Samsung has taken its fans by surprise with the official announcement of Galaxy Note 10 Lite and Galaxy S10 Lite. These phones with watered-down specs appear to be aimed at consumers who can’t afford the ridiculously expensive Galaxy Note 10 and S10 models. They could be compelling options for customers who want the premium Galaxy experience without spending a huge pile of cash. Let’s check out how Galaxy Note 10 Lite vs Galaxy S10 Lite differ.
Both phones have large screens, and they are similar in many aspects. But their launch has also confused many Samsung fans. Why did Samsung feel the need to launch Galaxy S10 Lite when it had the affordable Galaxy S10E? There are just too many phones in the Galaxy S10 lineup now – S10, S10E, S10 Plus, S10 5G, and now S10 Lite.
And the Galaxy Note series has always been about power, performance, and multi-tasking. It often packs the latest and greatest features Samsung has to offer. The Note 10 Lite is not going to be as powerful as the regular Note 10 or Note 10 Plus. Why did Samsung feel the need to use the ‘Note’ branding for an affordable phone with watered-down specs?
More importantly, Samsung already has an impressive lineup of mid-range Galaxy A-series and Galaxy M-series phones. Where will the Galaxy Note 10 Lite and S10 Lite fit into its portfolio? The Korean company may offer some of these questions at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) later this week.
Galaxy Note 10 Lite vs Galaxy S10 Lite: Design and display
The two smartphones have a similar design. They both sport the same 6.7-inch Full HD+ screens with 394ppi of pixel density and 2,400 x 1080p resolution. While the S10 Lite gets a Super AMOLED Plus Infinity-O display, the Note 10 Lite packs the regular Super AMOLED Infinity-O display. The screens look flat instead of curved.
Both devices have a hole in the top-center to accommodate the selfie camera. There are slim bezels at the top and bottom of the screen on both handsets. On the back panel, they both get a square camera module that houses a triple camera setup. Both of them have an in-display fingerprint sensor for authentication and security.
The Note 10 Lite is slightly thicker, wider, and heavier than the S10 Lite. The Note 10 Lite measures 76.1 x 163.7 x 8.7mm and weighs 199g. In contrast, the S10 Lite measures 75.6 x 162.5 x 8.1mm and weighs 186g. Both phones have a plastic body, so they don’t feel as premium as their more expensive siblings.
Now let’s take a look at the differences between them. The biggest difference is that the Note 10 Lite gets the S Pen stylus, which links via Bluetooth Low-Energy standard. It offers the usual set of features such as Air Commands, multimedia control, and clicking to take pictures.
Samsung has also equipped the Note 10 Lite with the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack, which is missing from the S10 Lite. The Note 10 Lite will be available in Aura Glow, Aura Black, and Aura Red colors. The S10 Lite will come in Prism Black, Prism White, and Prism Blue colors.
Hardware specifications
These are ‘Lite’ phones, so they won’t be the most powerful Android handsets of 2020. But they will still be powerful enough to handle any task you throw at them. Both devices have the same 6GB or 8GB RAM options. They both offer 128GB of built-in storage. If you want more storage space, both devices have a microSD card slot with support for up to 1TB external storage.
The Galaxy S10 Lite will run Qualcomm’s octa-core Snapdragon 855 processor built on the 7nm architecture. In contrast, the Note 10 Lite will get Samsung’s in-house 64-bit octa-core Exynos chipset. Samsung hasn’t specified which Exynos model it will be using in the Note 10 Lite. But it’s expected to use the 10nm Exynos 8895, which has been around for quite a while.
Since the Note 10 Lite uses an Exynos chip, it might not be sold in the US. But the Korean company could still manage to launch it in the US, powering the US variant with a Snapdragon processor.
In terms of battery, both models pack the same 4,500mAh battery, which should easily last more than a full day of normal usage. Both of them will support Samsung’s proprietary Super Fast charging technology.
Galaxy Note 10 Lite vs Galaxy S10 Lite: Camera
Both smartphones feature a triple camera setup on the back, and a single selfie camera on the front. The Note 10 Lite has a 12MP ultra-wide angle lens, a 12MP wide-angle lens, and a 12MP telephoto lens housed in a square camera module. It supports Dual Pixel autofocus and OIS. For selfies, the Note 10 Lite has a 32MP lens with an f/2.2 aperture.
The Galaxy S10 Lite houses a 48MP wide-angle lens, a 12MP ultra-wide angle lens, and a 5MP macro lens. The S10 Lite features the Super Steady OIS on the 48MP lens. Samsung says the Super Steady OIS provides greater stability for action-focused photos and videos. For selfies, it has a 32MP lens.
Pricing and availability
The Korean electronics giant hasn’t announced the pricing and availability details yet. It is expected to share these details at the Consumer Electronics Show. We don’t know if the Note 10 Lite will be sold in the US.
Samsung will reportedly offer the new phones at “accessible price points.” The devices will likely be competing with Google’s Pixel 3a and OnePlus smartphones.
The S10 Lite appears to have a better camera, at least on paper. But the Note 10 Lite gets the S Pen stylus and the 3.5mm audio jack.
