By splitting the lineup into two sizes, Samsung was able to make one of its boldest choices since it introduced the original Note in 2011: it actually made the newest Note‘s screen a bit smaller.
My very first impression was “I want the smaller model.” The 6.3-inch panel may make it seem the phone isn’t much smaller than last year’s 6.4-inch Note 9, but in practice, the sliver-thin bezels mean the Note 10 is refreshingly small.
The only notable difference is that the camera module is shaped like a capsule rather than a squircle, which looks generically similar to the rear setup you’ll see on Huawei phones and iPhones.
But the Note is far from the only phone with beastly specs nowadays – in fact, they’re not necessarily better than something like the far cheaper OnePlus 7 Pro.
And in any case, smartphone specs offer diminishing returns by the year.
It’s a good thing then that Samsung has one thing no-one else has: The S Pen.