Samsung Galaxy Note10 Pro smartphone - pros and cons

Since 2011, Samsung has been delighting its consumers with the Galaxy Note line. The series is distinguished by high performance of devices, an original approach, interesting functions, large screens and, of course, its zest for the best user interaction with the device - the proprietary S-Pen stylus.

If earlier Samsung released their flagships once a year, now we have good news: in August the company will present two new products at once - the Galaxy Note10 and Galaxy Note10 Pro.

In this article, we'll take a look at the Galaxy Note10 Pro model. The review will guide you on the price, tell you about the functionality, performance and features of the device.

Samsung Galaxy Note10 Pro features worth checking out

S Pen stylus

A distinctive feature of the flagship line of Samsung Galaxy Note, as mentioned above, is the presence of a stylus. Many consumers who are accustomed to interacting with a smartphone using a finger do not understand the presence of this additional device. But reviews from Galaxy Note users suggest that the stylus is a great solution from the company.

So, let's take a look below what capabilities the S-Pen has.

The S-Pen allows you to control your smartphone from a distance. Bluetooth provides the ability to control your phone up to 9 meters away. This function allows you to:

• Turn on the camera by holding the button on the stylus;
• Switch from the main camera to the front one with two clicks of the button;
• Take a photo by pressing the button once;
• You can also change the settings to open the browser, gallery or other applications after pressing or holding the button;
• Pause and resume running music or video;
• Use the stylus as a remote control for a presentation, where one press will switch the next slide, and two will return to the previous one.

A great feature is a quick note. Pulling out the stylus immediately turns on the black background of the display, where the user can write something. When the display is turned on, the screen remains off.

S Pen also allows you to conveniently use the option to send a gif file. By clicking on the live message icon, you can choose any color, thickness, effects and styles. In addition, using the stylus, you can do drawing. It is also convenient to use the S-Pen to translate the desired word in the text. It is enough to point it to the word of interest, select the language first.

How the S Pen works

Full integration of the stylus into the smartphone at the software and hardware level, allows you to achieve perfect and smooth interaction. Unlike a conventional stylus, which is electrically conductive and changes the electrostatic field of the screen, the S Pen works with an active digitizer that generates current and powers the stylus's internal circuitry.The S-Pen works with a weak current, and a digitizer installed under the glass tracks its movement.

With the necessary long-term use of the stylus, there is no need to worry about autonomy: the device can work without recharging for half an hour. And when it is discharged, it is enough to insert the stylus into place and after 40 seconds the full charge will be restored.

Samsung DeX proprietary technology

Despite the incredible capabilities that smartphones are now endowed with, computers benefit from at least a large screen, physical keyboard and mouse. But Samsung has solved this problem too: using the Samsung DeX docking station, you can easily connect your smartphone to a TV or monitor and use your phone as a full-fledged computer.

ANT + technology

The ANT + wireless protocol is required to connect two components together. In other words, ANT + performs the same functions as Bluetooth, but has a number of positive differences, including:

• 50-70% less energy consumption;
• launching several applications at once using one communication protocol;
• the range reaches 30 meters (the maximum Bluetooth action is 15 meters).

Bixby Smart Assistant

Samsung introduced a voice assistant in 2017. Bixby is not just an assistant that works with a set of search commands and queries, but a kind of artificial intelligence that understands and adapts to the queries of a simple human language, without the need for any limitation in pronunciation.

Samsung hasn't stopped at using the smart assistant in smartphones. Bixby is also used in other company appliances, including refrigerators and televisions.

Samsung Galaxy Note10 Pro smartphone review

Table with main parameters and characteristics

Smartphone appearance

The smartphone can be purchased in white, black, gray, red or pink. The Note10 Pro has a beautiful, sophisticated design. The back and front panels are made of glass. Gorilla Glass is used as protection against chips and scratches. The front panel is a curved display with edges that "flow" to the right and left sides. There are no "bangs" and "bunches" on the Panel, the frame has very thin lines. At the top in the middle of the screen in a round cutout, there is a front camera with a reduced module.

On the back panel in the middle is the company logo, on the top left side is the rear camera, which is a vertical block consisting of three sensors and one Time-of-Flight camera, laser autofocus, and a flash. The bottom metal frame houses the speaker, microphone, stylus input and USB Type-C connector. An infrared port, another microphone, as well as a slot for a memory card and a SIM card are built on the top edge.

A controversial issue about the presence of volume and power keys. Most inside information indicates that the volume rocker and power button will be located on the left edge. But it is also worth mentioning the information that says about the absence of physical buttons and replacing them with touch buttons with 3D Touch.

Many will be upset by the lack of a 3.5mm audio jack for headphones and a button that calls up the Bixby voice assistant.

Device protection

Samsung Galaxy Note10 Pro has a high level of protection against dust, solid particles and water ingress. IP68 provides protection for the smartphone when immersed at a depth of one and a half meters for 30 minutes.

However, it should be noted that even at a shallow depth with increased pressure on the body (falling into water with great force), the device can be broken. By the way, the protection will not provide the user with warranty repairs if the cause of the breakdown is water. Therefore, you should not experiment with these features of the Note10 Pro.

Unlocking

Unlocking is performed using an ultrasonic sensor built into the screen. This technology records data by reflecting sound waves from human skin. The feature of ultrasound scanning is:

• rapid reaction;
• safety;
• no delay in response even with a dirty or wet finger.

Autonomous work

The Note10 Pro has a built-in non-removable Li-Ion battery with a capacity of 4,500 mAh. Earlier it was expected that the device will receive 45-watt super fast charging, but new information upset - the smartphone will support 25-watt charging. But if you compare 15W charging to such a popular model as the Galaxy A90, then 25W is a perfectly acceptable solution. Also, depending on the market, the Note10 Pro will support Qi / PMA wireless charging.

Performance

Depending on the market, the smartphones will run on Qualcomm SDM855 Snapdragon 855 processors with Adreno 640 graphics chip and Exynos 9820 with Mali-G76 MP12 chip.

The Qualcomm SDM855 Snapdragon 855 is a nimble and reliable processor that has 8 Kryo 485 cores, with one core running at 2.84 GHz, three at 2.41 GHz and four at 1.78 GHz. Snapdragon 855 with a 7 nanometer process technology provides 7 trillion operations per second. The Adreno 640 graphics chipset has 384 compute units and supports 120 Hz and 120 FPS frame rates.

Exynos 9820, with an 8 nanometer process technology, also has 8 cores, where 2 Mongoose M4 cores operate at 2.73 GHz, two Cortex-A75 cores at 2.41 GHz and 4 Cortex-A55 cores at 1.95 GHz ...

Memory

The Note10 Pro has 8 or 12 GB of RAM and 128 or 512 GB of internal storage. The maximum increased capacity with a memory card reaches one terabyte, that is, as much as 1,000 GB.
The device supports the UFS 3.0 storage standard, which provides:

• fast data transfer;
• lightning-fast loading;
• low power consumption;
• quick installation of applications.

Software

The phone runs on the Android 9 Pie operating system

Camera and its features

The main camera has three modules:

1. The main one with a resolution of 12 megapixels, aperture f / 1.5, a matrix size of 1 / 2.55 and a pixel size of 1.4 microns.
2. 12MP telephoto lens with f / 2.4mm aperture. The pixel size is 1.0 μm, the matrix size is 1 / 3.6.
3. Ultra-wide with 16MP resolution, f / 2.2mm aperture and 1.0μm pixel size.

Camera features:

• Dual pixel phase detection autofocus;
• Optical image stabilization;
• 2x optical zoom;
• Additional camera Time of flight, to determine the flight time of the light signal;
• LED flash;
• Panorama;
• Auto-HDR;
• Dual video recording function.

The front camera has a resolution of 10 megapixels, with an aperture of f / 1.6 and a pixel size of 1.22 microns. The camera supports Auto-HDR, dual video calling, and Dual Pixel technology.

Sound

The device has a loudspeaker with stereo speakers. For high-quality sound transmission, active noise cancellation works with a dedicated microphone. The Note10 Pro also supports playback of high-definition files up to 32-bit / 384 kHz.

Display

The Samsung Galaxy Note10 Pro has a dynamic AMOLED display with a resolution of 1,440 x 3,040 pixels.The display with a diagonal of 6.75 inches and an aspect ratio of 19: 9 occupies 113.7 cm2 of area, that is, 90.5%. The pixel density per inch is 498. The refresh rate of the screen is 90 Hz. Dynamic Display Features:

• The screen supports dynamic display of HDR10 + tones;
• The brightness reaches 1,200 nits, which shows incredible results both at night and in the sun;
• The maximum contrast ratio is 2,000,000: 1;
• Full coverage of the DCI-P3 color space;
• High level of color rendering;
• Low power consumption;
• Reduced blue radiation thanks to Comfort Display technology.

How much does the novelty cost?

Based on information obtained from many sources, we can say that the cost of a smartphone will be from $ 1,100 to $ 1,200.

Galaxy Note10 Pro pros and cons

• the presence of the S-Pen stylus;
• support for proprietary technology Samsung DeX;
• availability of wireless communication protocol ANT + technology;
• smart assistant Bixby;
• sophisticated design;
• protection of glass panels with Gorilla Glass;
• very thin frames;
• Flowing display;
• round cutout for the front camera and a reduced module;
• high level of protection IP68;
• phone ultrasonic unlocking technology;
• capacitive battery with support for fast and wireless charging;
• a powerful processor that is perfect for active games, even with the most demanding requirements;
• support for UFS 3.0 memory standard;
• the presence of an infrared port;
• high-quality display that conveys an excellent picture;
• good cameras.

• lack of 3.5mm headphone jack and Bixby button.

Conclusion

Considering all the known characteristics, the novelty is a noteworthy device.

Please note that the information provided in our review is based on inside information, so the specifications that will be presented after the official presentation of the Note 10 Pro may differ slightly.