Two independent gadget reviewing groups have rated the shiny new Samsung Galaxy S10+ as the best of the best, even topping the long-beloved Apple iPhones. The Consumer Reports, in the U.S. rates S10+ the best phone of the year, while the Russian quality checking nonprofit named it the best smartphone âso far.â
The S10+ launched this year costing a cool $1,000 in the U.S. The latest Galaxy rendition stands out for its numerous cameras and an innovative display.
The American consumer advocacy group Consumer Reports ranked the S10+ above all Apple iPhones, which are massively popular in the country. The group remarked that Samsung finally surpasses the ârazor thin edgeâ it had with Apple.
The S10+ was ranked first among 25 brand new smartphones reviewed by the Russian group Roskachestvo and the International Consumer Research Association (ICRT). Roskachestvo reviewed over 300 phones in preparation of the report. All versions of the Galaxy S10âincluding S10+ and S10eâoccupied the top 3 spots on the list.
Why Reviewers Liked the Galaxy S10+ So Much
The reviewers gushed over the features Samsung offers with the Galaxy S10+. The following features were particularly mentioned:
Battery-Processor Combo that Ensures Longer Screen Time
Consumer Reports noted that Samsungâs bet in combining Qualcomm processors with batteries to improve efficiency has finally paid off. The groupâs testers managed to use the smartphone for 8 hours straight, performing better than the Galaxy Note 9, formerly ranked the best in battery life.
The S10+ has a battery life of 39.5 hours, according to Consumer Reports, several hours above the Note 9âs 35.5-hour benchmark. Roskachestvo also made positive remarks about S10âs battery life.
High Drop Test Survival Rate
Consumer Reports reviewers dropped the S10+ a hundred times into a rotating metal chamber called a tumbler. The tumbler can make the phone imitate different types of falls. Each time, the S10+ has emerged unscathed from the test.
When the reviewers submerged the phone in water, it reemerged intact. The S10 and S10e didnât perform as well but did do better than comparable phone brands, according to the report.
The durability of phones is highly prized by consumers, who donât want the gadgets they spend hundreds of dollars on to end up with shattered screens and broken casings. Smartphone makers in recent years have invested heavily in making phones tougher.
More Cameras, but Not Necessarily Better
The Galaxy S10+ comes equipped with over five different cameras. The smartphone has two front cameras and three rear cameras.
The reviewers noted that Samsung has taken a leaf out of Huaweiâs book when inserting third rear camera complete with ultra-wide lends. It allows for stunning landscape shots with panoramic views. Consumer Reports was quick to compare the S10 to the iPhone, raving that the Samsung phones were now just as good as the Apple ones.
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Roskachestvo was less enthusiastic about the picture quality of the cameras. On the groupâs best smartphone cameras list, the S10+ and the S10 are ranked near 8 to 10 positions. Consumer Reports wrote that some of the image features promised âfall a little shortâ when it came to the front cameras.
The cameras in S10 are packed with features. A new effect called âbokehâ allows for spinning, blurry, or zooming effect in the background. Thereâs another feature to highlight color in certain parts of the picture, and render the rest black and white.
Reliability of the S10 was Hailed
Consumer Reports included a new metric in the 2019 smartphone rankings: reliability. The reliability score is given to the brand, not necessarily the smartphone. It calculates how well a brandâs previous phone performed, which in turn is used as an indicator of how well the newest releases would perform.
Consumer Reports gave Samsung high-reliability ratings, boosting the S10+ overall score. Only Apple and OnePlus got similar ratings. Popular Chinese brands, such as Huawei and ZTE, ranked as least reliable under the same metrics.
The S10 Smartphones are Feature Packed to Impress Consumers
The reviewers didnât overlook the fact that the new Samsung comes with bigger displays, not because the phone is bigger, but because the surrounding bezel has shrunk. Samsung is leading this year in displays, especially with the highly anticipated release of Galaxy Fold in May. Once released, the Galaxy Fold would be the worldâs first ever foldable phone, which might finally put the tablet vs. phone war to rest.
Other gimmicks of the S10 that reviewers loved include the embedded fingerprint scanner. In older phones, Samsung installed the fingerprint camera in the back, increasing the chance of smudging. In the new phone, the scanner is embedded in the front as a workaround to the problem.
The S10+ also enables power-sharing between smartphones using wireless technology. The idea is novel and exciting, but the current technology is not as speedy as users hope.
Is the S10 the Future of Smartphones?
The S10+ is topping lists even though it has barely been released. However, the phone might feel shockingly outdated come May, when Samsung releases the Galaxy Fold. The foldable phone costs twice as much as the S10+. Galaxy Fold is set to retail at 2,000 USD. Some consumers believe the price is well justified considering the technology is highly innovative.
The foldable smartphone would not be affordable to a vast number of Android phone users. The S10 would be slightly more so. As far as high-end smartphones go, the S10 has a powerful start.
Itâs too early to tell whether the S10 would be embraced by the public as it has been by the reviewers.  While Samsung products gain ground, the Chinese phone maker Huawei has become one of the most valued technology businesses in the world.
As Huawei releases new Mate phones, there will be stiff competition in the elite smartphone market. If the foldable phone trend takes off with the public, the pressure would be high on competitors to design phones of the same kind. We might be looking at a smartphone future that includes foldable parts.
