Samsung's Flagship Note 10 Smartphone Now Has 3 Versions, 2 Screen Sizes

Samsung for the first time is offering three new versions of its enterprise-aimed Galaxy Note smartphone by unveiling its latest Samsung Galaxy Note 10 models in two screen sizes and another one that also includes 5G connectivity.

The three models of Note 10 handsets is a major departure for Samsung, which previously only offered the Note series phones in one standard size with options for internal storage and installed RAM.

Priced starting at $950 for a Samsung Note 10 with a 6.3-inch full HD display, $1,100 for a Note 10 + with a 6.8-inch quad HD display and $1,100 for a Note10+ with 5G capabilities, the new handsets include a wide range of refinements and new features for Note fans. Included is an improved and more responsive integrated S Pen input stylus, expanded Samsung DeX capabilities to allow the handsets to work directly even more closely with desktop computers and laptops to give users more work productivity options and brighter, clearer displays.

The latest Galaxy Note 10 handsets were unveiled by Samsung in a press preview event in New York City on Aug. 6.

The standard Note 10 with the 6.3-inch full HD Dynamic AMOLED Infinity-O display (2280 x 1080 resolution, 401ppi) is the smallest and lightest Note handset offered by Samsung since the first Note arrived on the market in October 2011, according to the company. The new Note 10+ and the Note 10+ with 5G each include a 6.8-inch quad HD Dynamic AMOLED Infinity-O display (3040 x 1440 resolution, 498ppi). Even with larger screens than the previous Note 9, which had a 6.4-inch display, the new Note 10+ handsets are both lighter and thinner than the Note they are replacing.

When the new Note 10 was being created, the company decided to expand the number of available models to give buyers more choice, the company said.

Designed and built with enterprise workers in mind, particularly field workers who require a bright display and a host of productivity capabilities, all three models come with detachable, integrated S Pen input styluses with a wider range of user controls via Bluetooth. The S Pen on the previous Note 9 had three functions, while the latest Note 10 S-Pens include six functions.

The latest Note 10 models also are compatible with a free open SDK that allows developers to create third-party gesture support so the Note 10 handsets can integrate with new and available applications used by businesses, providing support for a wider range of gesture controls.

The innovative S Pen can be used to write handwriting on the Note 10 screen, which can then be converted into text for a Word file, text file or other use. The creative use possibilities of the S Pen is one of the most business-friendly and expandable functions of the Note phone series.

The standard Note 10 includes 8GB of RAM, while both Note 10+ models include 12GB of RAM. All models start with 256GB of internal storage, while the Note 10+ and its 5G variant are also available in a 512GB variant. Both Note 10+ models also include a microSD slot for expandable storage.

The processors on the Note 10 models are up to 33% faster than the CPUs used in the Note 9, while the GPUs are up to 42% faster than the Note 9 components.

The standard Note 10 gets a 3,500mAh battery, while the Note 10+ models get …

… a larger 4,300mAh battery. All models get fast charging capabilities and power share capabilities to use the Note 10 to charge secondary devices.

The standard Note 10 includes a triple rear camera with a 16-megapixel ultra-wide F2.2 lens, a 12-MP autofocus ultrawide angle lens and a 12MP telephoto lens, while the Note 10+ models get a quad camera that also includes a VGA DepthVision camera that can help map rooms for planning layouts and other activities. All Note 10 models include a 10MP front camera.

Samsung has also dropped the 3.5mm headphone jack on the new Note 10 models but includes USB-C headphones and a dongle with the devices.

Samsung DeX has also been improved, giving users more direct connections to working from the Note to a desktop or laptop computer simply by hooking up one USB cable from the phone to the computer. A native Link to Windows app is now included in Windows 10, allowing Note 10 users to plug in their device and get to work on any desktop or laptop that has been authorized and configured to work with DeX. The service requires administrative rights, so that has to be done before the connections are made. DeX can be used with Windows or Mac.

These capabilities allow a field worker to go into a field office and connect to on location to a computer, conduct their work, and then take their data with them on their Note 10 device, without leaving the data on the host machine. By connecting to the computer, the field worker can use a large display, keyboard and mouse to perform their work, rather than just trying to do it on the screen of their Note 10 handset. The data is automatically backed up in the cloud for users.

Techsponential’s Avi Greengart

Other improvements in the Note 10 models include pro grade video capabilities to allow businesspeople to promote their businesses.

Avi Greengart, the lead analyst for Techsponential, told Channel Futures that the latest Note 10 devices offer only iterative improvements, but that is to be expected because the market is well-established.

“The biggest improvements are in the S Pen — still the Note’s most differentiating feature – video functionality and productivity,” said Greengart. “Smartphones are mature and all vendors (except tor Huawei in China) are struggling to sell super premium phones but there is a market for them, even if many consumers are delaying upgrades.”

Greengart said the larger Note 10+ may actually have the most appeal for users due to its extra-large 6.8-inch display. “Note buyers were attracted to the category in the first place by really large screens,” he explained. “The third variant, adding 5G to the Galaxy Note 10+, is specific to this moment in time. In the future, flagship phones like the Galaxy Note will all have 5G. Right now, with 5G networks just being rolled out and the technology still developing, it makes more sense to make it optional.”

The biggest improvements in the Note 10 models are squarely aimed at …

… power users and the enterprise, which have been the biggest market for these phones since they first appeared, he said. “You can get a lot of work done with the Note 10. The S Pen, handwriting recognition, and sharing options have all improved.”

The improvements in DeX may also be a more important differentiator this time around, said Greengart. “DeX has always been an interesting concept with limited real world application – who has a spare monitor/keyboard/mouse setup available? On the Galaxy Note 10+ DeX can now hijack the screen, keyboard, and trackpad of the Windows or Mac laptops you likely already have nearby.”

Gartner’s Werner Goertz

Werner Goertz, an analyst with Gartner, said the most notable differences in the new Note 10 models are the larger screens on the Note 10+ models, the absence of 3.5” audio jack, the vertical alignment of the three or four rear-facing cameras and their slimmer form factors.

“With relatively minor evolutionary – not revolutionary – feature upgrades, the device will still attract its regular fan base, who buy the new device anyway, but the question will be how does Samsung position and message the next flagship luxury device product that is already in the pipeline – the Galaxy Fold – which is now slated for September announcement?” asked Goertz. “Both products will overlap within the high-end flagship segment. It would make sense, going forward to combine foldable display tech with S Pen UI, provided that the display cover material is robust enough to support it, given the overlap in buyer segment.”

The handsets are available in Aura Glow (chrome), Aura White, Aura Black and Aura Blue colors.

Preorders for the phones will start Aug. 8 with most major carriers in the U.S.