Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ Review

The Note 10+ changed the game for Samsung - while that may seem like a ridiculous statement in some respects, not least because every passing year brings the launch of bigger, better and more capacious handsets, it is true. It's hard to argue with the specification of the Note 10+, from it's palm-defying 6.8-inch display to a delightful range of Aura colours that exude complete and total luxury. Instagram lovers will also appreciate what's arguably the best selfie camera around on the Note 10+, enabling you to capture your best side wherever you may be.All in all, a refurbished Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ is a cut above the rest.

Reviewing a smartphone is akin to browsing profiles on dating sites, as while appearance may initially catch your eye, it's the specification that determines which way you swipe. In this respect, the Note 10+ stands apart in the smartphone market, with its unique combination of a huge power pack, dynamic display and a truly incredible 12GB of RAM providing a compelling proposition to both Samsung and Apple lovers alike.

A larger than life display that's better than ever

While most smartphones fit comfortably in your palm, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ is more built for two-hand use. Still, this dynamic, Quad HD+ display offers outstanding quality and resolution, which is both pixel-dense and equipped with high peak brightness. This is ideal when streaming content or playing games, as it lends itself to more immersive and interactive viewing experiences. Ultimately, Samsung has increased the size of its real estate display while also optimising its visual quality, making all that finger-stretching well worth the hassle!

An incredible and significantly improved design

Not only have Samsung introduced the concept of 'finger yoga' with their sprawling display, but they've also managed to achieve the impossible by improving on their iconic design and build-quality. This is embodied by a top-centre hole-punch in which the front 'selfie' camera is embedded, with this 26% smaller than the camera hole featured on the Galaxy S10+. This minimises the phablet's diminishing bezel still further, and while it may allow for annoying (and occasionally unfortunate) false screen touches, it contributes a slicker and more premium design than ever before.

The latest iteration of the S Pen is magic

The S Pen has become an iconic feature of the Note range in recent years, with this device having evolved from a simple stylus into a magical wand that Harry Potter would be proud to call his own. The new and upgraded S Pen is definitely the not-so-secret weapon of the Note 10+, offering a wider range of functions than ever before. Once unsheathed from its holster at the bottom right of the screen, you can do everything from capturing and annotating screenshots to scribbling notes in real-time. The improved S Pen is also shorter and thinner than its predecessors, so it may give your hands a much-needed break after hours of handling the hefty Note 10+.

Five cameras are better than one

While the camera on the Note 10+ may not be the best on the market, its combination of five lenses within a single app is genuinely ground-breaking. These include normal, telephoto, ultra-wide and depth-sensing lenses at the rear and a stunning selfie camera on the front, while the 12.3MP main camera benefits from Night Mode for capturing crisp images even in incredibly low light. The use of 'Live Focus' technology also enables you to remove those unwanted photobombers from your selfies, contributing to one of the best, front-facing cameras around.

Browse for longer with a lasting battery

You'll notice that the Note 10+ features a huge 4,300 mAh power pack, which is the largest and most capacious on any Samsung device. Make no mistake; this offers more than all-day battery life on a single charge, even with the default setting of full HD screen resolution. In most instances, you should have 20% or 30% of battery life remaining at the end of each day, but if you do start to bleed power you can attach a 25W charger to provide a rapid boost to your handset!

Whichever way you slice and dice it, there's little doubt that the Galaxy Note 10+ is a cutting-edge phablet that has powered to the forefront of the marketplace. It's certainly bigger, better and more powerful than any Samsung device that has gone before, while the integration of five high quality cameras and an improved S Pen builds incrementally on an already outstanding design template.

5 real-life highlights

1. The clean One UI interface places most navigational options on the bottom half of the screen, easily within your thumb's reach
2. The Samsung Dex feature continues to provide a dock-free desktop view of your phone, while allowing you to interact with other devices via Bluetooth
3. Thanks to the combination of 12GB and the Exynos 9825 processor, the Note 10+ is one of the quickest phablets on the market
4. The brilliant S Pen now includes the Air Gestures feature, through which you can zoom in and out of the camera view and easily swipe through various menus
5. With the 12MP f/2.1 telephoto and 16MP f/2.2 ultra-wide lenses, you can take snaps at varying perspectives to create some truly unique pictures