Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus review: Killer cameras and battery life might meet their match in the Note 10
Samsung’s flagship phone for spring could be dominated by its flagship phone for late summer.
Jessica Dolcourt’s career with CNET began in 2006, and spans reviews, reporting, analysis and commentary for desktop software; mobile software, including the very first Android and iPhone apps and operating systems; and mobile hardware, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET’s How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of practical advice on expansive topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
I’ve been using the Galaxy S10 Plus every day since Samsung launched the phone four months ago as one of its flagship models for 2019. Despite the threat of being overshadowed by the foldable Galaxy Fold and the faster Galaxy S10 5G (and being knocked out from below by the value-buy Galaxy S10E ), the Galaxy S10 Plus has hung on as one of the top Android phones of the year. Soon, the S10 Plus’ best virtues.- its sharp screen, three top-notch cameras and all-day battery life.- will face another challenge from within Samsung’s ranks, the upcoming Galaxy Note 10. which is all but confirmed to launch Aug. 7 in New York.
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
The Good
The Galaxy S10 Plus has a phenomenal AMOLED screen, monster battery life and loads of useful camera tools. The option to wirelessly charge another device is convenient and really works.
The Bad
Nighttime and low-light shots on the Galaxy S10 Plus aren’t as clear or crisp as dedicated night modes on the Pixel 3 and Huawei Mate 20 Pro. The ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint reader isn’t always fast or accurate. Mispresses on the curved, edge-to-edge display are a minor annoyance.
The Bottom Line
The Galaxy S10 Plus is an outstanding phone for 2019, although serious photographers will find its nighttime camera shots lacking. Competition, including from the upcoming Galaxy Note 10, is mounting.
Everything that’s great about the Galaxy S10 Plus is set to get even better in the Note 10, even if you’re not drawn to the Note’s S Pen stylus, the digital pen that’s the Galaxy Note’s signature feature, from the S10 Plus’ battery life and camera prowess, to the likelihood that the Note 10 will be compatible with 5G data networks. For example, the Note 10’s rumored 4,300mAh battery could dominate the S10 Plus’ already impressive 4,100mAh juice box.
Samsung likes to build on its strengths, so the Galaxy Note 10 would also include the S10 Plus’ fantastic screen clarity and features like wireless power sharing, which lets you charge other devices from the phone itself.
The Note 10 could also correct one of the S10 Plus’ biggest missed opportunities, the lack of a night mode that sharpens, brightens and vastly improves photos taken in extreme low light. The Huawei’s P30 Pro and Google Pixel 3 (and the cheaper Pixel 3A ) are the S10 Plus’ major competitors now. Low-light shots aren’t a deal-breaker for me, especially when weighed against the Galaxy S10 Plus’ other benefits, but being able to match those other night modes would make the S10 Plus the undisputed Champion across the board.
The accuracy of the in-screen fingerprint reader is another opportunity for the Note 10 to beat the S10 Plus.
Galaxy S10, S10 Plus, S10E: Every camera lens and curve
So what does the S10 Plus still have in its favor? It’s sure to cost less than the Galaxy Note 10, a benefit if you’re not sprinting to sign up for 5G (read about our global 5G speed tests here ). And it’s the only one of Samsung’s four new Galaxy S10 phones to have a 1TB storage option and a ceramic finish for the 512GB and 1TB models. Do you really need all that storage? Is it worth the 250 price tag to pay for it, and for the ceramic finish ? “Need” would be a stretch, but if you want it, it’s nice to know it’s there.
As it stands now, the S10 Plus is still an excellent device that I’d be happy to use every single day.- and I think you’d feel the same way, too.
Galaxy S10 Plus price: 1,000 now seems normal
At 1,000 for the 128GB model, 1,250 for 512GB and a cool 1,600 for the 1TB storage option (!), it’s a costly device. (It starts at £1,099 in the UK and AU1,499 in Australia.) Of course, when you look at the Galaxy Fold’s 1,980 starting price and Huawei Mate X ‘s 2,600 price tag, the S10 Plus seems almost reasonable as a phone you can buy today, without emptying out your bank account or waiting for 5G networks to kick in.
As for the standard Galaxy S10, it’s not a great “deal,” shaving off only 100 and losing a second front-facing camera, a little screen space and a little battery life.
As for comparisons with other phones, I wouldn’t upgrade from the Galaxy S9 Plus. but I would from any older Galaxy phone. The bottom line is that you have more general flexibility with camera shots on the S10 Plus than with the Pixel 3. Night mode is one exception, and both the Pixel 3 and Huawei’s P30 Pro have dedicated night modes that easily outpace the Galaxy S10 Plus. If nighttime photography is a make-it-or-break-it feature for you, you may want to wait for next month’s Galaxy 10 or October’s (likely) Pixel 4. Or cross your fingers that Samsung might push out a meaningful software upgrade.
Lovely to look at, but a slippery devil
Samsung is partial to glossy finishes that reflect light in unusual ways. My review unit is the 128GB version in Prism White, and it definitely reflects iridescent shades of pale blue, mint and pink in the light. This color is nice and subtle. Flamingo Pink, Canary Yellow, Prism Green and Prism Blue are bolder.- there’s Prism Black as well.
Right away I noticed that the S10 Plus has a tendency to slip out of hands and off surfaces, especially if they’re not perfectly level. It’s shot out from between my fingers numerous times, usually landing on my purse, a table or my lap. It also slid off my nightstand, a couch, a chair, but has emerged unscathed so far. I like to review phones the way they emerge from the box, but I’m going to want a case for this one.
Samsung got the placement of its fingerprint reader right.- it moves from the back of the phone to integrate with the screen. But, while convenient, accuracy is a problem, especially when it comes to using Samsung Pay or Google Pay for mobile transactions. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to try my print three or even four times to get it to unlock the phone or verify a transaction. It’s a bad experience that makes for sore thumbs, impatient people in line behind you, and daily aggravation.
After hailing the potential of the in-screen fingerprint reader so long, the reality of the technology makes me long for the Galaxy S10E’s fingerprint sensor in the power button, and that’s too bad.
In-screen fingerprint scanner has problems
Samsung got the placement of its fingerprint reader right.- it moves from the back of the phone to integrate with the screen. But, while convenient, accuracy is a problem, especially when it comes to using Samsung Pay or Google Pay for mobile transactions. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to try my print three or even four times to get it to unlock the phone or verify a transaction. It’s a bad experience that makes for sore thumbs, impatient people in line behind you, and daily aggravation.
After hailing the potential of the in-screen fingerprint reader so long, the reality of the technology makes me long for the Galaxy S10E’s fingerprint sensor in the power button, and that’s too bad.
You’ll have the best luck when you deliberately place your thumb over the target, press down slightly on the screen and give it a solid second to unlock. You can’t just skim the sensor. I also recommend scanning four fingers so you have backups. I used my right thumb twice, my left thumb once and my right index finger.
This fingerprint scanner is a big deal because it’s the first to use Qualcomm’s ultrasonic technology. That means it’s using sound waves to get a 3D image of your print. It’s billed as much more secure than an optical sensor, which essentially takes a 2D photo of your finger. but that seems to apply more to natural films of gunk and goo. When I squeezed an oily (and delicious) churro between my fingers and then tried to unlock the phone, I mismatched 20 times straight. Turns out, there is a limit.
One other note: There’s no more iris scanning, which had been a signature feature since the Galaxy S7. That’s an odd move for Samsung, which is typically a fan of Features. You will still have Android’s built-in face unlock, but I don’t recommend using it because it isn’t secure enough for mobile payments. You can use it if you’d like something fast and convenient, but I’ll stick with security.
The real question is where’s Samsung’s version of Apple’s Face ID? It’s now trailing the iPhone in this feature by two years, which is something Samsung really, really hates to do. Now, without iris scanning, the brand has no facial recognition feature it can point to that’s secure enough for mobile payments (the Face Unlock option built into Android is not). Rumor has it that Android Q. the next version of Google’s software, will fold a secure Face Unlock into the code, but we haven’t seen that in the Android Q betas yet.
Brilliant display, but, O, that ‘notch’
The Galaxy S10 Plus has an Infinity-O “notch” that’s really a hole cut in the display to make room for two cameras. Its oval shape attracts more attention than the single lens of the Galaxy S10 and S10E, but I’m not really a stickler about notches anyway.
to the point is the feeling of having a large screen with slim bezels. Most of the time, it sort of blends into the background, not calling too much attention to itself. But when the screen is brightly lit, like with a white background, the asymmetry of a pill-shape cut-out becomes more noticeable. I wonder if the Infinity-U display, like the one Samsung put on the midrange Galaxy A50 and A30. would look better, though it’d also look more like an eyebrow-style notch than this. The solution to the all-screen dilemma may be out there yet.
The screen itself is gorgeous, with a 6.4-inch AMOLED display and 3,040×1,440-pixel resolution. Outdoor readability is fantastic. When I wake up in the middle of the night and read the phone to fall back asleep, the screen is actually too bright, even with the brightness turned low and the blue-light filter on. Heck, it’s even too bright using Android’s Wind Down mode that shifts colors to grayscale.
Finally, remapping the Bixby button is real
After two years of complaints, Samsung has listened to fans and released some software to let you remap the Bixby button to open another app.
The capability has always existed.- even Galaxy S Active phones of a few years back let you set your convenience key.- but Samsung was reticent. Better you should learn to love Bixby, it reasoned. That’s why it’s nice to see Samsung do the right thing here.
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus ~ Why You Should Buy It
Android Pie and One UI
There are two words to describe the One UI design: big and bubbly. Icons are large, flat circles that take a while to get used to since many of the designs have changed, from the color of the Gallery icon to the shape of the Galaxy Notes app.
I mean it: these icons are huge. Using them on the home screen made me feel like a kid. I immediately switched to a smaller icon size (therefore, a larger app grid on the home screen) to fit in more of my go-to apps without digging through folders or swiping extra screens.
Even though I like my screen icons smaller, seeing the larger icons in the app drawer was fine.- they are easier targets to hit. I also liked that some larger app menus and “cards” are easier to read without craning your neck or squinting. This is especially noticeable in Bixby Home, which you access by swiping to the left of the home screen.
Wireless PowerShare really works
I love this feature, which will charge any other Qi-enabled device when you place it on the Galaxy S10’s back. Samsung isn’t the first to implement this, but it’s a real asset, especially for topping up accessories, or giving your friend’s phone a boost. Wireless charging isn’t as fast or efficient as wired charging, but this does allow you to leave more cables at home, especially for short jaunts. I can see a scenario where you charge your phone overnight and charge up a second device on top of it.
Your phone will automatically turn it off when your phone hits 30 percent. Since battery life is so good, that should be plenty to get you through the rest of your day. Note that Wireless PowerShare won’t work if you have under 30 percent battery life remaining.
I’ve already used this naturally twice. The night I got the S10 Plus, I needed to use the new wireless power-sharing feature when I noticed that my Galaxy S9 Plus was down to 7 percent and going to die while I was still setting up the new phone. I was at dinner, with my cables in my hotel room, and hey, this is exactly what the feature’s meant for. So I turned it on and flipped it over and watched my battery climb back up to a barely healthy 13 percent.
Since the phones were back to back, with the Galaxy S9 Plus facing up, I could still tap and type away, as long as I was careful not to shift its position on the Galaxy S10 Plus’ back. I’m happy with this one.
The second time, my CNET en Español colleague Juan Garzón innocently asked how much battery life I had left, then asked if he could get a top-up. My battery drained from 57 percent to 30 percent, but he got from the low double digits back up to 30 percent, and both our phones still had hours of life to go.
Three rear cameras are pretty great
Testing a camera is a massive undertaking in itself, and Samsung has added a lot of elements. There are three cameras on the S10 Plus’ back (12-megapixel, 12-megapixel telephoto, 16-megapixel ultrawide-angle) and two on the front (10- and 8-megapixel, respectively).
Photo quality is very good overall, but I have some complaints about low-light mode in a section below. We’ll have plenty of deep dive camera shootouts and comparisons in the coming days, but here’s my general assessment for now.
Let’s start with this handy chart to compare the cameras on the S10 Plus to the other S10 phones.
Three cameras, three views: You can take a photo using any of the three lenses just by tapping the on-screen icon. I mainly shoot with the standard 12-megapixel lens, switching to the telephoto to go close up (2x) on a faraway detail, like the statue on top of a fountain, or to the ultrawide lens to fit more of my friends or the scene into the shot. Ultrawide angle has a 123-degree field of view, so it does distort the image slightly and you might notice that your friends look a little stretched.
Better portrait mode shots: Called Live Focus, portrait mode photos get a three more effects on the Galaxy S10. In addition to the regular blur slider, you can also apply spot color, and effects called “Zoom” and “Spin.” Best yet, you can adjust the intensity of these effects before or after you take the shot, even switching to a different effect. There are still minor issues. Spot color doesn’t always work smoothly and flyaway hairs can still get blurred out in these portrait shots, but images are nice on the whole, and the effects can be striking. Unlike last year’s Galaxy S9. the S10 only saves the Live Focus shot, not the portrait mode and standard photo.
Scene optimizer: The S10’s camera AI can recognize 30 scenes and autoadjust settings to improve the pic. You can tap the on-screen control to turn it on and off, especially if you don’t like the preset result. Note that you won’t be able to use the dedicated night mode with scene optimizer turned off.
Smooth video: Video results were great, thanks to the HDR10 format and a super smooth motion control setting you turn on by tapping the icon of a hand when recording video. I got the perfect opportunity to test this on a troupe of guys tumbling on the pavement outside Barcelona’s main cathedral.
HEIF: Save photos in the HEIF format, in addition to raw. HEIF is hailed for its space-saving abilities.
reasons you should buy Samsung’s Galaxy S10 Plus instead of the newer Galaxy Note 10 Plus
Email icon An envelope. It indicates the ability to send an email.
Email icon A stylized bird with an open mouth, tweeting.
LinkedIn icon The word “in”.
- Samsung’s two latest smartphones, the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus, are now available.
- If you want a large phone from Samsung, though, there are several compelling reasons to buy the Galaxy S10 Plus from earlier this year instead of the new Galaxy Note 10 Plus.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
The Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10 Plus are Samsung’s most luxurious smartphones to date.
Samsung has a lot of excellent smartphones to choose from this year, like the Galaxy S10e that launched back in February. But if you’re on the market for a big Android phone from Samsung specifically, your two best options will probably be the new Galaxy Note 10 Plus and the Galaxy S10 Plus that launched earlier this year.
While the Galaxy Note 10 Plus is newer and bigger than the Galaxy S10 Plus, there are plenty of compelling reasons to go for the slightly older, slightly smaller, and way more affordable phone.
Here’s why the Galaxy S10 Plus is a better bang for your buck compared to the Galaxy Note 10 Plus.
The Galaxy S10 Plus has the Galaxy Note 10 Plus beat in terms of price — and that’s often the most important consideration when buying a new phone.
The Galaxy Note 10 Plus starts at 1,100.
While the Galaxy S10 Plus had an official starting price of 999, you can now find it much cheaper at a wide variety of retailers like BH— for around 800. Amazon is selling it right now for just 770.
That means you can save as little as 100, but as much as 300 or more, by going with the Galaxy S10 Plus instead of the Note 10 Plus. That’s a substantial savings for what’s arguably a more attractive package overall.
The Galaxy S10 Plus and Note 10 Plus have almost identical battery capacities — and in one test, the S10 Plus actually outlasted the Note 10 Plus.
- The Galaxy S10 Plus has a 4,100 mAh battery.
- The Galaxy Note 10 Plus has a 4,300 mAh battery.
mAh, or milliampere hour, is a unit of measurement that describes how long a battery can hold a charge before it needs recharging — but it’s not always the greatest representation of a phone’s battery life. How software utilizes the hardware, and minimizes drain, has a greater influence on a device’s battery life.
So while the Galaxy Note 10 Plus has an edge with battery capacity, it also has more stuff to power — like a bigger OLED screen, and all the various S Pen features. So you might be surprised to hear that the Galaxy S10 Plus has actually beaten the Galaxy Note 10 Plus in at least one battery-life test.
Many publications that test a smartphone’s battery life don’t often test the same devices the same way every time. But that’s not the case with Tom’s Guide, which performed the same custom test with a handful of the top smartphones available today. The result? The Galaxy S10 Plus got almost a full extra hour of life compared to the Note 10 Plus.
The Galaxy Note 10 Plus comes with more storage by default, but the starting storage in the Galaxy S10 Plus is already way more than enough for most people.
The Galaxy Note 10 Plus comes with 256 GB of storage to start. The Galaxy S10 Plus comes with 128 GB of starting storage, which is still more than plenty. I have more than 200 apps downloaded on my phone (235 to be exact), but I’m only using about 72 GB of storage.
The Note 10 Plus is a bigger, heavier phone compared to the still-large S10 Plus.
You’re still getting a big, beautiful phone no matter what you buy, but the Galaxy S10 Plus is lighter and slightly more able than the Galaxy Note 10 Plus. This matters, since you’ll be holding or carrying your phone all day long most of the time.
Both phones have nearly identical rear-camera systems.
The Galaxy S10 Plus and Note 10 Plus have almost the same rear-camera systems: They both have a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens, and a 16-megapixel ultra-wide lens.
The only major difference is the Note 10 Plus also has a time-of-flight lens, which helps capture depth data for 3D imaging. That leads to some nifty features, like being able to draw on top of what you camera is filming and having your drawings stay persistent in the scene, but they’re not “must-have” by any means. You’ll probably try this feature once and forget about it.
Both phones have the same brains, and performance is roughly the same.
The Galaxy S10 Plus and Note 10 Plus are both powered by the same Snapdragon 855 chip from Qualcomm. Both phones also have an under-display fingerprint reader, wireless charging, use USB-C for power, and have stereo speakers (although YouTuber Marques Brownlee says the Galaxy S10 Plus actually has superior sound, in his opinion, compared to the Galaxy Note 10.)
When it comes to random-access memory, or RAM, which helps computers multitask more quickly, the Galaxy Note 10 Plus has 12 GB of RAM while the Galaxy S10 Plus comes standard with only 8 GB of RAM. You can upgrade to 12 GB of RAM in the Galaxy S10 Plus, but it’s really overkill.
So, in general, expect these phones to perform about the same, despite their differences.
The Galaxy Note 10 Plus might have the S Pen, but the Galaxy S10 Plus has a headphone jack.
While the S Pen is neat, I think I would personally get more use out of a headphone jack compared to a stylus. I don’t need to take handwritten notes on my phone, or use a pen to control my phone using gestures. I do, however, miss being able to freely use a pair of wired headphones with my smartphone, when my Airpods or wireless headphones run out of juice.
The Galaxy S10 Plus actually has a better selfie camera than the more expensive Note 10 Plus.
The Galaxy Note 10 Plus comes with a 10-megapixel wide-angle lens on the front, but the S10 Plus has that same 10-megapixel selfie camera plus an additional 8-megapixel selfie camera to capture more depth information, which should lead to greater selfies and portrait-mode photos.
The Galaxy Note 10 Plus has a larger display than the S10 Plus, but the difference is minimal and both screens look gorgeous.
Both the Note 10 Plus and S10 Plus feature Samsung’s top-of-the-line quad-HD dynamic AMOLED screens, which offer cinematic quality. Almost everyone who looks at these displays falls in love with them.
The only real difference is size: The Note 10 Plus is 6.8 inches diagonally, while the S10 Plus is 6.4 inches. Keep in mind, these are still two giant phones: Two of the three latest iPhones are smaller than the 6.4-inch S10 Plus. I would personally go for the Galaxy S10 and its slightly more manageable display size.
In general, the Galaxy S10 is a more attractive package at a more affordable price point compared to the Galaxy Note 10.
It almost feels like a no-brainer, unless you really want the biggest phone display possible, or you really want that S Pen. If you feel strongly about using a stylus with your smartphone, then go for the Note — but I’d argue that most people don’t need it. I personally feel like the S Pen is one extra tiny accessory to misplace, and I don’t have a real need for handwritten notes when I feel like typing is already pretty fast and easy. (You can also try using a voice assistant to dictate, but I’m still not a fan of that.)
Compared to the Galaxy Note 10 Plus, the Galaxy S10 Plus is just as powerful but also lighter, easier to hold, and way more affordable. It also has a superior selfie camera, a headphone jack, and potentially even better battery life than the plus-sized Note 10. If you’re on the fence between these two Samsung phones, you should pick up the S10 Plus.
A brief timeline of the Samsung Galaxy S smartphone
Today’s Samsung Galaxy S smartphones look much different than they did upon their 2010 debut, but one constant has been Samsung’s ability to innovate. From upgrades like water resistance and fitness tracking to massive improvements in the quality of its camera, display and battery power, the Galaxy S series has made extraordinary progress in its 11 years.
And now, with the introduction of the Galaxy S21 series, Samsung is taking its flagship smartphone to even greater heights. The new devices boast a superior multi-camera system, 8K video recording, Space Zoom as well as large display sizes so you can work and play with ease.
Here’s a look back at some of the key developments in Samsung Galaxy S history.
June 2010: The Original Samsung Galaxy S hits the market.
The original Samsung Galaxy S smartphone featured an Android operating system, a removable 1500 mAh battery and replaceable storage via a microSD chip. However, it was the crystal-clear Super AMOLED display that CNET lovingly described as a “4-inch behemoth.”
The size and quality of Samsung Galaxy S screens would become two of the series’ most talked-about features, through to the present day.
May 2011: The S2’s bigger screen but slimmer body proves to be a major hit.
The Samsung Galaxy S2 sold more than 10 million units in its first five months, establishing the Galaxy S as the premier line of Android smartphones and one of the top handheld devices on the market.
The S2 improved upon the size and quality of its predecessor’s display, but its most acclaimed feature was a light, thin design that made the phone remarkably easy to handle. Engadget described the S2’s thin profile as “a stunning feat of engineering.”
May 2012: The S3 kicks off a series of battery innovations.
The Galaxy S3 featured a 2,100 mAH battery that was one of the bigger smartphone batteries around, and 40% more powerful than the one the Galaxy S released 2 years prior. As a result, the phone was able to withstand the battery drain with its high-performing Exynos Quad processor.
In the years to come, a series of new features would make battery life one of Samsung’s major competitive selling points. The S4 worked with wireless charging accessories and the S5 introduced an ultra power saving mode that allowed the phone to last several days in a standby setting. Later, the S6 debuted adaptive fast charging to help users juice up their devices more quickly.
April 2013: S Health turns the Galaxy S4 into a fitness tracker.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 was the first S series device to launch with the S Health fitness tracker app pre-installed. Via the S4’s built-in pedometer, the app empowered users to keep tabs on their steps, sleep patterns, calories and diet.
In addition, the S4 laid the groundwork for even better fitness tracking moving forward. Samsung became one of the first companies to launch a smartwatch when it released the Galaxy Gear later in 2013, and 2014’s Galaxy S5 was the first smartphone to come with a built-in heart rate monitor.
April 2014: S5 introduces water and dust resistance.
The Galaxy S5 featured a small cover over the USB port at the bottom of the device, providing added protection against dust and water. As such, the S5 was able to withstand submersion of up to 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes.
Samsung would offer further protection from the elements with the introduction of the S7, the first Galaxy S device to earn an IP-68 rating. Starting with the S7, Galaxy S phones are protected against dust, as well as resistant to up to 5 feet of water for up to a half-hour.
April 2015: The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge deliver the first metal design in S series history.
In the spring of 2015, Samsung released the Galaxy S6 and the S6 Edge, 2 devices that stood out as a departure from previous models in the Galaxy S line.
The S6 and S6 Edge were the first in the series to ditch the plastic shell and removable battery that had been part of the previous five efforts. Instead, these devices featured a metal frame and glass backing, making for an elegant design that The Verge said “looks great and feels even better.”
Both the S6 and S6 Edge also featured 5.1-inch screens with a pixel density of 577 pixels-per-inch, well above the clarity of competing smartphones at the time. In addition, the S6 Edge featured an impressive curved display that wrapped around part of the phone’s left and right sides.
March 2016: The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge take the smartphone camera to the next level with dual pixel autofocus and the industry’s widest aperture.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge represented the culmination of years of improvements to Samsung’s camera technology.
The original Galaxy S featured a 5-megapixel primary camera. Over time, the company would add more sensors to its cameras, as well as other key upgrades. The S3 introduced HDR mode to capture more lifelike photos, and the S5 debuted phase detection autofocus, a feature that allowed the camera to FOCUS more quickly so that users could capture moving objects before they went out of frame. Along the way, Samsung Galaxy S phones made it easier to access the camera straight from the home screen.
Finally, the S7 and S7 Edge introduced a 12-megapixel setup that Business Insider called “the best camera ever put on a smartphone.” The new camera was bolstered by dual pixel autofocus, a feature by which each pixel focuses and captures light simultaneously. In addition, the S7 excelled in low-light settings due to an f/1.7 aperture that was the widest of any smartphone camera at the time.
April 2017: The Galaxy S8 and S8 introduce the world to Infinity Display.
The Galaxy S8 and S8 debuted a revolutionary design feature known as “Infinity Display.” By removing the home button, Samsung extended the screen to all corners of the device, covering almost the entirety of the phone’s face. As a result, the devices had a slim, easy-to-handle design, despite boasting screens of 5.8 and 6.2 inches, respectively.
Gizmodo said the S8’s rounded edges and curves “create the effect of a display that’s simply floating in the air or hovering just above your hand,” adding that the experience “feels like you’re looking at a phone from the future. “
The S8 and S8 also included a facial recognition unlock feature, as well as an iris detection system for added security.
March 2018: The Galaxy S9 and S9 open new avenues for creative expression with improved low-light photography and personalized avatars.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 have taken the aforementioned “best camera ever put on a smartphone” and made it even better. With a new dual aperture camera lens, the S9 phones receive 28% more light than the S8, allowing users to take bright, lifelike photos in low-light settings. Enabling Live Focus mode on the S9 adjusts background blur so subjects are captured better, and at 960 frames per second, super slow-mo slows down reality so users can enjoy every frame of video.
In addition, Samsung has added a key improvement to Bixby, the built-in intelligent interface introduced in the S8. By turning the camera viewfinder on themselves, users can create their own animated AR emojis to share with friends and loved ones.
February 2019: The Galaxy S10 series debuted for the 10th anniversary of the Samsung Galaxy S flagship line.
Unveiled during the “Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2019” press event on February 20, 2019, the S10 series is the tenth generation of Samsung’s Galaxy S smartphones.
The Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 are characterized by screen size and an additional front-facing camera on the S10. Samsung also introduced a smaller model, the Galaxy S10e, plus a 5G-compatible version, the Galaxy S10 5G.
February 2020: The Galaxy S20 debuts with 5G, a 120Hz display and more.
The S20 series includes the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20 Ultra models. Upgrades over previous models and improved specifications include a display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, an improved camera system supporting 8K video recording and a super-resolution zoom.
January 2021: The Samsung Galaxy S21 hits the market with the latest updates and includes 3 different devices.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 is available for preorder on January 14, which is good news for anyone who is looking for a cutting-edge phone to start off the new year.
The S21 series includes the S21 5G, S21 5G and S21 Ultra 5G. These devices have 8k video recording, Space Zoom, Directors View, multi-lens camera systems and an all-day intelligent battery. Plus, the S21 Ultra can be paired with the S Pen for even more ways to edit and create.
Samsung has something for everyone. From water resistance to an Infinity Display, the Galaxy S series has left an indelible mark on how we experience smartphone technology. And these innovations and their subsequent success have spawned the popular Galaxy Note series, the affordable A series and the innovative Galaxy Z series.
But for all the great smartphones available on the Galaxy line, the future is even more exciting. If Samsung’s recent track record is any indication, there are plenty of thrilling technological advancements waiting just around the corner. So be sure to check out all the great devices and accessories from Samsung at Verizon.
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus review: Almost apex
The Galaxy S10 Plus has an incredible screen, great battery life, and a gorgeous design. But it also has a few faults you should know about.
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is the best phone Samsung has ever sold, but still struggles with image quality.
What we don’t like
Mediocre in-display fingerprint scanner
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is the best phone Samsung has ever sold, but still struggles with image quality.
This device is no longer widely available. The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is now unavailable to buy from most retailers. If you are looking for an alternative device, check out our list of the best Android phones you can buy and the best Samsung phones.
Clearly times have changed. Samsung has iterated on the form of its smartphones in the seven years since then, and I think it’s peaked with the Samsung Galaxy S10, at least in the form factor that smartphones currently take.
This is our Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus review.
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus review: Design
The Samsung Galaxy S10 is technically the third iteration since the company redefined the core form of a mainstream smartphone. The Galaxy S8 focused on refining the display to achieve the highest screen-to-body ratio possible and transformed modern smartphone design, while the Galaxy S9 felt like it rehashed things. At the time, the Galaxy S series’ curvy design made the Galaxy Note line feel less relevant, with its noticeably boxier form factor.
The Samsung Galaxy S10 feels different.
The Galaxy S10 finally feels like Samsung decided it was okay to merge the best of the S line with the Note line, with flatter sides and a less sharp curve at the edges of the glass. If you’re worried this compromises the edge features introduced on the Galaxy S6 Edge, don’t be. It’s still easy to swipe from the sides to activate them, and it’s actually harder to do it accidentally now. The curve on both sides of the phone clearly defines the Galaxy S series, but the updates make the phone more functional instead of simply making it beautiful.
The bottom of the device features a USB-C port, along with a speaker grille and a headphone jack, something Samsung has refused to remove. The left side of the phone houses volume rockers and a dedicated Bixby button, something the company has also refused to remove.
Surprisingly, Samsung now lets you remap the Bixby button to launch nearly any app on your phone, a functionality the company has consistently blocked since the Samsung Galaxy S8 first introduced the button. I say nearly any app because other virtual assistants are disallowed, making it clear Samsung is still grasping for relevance in the AI wars.
The right of the device houses just the power button, which I think is placed far too high. I assume Samsung wanted to maintain button placement similar on both the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus, which resulted in the button resting near the top of the right side. But, for a phone this tall, users would be better suited to a button aligned with the Bixby button on the Z-axis. Up top, you’ll find a SIM card tray with microSD expansion and a microphone.
Besides the annual shrinking of the bezels on the front of the phone, you’ll find a cutout in the display for the front-facing cameras. These cameras are placed in line with the notification icons, making the cutout mostly a non-issue. If you’re watching lots of full-screen content on your device, you might find the cutout obnoxious, but I personally don’t think it’s that bad. I much prefer it to the notch designs we’ve all but normalized by now. The standard Galaxy S10 has a smaller cutout with only a single selfie camera, but the Galaxy S10 Plus’ cutout is wider due to the dual camera design it houses.
On the back of the device sits the rear camera module. This year, Samsung placed three cameras on the back of both the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus, giving users a wide, standard, and 2x telephoto lens (more on that in the camera section). If you want some cliff notes, I love the versatility, but the quality is disappointing.
The actual design of the camera bump is much more my style than last year. When I said I feel like Samsung is more okay with boxier features in the S line, this is what I meant. I found the Samsung Galaxy S9 camera bump too round, and the Note 9’s too boxy. This feels like a nice balance.
The Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus come in a variety of colors, but Samsung gave us the Prism White variant for review. This colorway shifts between white, blue, and pink depending on the angle, and I think it’s the best color available. The glass’ nice shine gives it a premium look and feel, and allows for things like wireless and reverse wireless charging.
In my opinion, this is both the best designed and most functional Galaxy S phone to date. Before Samsung goes all in on foldables, I can’t see it changing the form of the Galaxy S line to any significant extent.
Display
The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus has Samsung’s best display yet, full stop. This Dynamic OLED panel has rich and vibrant colors, but the resolution and saturation are turned down a bit out of the box. The new panel changes the organic material of the OLED to achieve the same Color Volume 100% certification given to high-end Samsung TVs, while also reducing power consumption. The device is set to 2,280 x 1,080 to save battery life, and defaults to the “natural” color setting, which is a bit more muted than the optional “vibrant” setting. Even though other settings are available, these are the ones I tested the device on, since the average consumer probably won’t bother to change them.
The display is fairly massive at 6.4 inches, but it doesn’t feel overwhelmingly large due to the minimal bezels on the device. While the Samsung Galaxy S9 already had moderately minimal bezels, the Galaxy S10 shrinks them even more, partially due to the Infinity-O punch hole in the top right of the device. The punch hole is in line with the notification icons on the display, and so it doesn’t really obstruct any part of the display you would normally FOCUS on. It really only got in the way when watching content in immersive mode, and even then it didn’t bother me as much as a centered notch.
Samsung is using Qualcomm’s ultrasonic in-display fingerprint reader in this phone, making it the second device in the U.S. to offer an in-display unlock option after the OnePlus 6T. However, while the OnePlus 6T’s in-display fingerprint sensor used light, Qualcomm’s ultrasonic sensor uses sound to read the ridges of your fingerprint through the display. This means it should work better through water, grease, or other liquids, since light won’t get refracted, and it does. It also means you can’t use most glass screen protectors.
In my testing, the fingerprint reader on the Samsung Galaxy S10 was extremely inconsistent. Samsung issued a software update a couple of days after we received the device which was meant to help with accuracy, but I didn’t see much improvement after re-registering my thumbs. The optical reader on the OnePlus 6T has been much faster and more reliable so far, but it’s also been updated nearly every month since the phone launched back in October. While we haven’t seen a lot of success with this reader so far, we’re hopeful it will improve as Samsung tweaks the software over time. Given the frequency with which updates are still going out, the fingerprint sensor’s performance may be very different by the time the phone ships. We’ll update this Galaxy S10 Plus review if we see any changes.
Hardware
From a hardware perspective, the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is a clear 2019 flagship. It’s one of the first with Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Snapdragon 855 chipset, it rocks 8GB of RAM (with options up to a whopping 12GB), and storage starts at 128GB with options up to a full terabyte. The battery is even bigger than the Samsung Galaxy Note 9’s, coming in at 4,100mAh.
Battery life on the Galaxy S10 Plus is nothing short of fantastic. I averaged between six and eight hours of screen-on time with fairly heavy usage (phones are my job, after all), and I never once ran out of battery before the end of the day. In fact, most mornings I would wake up with a healthy 30 percent or so remaining after using it the entire previous day, only needing to top up around 11AM or so.
This device also has Wireless Powershare, a feature that allows reverse wireless charging. That means you can charge any other Qi-enabled device, whether it be a phone or the Samsung Galaxy Buds you may have picked up with the Galaxy S10. While we haven’t done any in-depth testing on the speed of charging, it does seem quite a bit faster than the Huawei Mate 20 Pro‘s similar feature. Stay tuned for plenty more on the Galaxy S10 Plus battery as we send it to our testing lab and objectively establish how it compares to the competition.
A brighter display, longer battery life and great cameras add up to a great if iterative update
Tom’s Guide Verdict
The Galaxy S23 Plus feels eerily familiar. Fortunately, it has incredible performance, improved camera software and much better battery life than its predecessor. The display is top-notch, too.
Pros
- Much better battery life
- Beautiful, bright display
- Stellar performance
- Good cameras
- Great update policy
Cons
Why you can trust Tom’s Guide?
Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what’s best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.
Price: Starting at 999 Android version: 13, One UI 5.1 Display: 6.6-inch Super AMOLED (2340 x 1080) Refresh rate: 48-120Hz CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy RAM: 8GB Storage / Expandable: 256GB, 512GB / No Rear cameras: 50MP (f/1.8) main, 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 10MP (f/2.4) 3x telephoto Front camera: 12MP (f/2.2) Battery: 4,700 mAh Battery life (hrs:min): 11:24 (adaptive) Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse Size: 6.2 x 3 x 0.3 inches (157.8 x 76.2 x 7.6 mm) Weight: 6.9 ounces (196 g) Colors: Phantom Black, Cream, Lavender, Green
It’s hard not to pick up the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus and not have a case of Galaxy S23 Ultra envy, not to mention some semblance of deja vu. There’s no headline-grabbing 200MP camera, built-in S Pen or crazy 100x Space Zoom. The S23 Plus feels more iteration than innovation at first glance, much like the Galaxy S22 Plus before it.
If, however, you’re looking for a flagship phone for less than 1,000, the Galaxy S23 Plus makes a very good argument for belonging in your
I’ve spent the last several days thoroughly testing the Galaxy S23 Plus, and there are some real standout improvements here. The display is brighter and among the best you’ll find on an Android phone. The battery life is longer. And the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip beats the iPhone 14 Pro on graphics performance. Best of all, the Galaxy S23 Plus surpasses the iPhone 14 Pro in my head-to-head camera testing.
There are better Android values out there, including the OnePlus 11 and Pixel 7 Pro, but as you’ll see in my Galaxy S23 Plus review, this flagship is one of the best Android phones around.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus review: Price and availability
The Galaxy S23 Plus launched to general availability on February 17 with a starting price of 999. That nets you 256GB of storage, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset, and a triple camera setup with a new 12MP front selfie cam. You can also get the phone in a 512GB flavor.
Joined by the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Ultra, the Galaxy S23 Plus sits right in the middle of the other two models. It’s a larger Galaxy S23 with a bigger battery, twice the starting storage capacity, and much faster 45W wired charging. The 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display has the same 48-120Hz refresh rate and FHD resolution. It also shares the same rear and front cameras as the Galaxy S23.
For availability, you can pick up the Galaxy S23 Plus from most carriers and electronics retailers, including Samsung’s own online store. You might find good trade-in values on your old device, so be sure to check out our best Galaxy S23 deals page to make sure you save the most money possible.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus review: Design
Samsung kept a familiar design for the Galaxy S23 Plus, which, from the front, looks indistinguishable from the Galaxy S22 Plus. On the back, things appear a little different thanks to the new camera module layout.
Gone is the contour cut design introduced on the Galaxy S21 with individually stacked lenses replacing it. It looks akin to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, minus the second telephoto camera and laser autofocus. I welcome this shift since it adds some cohesion among the Galaxy S23 series.
Immediately upon picking it up, I thought the Galaxy S23 Plus felt extremely well-built. It’s solid with a comfortable heft at 6.9 ounces (196 grams). I appreciate its sturdiness, which inspires a lot of confidence that it would survive an accidental drop.
Part of that comes from the Galaxy S23 Plus’ use of the new Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which offers more durability for the screen. The Armor Aluminum frame adds some structure while the back also sits underneath Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The final piece of the puzzle is the IP68 rating, meaning that the Galaxy S23 Plus can survive up to 1.5 meters underwater for 30 minutes.
In short, the Galaxy S23 Plus is, on paper, one of the most durable phones you can buy today.
Samsung streamlined the color options this year, keeping them the same across all three Galaxy S23 models. That means the Galaxy S23 Plus comes in Phantom Black, Cream, Lavender, and Green, the latter of which I received for review. I’m quite partial to the dark forest vibe, similar to the iPhone 11 Pro. It has a clean and sophisticated look.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus review: Display
As with Galaxy S devices in the past, the display makes the Galaxy S23 Plus truly stand out from its Android competition. Featuring a max rated brightness of 1,750 nits (up from 1,300 nits on the Galaxy S22 Plus), the latest Galaxy middle child’s screen knocked my socks off.
Samsung Galaxy S10 In 2023! (Still Worth It?) (Review)
| iPhone 14 Pro | Pixel 7 Pro | |
| 6.6-inch Super AMOLED | 6.1-inch OLED | 6.7-inch OLED |
| 204 (Vivid) / 117 (Natural) | 120 | 105 |
| 148 (Vivid) / 83 (Natural) | 85 | 75 |
| 0.33 (Vivid) / 0.23 (Natural) | 0.25 | 0.28 |
| 1,345 | 1,448 | 927 |
As you can see, it’s a great display in our benchmarks. Its natural setting bests the Pixel 7 Pro and falls with a standard margin of error with the iPhone 14 Pro. Interestingly enough, we measured the iPhone as brighter than the Galaxy S23 Plus by a full 103 nits.
However, Samsung proved more color accurate with its Delta-E score of 0.23 — where zero is perfect — in the Natural mode versus the iPhone 14 Pro’s 0.25. If you opt for the default Vivid setting, you’ll enjoy some vibrant colors, as evidenced by the performance in the sRGB and DCI-P3 gamuts.
At 6.6 inches, the Galaxy S23 Plus strikes a nice balance between the smaller Galaxy S23 (6.1 inches) and the massive Galaxy S23 Ultra (6.8 inches). My biggest disappointment with the display, however, comes down to its refresh rate.
Sure, it can ramp up to 120Hz for the kind of smoothness we expect from flagship smartphones nowadays, but it can only clock down to 48Hz. Other phones like the OnePlus 11 can downclock to 1Hz for added power efficiency. Even the Pixel 7 Pro supports a range of 10-120Hz. While the Galaxy S23 Plus does sport much better battery life than its predecessors, I think a lower range could have improved things even more.
To test a display, my favorite thing to do during a smartphone review is to watch my favorite scenes from Blade Runner 2049 and play Genshin Impact.
For the former, the film has the typical bright neons of a dystopian cyberpunk future, but then it radically shifts to the harsh orange tones of an abandoned wasteland. The Galaxy S23 Plus handled both elements exceedingly well, especially in the Vivid mode. The neons stunned me, as did the orange and darker parts throughout the rest of the movie.
Genhin Impact uses a supersaturated anime-style aesthetic that shines on the Galaxy S23 Plus. The scenery, particle effects, and character models all look fantastic. When combined with the phone’s best-in-class gaming performance, which we’ll get to in a minute, the Galaxy S23 Plus is one of the best places to play this game.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus review: Cameras
The Galaxy S23 Plus features the same rear cameras as the Galaxy S22 Plus, namely a 50MP main sensor with a 12MP ultrawide and 10MP telephoto (3x optical zoom) alongside it. The upgrade comes in the form of the 12MP front camera, which is a bump from last year’s 10MP.
I brought out the iPhone 14 Pro for this camera test, which costs the same as the Galaxy S23 Plus.
| iPhone 14 Pro Pro | |
| 50MP | 48MP |
| 12MP | 12MP |
| 10MP 3x optical | 12MP 3x optical |
| 12MP | 12MP |
Starting off with this photo of some buildings on a dreary day, the Galaxy S23 Plus’ image looks dimmer than the iPhone 14 Pro’s. The colors look more vibrant since the iPhone appears to have warmed up the final picture a bit too much — and yet struggled with color accuracy. Yes, it’s brighter, but the S23 Plus just looks better given the conditions.
The same holds true for this photo of a broken down car. The iPhone 14 Pro’s attempt looks too warm and dull, while the car’s faded red paint pops a bit on the Galaxy S23 Plus’ image. There, the cooler colors make the grey clouds above really stand out, whereas they look a bit too grim in the iPhone’s shot. You can also see this in the blue dumpster in the background. The S23 Plus’ photo just looks better and more appealing.
With these antique oil cans indoors, I spotted even more differences between the two phones. The Galaxy S23 Plus did a better job with colors, exposure, and FOCUS. Both cans look crisp with their respective Hudson and Phillips 66 logos. The iPhone 14 Pro seems to have struggled with its FOCUS and too much warmth. It’s just not as pleasant or as sharp as the S23 Plus here.
As we head into the ultrawide test, the same story from the earlier outdoor comparisons holds true once again. The iPhone 14 Pro seems a bit too warm in this image, casting a very faint yellow hue. The reds and greens of the buildings and decorations appear lifeless — it’s hard to tell that some of the framework on the white building is actually a rather lively red. The Galaxy S23 Plus produced something much closer to life, just with a bit of saturation to breathe some life into the scene.
For telephoto comparisons, I took a picture of this Santa statue from about 30 feet away and you can tell the differences immediately. The same story about color calibration holds true once again, with the iPhone 14 Pro over-warming its final attempt with what appears to be some very slight soft FOCUS to the left of the statue. The Galaxy S23 Plus has a stronger picture with better color accuracy and sharpness.
As for portraits, the Galaxy S23 Plus faltered. It applied a lot of face smoothing and saturation such that I don’t look all that natural. Compare that to the iPhone 14 Pro’s image, where I retain my natural colors, face lines, and blemishes. The S23 Plus looks far too artificial for my liking and I’d never consider posting that anywhere. Neither phone, interestingly enough, applied a strong bokeh effect, though the S23 Plus made more of an attempt than the iPhone. Even so, Apple wins this one.
Here’s how the two stack up in this shot of a bowl of fruit outdoors at night. Right off the bat, I see a strong difference in brightness and colors. The iPhone 14 Pro has the brighter photo with more vibrant colors. The Galaxy S23 Plus went with a dimmer, cooler image overall, but it has sharper FOCUS. (That could be down to user error as I did not use a tripod.) This one is hard to call, but I find the iPhone’s a bit more of a stronger performance.
For selfies, I have difficulty saying which I like better. The Galaxy S23 Plus adds a lot more life to the picture, making the blue of my eyes, purple of my hat, and general ruddiness of my face pop. The iPhone 14 Pro is more accurate while you can still see the colors in my eyes, hat, face, and background. But if I had to post one, I would choose the S23 Plus’ photo.
From these comparisons and others I did that did not appear here, the Galaxy S23 Plus proved to be the stronger camera phone. It handled the grey, overcast day much better than the iPhone 14 Pro, though I did not like its portraits. Samsung also produced the better selfies, showing that it’s serious about appealing to the self-portrait crowd.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus review: Performance
The great news with the Galaxy S23 lineup is that they all share the same system-on-chip, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy. While the name might be a bit ridiculous, the performance is not. It’s downright excellent.
| Galaxy S23 Plus | iPhone 14 Pro | Pixel 7 Pro |
| Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy | A16 Bionic | Tensor G2 |
| 1,524 / 4,642 | 1,891 / 5,469 | 1,060 / 3,046 |
| 87 | 74 | 40 |
| 22 | 19 | 11 |
| 0:39 | 0:26 | 0:47 |
As you can see, the Galaxy S23 Plus is the closest to Apple than any Qualcomm chip has gotten in Geekbench scores. Though there remains a gap between the S23 Plus and iPhone 14 Pro in both single-core and multicore, I’m most interested in the graphics results.
Incredibly, Qualcomm’s Adreno 740 GPU outmuscles the A16 Bionic’s in both of the 3DMark Wild Life benchmarks we ran. 13 frames per second in Unlimited is no small difference, even though the Extreme Unlimited results aren’t too far off from each other. Apple once again asserts its dominance in the Adobe Premiere Rush test, where it completed the transcode 13 seconds faster than the Galaxy S23 Plus.
In real-world use, the Galaxy S23 Plus is a powerhouse. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy is a special overclocked version of the regular chip exclusive to the Galaxy S23 series (for now). It shows in all aspects, especially gaming. Achieving a steady 60 fps at max settings on Genshin Impact was no problem, and I couldn’t find any other game in my library that could make the S23 Plus trip.
Make no mistake, the Galaxy S23 Plus means business and can handle whatever you throw at it, even the most demanding games.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus review: Battery life and charging
The Galaxy S23 Plus comes equipped with a 4,700 mAh battery, up from 4,500 mAh in the Galaxy S22 Plus. Coupled with the more efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 silicon and the S23 Plus nets an excellent battery life result in our testing.
| Galaxy S23 Plus | iPhone 14 Pro | Pixel 7 Pro |
| 4,700 mAh | 3,200 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| 11:24 (Adaptive) | 10:13 | 8:04 (Adaptive) / 7:55 (60Hz) |
| 45W | 20W | 23W |
| 40 | 30 | 19 (20W) |
| 71 | 57 | 39 (20W) |
Our battery life test involves setting a phone’s display to 150 nits of brightness and having the device endlessly reload web pages. We only had a chance to get results for the adaptive refresh rate mode, which was 11 hours and 24 minutes.
That beats both the iPhone 14 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro, the Galaxy S23 Plus’ biggest competitors — almost three and a half hours in the latter’s case. That’s an excellent change of pace for Samsung, since the Galaxy S22 Plus went for a much lower 9 hours and 27 minutes in the same test.
And with 45W charging (charger not included), the Galaxy S23 Plus can regain about 70% of its battery in 30 minutes. That bests both the iPhone 14 Pro (20W) and Pixel 7 Pro, though we only had a 20W charger at hand for the latter. (The Pixel 7 Pro supports up to 23W charging.)
Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus review: Software
Launching with Android 13 and the new One UI 5.1 update, the Galaxy S23 Plus runs the absolute latest software available on a Samsung handset. One UI 5.1 is a small update from the excellent One UI 5 that launched last year.
Though small, the upgrades remain notable. For example, the Bixby Text Call grabbed my attention immediately, as no other phone maker has come close to replicating Google’s impressive Pixel-exclusive Call Assist suite. Basically, this feature has Bixby, Samsung’s virtual assistant, answer phone calls for you with text messages. These messages will get converted into audio for the caller, similar to how Google’s Call Screen works.
Other features of note include a more engaging Gallery, which now offers facial recognition and family album sharing (with automatic suggestions based on who is in the photo). An AI image enhancer also comes standard. This is the closest Samsung has gotten to Google or Apple Photos and I love to see it.
There are quite a few more lesser features which you can read about in our One UI 5.1 feature breakdown. For my purposes, the Galaxy S23 Plus’ software is a solid experience offering useful additions to Google’s Android 13 base. The best part is that navigating the S23 Plus is a breeze if you’re used to Samsung phones already, even if you’re coming from something older like the Galaxy S20 Plus.
Finally, I think you should pay attention to what Samsung does with updates. It currently has the best update policy in the Android world, besting even Google at its own game. The Korean phone maker promises four years of platform updates, meaning the Galaxy S23 Plus will continue to get the latest Android version into 2027. Samsung also promises five years of security patches, making the Galaxy S23 Plus more secure well into 2028.
I place a huge emphasis on updates because it means that you can — at least from a software perspective — keep your phone longer before you need to replace it. Having an up-to-date and secure device is extremely important, so I applaud Samsung for going for the sustainability route and helping people save money.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus review: Verdict
Overall, the Galaxy S23 Plus is one of the best Android phones under 1,000. The cameras, display and battery life are all top-notch, and the graphics performance is quite impressive.
But as good as the Galaxy S23 Plus is, I have to admit that I’m disappointed that Samsung put more effort into the Galaxy S23 Ultra, a 1,199 phone. Despite the fact that I like this handset, I can’t help but feel bored.
If you’re rocking a Galaxy S22 Plus, I suggest you just hold onto it. I can make a similar case for Galaxy S21 Plus owners, too. But something older, say the Galaxy S20 Plus and back, would benefit from the upgrades here. The chipset, battery life, and camera improvements will certainly feel like a fresh experience coming from those older devices.
999 is a lot of money for a smartphone, especially when you get devices that are equally as amazing in their own ways — like the 699 OnePlus 11 or 449 Pixel 6a — for less.
For another 200, you get a boatload of new features with the Galaxy S23 Ultra, or you can save 200 and get the similarly powerful Galaxy S23. But if you want a big screen without the Ultra premium the S23 Plus is definitely worth a look.
