The excitement maybe for the Galaxy Fold but the new stars in Samsung’s Galaxy S series shine bright and steady. With the S10+ — the phone t2 has had an opportunity to review from the clutch of new offerings, the other two being the S10e (from Rs 55,900) and S10 (from Rs 66,900) — the world’s leading smartphone manufacturer highlights how far it has come in way of innovation, allowing a few sneaky “hahas” in the direction of iPhone enthusiasts. Yes, there are a few opportunities to nitpick but darling, you can’t have it all!

In the last 10 days of reviewing the S10+, the question that it attracted most is “Hey, can you fold it?” No, you can’t and in the same breath one should add that at around half the price (Rs 73,900 onwards) of the Fold ($1,980 in the US), it has all the bling one has been hoping for from the 10th anniversary of the Galaxy S series.

Bold design

The most notable change in the Galaxy S line is the new Infinity-O display. The company’s AMOLEDs have been the ones to beat, and this time it’s no exception. All the new phones come with a hole-punch display, which is basically one or two laser-cut holes to accommodate the camera without affecting the edge-to-edge display. It looks great, is not at all distracting and is more exciting than the Notch. Certain apps — like Instagram — do not extend to the entire display by default but YouTube is taking full advantage of the display, going beyond the hole(s).

In time, applications will update to make good use of the phone’s new design. In case you find the holes distracting, there is the option to turn the notification bar black to cover it up.

Ultrasonic unlock

It’s the other big addition to the screen. Samsung is not first at having an in-screen fingerprint scanner but being first is not the point, being the best is. The technology used in the fingerprint scanner involves an ultrasonic sensor, which utilises soundwaves to recognise your finger and is far more secure than what is being offered by competition. It works even if your fingers are damp. #win

The other unlock option involves the face. The iPhone does it by spraying the face with infrared dots to create a 3D image and then the info is checked with the biometric data that’s saved onboard. The S10+ too has face scanners but the technology is different.

Spruced-up camera

There are five cameras onboard — two on the front and three on the back. And they do add to the crispness of the pictures. The setup on the rear has a 12MP telephoto camera, a 12MP wide-angle camera and 16MP ultra-wide camera. They can work together or separately, depending on the occasion. Though there is a Pro mode but pictures taken on the fly are just as good as those taken using the Google Pixel 3 or iPhone XS Max.

There is a lot of AI in there. The camera also comes with improved Bixby vision that allows one to point the phone at an object (or restaurant signboard) to find out more information. The company has partnered with Myntra for a try-and-buy feature. It’s also the first smartphone to support the HDR10+ video standard, meaning you’ll see darker blacks and more vibrant colours.

The PowerShare feature allows one to charge accessories like the new Galaxy Buds or the Galaxy Watch Active and other mobile phones by placing it on the back of the S10+ Picture: Samsung Electronics

Performance

Spotify has just launched in India and that means a lot of high-quality streaming have been added to high levels of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video viewing. The phone doesn’t run out of juice even after a day of heavy usage, thanks to the 4,100 mAh battery. In way of processor, no complains while editing videos or playing heavy-duty games. The One UI, which looks like the previous Samsung interface, is much easier to navigate.

Power sharing

One of the big features is PowerShare, which allows you to share your phone’s power with other devices, like the new Galaxy Buds or the Galaxy Watch Active or another smartphone. Just turn on the feature from the drop-down menu, turn the phone over and place the other device on it. We want a Galaxy coffee mug that can be placed on the phone’s back and the drink would warm up!

In short, this time Samsung has knocked it out of the park with its S10 offerings. It has raised the bar, saying, “It’s your turn, iPhone.”