If you value a larger screen and longer battery life, the Samsung Galaxy S21+ is a better option; it also offers higher camera quality for both still photos and videos, and supports 5G connectivity for faster internet speeds. The Samsung Galaxy Note10, while often slightly less expensive, provides similar camera capabilities without 5G support and has an included stylus, which might be handy if you prefer to take notes or draw directly on the device. Keep in mind that the Note10 has a smaller screen size and slightly shorter battery life compared to the S21+. Both phones have glass bodies, OLED screens, HDR video support, wireless charging capabilities, and are from the same manufacturer with the Android operating system. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Samsung Galaxy Note10
The Samsung Galaxy Note10 has no clear advantages over the Samsung Galaxy S21+.
Advantages of the Samsung Galaxy S21+
Good for taking photos
Fair for recording videos
Very good battery life
Very good display quality
Good performance
Key differences
Overall Camera Quality
5.6/10
7.2/10
The Samsung Galaxy S21+ has good overall camera quality, while the Samsung Galaxy Note10 has poor overall camera quality.
The Samsung Galaxy Note10's camera struggles relative to the Samsung Galaxy S21+; it has been rated poorly in categories that emphasize selfie quality, photos' dynamic range, and low light performance, among others. In contrast, the Galaxy S21+ sports a camera setup that garners good reviews across the board, including the highly-valued selfie camera, which contributes significantly to its overall better camera performance.
Photo Quality
5.5/10
7.0/10
The Samsung Galaxy S21+ takes good photos, while the Samsung Galaxy Note10 takes poor photos.
The Samsung Galaxy Note10 takes poor photos due to its lower selfie quality and overall subpar camera performance across different lighting conditions, while the Samsung Galaxy S21+ gets good photos with superior selfie quality and better photo software that enhances its performance, especially in low light environments.
Video Quality
5.5/10
6.6/10
The Samsung Galaxy S21+ takes only fair videos, while the Samsung Galaxy Note10 takes poor videos.
The Samsung Galaxy Note10 takes poorer videos largely due to its lower video resolution/framerate capabilities and less advanced video software experience compared to the Samsung Galaxy S21+, which offers top-tier video resolution/framerate and better stabilization, dynamic range, and low light performance, despite both phones having similar microphone quality.
Battery
7.3 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Samsung Galaxy Note10 has 7.3 hours of battery life. The Samsung Galaxy S21+ has 8 hours of battery life.
Screen Size
The Samsung Galaxy Note10 has a screen size of 6.3 inches and the Samsung Galaxy S21+ is 6.7 inches.
Cost
$249
$340
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
The Samsung Galaxy Note10 has a price of $249 and the Samsung Galaxy S21+ costs $340.
"The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 delivers epic battery life and a super-bright screen in a phenomenally compact design. The regular Note 10 should be a very special phablet — precisely because there's never been one this compact and easy to live with before."
"All told, Samsung nailed it with the Galaxy S21 Plus. It has most of the strengths of the smaller S21 in a bigger package. It’s got a lot going for it. If you’re coming from an older device, like the Galaxy S10 series, this is a solid upgrade."
Get a great deal on the Samsung Galaxy Note10 or the Samsung Galaxy S21+
About Samsung
Samsung is one of the most recognizable names in the smartphone industry, standing as the undisputed best-selling brand of Android smartphones in the United States for many years now. Samsung is known for offering a variety of smartphones in all available price points, as well as for implementing cutting-edge technology and innovative features in their flagship devices, ones that often shape the market going forward. The company offers its own unique spin on Android, called One UI, which focuses on offering a multitude of features and is heavily customizable, according to user preference.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec phones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest phone information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
68
Phones evaluated
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Phones stats compiled
8
Proprietary Phones ratings developed
151,800
Recommendations made
86,020
Consumer hours saved
About the phone team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Phones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Efthimis Kotanidis
Phones Expert
Efthimis is a Greece-based product expert focusing on smartphones. He has been recommending phones for 4 years and his recommendations on Reddit have earned him over 35k karma.