With just weeks to go until Samsung’s 7 August Unpacked event, we’d already seen leaks of the upcoming Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ showcasing the back of the handset, but a new set of leaks details surprising specs for both variants.
PhoneArena has translated the information which was published on the Greek site Techmaniacs.
| Note 10 | Note 10+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.3-inch, 1080p | 6.8-inch, 1440p |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 855(+) or Exynos 9825 | Snapdragon 855(+) or Exynos 9825 |
| RAM/Storage | 8GB RAM with 256GB storage | 12GB RAM with 256GB storage |
| Rear cameras | 12MP main / 12MP telephoto / 16MP wide | 12MP main / 12MP telephoto / 16MP wide / ToF camera |
| Battery capacity | 3500 mAh | 4300 mAh |
| Charging speed | 25W | 45W |
| Weight | 168g | 198g |
| Colours | Black, White, Red | Black, White, Crystal gradient (similar to Huawei’s Breathing Crystal P30 Pro colour scheme) |
| New features | New S-Pen air gestures and sound, front camera night mode, live focus video, and audio zoom video capture | New S-Pen air gestures and sound, front camera night mode, live focus video, and audio zoom video capture |
Based on this, it appears that Samsung is emulating Huawei’s strategy by lowering the resolution, battery size and camera specs (by not including a ToF sensor) of the regular, non-pro variant of the Note 10.
Both handsets will see camera improvements including live focus video which will allow you to blur out the background and focus on your subject, as well as audio zoom which lets you focus in on specific audio while filming.
The single front-facing camera is expected to include a new night mode, which might just be Samsung’s Bright Night mode originally seen on the S10 series.
A Galaxy Note isn’t a Note without an S-Pen and this year it appears that the beloved stylus is getting a few more upgrades. Techmaniacs says that the stylus will be getting new Air Commands including the ability to move between images without touching the display, as well as new audio features such as the ability to mimic the sound of a highlighter when you’re taking notes (because that’s something we truly need).
The Bixby button will be dropped from the Note 10 series, along with the 3.5mm headphone jack, however, Bixby can still be activated via the power button, a feature currently found on the Galaxy A80.
The biggest shock for many will be the HD display and rather small battery on the standard Note 10. In a rather baffling move, Samsung appears to be including a 3 500mAh battery in the Note 10 which is smaller than the 4 000mAh currently found in the Note 9. The non-quad HD display should help balance out power consumption, but it’s still an unusual move for a device created for power users. If Samsung is able to price the standard Note 10 at R13 000 or below, it could very well have a winner on its hands and give it the opportunity to fend off the upcoming Huawei Mate 30.
We’ll find out in just how much of this is true at the Unpacked event on 7 August.
