Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus specs: Two steps forward, one step back

If a company makes a popular smartphone, it’s bound to split that smartphone into two variants to give people more choice. That’s exactly what’s happening with the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 line. This year we’re getting two Note smartphones, and — like the Galaxy S10 line — the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus specs and regular Galaxy Note 10 specs are actually quite different.

Check out the full list of Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10 Plus specs below:

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus specs:

The Galaxy Note line has always had the most high-end specs available at that time, and the Note 10 line is no different – barring a few exceptions. This time, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus is the one to buy if you want the best of the best, while the standard Galaxy Note 10 plays second fiddle.

The Galaxy Note 10 Plus is bigger, sporting a 6.8-inch Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED display, while the Note 10 has a smaller 6.3-inch display with Full HD+ resolution. Thus, the Note 10 Plus has a super high pixel density of 498ppi compared to the Note 10’s 401ppi.

Aside from the displays, the other main difference between the two are their battery sizes. The Note 10 has a 3,500mAh cell, while the Note 10 Plus has a much larger 4,300mAh battery. Only the Galaxy Note 10 Plus is equipped with Samsung’s Superfast Charge technology, though you’ll have to buy the 45W charger separately if you want those faster charging speeds. Both models come with a 25W charger in the box. The Note 10 Plus also has faster wireless charging speeds at 15 watts compared to the Note 10’s 12 watts.

Read more: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus hands-on

There’s not a huge difference under the hood in terms of power. Both Notes are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform (not the newer 855 Plus) in the U.S., while global versions get the Samsung Exynos 9825 SoC. We have reason to believe you should opt for the Snapdragon model if given the chance. The Note 10 proper comes with 8GB of RAM while the Note 10 Plus has 12GB. There’s also a Note 10 5G model with 12GB of RAM that’s exclusive to Korea. Verizon in the U.S. is also getting a 5G model, but it will be more like a Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G. That Verizon model will be exclusive for a limited time.

Both the Note 10 and Note 10 Plus have 256GB of onboard storage, while the Note 10 Plus has a model with up to 512GB of storage. One notable omission here: the Note 10 ditch the microSD card slot, but it’s bigger brother does still offer expandable storage. Samsung has also removed the headphone jack on both models. Admittedly these changes go against Galaxy Note line’s reputation for being the phones to buy if you don’t want to make any sacrifices on the spec sheet.

The camera setup is roughly 90% the same on both models. Of course, the Note 10 Plus has a more robust setup. Let’s start with the similarities. Both devices have the same three rear cameras: an ultra-wide 16MP ƒ/2.2 sensor, a wide-angle 12MP ƒ/1.5+ƒ/2.4 sensor, and a 12MP ƒ/2.1 telephoto sensor. That’s the same as the Galaxy S10 Plus.

The Galaxy Note 10 Plus adds a ƒ/1.4 Depth Vision camera on the back for better portrait shots, just like we saw on the Galaxy S10 5G.

Gone are the dual front-facing cameras from the S10 Plus — both Note models have just a single 10MP ƒ/2.2 sensor.

As is always the case, there’s more to the story than specs. Check out our Samsung Galaxy Note 10 hands-on for an in-depth look at both new Notes, as well as our pricing and release date hub for details on when you can buy the new devices.