Samsung has always been a big player in the smartphone market. In fact, they’ve risen to be one of the top players when the world moved into the smartphone era. With the launch of the new S20 line up, the S10 series celebrates one year in the market. However, in a move very unlike Samsung, the company has announced a new addition to their S10 series; a scaled-down version of its flagship S10 – the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite.

I wonder how the new naming scheme will turn out cause it’s getting a little confusing. You’d think that with the launch of the S20 Series, we would see a successor to the S10e Series instead.

Design

The Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite comes with the same design frame as the S10 series but with a chunkier camera on the top left corner instead of the cameras going across horizontally. The back of the body is made of plastic but it comes with a really nice colour similar to the other S10s.

In Prism White, it gives out a very colorful gradient of colours when light refracts off it; mimicking the characteristics of the mother of pearl. Also available in the market are two more colours to choose from which are Prism Black and Prism Blue. That said, the black and blue do not seem to have the same refractive patterns in their design. 

The size is about the same as a Galaxy Note 10+ which is a little too big for my liking. This is primarily because it is difficult to reach across the screen with just one hand. Holding it with two hands is just nice as both thumbs can easily reach all essential usage areas.

The phone seems to lack stereo speakers; it has one really loudspeaker at the bottom of the phone. This compromise isn’t too bad, as the speaker is able to get the job done just fine. It is loud and clear but lacks the immersive experience that stereo speakers provide. 

The Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite also lacks a 3.5 mm headphone jack. It is too much of a disappointment at this point. Rather, it is very unexpected as the rest of the S10 Series still had the headphone jack. The same goes for the newly launched Galaxy M31 and Galaxy A71. 

Hardware

Specifications

Just like the other S10 Series, the S10 Lite runs Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 processor which is last year’s top of the line processor. Even though it is not using the latest processor, it is not an issue as it still performs relatively well.

The Snapdragon 855 is paired with with 8GB of RAM, which is plentiful. This is complemented by 128GB of internal storage. Of course, just like most of Samsung’s phones it boasts its expandable storage via micro SD card. You can add up to 1TB of additional memory. There are also two other variations holding a smaller 6GB RAM and the same 128GB storage and another with 8GB RAM with a bigger 512GB storage. However, these variants are not officially available in Malaysia.

Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
Operating System (OS)	Android 10 One UI 2
Display	Super AMOLED+ capacitive touchscreen, 16M colours 6.7 inches 87.8% screen to body ratio
Memory	6GB RAM, 128GB Storage ( As Reviewed) 8GB RAM, 128GB Storage 8GB RAM, 512GB Storage
Rear Camera	48 MP wide camera, f/2.0, 26mm, PDAF, Super Steady OIS 12 MP ultrawide, f/2.2, 12mm 5 MP macro, f/2.4, 25mm
Front Camera	32 MP wide, f/2.2, 25mm
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS NFC USB Type-C (v1.0)
Audio	Single loud speaker No 3.5 mm jack
Battery	4,500 mAh battery 45W fast charging
Miscellaneous	Fingerprint (under display, optical), Accelerometer Gyro Sensory Proximity Sensor Compass

Software

One UI is a whole new world yet it retains that familiarity that makes a Samsung device a Samsung device. The interface is easy to use. In fact, you can get used to it within a few hours of using the phone. With the launch of One UI 2, Samsung has really up its optimization for user convenience and improving the user experience.

One of the many conveniences that come with the S10 Lite’s software is its pop up when you kick Bluetooth on. This came in pretty handy when I got into my car.

I personally like to use the personal assistant that pops up as a ball that you can move around. Some find it annoying as it takes up space and disrupts your viewing experience. However, for me it was really convenient. It’s convenience is increased that to the customisations that it allows. The controls range from locking your screen, taking screenshots, volume control, Bixby and even an emergency SOS button.

The Gallery app has a suggestion feature that will suggest optimisations or layouts for pictures that you have taken using the phone. These suggestions include a picture collage or even GIFs by combining pictures that were taken in succession.

Samsung’s optimisations for user convenience don’t just end with home screen and gallery app, it extends even to the camera interface of the device. By default, there are already presets camera modes such as photo, video, panorama, time lapse etc. in the camera mode tray. You get the idea. But, when you open the menu for more camera options, you can actually drag and drop the camera mode that you use most frequently into the camera mode tray.

Performance

The performance of the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite is commendable. There was little to no lags, it was mostly smooth running. Even with two different apps running at the same time in a split-screen view or pop up view, the smartphone still worked smoothly without much issue. 

Benchmarks

Call quality and connectivity

Calls were loud and clear. In fact, it could be a little too loud when the volume is maxed. This is impressive considering the size of the earpiece. However, this could be a boon to older people who are hard of hearing.

When it comes to using the loud speaker during calls, however, it’s another story. The sound quality wasn’t really good. The speaker wasn’t loud enough and the mic could not catch my voice. This was partially due to the distance from the phone. In my particular case, I was driving with music in the background. However, you’d think that it would at least be able to be audible enough.

Gaming

Gaming performance is excellent, when playing games such as PUBG. The gaming experience is immersive and smooth. The large screen lends itself to a much more immersive visual experience; It gives you a good view of your game with enough space to allow the on screen controls to not get in the way of game play. This was particularly pronounced with games such as first-person shooters and racing games. 

That said, the audio experience of the S10 Lite wasn’t as alluring. The sole speaker on the phone tends to be blocked by your palm when gaming in landscape mode. This was particularly annoying as it would rip you out of your game. In my opinion, users will need to invest in a pair of Bluetooth earphones for the best gaming experience on the Galaxy S10 Lite. 

The Galaxy S10 Lite doesn’t really heat up easily. However, after heavy gaming, the device did get noticeably warm. In fact, I could feel the heat and it was getting my hands sweaty, but, then again, I sweat easily anyway. 

Security and Privacy

Samsung’s S10 Lite comes with Knox. If you’ve been using Samsung phones, you should already be familiar with this feature. In fact, any Android user using Android 8.0 (Oreo) devices or later, you’ve had a taste of Samsung’s Knox. In Samsung devices, Knox has two roles; it stores your biometric and Samsung Pay data and it also allows you to safely store away your work in a separate, secured profile. For the S10 Lite, the most basic application for Knox is the many options it has for biometrics to unlock the device.

The fingerprint sensor on the S10 Lite is now under the display. It uses an optical sensor which scans an image of your fingerprint to unlock the phone. The fingerprint sensor works fine but it is not perfect. It took a few tries to read my fingerprint. This flaw was especially pronounced when my palms were sweaty or when there was water on the screen.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite is also able to use face unlock. It seems to work a lot better than the fingerprint sensor. The initial setup requires you to scan your face with and without your spectacles. Holy moly is it a lot faster! The S10 Lite was even able to recognise my face before I could even lift it to the front of my face. 

Battery life

The battery on the Galaxy S10 Lite was pretty good. I still had some charge to spare after about 9 hours of use. The phone was able to last from 100% to 20% in about 9 hours with my usage. However, with just that 20% of juice, I could easily last an additional 6 hours with moderate usage.  Fast charging on the S10 Lite is a lifesaver; the phone could be charged from 5% to about 20% in just 10 minutes.

The S10 Lite has a larger battery capacity of 4,500 mAh which lasted me about two days during my review. However, the phone itself lacks wireless charging capabilities. The lack of which is a little disappointing as some other brands are able to include the feature while keeping their prices even lower.

Display

The Super AMOLED+ screen of the S10 Lite is pretty crisp and clear. In fact, it has one of the best blacks on the market when it comes to devices in the price range. During my review, I was amazed by how the room went pitch black during the loading screen of LEGO Star Wars in the dark. I also like how Samsung tweaked the One UI to have the punch hole disappear into a black bar when apps kick into full screen. This was especially appreciated while gaming. It doesn’t work on all games though, the punch hole was still visible when I was playing PUBG. 

The phone also has really thin bezels. It’s a good thing considering you’re getting more screen real estate. The S10 Lite has a screen to body ration of about 87.8% which essentially means you see more screen on the front of the device. However, the thin bezels can get annoying at times. Since I was not using a case, I was constantly touching the edge of the screen which interrupted my scrolling, video watching, and gaming. It happened way too often that it became really annoying. 

Adaptive brightness adjust the brightness great even in sudden changes and retains the same comfort brightness even in different lighting settings. The most noticeable moment you can experience the change is the change from indoors to outdoors and vice versa. It takes a second to adjust itself but it gets it right every time.

Camera(s)

Finally the time has come for the cameras. The Galaxy S10 Lite has really stepped up its game in the camera specifications of the S10 line-up. Instead of the 12-megapixel main camera that has been on the S10+ and Note 10+ but a higher resolution 48-megapixel camera. Surprisingly, the new Galaxy S20 and S20+ still retained the lower resolution 12-megapixel as the main camera. However, they do come with a 64 megapixel telephoto lens which should perform better when taking zoomed pictures. So, technically the S10 Lite will take better pictures up close. 

The S10 Lite also comes with a triple camera system. The main camera such as mentioned above is a wide angle lens followed by a 12-megapixel ultrawide and lastly a 5-megapixel macro lens. The S10 Lite can record 4K UHD resolution at either 60 frames per second or 30 frames per second. The phone also can record 1080p at 30, 60 or 240 frames per second.

The selfie camera is also a higher resolution sensor compared to the other devices in the S10 series. Instead of the 10-megapixel sensor, the S10 Lite comes with a 32-megapixel sensor. The only drawback it has compared to the other S10 Series is that the S10 Lite only can record at 1080p at 30 frames per second while the other S10+ and Note10+ can record on 4K UHD at 30 frames per second. 

Affordability

Last but not least, the price of the phone makes it the most affordable device in the S10 line up. The retail price of MYR 2,699 is almost half of what the other devices in the S10 series used to be. However, the smartphone retains most of the performance that the S10 series is known for. Well, you do miss out on some goodies such as the headphone jack, stereo speakers, AKG tuned audio, wireless charging, and a more dated USB 2.0 (Type-C) instead of 3.1 Type-C connector. But for what you are paying, I personally think it is really comparable to flagship phones made by some Chinese manufacturers. 

The phone is mostly targeted to young adults who just made it into the working world. Realistically, it is not achievable for someone who is getting an average pay of MYR 2,800 to make a hefty purchase for just a phone which takes up almost their entire paycheck. Even if you do an installment for a year, it is still MYR 225 a month. The monthly seems small but after deducting expenses including the phone monthly installment, you are going to be left with nothing.  

It goes without saying that there are more affordable options out there. For that, the S10 lite is scoring a little lower on the affordability scale.

An Entry Level Flagship that Doesn’t Bring Enough Value to Stand Out

Is this the ultimate “entry-level” flagship smartphone? Yes and No.

Yes; if you are trying to get into the Samsung flagship family. It has all the performance that you need. Gaming smoothly without any issues and a battery that lasts an entire day. A better camera with better software optimizations to give you breathtaking picture quality. It even comes in a similar size to the other Galaxy S Series and a newer aesthetics to the new Galaxy S20 Series line up.

No; if you are considering other manufacturer phones as well. If you are not picky about the brand, paranoid on used phones and do not want to spend a fortune on a new flagship. At a slightly lower priced than the S10 Lite, you can get a used S10+ or Note10+ and get all the luxury goodies such as the wireless charger, stereo speakers and etc that are absent on the S10 Lite. I would call it a Luxury goodie as you do not actually need it, but it is really nice and convenient to have it.

At the end of the day, the most important question is, “Would I get it?”. Frankly, I would not. I find that the phone is too expensive for what it has to offer. Other phone manufacturers are able to provide extremely similar specifications for a lower price. As for the premium features that I will be missing out on, well I can live without it and it is not a huge deal that it would inconvenience my life.

Would I recommend it? Maybe. You should definitely consider it as it still does give great performance with some of Samsung’s optimisations. If you have the dough to get yourself a new phone, then why not? New phones do give you an oddly satisfying box opening experience and giving you peace of mind that the phone has not tampered with.