The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is the almost-everything-included Samsung phone you really want – if you can afford it and handle its massive display.
We were immediately drawn to it as the bigger and better version of the Galaxy S10 and cheaper Galaxy S10e. It redefines what a 'phablet' is in 2019, with a 6.4-inch edge-to-edge screen so big it displaces the front camera to a hole in the top corner. It’s Samsung’s marginally better answer to the iPhone XS notch.
With a 93.1% screen-to-body ratio, the pixels now stretch from the small top speaker down to the thin bottom chin, and spill over the curved left and right edges. This is the best looking screen in a smartphone. Hidden under the glass is an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor on the front, and the new Wireless PowerShare feature on back, allowing you to Qi-charge other devices.
The back has a triple-lens camera that takes normal, telephoto, and new ultra-wide photos. You can capture more of what's in front of you – without having to back up. This isn't the best camera phone next to the Pixel 3, but Samsung offers a fun-to-use, versatile camera.
We've seen some of these ideas before from Huawei and LG. But the S10 Plus is an amalgam of hallmark features in rival handsets with a dose of first-to-launch features like faster Wi-Fi 6 and an HDR10+ screen. It's the best overall package in among big pricey, smartphones.
Sold? To complicate your buying decision, the Galaxy S10 5G is an even bigger and better S10 phone, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 is expected to launch in August 2019, and after that we're expecting the foldable Samsung Galaxy Fold to finally be released to buy.
Until those handsets come out, the S10 Plus is best Samsung phone, if you can handle the price and size, and aren’t interested in new Galaxy phones on the horizon.
It has many competitors too though, like the Huawei P30 Pro, Sony Xperia 1, and OnePlus 7 Pro, all of which have similar specs and identical or lower price tags, so check them out before you commit to the Samsung Galaxy S10.
Display
6.4-inch QHD+ screen with an impressive 93.1% screen-to-body ratio
Infinity-O display type's punch hole fits two front camera in top right
First phone with HDR10+, but beware of false touches from lack of bezel
The 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display on the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus makes this the biggest S phone screen to date – bigger than 5.8-inch Galaxy S9 Plus and matching the Note 9 screen size. It's also a lot better.
The main draw for us is the 93.1% screen-to-body ratio that fits more pixels across a tighter body. Samsung's new Infinity-O display avoids using a notch by opting for a laser-cut hole in the top-right corner for the front camera.
The hole in this 'punch-hole' display is extra-large, as Samsung dropped in two front cameras to take better portrait selfies than the single-lens Galaxy S10 and S10e front cameras. Good news, we’ve not found it too distracting.
The default resolution is Full HD+, but you can crank it to QHD+ and it's pin sharp, with HDR10+ for superior contrast and color. That's an important perk if you’re a movie-watcher on your phone – an idea which isn’t so crazy its size.
One drawback to Samsung chipping away bezel: we found our encroaching palms making false touches on the sensitive screen (especially when typing), often flipping our on-screen keyboard between letters and numbers to output a bunch of gobbledygook in embarrassing messages. iPhone owners accustomed to more otherwise-ugly bezel and better palm rejection software, beware.
The Infinity-O display is Samsung's new look for 2019, and it’s enough of a change if you've been demanding something new. It looks fantastic, with bright, colorful reproduction making the best of images, icons, apps, games and video.