REVIEW: The Samsung Galaxy s10e may be small but it sure does pack a punch

CAPE TOWN – The Samsung Galaxy S10e may be the smallest and cheapest of the new S10 range but it still a very good device. 

The device features a 5.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED (2160 x 1080) display that may not have had curved screen sides but was easy to hold in one hand with its flat screen and thicker body. 

One big notable change on the s10e compared to its siblings is the fingerprint scanner.

For the s10e, the fingerprint scanner is found on the side of the device, just by the power button. 

Whereas with the S10 and S10+ it is an in-screen fingerprint scanner but I found that the S10e scanner was much more comfortable and easier to use than the in-screen scanner. 

The device comes with the Corning Gorilla Glass 5 featured on the front and back, while its bigger siblings have had their front display’s glass upgraded to Gorilla 6.

In terms of battery, the device has a smaller 3,100mAh compared to the S10’s 3,400mAh battery.

I’ve been using the device for two weeks, and it would make it through an entire day of scrolling through social media and playing games on my commute home without needing to recharge until I go to bed.

However, there were some days especially when I used the device to watch Netflix, the battery wouldn't last as long. 

The device also has the wireless power share option which is a great and useful feature. 

Internally, the device is powered by the  Exynos 9820 chipset which powers the S10+ and it has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. 

The phone officially comes in six colours, though only four are available in the US which are Prism Black, The pearlescent Prism White, Prism Blue, and Pastel Flamingo Pink.

Other colours such as the Prism Green and Canary Yellow are restricted to certain regions.

Instead of a triple-lens arrangement like its siblings, the s10e has a dual rear camera set-up which is a 16-MP ultra-wide (f/2.2), 12-MP dual-pixel wide.

The selfie/front camera features a 10-MP dual-pixel (ƒ/1.9) set-up. 

The device is very compact and has all the necessary essentials but it does cost a lot of money, an R15 000 price tag is very hefty for something that is dubbed as an 'essential' device.

Compared to its siblings, here are the things that you will be giving up if you settle for the s10e:

The telephoto lens, a bigger battery, and a nicer screen because the S10e has a Full HD display instead of a Quad HD display, which means it’s only 1080p wide and has about 100 ppi less than the regular S10.

 

Here are the full specifications of the S10e:

Samsung Galaxy s10e

Display (Resolution)

5.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED (2160 x 1080)

CPU

Exynos 9820

Rear camera

16-MP ultra-wide (f/2.2), 12-MP dual-pixel wide (ƒ/1.5, ƒ/2.4)

Front Camera

10-MP dual-pixel (ƒ/1.9)

RAM

 6GB

Storage

128GB of internal storage, Micros SD of up to 512GB

Battery 

3,100 mAh

Size

 5.6 x 2.75 x 0.3 inches

 

See the images of the device:

IMG-20190530-085850-094

IMG-20190612-162540

IMG-20190612-162546

 

Written by: Gabriella Steyn.

Guzzle Media