For many years, the Galaxy S lineup and the Note series were distinct and catered to different customers. While the Galaxy S flagships targeted the average user, the Note devices were aimed at power users and stylus loyalists. For better or worse, the distinction has gradually vanished with the Note devices basically becoming Galaxy S flagships with an S Pen.
This is true in case of the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 as well, which makes upgrading from the former to the latter a questionable choice. However, upgrading from the Galaxy S9/S9+ to the Note 10 is a different story. Unless you need the S Pen, buying the Galaxy S10 makes a lot more economic sense given all the recent discounts. You won’t be losing much while paying substantially less.
If you are set on buying the Note 10/10+, then the decision requires a bit more deliberation and cost-benefit analysis. In most scenarios, it is wiser to buy the Note 10+ over the regular Note 10 as the former offers a lot more for a small bump in price. Other than lacking a headphone jack, the Note 10+ is a better device than both the S9 and S9+ in almost every way.
Galaxy S9/S9+ customers planning to upgrade to the regular Note 10, meanwhile, need to rethink as the latter lacks a headphone jack, MicroSD slot, and sports a comparatively lower-resolution display. Though the Note 10 does excel in many other areas, it is better to pay a bit more and go for the Plus variant for better value.
You can look at the spec comparison between the Galaxy S9/S9+ and the Note 10/10+ below to know all the differences between these devices. Do check out our Galaxy Note 10 hands-on impressions to see what we think of the new flagship and look forward to our full review in the coming weeks.
Galaxy S9/S9+ vs Galaxy Note 10 vs Galaxy Note 10+
| Galaxy S9/S9+ | Galaxy Note 10 | Galaxy Note 10+ | |
| Display | S9: 5.8-inch Quad HD+ (2960×1440) Infinity, Super AMOLED, 18.5:9
S9+: 6.2-inch Quad HD+ (2960×1440) Infinity, Super AMOLED, 18.5:9 |
6.3-inch, Dynamic AMOLED Infinity-O, 2280×1080 pixels, 19:9, HDR10+ certified | 6.8-inch, Dynamic AMOLED Infinity-O, 3040×1440 pixels, 19:9, HDR10+ certified |
| S Pen | No | Yes, 4,096 pressure levels, Bluetooth control, 6-axis sensor including gyro and acceleration sensor for gesture control | Yes, 4,096 pressure levels, Bluetooth control, 6-axis sensor including gyro and acceleration sensor for gesture control |
| Processor | Exynos 9810/Snapdragon 845 Octa-core, 10nm, 64-bit | Exynos 9825/Snapdragon 855, octa-core, 7nm, 64-bit | Exynos 9825/Snapdragon 855, octa-core, 7nm, 64-bit |
| RAM | S9: 4GB
S9+: 6GB |
8GB | 12GB |
| Rear Camera | S9: 12-megapixel primary, Dual Aperture (F1.5/F2.4), Dual Pixel, OIS
S9+ Camera 1: 12-megapixel primary, Dual Aperture (F1.5/F2.4), Dual Pixel, OIS S9+ Camera 2: 12-megapixel telephoto secondary, F2.4, 2x optical zoom, OIS |
Camera 1: 12MP, OIS, Dual Pixel autofocus, 4K video recording, F1.5/F2.4
Camera 2: 12MP telephoto, 2x optical zoom, F2.1, OIS, Dual Pixel autofocus Camera 3: 16MP super wide-angle, 123-degree FOV, F2.2 |
Camera 1: 12MP, OIS, Dual Pixel autofocus, 4K video recording, F1.5/F2.4
Camera 2: 12MP telephoto, 2x optical zoom, F2.1, OIS, Dual Pixel autofocus Camera 3: 16MP super wide-angle, 123-degree FOV, F2.2 Camera 4: DepthVision 3D ToF, VGA, F1.4 |
| Front Camera | 8MP, autofocus, F1.7 | 10MP, F2.2, Dual Pixel (2PD) autofocus | 10MP, F2.2, Dual Pixel (2PD) autofocus |
| Storage | 64GB/128GB/256GB internal, microSD slot (up to 512GB) | 256GB/512GB, non-expandable | 256GB/512GB, microSD slot (up to 1TB) |
| Software | Android Nougat, upgradeable to Android 9.0 Pie | Android 9 Pie, One UI 1.5 | Android 9 Pie, One UI 1.5 |
| Battery | S9: 3,000 mAh, fast wired (15W) and fast wireless charging
S9+: 3,500 mAh, fast wired (15W) and fast wireless charging |
3,500 mAh, fast wired charging (25W) and fast wireless charging (12W), reverse wireless charging (PowerShare) | 4,300 mAh, fast wired charging (up to 45W, charger sold separately) and fast wireless charging (15W), reverse wireless charging (PowerShare) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, MU-MIMO, LTE Cat.18, Bluetooth v5.0, ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC, GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou | 4G LTE (Cat.20), Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, MU-MIMO, USB Type-C, NFC, GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou | 4G LTE (Cat.20), Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, MU-MIMO, USB Type-C, NFC, GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou |
| Dimensions | S9: 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5mm, 163g
S9+: 158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5 mm, 189g |
151 x 71.8 x 7.9mm, 168g | 162.3 x 77.2 x 7.9mm, 196g |
| Sensors | Iris sensor, Pressure sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint sensor (rear), Gyro sensor, Geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor, Proximity sensor, Heart rate sensor | Accelerometer, Barometer, Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor (in-display), Gyro sensor, Geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor, Proximity sensor | Accelerometer, Barometer, Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor (in-display), Gyro sensor, Geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor, Proximity sensor |
| Other features | Samsung Pay, Bixby, IP68 water resistance, AKG earphones, stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, DeX mode, AR Emoji | AKG earphones, stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, AR Emoji, Bixby, Samsung Pay, IP68 water & dust resistance, face recognition, Zoom-in MIC, Screen Recorder, AR Doodle | AKG earphones, stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, AR Emoji, Bixby, Samsung Pay, IP68 water & dust resistance, face recognition, Zoom-in MIC, Screen Recorder, AR Doodle, 3D Scanner |
SamsungGalaxy Note 10
