Galaxy Note 10 and 10+ vs Note 9: wave goodbye to the headphone jack

Well, here it is: Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10 and 10+ are finally here.

Of course, you’re likely wondering whether it’s worth the upgrade, especially over last year’s Note 9. To help with that, here are some of the biggest differences between the devices (as well as a spec comparison below).

The first big difference between the 2019 and 2018 Notes is that there are twice as many as last year. Samsung launched two versions, a Note 10 and 10+ and both feature some upgrades over the predecessor. For example, the Note 10+ sports a 6.8-inch 3,040 x 1,440 pixel resolution Curved Dynamic AMOLED display in the same physical phone size as the Note 9, which had a 1440 x 2960 pixel 6.4-inch display.

The smaller Note 10, however, has a downgraded display at 2280 x 1080 pixels measuring at 6.3-inches.

Both new Notes also have increased storage and RAM, starting at 256GB and with 8GB RAM in the Note 10 and 12GB in the 10+. The Note 9 had only 128GB and 6GB respectively to start.

Another noteworthy difference is the battery, with the Note 10+ offering 300mAh more than the Note 9’s 4,000mAh battery, while the Note 10 loses out with 3,500mAh.

Specs

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

Samsung Galaxy Note 10

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+

Display

6.4-inch, Super AMOLED, 1440 x 2960 pixels, 18:5:9 aspect ratio, HDR10

6.3-inch Curved Dynamic AMOLED, 2280 x 1080 pixels, 19:9 aspect ratio

6.8-inch Curved Dynamic AMOLED, 3,040 x 1,440 pixels, 19:9 aspect ratio

Processor

Snapdragon 845 (Exynos 9810)

Snapdragon 855

Snapdragon 855

RAM

6GB, 8GB of RAM

8GB of RAM

12GB of RAM

Storage

128GB, 512GB (expandable up 512GB)

256GB

256GB, 512GB (expandable up 1TB)

Dimensions

161.9mm x 76.4mm x 8.8mm

151 x 71.8 x 7.9mm

162.3 x 77.2 x 7.9mm

Weight

201g

167g

196g

Rear Facing Camera

12-megapixel (f/1.5-2.4, OIS) + 12-megapixel (f/2.4, OIS) dual-LED flash

16-megapixel (f/2.2) + 12-megapixel (variable f/1.5-f/2.4) +12-megapixel (f/2.4)

19-megapixel (f/2.2) + 12-megapixel (variable f/1.5-f/2.4) +12-megapixel (f/2.4), TOF 3D camera

Front Facing Camera

8-megapixel (f/1.7)

10-megapixel (f/2.2)

10-megapixel (f/2.2)

OS

Android Oreo

Android 9 Pie, One UI

Android 9 Pie, One UI

Battery

4,000mAh

3,500mAh

4300mAh

Network Connectivity

GSM/HSPA/LTE

GSM/HSPA/LTE

GSM/HSPA/LTE

Sensors

Fingerprint (rear-mounted), Iris scanner, fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2

Fingerprint (in-display), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass

Fingerprint (in-display), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass

SIM Type

Nano SIM

Nano SIM

Nano SIM

Launch Date

August 9, 2018

August 23, 2019

August 24, 2019

Misc

Colours: Ocean Blue, Midnight Black, Lavender Purple (U.S only) | Bluetooth S Pen, Samsung DeX with adapter, Fortnite, IP68 water and dust resistant

Colours: Aura Glow and Aura Black | 25W fast charging, S Pen with Air Actions, IP68 water and dust-proof | no microSD card slot

Colours: Aura Glow, Aura Black and Aura White | 45W fast charging, S Pen with Air Actions, IP68 water and dust-proof, Samsung DeX without adapter | microSD card slot

Additionally, both new Notes have in-display fingerprint scanners, while the old Note 9 had a rear-mounted scanner.

But for all the new features, there are some major things missing. The 3.5mm headphone jack is gone now, after years of Samsung poking fun at other companies for doing the same. Samsung also dropped the microSD card from the Note 10, although the Note 10+ still has it.

You can learn more about the Note 10 and 10+ in MobileSyrup’s managing editor Patrick O’Rourke’s hands-on with the devices.