’s Exynos 8895 processor, up to 8GB of RAM, and triple 12MP cameras — including wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto sensors. You also get a hefty battery at 4,500 mAh.
The idea behind the Note 10 Lite is to offer the Galaxy Note experience at a more affordable price, with Samsung saying it’ll have an “accessible price point.” Unfortunately, that’s as specific as the company has gotten so far.
Availability also remains a mystery, but seeing as how the Note 10 Lite has an Exynos processor, it’s highly unlikely it’ll ever make its way to the United States.
Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite: Everything you need to know!
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ vs. Note 10 Lite: Which should you buy?
New Notes
Galaxy Note 10
From $950 at Samsung
Samsung’s 2019 Note is still a powerhouse
The Galaxy Note is back, but it looks a little different than usual. Samsung is selling three different models, removed the headphone jack, and is starting to phase out the microSD card. However, with gorgeous AMOLED displays, faster performance, and an S Pen that does more than ever before, these Notes are certainly worth a look.
