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Samsung Galaxy Note 10 series: Which one is for you?

A week before Samsung’s Unpacked event, they launched yet another variant of their Note 10 series in the Philippines, the Note 10 Lite. Priced just under PHP 30k, it offers a lot of value for people who are looking to get a feature-rich Note device. But is the Note 10 Lite good enough for you, or should you go for the Note 10+ instead? Today we compared the three Note devices that Samsung offers to see which one you should get.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+	Samsung Galaxy Note 10	Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite
6.8-inch QHD+ (3040 x 1440) Infinity Display (Dynamic AMOLED), 498ppi, HDR10+, Corning Gorilla Glass 6	6.3-inch FHD+ (2280 x 1080) Infinity Display (Dynamic AMOLED), 401ppi, HDR 10+, Corning Gorilla Glass 6	6.7-inch Full HD+ (2400 x 1080) Super AMOLED Infinity-O display, 394ppi
Samsung Exynos 9825 7nm 2.7GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 2.96GHz octa-core (US model)	Samsung Exynos 9825 7nm 2.7GHz octa-core	Samsung Exynos 9810 (10nm) 2.7GHz octa-core
Mali-G76 MP12 Adreno 640 GPU	Mali-G76 MP12 GPU	Mali-G72 MP18 GPU
12GB LPDDR4X	8GB LPDDR4X RAM	8GB RAM
256GB, 512GB UFS 3.0 storage	256GB UFS 3.0 storage	128GB storage
expandable via microSD card slot up to 1TB	-	Expandable via microSD up to 1TB
12MP F 1.5-F1.8-F2.4 +16MP F2.2 wide-angle + 12MP F2.1 Telephoto + ToF lens quad rear cameras	12MP F 1.5-F1.8-F2.4 +16MP F2.2 wide-angle + 12MP F2.1 Telephoto triple rear cameras	12MP F1.7 Main + 12MP F2.2 Ultrawide + 12MP F2.4, OIS Telephoto
10MP F2.2 hole-punch front camera	10MP F2.2 hole-punch front camera	32MP F2.2 hole-punch front camera
Dual-SIM card slot (nano)	Dual-SIM card slot (nano)	Dual-SIM card slot (nano)
4G LTE	4G LTE	4G LTE
WiFi 6 (2.4GHz + 5GHz)	WiFi 6 (2.4GHz + 5GHz)	WiFi 5 (2.4GHz + 5GHz)
Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 5.0
NFC	NFC	NFC
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Galileo	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Galileo	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Galileo
USB Type-C	USB Type-C	USB Type-C
Ultrasonic fingerprint scanner	Ultrasonic fingerprint scanner	Ultrasonic fingerprint scanner
Face Unlock	Face Unlock	Face Unlock
S-Pen Support	S-Pen Support	S-Pen Support
		3.5mm audio jack
IP68 dust and water-resistant	IP68 dust and water-resistant	IP68 dust and water-resistant
Samsung One UI (Android 9 Pie)	Samsung One UI (Android 9 Pie)	One UI 2.0 (Android 10)
4,300mAh battery w/ 45W fast charging and 20W wireless charging	3,500mAh battery w/ 25W fast charging and 12W wireless charging	4,500mAh battery w/ 25W fast-charging
162.3 x 77.2 x 7.9 mm	151 x 71.8 x 7.9 mm	163.7 x 76.1 x 8.7mm
196 g	168g	199 g

Advantages of each smartphone:

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+

Largest display size
Highest display resolution
Highest RAM and internal storage configuration
Quad rear cameras
Fastest charging support
Corning Gorilla Glass 6
WiFi 6

Samsung Galaxy Note 10

Smallest and lightest variant
Corning Gorilla Glass 6
WiFi 6

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite

Highest front camera resolution
3.5mm audio jack
Biggest battery capacity

Starting with the display, the Galaxy Note 10+ has the largest of the three, measuring 6.8 inches with a QHD+ resolution, followed by the Note 10 Lite which measures 6.7 inches with an FHD+ resolution, and lastly the Note 10 which only measures 6.3 inches with an FHD+ resolution as well. All three smartphones use an AMOLED Panel, although the Note 10 and Note10+ variants have support for HDR10+ and Corning Gorilla Glass 6 for protection.

Under the hood, the Galaxy Note 10+ is equipped with either an Exynos 9825 chipset or a Snapdragon 855 chipset, while the Galaxy Note 10 can only be bought with the Exynos 9825 chipset. The Note 10 Lite, on the other hand, is equipped with last generation’s flagship – the Exynos 9810 chipset. In terms of RAM and storage, the Note 10+ is equipped with 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 512GB of UFS3.0 storage. Users can also expand the storage by up to 1TB via MicroSD card. The Galaxy Note 10, on the other hand, can only be purchased with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of UFS3.0. As for the Note 10 Lite, it comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage (the versions of both are undisclosed) with the ability to add a MicroSD card up to 1TB.

When it comes to cameras, both the Note 10+ and Note 10 have a 12MP primary shooter, 16MP wide-angle, and 12MP Telephoto camera. The Note 10+, however, also has a fourth ToF lens, which the regular Note 10 lacks. As for the Note 10 Lite, it comes with a 12MP primary, 12MP ultrawide, and a 12MP telephoto. Where the Note 10 Lite shines is in its front camera, which has a resolution of 32MP, while both the Note 10+ and Note 10 only come with a 10MP shooter.

As for the batteries, the Note 10 Lite has the most capacity at 4,500mAh followed by the Note 10+ with 4,300mAh, and lastly, the Note 10, which only comes with 3,500mAh. When it comes to charging, the Note 10+ is capable of up to 45W wired and 20W wireless while both the Note 10 and Note 10 Lite is capable of up to 25W wired charging. The Galaxy Note 10, however, can be charged wirelessly up to 12W. All three devices use USB Type-C for charging.

All three devices have the same biometrics features, support for the S-Pen, GPS, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and an IP68 rating. What the Note 10 Lite lacks, however, is Corning Gorilla Glass 6 for protection, HDR10+ support, faster RAM and storage, and WiFi 6 capabilities. As for the OS, both the Note 10+ and Note 10 come with One UI based on Android 9, while the Note 10 Lite comes with One UI 2.0 based on Android 10 out of the box. The One UI 2.0 update for both the Note 10+ and Note 10, however, is already available for download.

Here are the prices of each device:

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+

12GB + 256GB – PHP 60,990USD 1,039INR 88,106EUR 990CNY 7,569
12GB + 512GB – PHP 72,990USD 1,244INR 105,441EUR 1,185CNY 9,058

Samsung Galaxy Note 10

8GB + 256GB – PHP 53,990USD 920INR 77,994EUR 876CNY 6,700

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite

8GB + 128GB – PHP 29,990USD 511INR 43,324EUR 487CNY 3,722

Samsung’s release of the Note 10 Lite may have gutted the rest of its premium flagship line. For half the price of the Note 10+, you get a flagship chipset from the last generation, a bigger display compared to the Note 10, a better front camera, larger battery, and almost all the features that are present on the rest of the Note 10 series. It’s also the only Note 10 device with a 3.5mm audio jack. For most consumers, the Note 10 Lite would be sufficient to handle all their day-to-day tasks.

That being said, both the Note 10+ and Note 10 are better than the Note 10 Lite in every way, save for the front camera. They have slightly more features than the Lite version, including a better chipset, Corning Gorilla Glass 6 for protection, HDR10+ support, faster RAM and storage, and WiFi 6 capabilities. If you’re looking to get the best of the best and have the budget, then the Note 10+ might be the phone for you. It has the best display, most RAM, most internal storage, best rear cameras, and the fastest charging capabilities as well.

For the people who’d like a smaller device and value portability, then the Note 10 might be the device to get. It has all the premium features that the Note series has to offer, except for expandable storage. Its only downfall though is the 3,500mAh battery. While it could definitely last you through a day, power users and gamers may want to carry around a power bank just in case.

Which of the Note 10 series smartphones caught your eye? Let us know in the comments.