At its Unpacked event this year, Samsung announced many things the chief among which were the flagship Galaxy S devices from Samsung. This year the Korean giant is offering the Samsung Galaxy S10e, the Galaxy S10, and the Galaxy S10 Plus. Thus, in the process, making it harder for you to decide, which one should you buy? Should you buy Galaxy S10e or should you spend more for the Galaxy S10 or even more for the Galaxy S10 Plus?
There used to be a time when a manufacturer only had one flagship device. That’s what it means, after all. The best device the manufacturer can make, thus, its flagship. There can’t be more than one best device, or so we thought. Earlier, Samsung used to launch two flagships, namely the Galaxy S and the Note which had different names and different launch timings. Then there were two Galaxy S flagships launched every year. And this year we have three – Samsung Galaxy S10e, the Galaxy S10, and the Galaxy S10 plus. And we aren’t even counting the countless other variants that might come out later like the S10 active or something.
The Galaxy S10e is the cheapest variant but it isn’t cheap by any means. Its pricing starts at $750 which is exactly the same as the pricing of the cheapest iPhone, the iPhone XR. It’s no surprise many are calling it Samsung’s iPhone XR. Just like everyone anticipated the iPhone XR to sell better than the other iPhones back then, the Galaxy S10e is expected to outsell the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus. The iPhone XR is reportedly not doing that well though, but this is different. The Samsung Galaxy S10e actually looks better in many ways than the more expensive counterparts, unlike the iPhone XR.
Specifications comparison: Galaxy S10e, S10, and S10+
| Galaxy S10e | Galaxy S10 | Galaxy S10 Plus |
|
| Price | $749 | $899 | $999 |
| Display | 5.8 inches (full HD+) | 6.1 inches (wide quad HD+) | 6.4 inches (wide quad HD+) |
| Rear Camera | 16-MP ultrawide (f/2.2), 12-MP dual-pixel wide (f/1.5, f/2.4) | 16-MP ultrawide (f/2.2), 12-MP dual-pixel wide (f/1.5, f/2.4), 12-MP telephoto (f/2.4) | 16-MP ultrawide (f/2.2), 12-MP dual-pixel wide (f/1.5, f/2.4), 12-MP telephoto (f/2.4) |
| Front Camera | 10-MP dual-pixel (f/1.9) | 10-MP dual-pixel (f/1.9) | 10-MP dual-pixel (f/1.9), 8-MP depth-sensing (f/2.2) |
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 |
| RAM | 6GB, 8GB | 8GB | 8GB, 12GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 512GB | 128GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| microSD | Yes, up to 512GB | Yes, up to 512GB | Yes, up to 512GB |
| Battery | 3,100 mAh | 3,400mAh | 4,100mAh |
| Colors | Prism Black, Prism White, Prism Blue, Prism Green (except U.S.), Canary Yellow (except U.S.), Flamingo Pink (except U.K.) | Prism Black, Prism White, Prism Blue, Prism Green (except U.S.), Flamingo Pink (except U.K.) | Prism Black, Prism White, Prism Blue, Ceramic White, Ceramic Black, Prism Green (except U.S.), Flamingo Pink (except U.K.) |
| Size | 5.6 x 2.75 x 0.3 inches | 5.9 x 2.77 x 0.3 inches | 6.2 x 2.91 x 0.3 inches |
| Weight | 5.29 ounces | 5.5 ounces | 6.17 ounces |
Should you buy Samsung Galaxy S10e?
There are many reasons that could be given as to why you should buy the Samsung Galaxy S10e. The main reason would obviously be the price difference. For $150 less you do get some compromises but they shouldn’t be a huge deal to most users. The Galaxy S10e is more compact but it still has a nearly 6-inch screen.
That’s enough screen on a phone especially if you also have a tablet. Even if you don’t, most people don’t really need bigger displays than that. The compact size makes one-hand use a breeze.
Another area you compromise on the wide-angle camera lens on the rear and the depth sensor on the front. The depth sensor is basically just a gimmick since most smartphones can do portrait shots with a single camera too. In the end, the effect is always artificial whether you have a depth sensor or not. The lack of a wide angle camera is a real bummer. It too, however, is not something most people care about.
There hasn’t been a wide angle camera lens on an iPhone or Galaxy all these years and that has never stopped people from buying one. Neither has that made many people buy phones which had a wide angle lens. You do get a slightly smaller battery but it also has to power a slightly smaller display. Therefore, battery life overall shouldn’t be very different. While all the phones feature a fingerprint scanner, the Samsung Galaxy S10e has a side mounted fingerprint scanner while the other two have an in-display fingerprint scanner.
In-display fingerprint scanners, while better on the Galaxy S10 and S10+ are still not as good as the traditional fingerprint scanner. So you’re actually getting the safer, more reliable scanner, even if it’s not at the bleeding edge of technology.
Yes, you should buy Samsung Galaxy S10e
Other than that, you get the same processor, same cameras, same software features, but for $150 less. If that’s not a great deal I don’t know what is. Besides, the small, circular camera cutout looks a lot sexier than the pill-shaped cutout on the other two.
What makes the Galaxy S10e even more appealing is where its price would be in a few months. By the time OnePlus announces the OnePlus 7, the Galaxy S10e price would fall to somewhere around the OnePlus 7’s launch price.
Despite being a few months old, the Samsung Galaxy S10e will most probably have the better camera, wireless charging, IP certification and the same horsepower with the Snapdragon 855. OnePlus is really going to find it tough justifying the price tag for the OnePlus 7.
Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy S10 or the S10+?
While most people should buy Samsung Galaxy S10e, the more expensive siblings aren’t bad either. They’re not the best value but they’re not supposed to be. If you’re really serious about smartphone photography you’ll love the wide angle camera. The larger-curved display is also something some people will find more appealing. If you can justify spending $150 more on a nearly identical phone, or even more if you are interested in the S10+, you should definitely go for it. These are the devices for those who want the latest and greatest that the industry, or at least Samsung, can offer, other than the $2000 foldable phone.
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