Galaxy Note 10 vs Galaxy Note 10+: what are the differences?

When you decide to buy a Galaxy Note 10 phone, you need to know there are two models of Galaxy Note 10. So, what are the major differences between Galaxy Note 10 vs Galaxy Note 10+?

This post details the major differences between Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ to help you make the correct decision when purchasing a Galaxy Note 10.

The top 10 new features of Galaxy Note 10 are summarized in this post. The top 10 missing features of Galaxy Note 10 can be found in this post.

Galaxy Note 10 vs Galaxy Note 10+: they are for a different audience

If you are an owner of a Galaxy Note phone, you need to know that the Galaxy Note 10+ is the successor to Galaxy Note 9.  If you want to upgrade, you should choose Galaxy Note 10+, not Galaxy Note 10. You may check the missing features of Galaxy Note 10 (and Note 10+) before upgrading.

Galaxy Note 1o is a “lite” version of Galaxy Note 10+. It is not designed for existing Galaxy Note device owners. Instead, Samsung probably intended to use Galaxy Note 10 to attract new “S Pen” users who are currently using other middle-range Android phones.

Please note that Galaxy Note 10+ is NOT exceptionally large compared to many other mainstream phones.  The curved screen, thin bezel, and 19:9 aspect ratio make its physical dimensions similar to other flagship phones.

Anyway, do not assume Galaxy Note 10 is large. Samsung actually reduced the width of the phone over the years. Both Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ are NOT very large.

Please note in the Galaxy Note 10 box, there are no differences except the phone.

Galaxy Note 10 vs Galaxy Note 10+: Screen size and resolution

Both Galaxy Note 10 and 10+ use the top-tier OLED screen, which no other Android manufacturers can match.

Galaxy Note 10 has a 6.3″ screen with a resolution of 1080 x 2280 (1080p).

Meanwhile, Galaxy Note 10+ has a larger screen of 6.8″ with a resolution of 1440 x 3040 (1440p).

Most users will not notice the difference in the resolution because the pixel density is so high. In fact, by default, Samsung may set the screen resolution of Galaxy Note 10+ to 1080p as well to save battery. Of course, you can also change it as explained here.

But for some game players, the resolution can be important. They usually prefer a bigger screen with more pixels.

Although the size and dimensions differ considerably, the layout of Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ is almost identical except for the back camera.

RAM and storage

In most regions, the Galaxy Note 10 comes with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage.

Galaxy Note 10+, in most regions, comes with 12GB RAM and 256/512GB storage.

For most users, 8GB RAM is sufficient. 12GB RAM is overkill for today’s smartphones.

ToF 3D VGA camera and 3D scanner

Galaxy Note 10+ has four rear camera lenses, while Galaxy Note 10 has only 3. You may check the Galaxy Note 10 layout to visualize the difference.

The missing rear camera lens on Galaxy Note 10 is the ToF (time-of-flight) 3D VGA camera (with an infrared light sensor).

Samsung brands this 3D ToF camera as a DepthVision camera, which can be used to get the “depth” (relative distance) of any object in the frame. So, it is easy to isolate an object and even measure its dimensions.

The DepthVision has great potential in photography (e.g., portrait mode), 3D scanning, and AR (augmented reality) applications.

But this is the first iteration of this feature. You’d expect some bugs. The 3D scanner feature is available now  (you need to download the 3D scanner app from the Galaxy App Store) will only be available in the future software update.

Superfast charging

Galaxy Note 10 supports fast charging at 25W. Galaxy Note 1o+ also supports Superfast charging at 45W.

Please note 45W (or 25W) is the maximum possible charging capacity.  It is meaningful only when the battery level is lower than about 60%.

Also, in the Galaxy Note 10+ box, there is only a 25W wall charger. You have to buy a 45W charger if you want to try the Superfast charging.

As shown in this guide, the 45W charger does not considerably reduce the charging time (about 10 mins) for Galaxy Note 10+. Of course, the 45W charger does charge faster when the battery is less than about 60-70%.

Battery capacity

Due to its bigger size, Galaxy Note 10+ has a 4300 mAh battery. Meanwhile, Galaxy Note 10 has a 3500mAh battery.

The scree-on time for Galaxy Note 10+ should be slightly longer.  The Galaxy Note 10+ has a screen area of 114 cm², which is about 16% larger than that of the Galaxy Note 10 (98.6 cm²). But the battery capacity of Galaxy Note 10+ is about 22.8% larger.

Of course, the actual screen-on time depends on many other factors as well.

Please note, based on our Galaxy Note 10 battery charging test, the charging time for Galaxy Note 10 is about 30% longer than that for Galaxy Note 10+ using the identical 25W bundled wall charger. So, do NOT assume you can get a shorter charging time for Galaxy Note 10, although the battery is smaller and supports 25W Super-fast charging.

Galaxy Note 10 vs Galaxy Note 10+: SD card support

Galaxy Note 10+ support micro SD card. For the single SIM version of Galaxy Note 10+, there is a dedicated micro SD card slot in the SIM card tray.  For the dual-SIM version of Galaxy Note 10+, you can put either a SIM card or a micro SD card in slot 2.

Galaxy Note 10 does not have a micro SD card slot.  In the dual SIM version of Galaxy Note 10, only one slot on the SIM card tray can hold SIM cards.

If 256GB storage is not sufficient for you, then you have to consider Galaxy Note 10+.

Price

In most regions, the price of Galaxy Note 10+ is about US$150 higher than that of Galaxy Note 10.

The 512GB storage version of Galaxy Note 10+ is usually about US$100-200 (depending on the region) more expensive than the 256GB version.

Of course, there are a few other new features that are not covered here, e.g.,  the dynamic lock screen.

What do you think about Galaxy Note 10 vs Galaxy Note 10+? Do you know the differences between Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+?

If you want to share your thoughts on Galaxy Note 10 vs Galaxy Note 10+, if you have questions on the differences between Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+, please let us know in the comment box below.

You may check other Galaxy Note 10 guides if you have other Galaxy Note 10-related questions. The official Galaxy Note 10 user manuals in various languages are listed here.