Samsung Galaxy Note 10: Everything Announced Today

After what feels like 84 years of leaks and rumours, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 has finally been officially revealed. There’s not only one device in the Note lineup but three, and one of them is 5G enabled. Here’s everything you need to know, including the price and when you can get a Note 10 in Australia.

[referenced url=”https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2019/08/samsung-galaxy-note-note-first-look-hands-on/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/a3bcjam5lpjynddm5tyb.jpg” title=”Samsung Galaxy Note 10: First Look” excerpt=”The Galaxy Note line is kind of an albatross. The original Galaxy Note was the phone that started the whole big-screen trend, and now nine generations later, it’s still got one of the biggest displays you can get on a phone, along with other unique traits like a built-in stylus, class-leading specs, and a hefty price tag, and a second model that’s smaller than you might expect.”]

The Design

You’re going to hear this a lot, but thanks to Titanic-sized leaks leading up to this launch, there aren’t many surprises regarding the Note 10 looks.

Coming in standard ‘Aura Black’ and a far nicer Aura Glow that is deeply reminiscent of Huawei’s P30 Pro, the new Note is stunning. The entry-level device has a 6.3 inch screen, with 6.8 inches for both Plus models and a bezel-less design.

The mammoth screen-to-body ratio is only interrupted by the Infinity-0 display, first seen in the S10. However, it has moved to the centre-top of the device this time around. The in-screen ultra-sonic fingerprint scanner is back as well.

At the rear you’ll find a vertical camera array, yet another change from the horizontal setup in the previous S-Series. DeX is still a thing, allowing you to transfer files and use phone apps on a PC through a USB cable.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly… the headphone jack is indeed gone. RIP.

What’s Under The Hood

The entry level Note 10 starts at 256GB storage with 8GB RAM, which is the same as the high-end S10e. It also comes with the latest Exynos 9825 processor, which is the same across the series.

As the rumours suggested, this Note will be the first in the series to not include expandable storage.

The Note 10+ sports 256GB storage but bumps the RAM up to 12GB, an option also available on the S10 Plus. If you want a little bit more room there is a MicroSD slot. This is a hybrid, so it can be used for a second SIM instead if you’d prefer.

The 5G model also has 12GB RAM but is only available with 512GB storage, but with a MicroSD slot. However, unlike the regular 10+ it isn’t a hybrid.

The Cameras

There isn’t much new to report. The Note 10 has basically the same camera setup as the more expensive S10 models, with a triple rear setup (12MP telephoto, 12MP wide-angle and 16MP ultra-wide) and a single 10MP front-facing camera.

The Note 10+ and 10+ 5G add to this by adding a fourth VGA 3D Depth Vision Camera that can scan an object and transform it into a movable 3D render. You can even doodle in AR, using the S Pen to add drawings, effects and animations images.

There’s no second front-facing camera in any of the Note 10 models (the S10+ has dual 10MP and 8MP cams) it does have Night Mode, so you can take literally lit selfies in low-light conditions.

Video is also getting an upgrade with Live Focus Video, allowing users to blur the background and focus on whatever the subject you’re shooting is. Yup, that’s bokeh on video.

Stabilisation is also said to be improved and now available in Hyperlapse mode.

There is also a Zoom-In-Mic that will minimise background noise while amplifying the in-frame audio.

The built-in video editor can be used alongside the S-Pen by selecting what you want to trim rather than tapping.

The Battery

Thanks to the bigger chassis, the Note Series has larger battery capacity than most S10 models.

The base Note 10 has a 3,500mAH battery, the Note 10+ and Note 10+ 5G have 4,300mAH batteries — although that’s a fraction smaller than the 4,500mAH S10+ 5G.

All models come with fast charging capabilities, though you won’t find a 45W fast-charger in your shiny new Note 10 box. Only a 25W charger will come as standard, with a fast charger being sold separately later in the year. Considering the price points of these devices, this is a tad disappointing.

Wireless PowerShare is also back. We still don’t recommend it for device-to-device charging unless you want to suck the life out of the other phone’s battery. But if you want to use it for charging smaller Qi-enabled gadgets like Galaxy Buds, go for it. At least it’s one less cable to worry about.

The S Pen

Leaks heavily implied that the S Pen would be getting a more significant upgrade this year, and it turns out that they were right.

In addition to a redesign, the biggest change is the ability to convert handwriting to text. Considering that the S Pen is one of the drawcards of a device that is literally called Note, it seems about time that this functionality be added.

Now you can turn your scratchy handwriting into text, which can be exported to programs such as Word. The notes can also be customised in terms of text size and colour.

Air Actions is another new feature added to the S Pen repertoire, letting you control different aspects of the device.

It has also been opened up for third-party development, allowing devs to customise the controls for their games and apps through the Air Actions SDK.

Spec Dump

For those of you who are just after the cold, hard specs.

Pricing

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 starts at $1,499, with the plus costing $1,799 and the top-of-the-range 5G model costing roughly the same as the S10+ 5G – $1,999.

It’s currently unclear whether the 5G variant, like the S10+ 5G, will be available on a Telstra contract only. We’ll let you know if we find out.

Aussies who pre-order between 9am AEST on August 8 and 11:59pm AEST August 22 from particpating retailers will score a free pair of Samsung’s newly-announced AKG Wireless Headphones, which have an RRP of $499.

We’ll also let you know when all of the telcos drop their plans.

Availability

Here in Australia the entire Note 10 range will be available either in Aura Glow or Aura Black.

Pre-orders open on August 8 but the series will land in stores and online on August 23.