Best Android phone for business: One month with Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Unpacked
My primary SIM has spent most of the past month in the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, see my full review, and the phone is nearly perfect in every way. The battery easily lasts me a day, the multiple cameras provide great results, and it has helped me remain productive in the office, in the field, on my commute, and while traveling for work.
After a couple of weeks of use, I put the Galaxy S10 Plus at the top of my 10 best smartphones list and even with the impressive cameras in the Huawei P30 Pro the S10 Plus will likely keep that spot due to its worldwide availability.
While the S10 Plus is fantastic, the Note series offers more and so I will be holding out for the Note 10 later this summer. The Galaxy S series is targeted at the mass market and the S10 Plus is likely to sell millions as it offers more than the S9 Plus from last year.
Samsung is good at releasing phones with new technologies and innovations before we see them in other phones. There is nothing missing from the S10 Plus and as I look back over the last month of use and towards the future, here are several reasons to consider the Galaxy S10 Plus:
- Fit, finish and design: Samsung's phones are always well designed and well constructed. The S10 Plus continues that tradition while also offering unique color options, called Prism, that add some style and class to the device. The S10 Plus feels nearly perfect in the hand and the size is one area that makes me question using the Note 9.
- Infinity-O display: Samsung's OLED panels are fantastic and it's no surprise we see one of the best ever on the Galaxy S10 Plus. The hole punch front-facing camera opening doesn't bother me and enjoying video on the full screen of the S10 Plus is a glorious experience. I'm now tired of curved displays though and wouldn't mind if Samsung went back to flat screens where protectors are easier to install and inadvertent finger presses are not present.
- Rear camera performance: Samsung added a wide-angle lens to the back of the S10 Plus and there really is no scenario, in good lighting, where the S10 Plus cannot help you shoot great photos and video. The S10 Plus is also one of the best at macro shots, which is one area where Samsung stands out from other smartphones.
- 3.5mm headset jack and microSD card slot: These are older technologies, but their convenience continues to satisfy my needs. Using expensive headphones with cords and cheaply expanding your storage capacity are valuable features that few continue to implement.
- Long battery life: The Galaxy Note 9 gets me through most of a day, but I was very surprised to see the S10 Plus with just 100 mAh more battery capacity is easily getting me through a full busy day with capacity remaining. I did not expect such great battery life so its a benefit that is sure to please though using the S10 Plus for field work.
Wireless PowerShare is a new technology in the S10 Plus that lets you charge up accessories or other phones on the back of the S10 Plus. I only used this feature once as part of my review evaluation and have yet to use it since then. It seems to be a nice option, but one that may not get used much.
The iris scanner on my Note 9 has been performing well and I actually like using it better than the ultrasonic fingerprint scanner under the glass on the S10 Plus. The scanner works about 80 percent of the time for me, but when it fails I then get multiple failures in a row that then require a PIN or other method to unlock the phone. I am also seeing frequent inadvertent activations of the display along the edges, which is something I do not see with the slightly wider Galaxy Note 9.
Also: Galaxy S10 Plus: 4 reasons I'm smitten with Samsung's latest phone
CNET awarded the Galaxy S10 Plus a 9/10 rating in its review with the cons calling out the low-light camera performance, ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, and inadvertent finger presses on the edges. These happen to also be the same issues I have with the S10 Plus that make it likely to be toppled by another phone in 2019.