The Galaxy S10 celebrates 10 years of star smartphones from world leader of its kind (2 billion units sold!). So no-one would have thought that this new model doesn't include all the latest features. And indeed, it ticks all the boxes and is making progress in all areas. A minimum, when many were expecting the arrival of a revolutionary technology or at least a highly differentiated design to mark the occasion, as Apple had done with its iPhone X - also marking the 10th anniversary of the range - with its notched screen and new navigation system that does away with the 'home' button.
But no, the S10, presented with great fanfare at a global event in San Francisco on 20 February, does not offer any particularly spectacular innovations, and remains visually very classic. Instead, the aim is to further perfect each existing technology, from further refine the deviceSo Samsung has brought out the big guns. So Samsung pulled out the big guns...
Three models were presented on Wednesday, starting with the classic S10The S10+ is the top-of-the-range reference model, replacing the S9, with a 6.1" screen and 128GB and 8GB of RAM (€909) or 512GB (€959). The S10+ is the version with the XXL 6.4" screen, priced at €1,009 for the 128/8 version and €1,259 for the Performance version, with a black ceramic back instead of glass and 512/8, while an impressive version tops the range with the S10+. no less than 1TB of capacity and 12GB of RAM for €1,612. All are powered by the particularly fast Samsung Exynos 9820 chip.
In the entry-level S10 range, the S10e remains particularly well equipped. It has a slightly smaller 5.8" screen, with no curved edges. The model only skips out on a few features, leaving its bigger brothers with the new ultrasonic fingerprint sensor placed under the screen, particularly safely, to make do with a conventional sensor on the edge of the device. The price is €759 (128/6GB), putting it right up there with the Apple iPhone X. All models can be fitted with a micro SD card to extend memory capacity, or a second SIM card. Note that the facial recognition has been taken down a notch, and is now in simple 2D rather than 3D, making it much less safe.
This range will be joined by a fourth model, which will not be available in France, at least initially: the S10 5G which, as its name suggests, will be compatible with the much-awaited 5G telephony standardan extremely expensive piece of equipment.
They all benefit from new AMOLED screen which is particularly successful, improving visibility in bright light and enabling HDR+ video playback - a first. Another common feature is the positioning of the front camera, which pierces a hole in the top right-hand corner of the screen instead of forming a notch, as is the case with most competitors. This allows the screen to cover 93 % of the front surface.
As with Apple, a dark mode allows you to invert the colours and keep the background dark instead of white, more restful for the eyes. In the same vein, the blue light emitted by the magnificent new screens is reduced by 42 % without yellowing the colours. As for the battery, they are all solidly endowed (3,400 mAh for the S10 and 4,100 for the S10+) and compatible with wireless charging using the Qi standard, as well as being able to charge a compatible device, such as the new wireless Galaxy Buds headphones. Artificial intelligence takes care ofoptimising battery charging as you use it.
The photo section, one of Samsung's great specialities for a long time, is ever more sophisticated, richer and more powerful. So, for the S10 and S10+, the rear of the device now houses three sensorsfollowing in the footsteps of Huawei. They each have a dedicated focal length, with a very wide angle (a new feature), a traditional focal length with variable aperture, and a x2 optical zoom. The on-board AI helps to choose the best framing, and is of course capable of recognising a wide range of subjects. All of them are also waterproof, IP68-approved, and their security is guaranteed by the Samsung Knox suite.
In terms of connectivity, the S10 also makes progress with compatible with the Wifi6 standardIt also has four times the speed (802.11ax) and intelligent management of automatic switching between Wi-Fi and LTE.
The three models, S10e, S10 and S10 Plus, will be available at launch on 8 March in three colours: green, black and white. All three are prismatic, changing colour according to angle and light. The finish is beyond reproach and we notice an attribute that we had almost forgotten, so much so that it tends to disappear: the jack for headphones is still there.
