Hands on: Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus review

This is the Samsung S10 phone you really want 

Early Verdict

The Galaxy S10 Plus is shaping up to be the phone that disrupts the sameness of the last few generations of Samsung handsets. Its 6.4-inch screen is so big it displaces the front camera, while its triple-lens rear camera can take ultra-wide photos. And even though you can’t see them, there's the in-screen fingerprint sensor, while Wireless PowerShare is a perk for your battery-drained friends. It has a lot of nifty features – just know Samsung is asking for a lot of money, too.

For

• Excellent screen-to-body ratio
• In-screen fingerprint sensor
• Wireless PowerShare perk

Against

• Sizable price hike
• Bixby button still exists

 

Testing the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus for nearly a week, we've updated our review of what's shaping up to be Samsung's best phone for 2019. But is it for you? Check back each day for daily updates.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is the new, almost-everything-included Samsung phone that you really want, if you can afford it – and can wrap your hands around its massive display.

See all Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus deals

We were immediately drawn to it as the bigger and better version of the Galaxy S10 and cheaper Galaxy S10e. There's a lot to like about the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, and little to dislike.
Update: We've updated the Galaxy S10 camera section to give you a better idea of how it performs in low-light, complete with 20 sample photos. It's also officially the fastest Android we've tested and we have more thoughts on the display.
The Galaxy S10 Plus redefines what a 'phablet' is in 2019, with a 6.4-inch edge-to-edge screen and Samsung's next-generation Infinity-O display, with a 'punch-hole' design for the front facing cameras.

• Read our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S10 review
• Read our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S10e review
• Read our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S10 5G review
• And here's all you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Fold 
•  With a 93.1% screen-to-body ratio, the pixels now stretch from the small top speaker down to the thin bottom chin, and spill over the curved edges to the left and right.
  There's more hidden underneath the glass too, with an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor on the front, a large 4,100mAh battery and Samsung's new Wireless PowerShare feature under the rear glass , allowing you to top-up other wireless charging devices.
  On the cleaner-looking back of the phone is a triple-lens camera with a small camera bump. It takes normal, telephoto, and new ultra-wide photos, with the intention to help you capture more of what's in front of you without requiring you to back up.
  

  Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus price and release date

  The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus release date is set for March 8, which is one week sooner than the Galaxy S9 Plus timeline last year. But it's not any cheaper. In fact, the S10 Plus is a bit more expensive.
  The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus price starts at $999 / £899 / AU$1,499 / AED 3,599, matching the Galaxy Note 9 launch price and coming in at $80 / £30 more expensive than the S9 Plus.
  That's for the model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. If you fancy more internal space you can increase it to 512GB, which will set you back $1,249 / £1,099 / AU$1,849.
  However, there is a third variant of the Galaxy S10 Plus which Samsung is calling the 'Ultimate Performance Edition'. This S10 Plus packs in a mammoth 12GB of RAM and huge 1TB of storage with an equally monstrous price tag of $1,599 / £1,399 / AU$2,399.
  The 128GB Galaxy S10 Plus (plus a microSD card slot for expandable storage) matches the 5.8-inch iPhone XS price with 64GB of storage (and no microSD card slot) and the iPhone XS Max starts at $1,150 / £999 / AU$1,799 / AED 4,649, again with half the storage Samsung is offering in its base model.
  With both the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus, Samsung is offering pre-order bonuses. In the US, UK and many other countries, reversing either phone before their official release dates gets you free Galaxy Buds worth $149 / £229 / AU$249.
  To complicate your buying decision, the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G is also on the way. It works with forthcoming 5G networks and has a 6.7-inch screen, four rear cameras, and Time of Flight capabilities meant for yet-to-be-seen augmented reality purposes. Our suggestion? We've played with it, it's bigger, faster and better in some ways, but 5G networks aren't quite ready in 2019. It's more of a 2020 thing, so you should know this before spending the extra cash.
  Early adopters may wait for this version, or (if you have plenty of money) hold out for the true innovation of the foldable Samsung Galaxy Fold.  Samsung's first foldable phone is expensive, but at least cheaper than the Huawei Mate X.