Go, Go, Gadget

So if you’re looking for a phone that screams 2019, the S10 will do the job nicely. In geek speak, it also allows for a 93. 1 per cent screen-to-body ratio.

Bigger screens with camera cut-outs

The Galaxy S10 family boast the fi rst major redesign we’ve seen on a Samsung fl agship since the Galaxy S8 back in 2017. The screens are one step closer to edge-to-edge thanks to the use of a camera cut-out display dubbed “Infi nity O”. Rather than putting the selfi e camera in a notch, Samsung has built it directly into the top right hand corner of the display.

The S10+ even has two.

All the S10 models have a tall 19:9 aspect ratio, slightly smaller than the 21:9 of a cinema screen. The S10+ features Samsung’s unique curved screen, handy for more obvious alerts and notifi cations in fl ight than the standard blinking LED with the notifi cations turned off to avoid distractions. The S10+ has a 6. 4-inch Quad HD display producing more than 16 million colours, that gets up to 1,200 nits at peak brightness and handles HDR10+ video and movies.

In the harsh light of the midday sun streaming on through the cockpit, the display produced vivid colours and good contrast on the AvPlan lite app we were running.

This also means the Galaxy S10+ has a larger display in a formfactor that’s still a similar size to its predecessors, this time measuring in at 6. 4-inches. We’re essentially getting bigger a bigger screen in a smaller packages.

More cameras

The Galaxy S10+ has three-rear facing cameras. A 12MP standard lens with a variable aperture, a 12MP zoom lens, and a 16MP ultra-wide angle lens.

Security

More secure than the average regional airport, the Galaxy S10+ uses facial recognition (that actually works really well compared with other big name phones), and in-screen fi ngerprint technology. Given the somewhat awkward placement of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S9 fi ngerprint reader on the back of the phone, this change isn’t necessarily unwelcome and you’ll no longer smudge your camera with oily fi nger tips.

Charging and battery life

All S10s feature Samsung’s fast wireless charging 2. 0 apart from the S10 5G which also offers ‘Super Fast’ wired 25W charging. They also support reverse wireless charging.

That is, you’ll be able to use any spare capacity in your S10 to charge any other device that supports Qi wireless charging. This includes other phones, but also accessories like Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds. Unfortunately, if your EFB is an Apple you’ll be unable to take advantage of this feature as it does not support wireless charging.

The first major redesign since the Galaxy S8 in 2017

In power saving mode, with display brightness set to full and connected to a 4G network at 6000ft the S10+ consumed around 20 per cent of the battery from a full charge. It also gets hot! We’ve experienced iPad’s running Avplan and OzRunways shutting down due to overheating in a 35 degree cockpit, so whether or not the S10+ can sustain operations in the middle of summer, we’re not too sure. On a mild day the phone remained operational, although not very comfortable when resting on a bare thigh in a pair of shorts.

S10 vs S10+ vs S10e: what’s the difference?

Looking to save a little cash? The Galaxy S10e is Samsung’s ever-so-slightly more affordable fl agship smartphone, but it’s a little more basic. In fact, the “e” stands for essential.

While the Galaxy S10e shares a lot of its functionality with its pricier siblings – it has the same processor under the hood, it has a camera cutout display, and two of the same rearfacing cameras – a few compromises have been made to keep the price down.

The display is a little smaller, measuring in at 5. 8 inches. It also runs at a lower resolution, and is fl at, rather than curved. There’s no in-screen fi ngerprint reader, with Samsung squeezing biometric authentication into the power button instead. There’s also no zoom lens, although you still get the standard 12MP and 16MP ultra-wide angle lens from the S10 and S10+.

The Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ are almost identical, but there are still a few small differences – other than screen-size. The Galaxy S10+ has two front-facing cameras – the second is used for depth sensing and portrait mode. And as you’d expect with a larger device, the Galaxy S10+ has a higher capacity battery, a whopping 4,100mAh.

Samsung S10+ specs

Galaxy S10+
Display 6.4-inch curved
Resolution Quad HD+
Rear Camera 12MP+12MP+16MP
Front Camera 10MP+8MP
Processor Exynos 9820
Storage 128GB – 1TB
Battery 4,100mAh
Water-Resistance Yes
Price From $1,499

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G?

Samsung will be one of the first phone manufacturers to launch a 5G-ready device – the Galaxy S10 5G – in Australia, although it will come a little later than the mainline Galaxy S10 trio. While the Galaxy S10 5G shares a lot of DNA with the standard Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+, there are a few differences other than 5G connectivity.

The Galaxy S10 5G is the largest phone in the S10 family, with a massive 6. 7-inch display. It has an extra camera lens on the back for 3D depth sensing (taking it to a total of four). It also has a larger 4,500mAh battery, and can charge at a faster rate. The Galaxy S10 5G will only be available in a 256GB model, with no expandable storage.

Telstra will be the fi rst telco to offer the Galaxy S10 5G. Notably, customers who purchase a Galaxy S10+ through Telstra will be able to trade it in for a Galaxy S10 5G at no extra cost when it goes on sale – provided the phone is in good working order.

Samsung says the Galaxy S10 5G will be available in Australia in the fi rst half of this year. Pricing has yet to be confi rmed.

» Samsung Galaxy S10+ (128GB): $1,499

» Samsung Galaxy S10+ (512GB): $1,849

» Samsung Galaxy S10+ (1TB): $2,399

Staying connected

With Bluetooth-enabled headsets to keep connected to the family while en-route, and infl ight diversions to a better coffee destination requiring frantic Googling on TripAdvisor, it’s important to understand where and when we can stay connected. For the GA and RA pilot, network coverage below 10,000ft is virtually the same as on the ground, if not better. The major mobile network providers spruik the following population coverage: » Telstra: 99. 4% » Optus: 98. 5% » Vodaphone: 96% However in a country as vast as ours that doesn’t necessarily mean great coverage. Telstra’s geographical coverage and a simple IFR (I follow roads) rule applies with most major highways around the country coveredby Telstra.

You do pay a slight premium for a Telstra plan, however if you want to see reception bars in fl ight, there’s no doubt it is the best service provider for the aviator.