Got an S10e instead of my pre-ordered S10 - First impressions

Super Spartan

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Dec 21, 2018
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I had a Galaxy S9 256GB and while it did all I needed, I really wanted to have that wide angle camera and the finger print scanner on the screen sounds more convenient to unlock the phone while its laying on my desk rather than having to lift it up and unlock it via iris or fingerprint scanner on the back.

So I pre-ordered a Galaxy S10 128GB from Samsung Dubai with the free Galaxy Ear buds. They were supposed to deliver my phone on the 3rd of March and I've been fighting with them every day asking where the heck is my phone, they just kept giving me excuses then lying that the phone is with the shipping company which it wasn't until I finally gave up yesterday and told them that I do not want to deal with your company anymore, just cancel my order and refund my money.

So I went to the mall to one of the biggest phone retailers named AXIOM Telecom which has all the phones in stock but without any gifts obviously (screw the gifts, I just want the darn phone!).

I was so set on the Galaxy S10 as the S10+ is too big for my liking and the S10 has 3 cameras which is amazing considering the size of the phone. Before going there I was actually on Android Central forums browsing through and the in-screen fingerprint scanner issues kinda turned me off. I wasn't sure I will be able to live with this even though some have found a way to make it work, just didn't to be very reliable to me but after watching the below video where he mentions that the telephoto camera is NOT used for the Portrait Mode/Bokeh Effect since that is now done in Software, that kind of made the S10e more appealing to me because I don't really need the zoom feature, I just want the wide angle lens and occasionally the Portrait Mode.

https://youtu.be/0UDd6v7X8Zw

As I walked into the store and saw the 3 phones next to each other (S10+, S10, and S10e), well, the S10 was exactly the same size as the S9 that I had but when I grabbed the S10e, I fell in love with its even smaller size and the flat screen display

yUKf9wr.jpg


While at the shop, I quickly snapped a photo with my S9 then the same photo with the S10e and the colors on the S10e's camera popped more and made my S9 look so dull in comparison although they have the same sensor technically but I felt that it is a nice upgrade from my S9's camera.

I bought the phone and set it up and here are my initial impressions:

Phone size: This is the phone to get if you like small phones, so easy to use one handed and very easy to fit in your pocket even with a case on. I bought the Spigen Neo Hybrid case BTW.

Performance: Nothing different from a user experience vs my S9, it's snappy and there were no hiccups using the phone and setting up all my apps. I have the Exynos 9820 variant since that's what we get here in Dubai.

Camera: Simply stunning, pictures are sharp and not grainy and the ultra wide lens gives you a whole new perspective. More images will be posted tomorrow.

Fingerprint scanner: I am in love with this thing, this is probably the best fingerprint scanner I have used on any phone. Period. I setup my right thumb and index finger and the moment I touch the power button on the right, bam, the phone unlocks instantly, no guesses, no second tries, no lag, no swipes required, simply place your finger on the button and you're in and no it is NOT so high and hard to reach like they say in the revies, the phone is so freakin' tiny even a kid can reach it with ease. It hasn't failed to recognize my finger, not once! You don't realize how much convenient it is until you've come from some awkwardly placed fingerprint scanner on the back or have tried these new finicky in-screen fingerprint scanners like the Huawei Mate 20 Pro or the Galaxy S10/10+

Facial recognition: Although it doesn't have an iris scanner, it unlocks the phone instantly after you wake the screen and look at it although it does require a swipe up to access your home screen unlike the fingerprint scanner which simply takes you to the home screen the moment you place your finger on it.

Build quality: feels very premium and well built. It had a screen protector on it but I removed it since I accidently dropped it between my car's seat from the side and the screen protector already had a bubble from that so I ordered a Sigen Ultra HD Screen protector.

Battery life: Too early to comment

Screen quality: Simply stunning as usual from Samsung, there is no option to change resolution but I've noticed that the icons are much bigger than the S9 that I had, probably due to the lower resolution of the screen but nonetheless its sharp and so vibrant in colors

I am so glad that things turned out this way and Samsung delayed my order so much that I actually walked into a store to check out the phones in person, otherwise I would've never considered the S10e and never came to realize how much I'd like it.
 
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robinhelenehebert

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Oct 14, 2013
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I had a Galaxy S9 256GB and while it did all I needed, I really wanted to have that wide angle camera and the finger print scanner on the screen sounds more convenient to unlock the phone while its laying on my desk rather than having to lift it up and unlock it via iris or fingerprint scanner on the back.

So I pre-ordered a Galaxy S10 128GB from Samsung Dubai with the free Galaxy Ear buds. They were supposed to deliver my phone on the 3rd of March and I've been fighting with them every day asking where the heck is my phone, they just kept giving me excuses then lying that the phone is with the shipping company which it wasn't until I finally gave up yesterday and told them that I do not want to deal with your company anymore, just cancel my order and refund my money.

So I went to the mall to one of the biggest phone retailers named AXIOM Telecom which has all the phones in stock but without any gifts obviously (screw the gifts, I just want the darn phone!).

I was so set on the Galaxy S10 as the S10+ is too big for my liking and the S10 has 3 cameras which is amazing considering the size of the phone. Before going there I was actually on Android Central forums browsing through and the in-screen fingerprint scanner issues kinda turned me off. I wasn't sure I will be able to live with this even though some have found a way to make it work, just didn't to be very reliable to me but after watching the below video where he mentions that the telephoto camera is NOT used for the Portrait Mode/Bokeh Effect since that is now done in Software, that kind of made the S10e more appealing to me because I don't really need the zoom feature, I just want the wide angle lens and occasionally the Portrait Mode.

https://youtu.be/0UDd6v7X8Zw

As I walked into the store and saw the 3 phones next to each other (S10+, S10, and S10e), well, the S10 was exactly the same size as the S9 that I had but when I grabbed the S10e, I fell in love with its even smaller size and the flat screen display

While at the ship, I quickly snapped a photo with my S9 then the same photo with the S10e and the colors on the S10e's camera popped more and made my S9 look so dull in comparison although they have the same sensor technically but I felt that it is a nice upgrade from my S9's camera.

I bought the phone and set it up and here are my initial impressions:

Phone size: This is the phone to get if you like small phones, so easy to use one handed and very easy to fit in your pocket even with a case on. I bought the Spigen Neo Hybrid case BTW.

Performance: Nothing different from a user experience vs my S9, it's snappy and there were no hiccups using the phone and setting up all my apps. I have the Exynos 9820 variant since that's what we get here in Dubai.

Camera: Simply stunning, pictures are sharp and not grainy and the ultra wide lens gives you a whole new perspective. More images will be posted tomorrow.

Fingerprint scanner: I am in love with this thing, this is probably the best fingerprint scanner I have used on any phone. Period. I setup my right thumb and index finger and the moment I touch the power button on the right, bam, the phone unlocks instantly, no guesses, no second tries, no lag, no swipes required, simply place your finger on the button and you're in and no it is NOT so high and hard to reach like they say in the revies, the phone is so freakin' tiny even a kid can reach it with ease. It hasn't failed to recognize my finger, not once! You don't realize how much convenient it is until you've come from some awkwardly placed fingerprint scanner on the back or have tried these new finicky in-screen fingerprint scanners like the Huawei Mate 20 Pro or the Galaxy S10/10+

Facial recognition: Although it doesn't have an iris scanner, it unlocks the phone instantly after you wake the screen and look at it although it does require a swipe up to access your home screen unlike the fingerprint scanner which simply takes you to the home screen the moment you place your finger on it.

Build quality: feels very premium and well built. It had a screen protector on it but I removed it since I accidently dropped it between my car's seat from the side and the screen protector already had a bubble from that so I ordered a Sigen Ultra HD Screen protector.

Battery life: Too early to comment

Screen quality: Simply stunning as usual from Samsung, there is no option to change resolution but I've noticed that the icons are much bigger than the S9 that I had, probably due to the lower resolution of the screen but nonetheless its sharp and so vibrant in colors

I am so glad that things turned out this way and Samsung delayed my order so much that I actually walked into a store to check out the phones in person, otherwise I would've never considered the S10e and never came to realize how much I'd like it.

Wow I so appreciate this. I'm getting my Flamingo Pink one tomorrow.
 

Super Spartan

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Wow I so appreciate this. I'm getting my Flamingo Pink one tomorrow.

Awesome! You're gonna love it! All the reviews I've seen on YouTube do it no justice, they all say the same stuff and complain about the fingerprint placement that it's too high. Tomorrow you will see how awesome the fingerprint scanner is and the camera is mind blowing! The scene detection is awesome and when you point the camera at something, it actually gives you tips to make a few adjustments (like move up or down) to get the best shot!
 
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robinhelenehebert

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Awesome! You're gonna love it! All the reviews I've seen on YouTube do it no justice, they all say the same stuff and complain about the fingerprint placement that it's too high. Tomorrow you will see how awesome the fingerprint scanner is and the camera id mind blowing! The scene detection is awesome and when you point the camera at something, it actually gives you tips to make a few adjustments (like move up or down) to get the best shot!

That's totally a confirmation to me that I made the right choice!
 

bhatech

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My S10e is getting delivered tomorrow, already have the S10+ for sale locally

This year planning to move to smaller phones, I'm going to take a hit on battery but it'll be worth the sacrifice for better ergonomics.
 

pduffer

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Glad you found it. I, too, like the smaller size of the 10e. Switching from Note 8. I never liked how tall the Note 8 is. Falls out of shirt pocket easy when bending over. Do wish Samsung would make a Mini Note. If S10e had smart pen that would be awesome.
 

bhatech

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Wow decided the 10+ wasn't for you?
From before only I wanted the S10e but also had the S10+ pre ordered just in case. And since my S10e was going to be delayed for few days and S10+ was available on Friday itself I picked it up and decided to play with it.
Anyway I'll probably still come out on top selling it, after the trade in offer and Galaxy buds. Listed at $880, but will let it go if someone offers $850. Being in Seattle area, generally tech gadgets sell pretty quick here. So I should be able to find a buyer soon.

And the $130 e-certificate pre order certificate was included for S10e pre orders from last Monday (thru work program discount) which made my decision much easier and decided to go for it.
 

robinhelenehebert

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From before only I wanted the S10e but also had the S10+ pre ordered just in case. And since my S10e was going to be delayed for few days and S10+ was available on Friday itself I picked it up and decided to play with it.
Anyway I'll probably still come out on top selling it, after the trade in offer and Galaxy buds. Listed at $880, but will let it go if someone offers $850. Being in Seattle area, generally tech gadgets sell pretty quick here. So I should be able to find a buyer soon.

And the $130 e-certificate pre order certificate was included for S10e pre orders from last Monday (thru work program discount) which made my decision much easier and decided to go for it.

Sounds like a plan...I'm in this area too :) I usually sell on eBay or Swappa.
 

Maknora

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I'm actually thinking of switching to the 10e too because this fps scanner sucks. But I'm worried about the side sensor. Is it more convenient than the s9? I have the S9 before.
 

cmybliss

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I ordered both, the S10+ for me to play with (before passing along to my husband) and the S10e for my daughter. The e got here on launch date, the + is set to deliver tomorrow. It’ll be interesting to see them side by side. The e is a nice phone, but as a Note user it’s a bit small for me. Perfect for my teenager though. She’s seriously loving the camera.
 

Super Spartan

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I'm actually thinking of switching to the 10e too because this fps scanner sucks. But I'm worried about the side sensor. Is it more convenient than the s9? I have the S9 before.

10 times more convenient in all honesty. I have the S9 right next to me dude. With the S9, it is pretty accurate but sometimes you may touch the camera lens when trying to hit the FPS. With the S10e, there is no guessing, you always get it right 100% from the first attempt
 

Maknora

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10 times more convenient in all honesty. I have the S9 right next to me dude. With the S9, it is pretty accurate but sometimes you may touch the camera lens when trying to hit the FPS. With the S10e, there is no guessing, you always get it right 100% from the first attempt

What finger do you use? This sounds enticing
 

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