Samsung Galaxy Note10+ long-term review

Camera

The Galaxy Note10+ is equipped with a rather standard triple camera configuration that doesn't push any boundaries, but it doesn't skimp either. It's a familiar configuration of a wide main unit, accompanied by an ultra wide one and a short telephoto.

It's the shortness of that telephoto that had us looking for more as it stands at the 2x zoom mark as established in smartphone terms, or around a 50mm equivalent in full frame camera lenses. Other makers have been experimenting with longer lenses and we've seen 3x and 5x units in mainstream models. Samsung's looking poised to do that itself with the S11, but as it stands the Note10+ has a 2x tele camera. As does, in fact, archrival iPhone 11 Pro (Max), so all is equal at the top.

Galaxy Note10+ with 2x telephoto, Huawei P30 Pro with 5x telephoto

Indeed, the other niggle we have with the Note10+' setup is the lack of autofocus on the ultra wide angle module, which too is shared with the iPhones of the day. Where that would come in handy is for nearby subjects - we're talking 10-15cm away from the camera, which now come out blurry, as the focus is fixed at infinity. Picture the classic textbook ultra wide angle shot with a boulder in the foreground - that's not going to look ideal coming out of the Note10+.

Meanwhile, the main camera is the one that's been present in Galaxies in one form or another since the S7. Of course, it's been continually improved for several generations and the one development that we know of (as opposed to what's been done under the hood) is the dual aperture that was introduced on the S9 generation.

The capability to switch apertures gives the Note10+ a couple of advantages - in brightly lit scenes it can produce sharper images thanks to the narrow f/2.4 aperture, while in low light it can open up to f/1.5 to gather as much photons as possible. Competitors typically only have the one bright aperture in the f/1.6 to f/1.8 range and that's that.

The Galaxy Note10+ takes great looking photos with all three cams in daylight. It delivers some of the most saturated output on the market, to the point of giving reality a strong color boost. You may not be a fan of that approach, but Samsung reckons its users are, and us Note10 users wouldn't argue.

Camera samples, main camera

It's also got some of the most advanced HDR processing and you can count on getting excellent development in both tonal extremes. The live HDR preview is also nice to have, though it's not entirely accurate as Samsung's also doing a lot of calculations post shot, which you'll only see once in the gallery. HDR works similarly well on all three cams too, further proving that resulting dynamic range in a photo is almost entirely not a matter of native sensor dynamic range anymore.

Camera samples, telephoto camera

In terms of detail capture, sharpness and contrast, the three cameras do show some differences. The main module and the telephoto are similar in their detail, though the tele has lower contrast making for a slightly fuzzier appearance. The ultra wide is noticeably softer, but it's still decent as far as these go. There's a slightly unpleasant overprocessed look in random fine detail like grass or asphalt, visible if you look up close in the images of all three cams.

Camera samples, ultra wide angle camera

Low light photos out of the Galaxy Note10+ are excellent, whether it's in the regular Photo mode or in Night mode. Having said that, we weren't blown away on any particular occasion. It's a bit as if we know the phone will take good, detailed photos, with wide dynamic range and well preserved colors, but it's not photos that will have us excited to grab a Note10+ next time there's a night-time picture taking opportunity.

Camera samples, low light

Camera samples, low light, Night mode

The 10MP selfie cam on the Galaxy Note10+ defaults to a cropped in 6.5MP mode every. single. time. After 4 months of using Note10s and 9 months or so of S10s, this hasn't stopped bugging us one bit. We sure hope Samsung reverses this decision, or lets you pick the one mode you prefer, or remembers where you left it and goes back to it the next time you open the selfie cam. It just doesn't make sense the way it is.

Selfies are otherwise very good in abundance of light, but nothing special in even moderately dark conditions.

Selfie samples