Why You Can Trust CNET Galaxy S10 specs vs. Galaxy S9, S10 Plus, S10E, S10 5G: How do these phones compare?
Samsung has a dizzying number of Galaxy phones. Here's what makes the ones from 2018 and 2019 different from one another.
It's been a year since Samsung launched its Galaxy S10 flagship line. But just because the Galaxy S20 phones are available does not mean the company's 2019 line obsolete. The same goes for 2018's Galaxy S9 phones, which are still being sold by retailers at deep discounts.
As a quick rundown on just the main S10 models, the marquee phones are the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus . The S10 features a 6.1-inch display, three rear cameras and a single front-facing camera. The S10 Plus, meanwhile, is a bit larger with a 6.4-inch screen. The bigger display is accommodated with a higher-capacity battery (a 4,100-mAh battery compared to the Galaxy S10's 3,400-mAh one). It, too, has three rear cameras, but Samsung added a second 8-megapixel front-facing camera.
Advertiser Disclosure
The Galaxy S10E is not as expensive as the others. With its 5.8-inch screen it's slightly smaller than the rest and has a smaller-capacity 3,100-mAh battery. It only has dual rear cameras and, like the Galaxy S10, a single front-facing shooter. Lastly, there's the Galaxy S10 5G . It has a 6.7-inch screen and works on high-speed 5G mobile networks. It launched first exclusively on Verizon, but other carriers sell it too. On the back is a whopping four-camera setup, which includes a 3D Depth camera.
Meanwhile, 2018's Galaxy S9 has a 5.8-inch screen, a single 12-megapixel rear camera, a Snapdragon 845 processor and less expandable memory (up to 400GB compared to the Galaxy S10s' 512GB). The Galaxy S9 has a smaller, third memory option, too. It has a 64GB tier, while the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus start at 128GB and 512GB, respectively.
To see how these phones compare spec-by-spec, check out our chart below. And for a comparison of these phones with the Note 10 phones, check out: Which Samsung Galaxy phone should you buy? We compare all 9 of them.
Galaxy S10 lineup
| Samsung Galaxy S9 | Samsung Galaxy S10E | Samsung Galaxy S10 | Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus | Samsung Galaxy S10 5G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display size, resolution | 5.8-inch; 2,960x1,440 pixels | 5.8-inch AMOLED; 2,280x1,080 pixels | 6.1-inch AMOLED; 3,040x1,440 pixels | 6.4-inch AMOLED; 3,040x1,440 pixels | 6.7-inch AMOLED |
| Pixel density | 570ppi | 438ppi | 550ppi | 522ppi | 505ppi |
| Dimensions (inches) | 5.81 x 2.70 x 0.33 in. | 5.59 x 2.75 x 0.27 in. | 5.9 x 2.77 x 0.31 in. | 6.20 x 2.92 x 0.31 in. | 6.40 x 3.04 x 0.31 in. |
| Dimensions (millimeters) | 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5mm | 142 x 69.9 x 7.9mm | 149.9 x 70.4 x 7.8mm | 157.6 x 74.1 x 7.8mm | 162.6 x 77.1 x 7.94mm |
| Weight (ounces, grams) | 5.75 oz.; 163g | 5.29 oz.; 150g | 5.53 oz.; 157g | 6.17 oz.; 175g | 6.98 oz.; 198g |
| Mobile software | Android 8.0 Oreo | Android 9.0 with Samsung One UI | Android 9.0 with Samsung One UI | Android 9.0 with Samsung One UI | Android 9.0 with Samsung One UI |
| Camera | 12-megapixel | 16-megapixel, 12-megapixel | 16-megapixel (ultra wide-angle), 12-megapixel (wide-angle), 12-megapixel (telephoto) | 16-megapixel (ultra wide-angle), 12-megapixel (wide-angle), 12-megapixel (telephoto) | 16-megapixel (ultra wide-angle), 12-megapixel (wide-angle), 12-megapixel (telephoto), 3D depth (HQVGA) |
| Front-facing camera | 8-megapixel | 10-megapixel | 10-megapixel | 10-megapixel, 8-megapixel | 10-megapixel, 3D depth (HQVGA) |
| Video capture | 4K | 4K | 4K | 4K | 4K |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor (2.8GHz + 1.7GHz octa-core), or Samsung Exynos 9810 (2.7 GHz + 1.7 GHz octa-core) | Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 | Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 | Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 | Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 |
| Storage | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 512GB | 512GB, 1TB | 256GB |
| RAM | 4GB | 6GB, 8GB | 8GB | 8GB, 12GB | 8GB |
| Expandable storage | Up to 400GB | Up to 512GB | Up to 512GB | Up to 512GB | No |
| Battery | 3,000 mAh | 3,100 mAh | 3,400 mAh | 4,100 mAh | 4,500 mAh |
| Fingerprint sensor | Back | Power button | In-screen | In-screen | TBA |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
| Headphone jack | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | TBA |
| Special features | Dual-aperture camera, water-resistant (IP68); super slo-mo video; wireless charging; iris scanning | Wireless PowerShare; hole-punch screen notch; water resistant (IP68); Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 | Wireless PowerShare; hole-punch screen notch; water resistant (IP68); Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 | Wireless PowerShare; hole-punch screen notch; water resistant (IP68); Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 | Wireless PowerShare; 3D depth cameras (not for face unlock); water resistant (IP68); Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 |
