Samsung, the world's number one smartphone distributor, has yet again expanded its choices for its consumers with the release of the Galaxy S10+ and the Galaxy A50. Released as their new top and mid-tier models respectively, Samsung is keen on keeping its market dominance as well as enticing smartphone buyers -- and perhaps even converting those loyal to other brands -- to give them a try. But will these two new phones compel customers to dish out the cash?
PROS
Samsung's latest top-tier release follows the tradition of its predecessors by looking sleek and stylish. It's comparably lighter than its main competitor, the iPhone, but that doesn't mean it sacrifices design or durability. Its AMOLED screen, dubbed the Infinity Display, makes for great mobile gaming, YouTube binging and photo-taking. Yes, the front camera is visible but it didn't really bother me that much. The Ultra Wide camera allows you to capture even wider angles at very crisp and clear resolutions. This shouldn't be a surprise because the S10+ is equipped with a total of five lenses: three at the back (12MP Telephoto camera, 12 MP Wide-angled camera, 16MP wide camera) and two at the front (10MP Selfie camera and 8MP RGP Depth camera). The fingerprint sensor is now underneath the screen so instead of weirdly having to scan your index finger at the back you can now just use your thumb like... well, everyone else. Finally, its battery life is pretty great. I was using the whole day and it didn't drop to below 50%, but then again the phone was new so I can't speak for the longevity of the battery in the long run. It also charges pretty quickly and also has the nifty PowerShare feature which means you can wirelessly charge another Galaxy phone or watch given that those devices can be wirelessly charged, of course.
CONS
The S10+ boasts a better performance with a 12GB RAM and a 1TB internal memory, which you can still add onto with a memory stick (do you really need to though? Is 1TB not enough for you? Do you take selfies that much?). You do have to pay extra for that 1TB though. From a numbers perspective, this is all great, and granted the processing power does mean that the phone could do so much more while using less power. Aside from that however, there's nothing drastically new with the S10+ that really sets it apart from its predecessors. Then again, this seems to be the current trend with smartphones nowadays where everything has seemed to plateau. However, the biggest pitfall this phone has is its face recognition. While it's so convenient to be able to unlock your phone just by raising it up to your face, I unfortunately found out that the S10+'s face recognition can be duped with a simple selfie. Better just stick with the other security biometrics.
PROS
For a mid-tier phone, the Galaxy A50 is pretty great. On a design level, the 6.4" screen offers unhindered viewing and encompasses the whole phone, even beating the S10+ since its front camera is almost just a dot. While the front is equipped with a single 25MP camera which will do for selfies, the main camera is equipped with three lenses (25MP, 8MP and 5MP). Like the S10+, the fingerprint scanner is also now underneath the screen. Its battery performance is pretty great, enduring a long day and also charging up pretty quick. Even with just a 6GB RAM, the A50 operates smoothly and quickly. It also has an internal 128GB memory, which is already suitable but you can add onto it if need be. The A50 is a pretty sweet deal for its price.
CONS
Aesthetically, the plastic body kind of makes it look cheap, but it's nothing that a good case can't fix, or perhaps go for the black (the one I reviewed was blue) to make it look sleeker. A mid-tier phone with facial recognition would have been a huge win. Sadly, the A50 also suffers from the same problem the S10+ has and it can be fooled with a selfie.
The Galaxy S10+ is priced at B44,900 with 512GB memory and B55,900 with 1TB memory. The Galaxy A50 is priced at B11,490.
