Australia Can Now Get Its Grabby Hands On A Samsung Galaxy Note 10

Attention, Australia!

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 is now officially available. Here’s everything you need to know.

[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2019/08/samsung-galaxy-note-10-plus-first-look-review/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/note-10-header-4-410×231.jpg” title=”The Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ Is A Sexy Binch Who Likes To Get Dirty” excerpt=”Earlier this month Samsung finally unveiled its much-leaked Note 10 range. For the first time ever we have three versions of the Note – the 10, 10+ and 10+ 5G. We have gotten the chance to play with the non-5G 10+ over the past few days and these are our first impressions.”]

The Design

You’re going to hear this a lot, but thanks to Titanic-sized leaks leading up to this launch, there aren’t many surprises regarding the Note 10 looks.

Coming in ‘Aura Black’ and ‘Aura Glow’ that is deeply reminiscent of Huawei’s P30 Pro, the new Note is stunning. The entry-level device has a 6.3 inch screen, with 6.8 inches for both Plus models and a bezel-less design.

The mammoth screen-to-body ratio is only interrupted by the Infinity-0 display, first seen in the S10. However, it has moved to the centre-top of the device this time around. The in-screen ultra-sonic fingerprint scanner is back as well.

At the rear you’ll find a vertical camera array, yet another change from the horizontal setup in the previous S-Series. DeX is still a thing, allowing you to transfer files and use phone apps on a PC through a USB cable.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly… the headphone jack is indeed gone. RIP.

What’s Under The Hood

The entry level Note 10 starts at 256GB storage with 8GB RAM, which is the same as the high-end S10e. It also comes with the latest Exynos 9825 processor, which is the same across the series.

As the rumours suggested, this Note will be the first in the series to not include expandable storage.

The Note 10+ sports 256GB storage but bumps the RAM up to 12GB, an option also available on the S10 Plus. If you want a little bit more room there is a MicroSD slot. This is a hybrid, so it can be used for a second SIM instead if you’d prefer.

The 5G model also has 12GB RAM but is only available with 512GB storage, but with a MicroSD slot. However, unlike the regular 10+ it isn’t a hybrid.

The Cameras

There isn’t much new to report. The Note 10 has basically the same camera setup as the more expensive S10 models, with a triple rear setup (12MP telephoto, 12MP wide-angle and 16MP ultra-wide) and a single 10MP front-facing camera.

The Note 10+ and 10+ 5G add to this by adding a fourth VGA 3D Depth Vision Camera that can scan an object and transform it into a movable 3D render. You can even doodle in AR, using the S Pen to add drawings, effects and animations images.

There’s no second front-facing camera in any of the Note 10 models (the S10+ has dual 10MP and 8MP cams) it does have Night Mode, so you can take literally lit selfies in low-light conditions.

Video is also getting an upgrade with Live Focus Video, allowing users to blur the background and focus on whatever the subject you’re shooting is. Yup, that’s bokeh on video.

Stabilisation is also said to be improved and now available in Hyperlapse mode.

There is also a Zoom-In-Mic that will minimise background noise while amplifying the in-frame audio.

The built-in video editor can be used alongside the S-Pen by selecting what you want to trim rather than tapping.

The Battery

Thanks to the bigger chassis, the Note Series has larger battery capacity than most S10 models.

The base Note 10 has a 3,500mAH battery, the Note 10+ and Note 10+ 5G have 4,300mAH batteries — although that’s a fraction smaller than the 4,500mAH S10+ 5G.

All models come with fast charging capabilities, though you won’t find a 45W fast-charger in your shiny new Note 10 box. Only a 25W charger will come as standard, with a fast charger being sold separately later in the year. Considering the price points of these devices, this is a tad disappointing.

Wireless PowerShare is also back. We still don’t recommend it for device-to-device charging unless you want to suck the life out of the other phone’s battery. But if you want to use it for charging smaller Qi-enabled gadgets like Galaxy Buds, go for it. At least it’s one less cable to worry about.

The S Pen

Leaks heavily implied that the S Pen would be getting a more significant upgrade this year, and it turns out that they were right.

In addition to a redesign, the biggest change is the ability to convert handwriting to text. Considering that the S Pen is one of the drawcards of a device that is literally called Note, it seems about time that this functionality be added.

Now you can turn your scratchy handwriting into text, which can be exported to programs such as Word. The notes can also be customised in terms of text size and colour.

Air Actions is another new feature added to the S Pen repertoire, letting you control different aspects of the device.

It has also been opened up for third-party development, allowing devs to customise the controls for their games and apps through the Air Actions SDK.

Spec Dump

For those of you who are just after the cold, hard specs.

Pricing

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 starts at $1,499, with the plus costing $1,699 and the top-of-the-range 5G model costing roughly the same as the S10+ 5G – $1,999.

You can also get them on plans, and we have most of them here. You can also get 12 and 36 month plan options from some telcos.

Telstra Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ (256GB) plans

[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2019/08/every-telstra-samsung-galaxy-note-10-plus-5g-plan/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/note-10-pic-410×231.jpg” title=”Here’s Telstra’s Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plans” excerpt=”Samsung just announced its long-anticipated Note 10 series and we all know what that means – a slew of new phones plans are now on the market. Here is what Telstra will have on offer for the chonky phablet, including a double pre-order offer.”]

The cheapest way to get the Note 10+ through Telstra is on the 24-month ‘Small’ plan, which would set you back $120.79 a month for 15GB data.

As per all Telstra plans you will also get no lock-in contract, no excess data fees and unlimited standard national calls and texts.

If you need more data, consider paying $10 more a month for the ‘Medium’ plan which gets you 60GB a month in total.

Telstra Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G (512GB) plans

Again, the cheapest here is the 24-month ‘Small’ which will cost $120.79 a month. But that probably isn’t enough data for anyone interested in 5G speeds, so you may want to opt for the Medium plan for $130.79 a month if you need a more realistic amount.

These plans come with the same inclusions as the Note+ but with the added ‘Free 5G Network Trial’ which will run until June 30 2020. After that only the ‘Large’ and ‘Extra Large’ plans will get it for free.

Those on ‘Small’ and ‘Medium’ plans will need to pay an extra $15 a month to access modern network infrastructure, or settle for 4G-only instead.

Optus Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ (256GB) plans

[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2019/08/all-of-optus-samsung-galaxy-note-10-plus-5g-plans/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/note-10-pic-2-410×231.jpg” title=”All Of Optus’ Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plans” excerpt=”Happy Note Day, everyone! Optus will be stocking some of the devices, and you can see everything the telco has on offer right here.”]

The cheapest plan here come is at $105 a month over 24-months, which $45 for the plan and $60 for the handset repayments.

However, it only comes with 4GB data, so we recommend spending the extra $10 a month to upgrade to 60GB.

Optus Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G (512GB) plans

Sadly we don’t have a shiny widget for the 5G plans, probably because of the delayed release. However, you can still pre-order one now over on the Optus website.

You’ll find that they’re all $10 more expensive a month compared to their regular Note 10+ counterparts. This means that the cheapest is $125 a month across 24-months for 4GB of data. Again, we recommend bumping that up, especially if you’re someone who wants to smash those fast 5G speeds.

Vodafone Samsung Galaxy Note 10 (256GB) plans

[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2019/08/get-your-vodafone-samsung-galaxy-note-10-plusplans-right-here/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/note-10-pic-3-410×231.jpg” title=”Get Your Vodafone Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plans Right Here” excerpt=”In case you missed the tech world screaming it from the virtual rooftops, it’s Note 10 Day. If you’re keen on a Vodafone plan, this is what it has on offer.”]

The cheapest of the bunch is the $35 Red Plan, which comes to a total of $97.45 a month for 4GB data across 24-months.

Our recommendation – pay the extra $10 a month to get 30GB data instead. It’s much better value.

Vodafone Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ (256GB) plans

Again, coming in cheapest is the $35 Red for $105.79 a month across 24-months for 5GB data. We still recommend you upgrade to get significantly more data for $10 more.

As an FYI a small loyalty discount may apply to select Vodafone Galaxy Note 10+ plans, bringing the cost down by a few bucks per month.

Woolworths Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 10 (256GB) plans

If you’re looking for the cheapest way to get a Note 10 or Note 10+ on a plan, Woolworth’s Mobile is where it’s at.

The cheapest Note 10 plan is $83 a month over 24-months for 5GB data. You can double that for an extra $10 a month, but if you really need something heftier you might want to look at the $103 a month plan which comes with 40GB data.

For comparison, this plan costs $2 less than Vodafone’s cheapest Note 10 plan but comes with 35GB more data. Plus you get the benefit of the Telstra network. Dayum.

Woolworths Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ (256GB) plans

The cheapest Note 10+ plan with Woolies is the $92 a month over 24-months for 5GB data. Again, Woolies has the best value Note 10+ plan here with its $112 a month plan that serves up 40GB data.

Availability

Here in Australia the entire Note 10 range will be available either in Aura Glow or Aura Black and it’s out now!