Samsung has officially announced two new devices to pad out their current product line-up, the Samsung Note 10 Lite and the Galaxy 10 Lite.
With the next generation Galaxy 11 or 20 launching soon, it seems like a strange decision, and perhaps a reaction to the growing trend of “flagship killers” from brands such as Realme, Xiaomi, and OnePlus.
Last year the Galaxy S10 line launched with four models, including the Galaxy S10e which was the affordable one. So what is the point of the S10 Lite and how is it different?
Dimensions & Design
Lite models are normally smaller, and the original affordable S10e was the smallest of the bunch at just 5.8 inches with a 1080 x 2280 pixel display.
The Galaxy S10 Lite goes the other way, this is the largest model of the Galaxy range at 6.7 inches with a 1080 x 2400 pixel display. It is actually the same sized display as the new Samsung Galaxy Note10 Lite which seems a little confusing.
The standard S10 is 6.1 inches and this runs at 1440 x 3040 pixels.
Chipset – CPU and GPU
The Galaxy S10 Lite is reported as using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 which is the same chipset you find in the other Samsung Galaxy S10 models you will find in the US.
In the UK and Asia, we got the Exynos 9820, which was supposed to perform about the same, but it had a high power draw so battery life suffered. So the S10 Lite won't be much or any more powerful, but UK users should notice it being better with the battery.
Camera
One of the big differences between the models was the camera specification, and the same is true here. This sits somewhere between the S10e and the standard S10, utilising two normal cameras, then a dedicated macro camera.
The primary camera has been switch to a 48 MP f/2.0 lens which is the first time we have seen a big jump with a Galaxy device, and hopefully is a sign of big changes for the Galaxy S11.
Both the S10, S10e have a 12 MP f/1.5-2.4 lens, so the variable focus gives it some advantages.
The S10 Lite has a 12 MP f/2.2 ultra-wide while the others have a 16 MP f/2.2 ultra-wide.
The standard S10 has the advantage of a 12 MP f/2.4 telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom.
Apparently the new Lite model has super steady optical image stabilisation which will outperform the other models.
Battery
The Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite has a massive 4500 mAh battery which dwarves the other models, the S10 has a 3400 mAh battery while the S10e has a 3100 mAh battery.
It is reported as having fast charge but no specific information, the other models have 15W and also wireless charging.
Pricing
No price has been confirmed yet, and this is likely the big problem here. You can currently buy the Galaxy S10 for £589 from Amazon, and the S10e for £459 from Amazon.
I would put good money on the new S10 costing around the same as or higher than the Galaxy S10. Admittedly, the Lite model is much larger and has a better battery so these could help differentiate it, but with the new Galaxy models due out, and the older ones cheaper, it seems like a hard sell to me.
Galax S10 Comparison Table
| Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite | Samsung Galaxy S10 | Samsung Galaxy S10e | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Availability | Coming soon. Exp. release 2020, Q1 | Available. Released 2019, March | Available. Released 2019, March |
| Dimensions | 162.5 x 75.6 x 8.1 mm (6.40 x 2.98 x 0.32 in) | 149.9 x 70.4 x 7.8 mm (5.90 x 2.77 x 0.31 in) | 142.2 x 69.9 x 7.9 mm (5.60 x 2.75 x 0.31 in) |
| Weight | 186 g (6.56 oz) | 157 g (5.54 oz) | 150 g (5.29 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame | |
| SIM | Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | ||
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) | ||
| Type | Super AMOLED Plus capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors | Dynamic AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors | Dynamic AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 107.8 cm2 (~87.8% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.1 inches, 93.2 cm2 (~88.3% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.8 inches, 82.8 cm2 (~83.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~394 ppi density) | 1440 x 3040 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~550 ppi density) | 1080 x 2280 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~438 ppi density) |
| Protection | Always-on display | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 |
| HDR | HDR10+ | HDR10+ | |
| Always-on display | Always-on display | ||
| OS | Android 10.0; One UI 2 | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 10.0; One UI 2 | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 10.0; One UI 2 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) | Exynos 9820 (8 nm) - EMEA/LATAM | Exynos 9820 (8 nm) - EMEA/LATAM |
| Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) - USA/China | Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) - USA/China | ||
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) | Octa-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M4 & 2x2.31 GHz Cortex-A75 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55) - EMEA/LATAM | Octa-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M4 & 2x2.31 GHz Cortex-A75 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55) - EMEA/LATAM |
| Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) - USA/China | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) - USA/China | ||
| GPU | Adreno 640 | Mali-G76 MP12 - EMEA/LATAM | Mali-G76 MP12 - EMEA/LATAM |
| Adreno 640 - USA/China | Adreno 640 - USA/China | ||
| Card slot | microSD, up to 1 TB | microSD, up to 1 TB (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only | microSD, up to 1 TB (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM |
| Real Camera | 48 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF, Super Steady OIS | 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS | 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS |
| 12 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide) | 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, AF, OIS, 2x optical zoom | 16 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.0µm, Super Steady video | |
| 5 MP, f/2.4, 1/5.0", 1.12µm, dedicated macro camera | 16 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.0µm, Super Steady video | ||
| Features | LED flash, panorama, HDR | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Video | [email protected], [email protected]/60fps (gyro-EIS), [email protected] | [email protected] (no EIS), [email protected], [email protected]/60/240fps, [email protected], HDR10+, dual-video rec., stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS | [email protected] (no EIS), [email protected], [email protected]/60/240fps, [email protected], HDR10+, dual-video rec., stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS |
| Selfie | 32 MP, f/2.2, 25mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm | 10 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF | 10 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Features | HDR | Dual video call, Auto-HDR | Dual video call, Auto-HDR |
| Video | [email protected] | [email protected], [email protected] | [email protected], [email protected] |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 3.5mm jack | Unspecified | Yes | Yes |
| Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic | 32-bit/384kHz audio | 32-bit/384kHz audio | |
| Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic | Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic | ||
| Dolby Atmos sound | Dolby Atmos sound | ||
| Tuned by AKG | Tuned by AKG | ||
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| NFC | Unspecified | Yes | Yes |
| Infrared port | No | No | No |
| Radio | FM radio (USA & Canada only) | FM radio (USA & Canada only) | |
| USB | 2.0, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector | 3.1, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector | 3.1, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector |
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2 | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2 |
| Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) | ANT+ | ANT+ | |
| ANT+ | Bixby natural language commands and dictation | Bixby natural language commands and dictation | |
| Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) | Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) | ||
| Battery | Non-removable Li-Po 4500 mAh battery | Non-removable Li-Ion 3400 mAh battery | Non-removable Li-Ion 3100 mAh battery |
| Charging | Fast battery charging | Fast battery charging 15W | Fast battery charging 15W |
| USB Power Delivery 2.0 | USB Power Delivery 2.0 | ||
| Fast Qi/PMA wireless charging 15W | Fast Qi/PMA wireless charging 15W | ||
| Power bank/Reverse wireless charging 9W | Power bank/Reverse wireless charging 9W | ||
| Price | Unspecified | £589 | £459 |
Last update on 2022-01-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API