Samsung unveils super-productive Galaxy Note10 smartphones

New York: Taking productivity and creativity to the next level, Samsung has unveiled its most powerful line-up of Galaxy Note10 smartphones with an enhanced S (Stylus) Pen experience.

The 6.3-inch FHD+ Galaxy Note10 houses 8GB RAM with 256GB internal storage (4G model) while 12GB RAM with 256GB internal storage will be 5G-ready.

The Galaxy Note 10+ has a mammoth 12GB RAM (with 256GB internal storage) and another 5G-ready variant of 12GB RAM with 512GB internal storage (expandable up to 1TB).

The 4G variant of Note10 will start from $949 while 5G variant will start from $1,049 in the global markets.

The 4G variant of Note 10+ will start from $1,099 while the 5G variant would start from $1,299.

The India pricing was yet to be announced.

Running Android 9 (Pie) operating system, the "made in India" smartphones would be launched in India on August 20, with sales starting from August 23. "Every element of the Galaxy Note10 was designed to help users achieve more. Whether they're finishing a big project for work, capturing and editing a video, or playing their favourite mobile game, the Galaxy Note10 will help them do it faster and better," DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT and Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics, told a packed house at "Galaxy Unpacked NYC" event in Brooklyn late Wednesday.

The Galaxy Note10 with triple camera set-up at the rear and Galaxy Note10+ with 4-camera setup sports edge-to-edge, nearly bezel-less "Cinematic Infinity Display".

In Galaxy Note10, triple camera at the back has an 16MP ultra wide lens, a 12MP wide angle sensor and a 12MP telephoto lens.

The phone houses a 10MP selfie camera.

In Galaxy Note10+, the real quad camera set-up consists a 16MP ultra-wide sensor, a 12MP wide-angle lens, a 12MP telephoto lens and a VGA DepthVision camera.

It also houses a 10MP selfie camera in the middle, which gives both the devices a symmetrical shape unlike the Galaxy S10 series.

The Note10+ has a large 4,300mAh battery with superfast charging technology and the smaller Note device comes with a 3,500mAh battery.

The Galaxy Note10 phones feature "Dynamic AMOLED" display. With HDR10+ certification and "Dynamic Tone Mapping", photos and videos will be brighter than previous Note devices.

"The Galaxy Note10 series re-imagine the promise for the modern Note fan who who effortlessly flows between ideas and endeavours at a moment's notice," said Koh.

One put-off is absence of 3.5mm headphone jack, which is still a nostalgia among some users despite phones bidding goodbye to it.

The 4G-enabled Note10 has dual SIM slot (one Nano SIM and one Nano SIM) while the 5G-ready variant has one Nano SIM slot.

The Note10+ has dual SIM (Hybrid) slot for one Nano SIM and one Nano SIM or one MicroSD slot (up to 1TB).

The 5G-ready model of Note10+ has slot for one Nano SIM and one MicroSD slot (up to 1TB).

When it comes to S Pen, it has some cool features this time, like gesture navigation.

The uni-body S Pen allows users to jot down notes, instantly convert their handwriting to digital text in Samsung Notes, and export it to a variety of different formats, including Microsoft Word.

Users can now customize notes by shrinking, enlarging, or changing the colour of the text.

Air actions allows you to control certain aspects of the device using gestures with the S Pen.

By opening up the Air actions SDK, developers can create customized controls that give users the ability to play games or use their favourite applications using gestures, said Samsung.

The Galaxy Note10 extends Samsung DeX's capabilities, making it easier for users to work between their phone and a PC or Mac.

With a simple, compatible USB connection, users can drag and drop files between devices, and use their favourite mobile apps with a mouse and a keyboard, while keeping their data secure on their phone through Samsung Knox.

With one click, Note10 users can connect to their Windows 10 PC where they can see notifications, send and receive messages.

According to German market research firm GfK data, Samsung has over 60 per cent volume and value market share in smartphones priced over Rs 30,000.

Galaxy Note has a loyal fan following in India because of its performance and productivity features.

According to Counterpoint Research, the Note 10 is expected to post sales similar to that of its predecessor.

"The combined sales of the Galaxy Note 10 will reach 9.7 million units this year, similar to that of the 9.6 million units posted by the Galaxy Note 9 last year," according to Counterpoint.