The Galaxy Note10 and Note10+ are finally here, and our handy guide will tell you everything you need to know about Samsung's latest and greatest smartphones.

Galaxy Note10 and Note10+ pre-order, pricing, and deals

The Galaxy Note10 and Note10+ are available for pre-order starting August 8th on Samsung's website as well as major US carriers. The official release date for the phone is August 23rd, though carriers have been known to ship pre-orders days ahead of the official "street" date for Samsung phones in the past.

The Galaxy Note10 will retail for $949 unlocked, while the Note10+ will be $1099. The Note10+ 5G will be available exclusively from Verizon for a limited time, and Samsung told us to expect similar pricing to the Galaxy S10+ 5G, which Verizon has confirmed, meaning a staggering $1299.

You probably want to know who has the best pre-order offers, and we're still compiling that information, but we believe Samsung will be giving crazy trade-in values (up to $600) for select phones based on previous leaks from the official website.

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Galaxy Note10 and Note10+ specs

In the US, we'll be receiving the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855-powered version of the Note10 and 10+ - rumors of the 855+ didn't end up panning out. The short version is that the two phones are largely identical apart from their sizes, with some minor differences (like the lack of a microSD slot on the Note10 and faster charging on the Note10+) between the two.

SPECS

Processor

Qualcomm Snapdragon 855

OS

Android 9 Pie

RAM

8GB (Note10), 12GB (Note10+)

Storage

256GB or 512GB (Note10+ only)

Display

6.3" Dynamic AMOLED 2280x1080 (Note10) or 6.8" Dynamic AMOLED 3040x1440 (Note10+), HDR10 certified (both)

Battery

3500mAh (Note10) or 4300mAh (Note10+), 25W charging (Note10) or 45W charging (Note10+)

Cameras (front)

10MP f/2.2 80-degree FoV

Cameras (rear)

Ultrawide 16MP f/2.2 123-degree FoV, standard 12MP f/1.5-2.4 77-degree FoV, telephoto 12MP f/2.1 45-degree FoV, ToF VGA f/1.4 (Note10+ only)

Dimensions

71.8 x 151 x 7.9mm 168g (Note10), 77.2 x 162.3 x 7.9mm 196g (Note10+)

microSD

No (Note10), yes (Note10+)

Headphone jack

No

Ruggedization

IP68

Galaxy Note10 vs Note10+ compared: Which is better?

For the first time, Samsung has split the Galaxy Note into two distinct models. One, the cheaper (if you can call $950 "cheap") Galaxy Note10, is a fair bit smaller than Notes of the last couple years. The other, the Note10+ ($1100) is slightly bigger than last year's Note9, but by less than you'd think: it's just 0.8mm wider and 0.4mm taller than 2018's Galaxy Note9. Don't let the 6.8" display diagonal fool you, though: the Note10+ isn't nearly as gigantic as people would have you think. It's a smidge wider and taller than a OnePlus 7 Pro, but substantially thinner. It's a big phone, but it's not setting any records over here.

Between the Note10 and Note10+, there are some key differences to consider, and I'll outline them in the bullets below.

  • Display size and resolution: The Note10 has a 6.3" 1080p display, while the Note10+ has a 6.8" 1440p screen
  • microSD card slot: The Note10 doesn't have one. The Note10+ does.
  • RAM: The Note10 comes with 8GB of RAM, while the Note10+ comes with 12GB
  • Storage: The Note10+ will have a 512GB storage option in the US, the Note10 will not
  • Battery: The Note10 has a 3500mAh battery, the 10+ has a much larger 4300mAh one
  • Charging: Only the Note10+ supports ultra-fast 45W charging, the Note10 peaks at 25W. For wireless charging, the Note10 peaks at 12W, while the Note10+ maxes at 15W.
  • Cameras: The Note10+ is equipped with a "time-of-flight" depth sensing rear camera
  • Price: Obviously, the Note10 is cheaper ($950) than the Note10+ ($1100)

Samsung is banking on the addition of a microSD slot, faster charging, more RAM, a bigger screen and battery, and an extra rear camera convincing people to shell out an extra $150 for the Note10+. Is it worth it? I'd argue yes. Here's why.

First, the Note has always been a big phone, and anyone considering the newest iteration probably likes large devices. The Note10 is a substantial size reduction from 2018's Note9, while the Note10+ is just a touch larger. If you were OK with the Galaxy Note8 and Note9's size, the Note10+ isn't going to be too big for you - it's very similar.

Second, the Note10 really has some significant disadvantages I do think are worth considering. 25W charging is quick, but the Note10+'s 45W wired charging is going to be much quicker for short top-ups, and 45W USB-PD chargers aren't expensive. Add in that it has 25% quicker wireless charging (15W) than the Note10, and that's a real benefit. The lack of a microSD slot, less RAM, and a much smaller battery really don't make the standard Note10 look attractive at any price. At that point, a Galaxy S10+ will be much cheaper, has a much bigger battery, the same processor, and runs the same OS version.

If you want to spend more money, Note10+ 5G!

No doubt, some of you are curious about Samsung's 5G plans for the Note10, and I can give you a rundown quickly. Verizon will be the exclusive US carrier for the Note10+ 5G temporarily, much as it was for the S10+ 5G earlier this year. Verizon will be charging the same $1300 for the Note10+ 5G as it did the S10+ 5G, curiously, though the 5G-ified Note won't have any real upgrades over its 4G counterpart. Samsung says you can expect the weight to increase by 2 grams, but otherwise, the Note10+ and Note10+ 5G are physically identical.

Other carriers will announce their Note10+ 5G plans later this year. Samsung wouldn't confirm if all four major US carriers will sell the device.

Galaxy Note10 and Note10+ hands-on and review

We don't have our Galaxy Note10 review unit yet, but we had a chance to try out the phone in a hands-on session last week. You can find that post here with more information.

In summary, the Note10 (and particularly Note10+) brings a lot of the same Samsung we've seen for the last two years to the table: an excellent screen, good cameras, the latest processors, and premium pricing. While I'm not ready to make the call yet, the Galaxy Note10+ seems like the winner of the two, and I believe it'll be the one to buy (even if it is pretty expensive). The smaller Note10 just doesn't do enough to justify existing in my mind, and I believe most buyers would be happier with an older and much cheaper S10 or S10+ than they will with the smaller Note device this year.

We'll have our full review up later this month, closer to the launch date of the Note10, so stay tuned.