▷Samsung Galaxy S10 5G review: what more does it offer? 🥇

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G he is the fourth member of the family, the one that is least talked about and probably has captured the attention of the public the least. The reason? Simple: is a 5G device landed in a country, ours, which still seems far from the new standard. Take, for example, Milan: the nerve center of experimentation, a forerunner in the technological field and an urban center chosen by Vodafone for the launch of 5G. Too bad that in 3 weeks of testing, of which a good part passed in the Lombard capital, I have never seen the smartphone hook up to the 5G network. Nothing, not even a glimmer of high speed, a spark of the future.

So why should a user consider buying Samsung Galaxy S10 5G if the obvious difference - 5G - is not practically usable? We talk about it in this review.

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G: the technical sheet

As always, before going into the analysis let's rattle off the numbers and technical characteristics.

dimensions: 162,6 x 77,1 x 7,9 mm
Weight: 198 g
Display: 6,7″ Dynamic AMOLED – 1440 x 3040 pixel
CPU: Exynos 9820
GPU: Mali-G76 MP12
RAM: 8 GB
Memory: 256 / 512 GB
Network: 5G – Single SIM
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C, GPS
Battery: 4500 mAh
Rear camera: 12 + 12 + 16 MP / TOF
Front Camera: 10 MP + TOF
Videos: 4K @ 60 fps
Operating system: Android 9.0 Pie with One UI

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G review: solid and elegant

The dimensions of the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G are really generous and very similar to those of the latest Galaxy Note 10+. In short, here we are beyond the already abandoned S10 +, but do not panic: getting used to it will not be an impossible task. A few days of adjustment and the other smartphones will seem to be incredibly small.

The design, on the other hand, remains quite similar to that of the younger brothers, but with some modifications meant for improve the ergonomics of the device: the rear glass is more curved, the front one flatter and the asymmetrical silver profile, a bit like what happens on the aforementioned Note 10+ where the metallic finish widens at the keys. A touch of originality that dampens the repetitiveness of a design already seen on the rest of the range.

The buttons remain unchanged with the power key on the right and the volume rocker on the left. On the latter side there is also the button dedicated to Bixby. Don't you particularly love Samsung's voice assistant? You can associate the single click with another application or with Google Assistant.

Of course we also find the USB-C input, the 3,5 mm jack, the speaker and the IP69 certification for resistance to water and dust.

The display instead becomes more abundant: 6,7 inches with Dynamic AMOLED panel, QHD + resolution, support for HDR 10+ and Gorilla Glass 6 that protects it. The yield, as usual, is truly impeccable, while I appreciated less the huge hole that houses the front camera and the TOF sensor, made up of 2 elements. The latter in fact is more abundant than that seen on Galaxy S10 + and less camouflaged with the backgrounds now beloved by the owners of the family's devices. One thing, however, I must recognize: among the possible solutions this is undoubtedly the most elegant. It takes away some space from notifications but in the end you won't pay attention to it anymore.

Finally, I would like to point out the presence of the ultrasonic fingerprint reader, located below the display. It is not always very fast and I have often preferred the 2D unlocking with the face, but it is safer both than the latter and the optical readers that we find on other smartphones.

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Everything unchanged?

Basically there are not many differences with the younger siblings. Samsung Galaxy S10 5G shows up with the same Exynos 9820 processor which gives life to the rest of the family. The GPU is also unchanged, a Mali G76 MP12, while the RAM reaches 8 GB. The memory, on the other hand, can be 256 or 512 GB, gigabytes that will have to be enough for you the absence of the slot for the microSD.

On the connectivity side we have roughly the same options: WiFi ax, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS and the aforementioned USB-C. The plus is obviously represented by the Snapdragon X50, Qualcomm's 5G modem.

The big difference here is the battery: 4500 mAh guarantee you an autonomy undoubtedly superior to all the devices of the family and much of the competition, especially by activating Adaptive Energy Saving which analyzes your behavior to adapt accordingly. How does it behave in practice? Really good: I arrived in the evening with almost 5 hours of screen on in the busiest days (as evidenced by the screenshot on the side) while with mild use you could cover a day and a half.

Finally, nothing to say about the software: the One UI has now reached maturity and offers stability, fluidity and a good number of additional functions. Aesthetically, then it is very pleasant in everyday use and equipped with the always loved Night Mode so you don't kill your eyes by using it in bed. Then I remind you that you can count on Samsung DeX to turn it into a PC and on Samsung Pay for digital payments.

TOF-fiamoci in the photographic sector

When it comes to cameras, the plus of Samsung Galaxy S10 5G is represented by the COOL, an abbreviation that stands for “Time of flight”, namely time-of-flight camera. But what exactly is it? It is a sensor that allows you to estimate in real time the distance between your Galaxy S10 5G and the objects or scene you are framing. All this by calculating the time it takes for a light pulse to travel the camera-object-camera path.

In short, in practice this means that the photographic sector of the device should offer us something more in terms of depth. It works? Absolutely yes. Beyond the successful bokeh effect, which however differs very little from that obtained with other devices of the family, we have in fact the possibility of blur the background during videos. In addition, you can use it with a number of dedicated applications including Quick Measurement which, in a few moments, helps you to calculate distances and lengths.

As for the rest of the photographic sector nothing changes from S10 +: We always have three cameras on the back wall - 12 megapixel main, 2 megapixel 12x zoom and 16 megapixel wide angle - that do an excellent job. Also excellent is the Night mode as well as the 10 megapixel front camera, also in this case flanked by the TOF.

And the videos? In 4K, up to 60 fps and with excellent stabilization in case you decide to settle for Full HD.

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G review: buy it or not?

I liked the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G a lot. In fact, it is basic the upgrade of an already very interesting device, that is S10 +: we have an improved photographic sector, 5G connectivity for the near future and an impressive battery. In short, everything you could want from a smartphone.

All this, however, has an important cost: 1279 euro. They are not few and they weigh especially now that Galaxy Note 10 has arrived on the market, but it is also true that traditional purchase is not the only option: with Vodafone, for example, you could take it home with a monthly fee of 21,99 euro which obviously includes the use of the 5G network.