Samsung Galaxy S10e Review: Every Bit A Flagship For Less
Samsung Galaxy S10e - Premium Features And Performance On A Budget
The Samsung Galaxy S10e is the least expensive model in the Galaxy S10 family, the others consisting of the regular Galaxy S10, the larger Galaxy S10+, and the decked out Galaxy S10 5G. Make no mistake, however, even though the Galaxy S10e is positioned at the rear of the pack, it is not a budget or entry-level phone.
That is true of both the price—the Galaxy S10e starts at $649.99—and the physical makeup of the handset. So, what exactly is the Galaxy S10e? Simply put, it's a more affordable entry into the Galaxy S10 family, without giant sacrifices to garner a more palatable price tag. It would be a critical error to dismiss the Galaxy S10e simply on the basis that it sits on the bottom of the Galaxy S10 totem pole.
Sure, there are some key difference between the Galaxy S10e and the higher end variants, and we'll get to those on the following pages. But at its core, the Galaxy S10e is a premium phone in a smaller package with many of the same features, and just as importantly, comparable performance.
Like its bigger siblings, the Galaxy S10e is built around a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC (US model). The version we have in for review pairs 6GB of RAM with 128GB of onboard storage, but there is also a higher end SKU available with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Here's a look at the rest of the pertinent specs...
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| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 |
| Display | 5.8-inch Full HD+ (2280x1080) Dynamic AMOLED Infinity-O, 438ppi, HDR10+ Certified Display |
| Memory | 6GB / 8GB LPDDR4 |
| Storage | 128GB / 256GB UFS 2.1 |
| Rear-Facing Cameras | 12MP f/1.5-f/2.4 Wide Angle w/ OIS and Autofocus 16MP f/2.2 Ultra Wide Angle |
| Front-Facing Cameras | 10MP f/1.9 Dual Pixel Autofocus |
| Video Recording | 4K at 60 fps, 1080p at 60 (240 fps Slow Motion), 720p at 30 fps (960 fps Slow Motion) |
| Battery | 3100 mAh, non-removable, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 |
| OS | Android 9.0 Pie |
| Dimensions | 5.60 x 2.75 x 0.31 inches (142.2 x 69.9 x 7.9 mm) |
| Weight | 5.29 ounces (150 grams) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, USB-C, 3.5mm Audio |
| Colors | Prism Blue, Prism White, Prism Black, Prism Green, Canary Yellow, Flamingo Pink |
| Pricing | Starting at $649.99 - Find It At Amazon |
Contrary to what some expect, the Galaxy S10e is not a gutted version of the Galaxy S10/S10+/S10 5G. Sure, this particular SKU has the least amount of RAM out of the bunch—every other Galaxy S10 has 8GB of RAM, save for the Performance Edition of the Galaxy S10+, which ups the ante with 12GB of RAM—but 6GB is not exactly skimpy.
The point of separation is the camera arrangement. Both the Galaxy S10e and the regular Galaxy S10 sport a single 10-megapixel lens on the front for taking selfies, but on the back, there is a dual-camera system on the former and a triple-camera system on the latter.
We will take a look at camera performance in a bit, as well as hit some benchmarks. Before we dive into how the Galaxy S10e performs, however, let's take a closer look at the phone itself...
