Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S10 lineup at the Galaxy Unpacked event in February 2019. The Galaxy S10 family serves as the 10th anniversary of the Galaxy S line, and the lineup included the expected Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+, along with the new “e” branded model — the Galaxy S10e.
The Galaxy S10e brings much of the same in terms of the quality and the features from the S10 and S10+, however, the S10e is smaller in size, and perhaps more important for some, it has a lower price point. Of course, that is not to say the S10e is the same — there are some noticeable differences beginning with the smaller and flatter display. First though, let us cover the color options, review the hardware specs, and then get into the camera setup.
Galaxy S10e: Size and color
The color lineup for the Galaxy S10e is one place where the device is similar to the Galaxy S10. The S10e is available in the same four color options found on the S10; Prism White, Prism Black, Prism Blue, and Flamingo Pink.
Shifting over to perhaps the most noticeable difference between the Galaxy S10e and the Galaxy S10 — the display. The Galaxy S10e has a smaller and also a flatter display. The Galaxy S10e display measures in at 5.8-inches and has a resolution of 2160 x 1080. Samsung describes the display as being “near bezel-less” with a “full-frontal glass, edge-to-edge screen.” This accounts for a 91.6 percent screen-to-body ration.
In terms of overall size, the Galaxy S10e measures in at 5.6-inches (H), by 2.75-inches (W), by 0.3-inches (D), and weighs in at 5.29 ounces. The width and depth measurements of the Galaxy S10e are close to that of the Galaxy S10, however, the S10e is about 0.3-inches shorter in terms of the height.
Galaxy S10e: Specs
- 5.8” Full HD + Dynamic AMOLED display (2280 x 1080, 438ppi, 19:9 aspect ratio)
- Gorilla Glass 5
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor
- 6 GB or 8 GB RAM
- 128 GB or 256 GB internal storage
- microSD card slot (support for cards up to 512 GB)
- 3100 mAh battery
- WiFi 6
- Bluetooth 5
- USB-C
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- Fingerprint sensor in the power button
- 142.2 x x 69.9 x 7.9 mm (5.6 x 2.75 x 0.3 inches)
- 150 grams (5.29 ounces)
The Samsung Galaxy S10e began shipping in March 2019 with Android 9 Pie and the Samsung One UI. Samsung began rolling out the Android 10 (and One UI 2.0) update in November 2019.
Galaxy S10e: Camera
The camera setup is the other noticeable difference with the Galaxy S10e. The Galaxy S10+ features a total of five cameras (three rear and two front), and the Galaxy S10 features four cameras (two rear and two front).
The Galaxy S10e features a total of three cameras — two on the back and one on the front. The Galaxy S10e setup is as follows:
- Rear-12 MP dual-aperture wide-angle (f/1.5 & f/2.4) with optical image stabilization
- Rear-16 MP ultra-wide 123 degree field of view (f/2.2) fixed-focus
- Front-10 MP dual-pixel (f/1.9) with auto-focus
The S10e does not have the 12 MP telephoto 45-degree field of view (f/2.4) with optical image stabilization (with 2x optical zoom) that you will find on the S10 and S10+. The front-facing camera on the S10e is the same that you will find on the Galaxy S10. But both the S10 and S10e are missing the 8MP front-facing (f/2.2) RGB depth camera from the S10+.
Galaxy S10e: Features
The Galaxy S10e was released as the more affordable model in the Galaxy S10 lineup. The S10e comes in at $150 less expensive as compared to the S10, and $250 less expensive compared to the Galaxy S10+. The lower price of the S10e does come at the cost of some specs, but aside from the price — the S10e may be the model to consider out of the S10 lineup.
To begin with, the S10e is a little smaller in terms of height. Another factor is the display, and how some may simply prefer the flatter non-curved display found on the S10e. Depending on personal preference, some may also prefer the fingerprint sensor being in the power button, as opposed to the in-screen fingerprint sensor from the S10 and S10+.
Shifting back to the lower price of the S10e coming at the cost of some specs, and we see some key differences, but not necessarily any deal-breaking differences. We’ve already touched a bit on the camera setup, and the differences between the S10e camera and the S10 and S10+ cameras. While the S10e may be missing the telephoto on the back, it still sports a capable rear-facing camera with the ultra-wide, and wide-angle lenses. Similar to the S10, the S10e also has Scene Optimizer and Flaw Detection, both of which should help the user capture better images.
The S10e display is Full HD, whereas the S10 is Quad HD, however, both models sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor and 8GB of RAM. Also to note, the S10e also features a model with 6GB of RAM. The S10e also has a smaller battery, 3100 mAh as compared to the 3400 mAh on the S10.
The S10e is also a solid step up from the Galaxy S9, which was powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 process with 4GB of RAM and a 3000 mAh battery. The S9 also started at 64 GB of internal storage, while the S10e has 128 GB on the low end.
Galaxy S10e: Models
The Samsung Galaxy S10e is available as an unlocked model, and also in several carrier variants. The model number for the unlocked Galaxy S10e is SM-G970U1. The Galaxy S10e carrier options include Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and US Cellular. The carrier models all have a model number of SM-G979U
Looking outside the US market and you’ll also find the SM-G970F and SM-G970W. These are both unlocked international models. There is also the SM-G970F/DS, which is an unlocked international dual-SIM model.
Galaxy S10e: Pricing
Pricing for the Galaxy S10e will vary based on the internal storage — $749.99 or $849.99. On the lower end, at 128 GB, this places the S10e at $150 less expensive as compared to the Galaxy S10. Pricing for the unlocked and carrier models of the Galaxy S10e is as follows:
- Unlocked (128 GB) – $749.99
- Unlocked (256 GB) – $849.99
- Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, or US Cellular (128 GB) – $749.99
- Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, or US Cellular (256 GB) – $849.99
With the “e” model being the new addition in the S10 family this year — we suspect those looking to move up to the S10e will be coming from a device outside the Samsung family, or perhaps from an older model in the Galaxy family. But whichever phone you are upgrading from — Swappa has you covered in terms of buying and selling. You can sell your current device here in the Swappa marketplace and then use those funds to purchase your newish Galaxy S10e.
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