Black Friday is the time to buy a discounted Galaxy S10 or Note 10
These smartphones are normally expensive, so why not save for an incredible device?
We've seen a lot of great new phones come out of 2019, and even some unique new form factors, but few releases this year have been more universally recommendable than Samsung's flagships. The Galaxy S10 was one of the first phones to introduce the Snapdragon 855, along with Samsung's One UI out of the box, and the Note 10 brought a more refined design and an improved S Pen stylus.
The S10 and Note 10 are some of the most well-rounded phones of the year.
Black Friday is more or less a month-long event at this point, and Samsung is participating with some great deals on every flavor of S10 and Note 10. Whether you prefer larger or smaller phones, or if you want to splurge on some extra storage, this is the perfect opportunity to save hundreds of dollars and get an incredible device.
I've spent more time with the Galaxy Note 10 than almost any other phone this year, partially because I love its relatively small form factor but also because it offers such a complete suite of specs and features. The hardware is absolutely stunning, with the most refined iteration yet of Samsung's tried and true glass-and-metal sandwich, and one of the best displays you'll find with extremely tight bezels.
Not everyone finds much use in it, but I'm a big fan of the S Pen, particularly for editing photos in Lightroom with far more precision than I get with my fingers, and the button comes in handy as a remote shutter for capturing photos. Speaking of, the Note 10 has three great cameras, including one of the better ultra-wide lenses I've used. The main camera isn't quite as good as the Pixel 4's if you ask me, but the inclusion of a wide angle more than makes up for it, and the telephoto is a nice bonus.
I haven't spent as much time with the S10 series myself, but just about every other writer at Android Central has one of its three forms, and many of them still swear by it today. In most ways, the S10 series is identical to the Note 10 series; you get the same choice of regular or larger Plus variants (with the addition of the pint-sized S10e), the same top-tier Snapdragon 855 processor, and even the same cameras.
Samsung is further sweetening the deal with a free pair of Galaxy Buds.
Every phone has an in-display fingerprint sensor (save for the S10e, which features a side-mounted capacitive sensor), a terrific display with minimal bezels, Samsung's legendary build quality, and generally good battery life.
One advantage the S10 series has over the Note is its inclusion of microSD expandability and 3.5mm wired audio - though the Note 10 series has double the baseline storage at 256GB. During the Black Friday flurry, Samsung is also easing the pain of its headphone jack omission by tossing in a free pair of Galaxy Buds with the Note 10 and Note 10+ (or even the S10 and S10+).
I've been using Galaxy Buds for the last few months, and they've been an absolute joy; they fit better in my ears than Apple's AirPods (even the new AirPods Pro), the charging case slips into most pockets with ease, and they sound surprisingly good - though the built-in microphones leave a lot to be desired for phone calls.
Should you decide to pick up one of Samsung's 2019 flagships (and you should), the deals on Amazon are easy to keep track of. Samsung is knocking two Benjamins off of every single model, no matter the size or storage configuration. At that price point, it's hard to resist these excellent phones - especially if you can snag some wireless earbuds in the process.
Jack of all tradesGalaxy S10+ (with Galaxy Buds)
The all-rounder with no glaring setbacks.
The Galaxy S10+ has something for just about everybody, with three great cameras and one of the best displays money can buy. It has all-day battery life, wireless charging in both directions, and top-end specs - there's not much to complain about.
Stylus powerhouseGalaxy Note 10+ (with Galaxy Buds)
The same overall experience with a few bonus perks.
The Galaxy Note 10+ is nearly identical to the S10+ on paper, but it comes with a more refined design and, of course, the S Pen. The included Galaxy Buds make up for the lack of a headphone jack, and you can recharge those Buds with reverse wireless charging.