5 things needed to impress users of Samsung Galaxy Note 10

Samsung have produced a lot into the market this year but most have failed to make a splash and the one phone that did is now being delayed. That leaves the Note 10 and Note 10 Plus as Samsung’s last shot to beat competition rivals.

Samsung often holds back its very best components and software rollout for the Note release. This model is typically the largest and most advanced of the year’s Galaxy phones. Positioned as a device for power users, the Galaxy Note is also a bid against Apple’s forthcoming iPhones as we head into the hypercompetitive holiday crush.

However to catch the attention of more prospective buyers is more than just battery size and storage capacity.

When you’re playing at the very top level as Samsung does, small differences, for example, between an incredible low light photo and a merely good one, could change a buyer’s mind. 

Here are 5 things Note 10 needs to have to be great.

1. Update the look already

One can assume the Galaxy phone design is getting stale because the company is obsessed with moving around the camera placement to help differentiate each year’s models, but the same curved sides we see on nearly every Galaxy phone, and that ultra-reflective glossy backing, feel boring.

In comparism with the outlook of the latest Huawei, Oppo, Vivo and OnePlus phones, a refresh of Samsung phones is past due.

2. Provide us an in-screen fingerprint reader that works every time

The excitement of conveniently unlocking your phone without having to pick it up to get to the rear-mounted sensor has been cut short as it has to take several painstaking attempts to get it done.

Multiple software updates from Samsung haven’t helped, and the recommendation to delete all the prints and re-enroll them (for the third time) isn’t a satisfying or practical solution.

3. Make the screen as easy to use with the finger as it is with the stylus

While many love the dual curved edges of the phone which help immerse them in the world of the screen, the design also introduces a couple of problems. 

As bezels shrink and screens become truly edge-to-edge, the usable screen stretches all the way to the curve. There are a few issues with phones like the Galaxy S10 Plus registering your finger when you tap the edge to place the cursor.

4. Camera

It is an indisputable fact that the Galaxy S10 Plus takes great shots but as good as they are, Samsung is no longer at the top of the game for photos or video.

Huawei’s P30 Pro and Google’s Pixel 3 take far better low light shots, using standalone modes that take a little longer, but bring out tremendous clarity and brightness, without blowing out the shot. 

And while the Galaxy S10 Plus has three lenses that make it easy to zoom in close or take a wide-angle photo, the P30 Pro and Oppo Reno with 10x zoom both get much closer from further away, with impressively crisp details. Samsung is rumored to be working on a 5x optical zoom of its own, but it’s unlikely we’ll see it in the Note 10.

5. Make the stylus relevant again

The S Pen stylus is great for writing, taking precise screenshots and doodling

This year however, it would be smart for Samsung to figure out a use case that people really care about but many people are presumably not drawing detailed images with precise shading.

The Note 9 added Bluetooth capability, which lets you use the S Pen to take photos from afar, as a remote camera trigger

Samsung declined to comment on upcoming upgrades but we will keep taps on the next Galaxy Note Launch this year.

Edward Kyei Frimpong-Mybeeponline