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Samsung Galaxy S10 5G Smartphone Review: A turbocharged S10 with a cutting-edge addition

First! Samsung announced the Galaxy S10 5G at MWC 19, but it has taken a while to arrive in Europe. It is bigger, has more cameras and has a larger battery than its S10 siblings, but there are some trade-offs too. Samsung has not managed to eradicate the issues we had with the rest of the S10 series, either. Read on to find out more in this detailed review.

The Galaxy S10 5G (SM-G977B) completes the Galaxy S10 series and is one of the first smartphones to support 5G. The S10 5G is not just an S10+ with a 5G modem though, as it also includes a larger display and battery than its S10 siblings. Samsung has incorporated two time of flight (ToF) cameras too, which is a first for the S10 series.

Disappointingly, the S10 5G is not quite the maxed-out S10 that it could have been. The device only comes with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB of storage, with there being no higher capacity variants as there are with the Galaxy S10 and S10+. Additionally, Samsung does not currently sell an unlocked version, meaning that you must put up with carrier branding. Worse still, there is no dual-SIM version or microSD card expansion.

The 5G smartphone market remains small, with the Huawei Mate 20 X 5G, OnePlus 7 Pro 5G, Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G and ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G being the S10 5G’s main competitors. Hence, we shall also compare the S10 5G against other modern flagships like the LG G8S ThinQ and Apple iPhone XS Max.

Galaxy S10 series overview

Galaxy S10e Galaxy S10 Galaxy S10+ Galaxy S10 5G
Display 5.8-inch Full HD+ 6.1-inch Quad HD+ 6.4-inch Quad HD+ 6.7-inch Quad HD+
RAM 6/8 GB 6/8 GB 6/8/12 GB 8 GB
Storage 128/256 GB 128/256 GB 128/256/1.024 GB 256 GB
microSD card slot yes yes yes no
Front-facing camera 10 MP (Dual-Pixel-AF, f/1.9) 10 MP (Dual-Pixel-AF, f/1.9) 10 MP (Dual-Pixel-AF, f/1.9) + 8 MP (f/2.2) 10 MP (Dual-Pixel-AF, f/1.9) + ToF
Rear-facing camera Dual-cameras with OIS Triple-cameras with Dual-OIS Triple-cameras with Dual-OIS Quad-cameras with Dual-OIS
12 MP (DP-AF, f/1.5 and f/2.4) 12 MP (DP-AF, f/1.5 and f/2.4) 12 MP (DP-AF, f/1.5 and f/2.4) 12 MP (DP-AF, f/1.5 and f/2.4)
16 MP (ultra-wide-angle, f/2.2) 16 MP (ultra-wide-angle, f/2.2) 16 MP (ultra-wide-angle, f/2.2) 16 MP (ultra-wide-angle, f/2.2)
12 MP (telephoto, PDAF, f/2.4) 12 MP (telephoto, PDAF, f/2.4) 12 MP (telephoto, PDAF, f/2.4)
ToF-camera
Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor no yes yes yes
3D facial recognition no no no yes
Battery capacity 3,100 mAh 3,400 mAh 4,100 mAh 4,500 mAh
Wi-Fi battery runtime 6 h 56 min 7 h 7 min 8 h 3 min 8 h 53 min
5G modem no no no yes
MSRP US$749.99 US$899.99 US$999.99 US$1,299.99
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G (Galaxy S Series)
Processor
Samsung Exynos 9820 8 x 1.9 - 2.7 GHz, Exynos M3 / Cortex-A55
Graphics adapter
Memory
8 GB 
, LPDDR4x, 2,093 MHz
Display
6.70 inch 19:9, 3040 x 1440 pixel 502 PPI, Capacitive touchscreen, 10-point multitouch, Dual Edge Dynamic AMOLED, OLED, glossy: yes, HDR
Storage
256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash, 256 GB 
, 226.1 GB free
Connections
1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm headphone jack and USB Type-C, 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Heart Rate Sensor, Proximity Sensor, MST, Glonass, BeiDou, Galileo, Ant+, Samsung DeX
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.0, Samsung Exynos 5100 5G Modem: GSM/GPRS/Edge: 850, 900, 1,800, 1,900 MHz. UMTS/HSPA+: 850, 900, 1,880, 1,900, 2,010, 2,100, AWS. LTE Cat. 20: Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 66. 5G: N78., LTE, 5G, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 7.9 x 162.6 x 77.1 ( = 0.31 x 6.4 x 3.04 in)
Battery
17.33 Wh, 4500 mAh Lithium-Ion, 3.85 V
Charging
wireless charging, fast charging / Quickcharge
Operating System
Android 9.0 Pie
Camera
Primary Camera: 12 MPix (Dual-pixel autofocus, 77°, f/1.5 and f/2.4, 1/2.55", 1.4 μm, OIS). 12 MPix telephoto lens, 2x magnification, PDAF, 45°, f/2.4, 1/3.6", OIS. 16 MPix ultra-wide-angle lens, fixed focus, 123°, f/2.2, 1/3.1". ToF camera (f/1.2, 1/6.0". UHD videos
Secondary Camera: 10 MPix (Dual-pixel autofocus, 80°, f/1.9, 1/3.24". ToF camera (f/1.6, 1/6.0"); Camera2 API: Full
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo speakers, Keyboard: onscreen, One UI 1.1, 24 Months Warranty, SAR values: Body – 1.55 W/kg, Head - 0.264 W/kg. VoLTE, VoWiFi, IP68 certification, Bixby, fanless, waterproof
Weight
198 g ( = 6.98 oz / 0.44 pounds) ( = 0 oz / 0 pounds)
Price
1199 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The Galaxy S10 5G comes coated in Corning Gorilla Glass 6 and is as heavy as the ceramic version of the S10+. Samsung sells the S10 5G in Majestic Black and Crown Silver, although it does not offer both colours in all markets.

The S10 5G is slightly slimmer than its siblings, with our review unit measuring just 8.05 mm. Its rear-facing cameras protrude by just 0.55 mm, so the device should not rock about on a table too much. The S10 5G feels big in the hand but without being too heavy for its size.

Our review unit is well-built, and its back glass is pretty to look at, but it quickly picks up fingerprints. All gaps between materials are even and narrow with transitions also being clean. We could not twist or deform the device despite our best efforts to do so. Unfortunately, the plastic SIM card slot does not quite match the colour of the rest of the device. This is a minor gripe though. The S10 5G is also IP68-certified against dust and water just like the rest of the S10 series.

Size Comparison

174.6 mm / 6.87 inch 85.4 mm / 3.36 inch 8.2 mm / 0.3228 inch 232 g0.511 lbs162.6 mm / 6.4 inch 75.9 mm / 2.99 inch 8.8 mm / 0.3465 inch 206 g0.4542 lbs162.6 mm / 6.4 inch 77.1 mm / 3.04 inch 7.9 mm / 0.311 inch 198 g0.4365 lbs159.2 mm / 6.27 inch 73.4 mm / 2.89 inch 7.9 mm / 0.311 inch 178 g0.3924 lbs157.6 mm / 6.2 inch 74.1 mm / 2.92 inch 7.8 mm / 0.3071 inch 198 g0.4365 lbs157.5 mm / 6.2 inch 77.4 mm / 3.05 inch 7.7 mm / 0.3031 inch 208 g0.4586 lbs155.3 mm / 6.11 inch 76.6 mm / 3.02 inch 7.99 mm / 0.3146 inch 181 g0.399 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

The S10 5G is just as well equipped as the Galaxy S10 and S10+ are. Samsung has equipped it with a USB 3.1 Type-C port that supports data transfer, audio and wired video output via HDMI or DisplayPort. The S10 5G is DeX compatible too, while you can connect external peripherals like a mouse and keyboard via Bluetooth or Type-C. Samsung also sells a DeX docking station should you prefer to keep cable clutter to a minimum.

Expectedly, the S10 5G supports all modern communication standards including Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, MST and Ant+. Samsung has included a heart-rate sensor too, which it continues to place next to the rear-facing cameras.

In short, the S10 5G is a well-equipped smartphone. However, it lacks an IR blaster, radio receiver, microSD card slot and dual-SIM functionality. While the first two are no longer in vogue, plenty of modern flagships support microSD cards and dual-SIM cards.

Top side: SIM card slot, microphone
Top side: SIM card slot, microphone
Left-hand side: Bixby button, volume rocker
Left-hand side: Bixby button, volume rocker
Right-hand side: power button
Right-hand side: power button
Underside: speaker, microphone, USB Type-C, 3.5 mm headphone jack
Underside: speaker, microphone, USB Type-C, 3.5 mm headphone jack

Software

The S10 5G ships with One UI 1.1, Samsung’s customised version of Android 9.0 Pie. Please see our Galaxy S10 and S10+ reviews where we cover One UI in greater detail. Samsung typically updates security patches every two months, with our review unit having been recently updated during our tests. You can expect at least two major OS updates too.

Unfortunately, Samsung continues to install plenty of bloatware, including several Microsoft and Facebook apps. Our review unit has Spotify and Netflix preinstalled too, along with two Vodafone apps. While their inclusion is inconvenient, we would not think too much of it if we could uninstall them. Samsung prevents us from doing so, with it only being possible to disable them. Hence, it feels like Samsung is foisting services on people, which is incomprehensible when the company is charging almost US$1,300 for the S10 5G.

Samsung also disables user account control, the inclusion of which would have made sense considering the extent to which the company pushes its DeX desktop mode. One UI includes a Kids Home app though, should you also plan to let your children use your device.

Default home screen
Default home screen
Default app drawer
Default app drawer
Preinstalled Samsung apps
Preinstalled Samsung apps
Preinstalled Google apps
Preinstalled Google apps
Notification shade
Notification shade
Quick Settings
Quick Settings
App management
App management
Software information
Software information
Default DeX home screen
Default DeX home screen
Multi-tasking with DeX
Multi-tasking with DeX

Communication & GPS

An Exynos 5100 modem is at the heart of the S10 5G, which is one of its main selling points. Unfortunately, we could not test its 5G functionality, so we cannot verify the claims made by the WSJ that the device switches to 4G in hot weather.

However, Samsung has included a slower LTE modem than the ones in the other S10 devices that we have reviewed, with it only utilising the slower LTE Cat. 19. The S10 5G supports a plethora of 2G, 3G and LTE frequencies though, so you should have no issues connecting to networks on intercontinental trips. Oddly, Samsung is somewhat stingy with 5G bands, with the S10 5G only supporting NR78. China, the US and most of Europe use NR78, but you may find yourself caught out in countries like Japan. The S10 5G falls short of its contemporaries too, with the Axon 10 Pro 5G and Mate 20 X 5G supporting more 5G bands than it does. Specifically, the Axon 10 Pro 5G utilises NR41 and NR78 while the Mate 20 X 5G supports NR77, NR78 and NR79. Theoretically, the S10 5G can achieve up to 2.33 Gb/s download speeds and 469 Mb/s upload speeds.

The S10 5G supports Wi-Fi 6, although we were unable to test the device’s maximum transfer speeds as our Linksys EA 8500 reference router does not comply with the new standard. However, our review unit could not maintain stable Wi-Fi performance for some reason, with it dropping below 400 Mb/s in both iperf3 Client Wi-Fi tests that we conducted. Most Wi-Fi networks do not operate at these speeds though, so this should not be an issue in daily use. Our review unit has decent Wi-Fi range, although we noticed that it took longer to switch to a stronger Wi-Fi network than most other modern smartphones do.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Huawei Mate 20 X
Mali-G76 MP10, Kirin 980, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
633 (564min - 663max) MBit/s +16%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
A12 Bionic GPU, A12 Bionic, 64 GB eMMC Flash
602 MBit/s +10%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Mali-G76 MP12, Exynos 9820, 256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
548 (399min - 599max) MBit/s
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Adreno 640, SD 855, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
527 (481min - 556max) MBit/s -4%
LG G8s ThinQ
Adreno 640, SD 855, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
502 (465min - 517max) MBit/s -8%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Adreno 640, SD 855, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
471 (438min - 506max) MBit/s -14%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Mali-G76 MP12, Exynos 9820, 512 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
457 (398min - 508max) MBit/s -17%
iperf3 receive AX12
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Mali-G76 MP12, Exynos 9820, 512 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
633 (561min - 684max) MBit/s +12%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
A12 Bionic GPU, A12 Bionic, 64 GB eMMC Flash
624 MBit/s +10%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Adreno 640, SD 855, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
613 (284min - 694max) MBit/s +8%
LG G8s ThinQ
Adreno 640, SD 855, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
578 (474min - 617max) MBit/s +2%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Mali-G76 MP12, Exynos 9820, 256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
567 (371min - 667max) MBit/s
Huawei Mate 20 X
Mali-G76 MP10, Kirin 980, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
566 (514min - 586max) MBit/s 0%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Adreno 640, SD 855, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
467 (375min - 519max) MBit/s -18%
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s -34%
03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595630665Tooltip
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø567 (371-667)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø548 (399-599)
GPS Test: Inside
GPS Test: Inside
GPS Test: Outdoors
GPS Test: Outdoors
GPS Test: GNSS
GPS Test: GNSS

The S10 uses 5G GPS, Glonass, BeiDou and Galileo for location services. The device does not support dual-band GPS as some devices do, but it still achieves a satfix with up to four metres accuracy outdoors. The device takes a bit longer to locate us indoors and can only do so with up to 16 metres accuracy.

We also took our review unit on a short bike ride to compare its location accuracy against our trusty Garmin Edge 500. The latter proved more accurate during our test, but the S10 5G was not far behind and is good enough for general navigation tasks like cycling, driving or walking.

GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Overview
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Overview
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 – Cycling around a lake
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 – Cycling around a lake
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Loop
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Loop
GPS test: Samsung Galaxy S10 5G – Cycling around a lake
GPS test: Samsung Galaxy S10 5G – Cycling around a lake
GPS test: Samsung Galaxy S10 5G - Loop
GPS test: Samsung Galaxy S10 5G - Loop
 

Telephone Features and Call Quality

The S10 5G comes with the same suite of telephony apps as its S10 siblings. Its call quality is on par with that of the S10+ too, although its speakers sound tinnier than the ones in the S10+ do. We shall cover the speakers in greater detail in the corresponding section of this review.

Cameras

Taking a selfie with the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Taking a selfie with the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Quick measure
Quick measure

Samsung has equipped the S10 5G with the same 10 MP front-facing camera that it has included in its other S10 devices. However, it has included a ToF camera as a secondary sensor rather than the 8 MP camera that it used in the S10+. The ToF camera can collect depth information faster and more accurately than a traditional camera could, which allows it to be used for 3D facial authentication. The S10 5G can also record videos in up to UHD, with Samsung including AR emojis and AR stickers too. Selfies look just as good as they do on the other S10 devices that we have reviewed.

The S10 5G has the same rear-facing cameras as the S10+ too, but Samsung has added a ToF camera, giving the device six cameras. The S10 5G uses the ToF sensor for optimising portrait shots and for measuring objects, an example of which we have included to the right of this section. We found the process of measuring something cumbersome, and you can only measure something up to 167 cm away. However, our review unit consistently measured things accurately.

Please see our S10+ review for our thoughts on the front and rear-facing cameras. The cameras in the S10 5G perform just as well as they did in our S10+ test device.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3Scene 4
Photo taken with the standard lens
Photo taken with the standard lens
Photo taken using optical zoom
Photo taken using optical zoom
Photo taken with the ultra-wide-angle lens
Photo taken with the ultra-wide-angle lens
Photo taken using optical zoom
Our test chart photographed with the standard camera
Our test chart photographed with the standard camera
Our test chart in detail
ColorChecker Passport: The lower half of each area of colour displays the reference colour
Our test chart photographed with the standard camera at 1 lux

Accessories & Warranty

The S10 5G comes with a Type-C cable, a 25 W charger, a SIM tool, an OTG adapter, a set of AKG-branded headphones, along with some warranty, safety and quick-start literature. Samsung does not currently sell any S10 5G-specific accessories, but it does plan to do so.

The S10 5G comes with 24 months manufacturer’s warranty, 12 months for the battery and six months for the accessories that are included in the box. Samsung also offers its Care+ additional warranty package, which currently costs 149 Euros (~US$166) and which covers your smartphone from accidental damage including, but not limited to, breaking the screen and liquid damage. Samsung limits the additional coverage to two claims within the service period, each of which is subject to a 59-Euro (~US$66) excess fee.

Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies & Warranties FAQ for more country-specific information.

Input Devices & Operation

The capacitive touchscreen detects up to 10 touches simultaneously, with the one in our review unit converting them quickly and reliably across all areas of the display. The protective glass layer is pleasantly smooth too and is less prone to picking up smudges than the back glass. Parenthetically, the three hardware buttons have clear pressure points, short strokes and sit firmly in their apertures.

The S10 5G can be unlocked either by using a password, pattern, PIN, the in-screen ultrasonic fingerprint scanner or 3D facial authentication, the latter of which is new to the S10 series. All methods worked well during our tests, while the 3D facial authentication is about as accurate and fast as the systems in the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and iPhone XS. The G8S ThinQ does a better job though, as its Infineon ToF camera is not only noticeably faster but also takes up less space than the ToF camera that Samsung has used in the S10 5G.

The on-screen keyboard, Bixby and one-handed operation all function as they do on the S10+. However, we found the latter harder to use during our tests because of the S10 5G’s larger display.

Using the default keyboard in portrait mode
Using the default keyboard in portrait mode
Using the default keyboard in landscape mode
Using the default keyboard in landscape mode

Display

Sub-pixel array
Sub-pixel array

The S10 5G has a 6.7-inch (17.02 cm, 112 cm²) display, making it 0.3-inch larger than the ones in the S10+ and Note 9. The Dynamic AMOLED panel operates natively at 3040x1440 (WQHD+), but Samsung sets it to 2280x1080 (Full HD+) by default. The screen looks pin-sharp in resolutions, but it will deliver a more visually impressive experience at 1440p than it will at 1080p.

The screen in our review unit is on par with the one in the S10+ that we reviewed, with it achieving an average maximum luminosity of 735 cd/m² according to X-Rite i1Pro 2. Some areas exceed 750 cd/m² too, which yields a 94% even brightness distribution. However, you must keep automatic brightness on to experience such high luminosity, as switching to manual brightness results in maximum luminosity dropping to just 345 cd/m². Our review unit manages 1,000 cd/m² in the more practical APL50 test too and an astonishing 1,107 cd/m² in APL10, meaning that you should have no issues with reading the display even under the brightest of lights. The display gets bright enough to utilise HDR10+ as well.

The S10 5G also has an excellent contrast ratio, as its AMOLED panel can switch off pixels individually. In short, this means that blacks look true to life as they are represented by switched-off pixels.

The display gets impressively dim too, with X-Rite i1Pro 2 recording a minimum luminosity of just 1.62 cd/m². Samsung includes a blue-light filter and an integrated night mode, which should make eBooks or websites easy to read at night. Unfortunately, the panel uses pulse-width modulation (PWM) to regulate screen brightness, with our panel flickering between 60 and 240.4 Hz. These frequencies are low enough to cause health issues like eye strain and headaches for those who are PWM sensitive, so it would be good if Samsung included DC dimming like OnePlus and Xiaomi, as this near eliminates any display flickering.

The S10 5G has an always-on-display (AoD) like its S10 siblings. Samsung offers plenty of AoD configuration options within One UI too.

710
cd/m²
737
cd/m²
751
cd/m²
719
cd/m²
735
cd/m²
753
cd/m²
725
cd/m²
737
cd/m²
745
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Dual Edge Dynamic AMOLED tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 753 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 734.7 cd/m² Minimum: 1.62 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 94 %
Center on Battery: 735 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.9 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 1.4 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
96.9% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.09
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
OLED, 3040x1440, 6.70
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
OLED, 3040x1440, 6.40
Huawei Mate 20 X
OLED, 2244x1080, 7.20
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.47
OnePlus 7 Pro
AMOLED, 3120x1440, 6.67
Apple iPhone Xs Max
OLED, 2688x1242, 6.50
LG G8s ThinQ
P-OLED, 2248x1080, 6.20
Screen
0%
11%
-37%
15%
14%
-13%
Brightness middle
735
710
-3%
421
-43%
402
-45%
586
-20%
656
-11%
539
-27%
Brightness
735
721
-2%
418
-43%
399
-46%
584
-21%
659
-10%
556
-24%
Brightness Distribution
94
97
3%
96
2%
92
-2%
97
3%
88
-6%
88
-6%
Black Level *
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.9
3.7
5%
1.1
72%
4.1
-5%
1.39
64%
1.7
56%
3.78
3%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
10.9
10.3
6%
2.2
80%
6.5
40%
2.7
75%
2.8
74%
6.95
36%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
1.4
1.5
-7%
1.4
-0%
3.7
-164%
1.6
-14%
1.7
-21%
2.2
-57%
Gamma
2.09 105%
2.1 105%
2.23 99%
2.23 99%
2.243 98%
1.998 110%
2.274 97%
CCT
6549 99%
6611 98%
6723 97%
7841 83%
6672 97%
6487 100%
6013 108%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 240.4 Hz ≤ 99 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 240.4 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 99 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 240.4 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Our settings for an optimised white balance
Our settings for an optimised white balance

We checked the colour accuracy of our review unit’s display using a photo spectrometer and CalMAN software. We should point out that Samsung has reduced the number of screen customisation options in One UI compared to the ones that it included in Samsung Experience. The company differentiates between display modes by “Vivid” and “Natural”, of which it sets the latter as the default with the S10 5G.

Samsung bases the “Natural” mode on sRGB and has a warmer white balance than the “Vivid” mode, which is based on the wider DCI-P3 colour space. The former is more colour accurate than the latter though.

Fortunately, you can tweak the settings to compensate for the poorly calibrated white balance. It is worth noting that Samsung only allows this to be done in the “Vivid” mode, for some reason. We have included our re-calibrated display settings in the screenshot above, which reduces Delta-E deviations. Colours still do not look as accurate as they do with the display set to “Natural”, especially reds, but at least you do not need to forgo the wider colour space that the “Vivid” mode offers.

In general, the S10 5G has decent colour accuracy and is on par with the S10+. Neither is great, though.

CalMAN: Grayscale – Adaptive profile (Adjusted): DCI-P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Grayscale – Adaptive profile (Adjusted): DCI-P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Mixed Colours – Adaptive profile (Adjusted): DCI-P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Mixed Colours – Adaptive profile (Adjusted): DCI-P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Colour Space – Adaptive profile (Adjusted): DCI-P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Colour Space – Adaptive profile (Adjusted): DCI-P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Colour Saturation – Adaptive profile (Adjusted): DCI-P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Colour Saturation – Adaptive profile (Adjusted): DCI-P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Grayscale – Adaptive profile (Standard): DCI-P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Grayscale – Adaptive profile (Standard): DCI-P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Mixed Colours – Adaptive profile (Standard): DCI-P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Mixed Colours – Adaptive profile (Standard): DCI-P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Colour Space – Adaptive profile (Standard): DCI-P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Colour Space – Adaptive profile (Standard): DCI-P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Colour Saturation – Adaptive profile (Standard): DCI-P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Colour Saturation – Adaptive profile (Standard): DCI-P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Grayscale – Natural profile: sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Grayscale – Natural profile: sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Mixed Colours – Natural profile: sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Mixed Colours – Natural profile: sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour Space – Natural profile: sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour Space – Natural profile: sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour Saturation – Natural profile: sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour Saturation – Natural profile: sRGB target colour space

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 2 ms rise
↘ 2 ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 10 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 2 ms rise
↘ 2 ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 9 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

The S10 5G is easy to use outdoors thanks to its bright AMOLED panel. Some reflections reduce readability, but we only noticed this when looking at the display from side-on. The ambient light sensor also worked quickly during our tests and adjusted the display’s luminosity smoothly. In short, you should have no issues with reading the display outdoors, even on a sunny day.

Using the Galaxy S10 5G outside in the sun
Using the Galaxy S10 5G outside in the sun
Using the Galaxy S10 5G outside in the shade
Using the Galaxy S10 5G outside in the shade

The AMOLED panel has stable viewing angles too, with colours remaining true even at acute angles. We noticed a minor loss in brightness and an OLED shimmer at certain angles, but we doubt that most people would notice this in daily use.

Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance

Samsung equips the S10 5G with an Exynos 9820 like its S10 siblings, which integrates an ARM Mali-G76 MP12 GPU among other components. However, the device comes with only 8 GB of LPDDR4x RAM; by contrast, all other S10 models have at least a 6 GB option. The S10+ even has a 12 GB variant too.

As expected, the S10 5G performs just as well in synthetic benchmarks at 1440p as the Galaxy S10 and the S10+. The S10e occasionally outscores its more expensive S10 siblings in some GPU benchmarks though, as its Mali-G76 MP12 only has to render in up to 1080p rather than 1440p.

The Exynos 9820 performs particularly well in single-core benchmarks where it only finishes second to the Apple A12 Bionic. However, the Snapdragon 855 proves faster in multicore benchmarks. The Adreno 640 often falls short of the Mali-G76 MP12 in GPU tests though as our comparison tables below demonstrate.

The Exynos 9820 delivers solid performance in daily use too. Our review unit ran smoothly during our tests and even when we subjected it to heavy multitasking in DeX, so we have no complaints here.

Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4529 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
3234 Points -29%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
3476 Points -23%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
3472 Points -23%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
4774 Points +5%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
3406 Points -25%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4505 Points -1%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (4499 - 4529, n=4)
4510 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (800 - 9574, n=90, last 2 years)
5063 Points +12%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
10489 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
9852 Points -6%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
10765 Points +3%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
10812 Points +3%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
11244 Points +7%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
10274 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
10259 Points -2%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (10162 - 10553, n=4)
10366 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2630 - 26990, n=90, last 2 years)
13549 Points +29%
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
10192 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
5759 Points -43%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
7553 Points -26%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
7470 Points -27%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
7442 Points -27%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
10177 Points 0%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (10128 - 10192, n=4)
10167 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2053 - 18432, n=70, last 2 years)
10590 Points +4%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
9557 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
9867 Points +3%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
11857 Points +24%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
11766 Points +23%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
11890 Points +24%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
9793 Points +2%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (9557 - 10008, n=4)
9777 Points +2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +58%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
7704 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
7772 Points +1%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
9664 Points +25%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
9974 Points +29%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
9125 Points +18%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
7812 Points +1%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (7595 - 7966, n=4)
7769 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +41%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
54087 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
34035 Points -37%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
60279 Points +11%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
64389 Points +19%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
77599 Points +43%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
65945 Points +22%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
55740 Points +3%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (54087 - 56465, n=4)
55454 Points +3%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
66990 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
42579 Points -36%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
106799 Points +59%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
106829 Points +59%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
159735 Points +138%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
97354 Points +45%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
70318 Points +5%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (66990 - 72022, n=4)
70156 Points +5%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
32308 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
19993 Points -38%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
23877 Points -26%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
26936 Points -17%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
27717 Points -14%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
30972 Points -4%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
32302 Points 0%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (31297 - 32308, n=4)
32016 Points -1%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
5186 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
2567 Points -51%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
7407 Points +43%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
7501 Points +45%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
5205 Points 0%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
5251 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4465 Points -14%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (4015 - 5186, n=3)
4555 Points -12%
Average of class Smartphone
  (712 - 7285, n=52, last 2 years)
3548 Points -32%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
6058 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
2347 Points -61%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
9932 Points +64%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
9845 Points +63%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
7055 Points +16%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
6122 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
5303 Points -12%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (4507 - 6058, n=3)
5289 Points -13%
Average of class Smartphone
  (618 - 9451, n=52, last 2 years)
3905 Points -36%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
3448 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
3816 Points +11%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
3919 Points +14%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
4091 Points +19%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
2713 Points -21%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
3505 Points +2%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
2875 Points -17%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (2875 - 3448, n=3)
3076 Points -11%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1093 - 4525, n=52, last 2 years)
3005 Points -13%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4766 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
2525 Points -47%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
7716 Points +62%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
7955 Points +67%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
6667 Points +40%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
5268 Points +11%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4052 Points -15%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (4052 - 4766, n=3)
4380 Points -8%
Average of class Smartphone
  (704 - 23024, n=115, last 2 years)
9038 Points +90%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
5307 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
2536 Points -52%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
10279 Points +94%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
10420 Points +96%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
10374 Points +95%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
6358 Points +20%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4449 Points -16%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (4449 - 5307, n=3)
4881 Points -8%
Average of class Smartphone
  (607 - 45492, n=114, last 2 years)
15757 Points +197%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
3513 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
2488 Points -29%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
4120 Points +17%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
4352 Points +24%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
2961 Points -16%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
3293 Points -6%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
3087 Points -12%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (3077 - 3513, n=3)
3226 Points -8%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1075 - 8749, n=114, last 2 years)
4335 Points +23%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4579 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
3575 Points -22%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
5661 Points +24%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
5581 Points +22%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
3544 Points -23%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
5068 Points +11%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4452 Points -3%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (4383 - 4579, n=4)
4473 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (286 - 7890, n=102, last 2 years)
2685 Points -41%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
5152 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
3528 Points -32%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
6356 Points +23%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
6248 Points +21%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
3726 Points -28%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
6040 Points +17%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
5186 Points +1%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (5152 - 5206, n=4)
5180 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (240 - 9814, n=102, last 2 years)
2675 Points -48%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
3296 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
3751 Points +14%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
4093 Points +24%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
4063 Points +23%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
3027 Points -8%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
3242 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
2977 Points -10%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (2854 - 3296, n=4)
3033 Points -8%
Average of class Smartphone
  (858 - 4679, n=102, last 2 years)
3127 Points -5%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4821 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
3599 Points -25%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
6162 Points +28%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
6270 Points +30%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
4121 Points -15%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
4604 Points -5%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4529 Points -6%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (4529 - 4821, n=4)
4630 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (317 - 20131, n=174, last 2 years)
6545 Points +36%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
5418 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
4103 Points -24%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
7083 Points +31%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
7115 Points +31%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
4828 Points -11%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
5184 Points -4%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
5371 Points -1%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (5358 - 5418, n=4)
5379 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (267 - 33376, n=173, last 2 years)
9330 Points +72%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
3480 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
2517 Points -28%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
4235 Points +22%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
4429 Points +27%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
2723 Points -22%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
3309 Points -5%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
2925 Points -16%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (2925 - 3480, n=4)
3123 Points -10%
Average of class Smartphone
  (938 - 8480, n=173, last 2 years)
4158 Points +19%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4515 Points
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
4866 Points +8%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
4969 Points +10%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
3800 Points -16%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4348 Points -4%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (4348 - 4515, n=2)
4432 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (365 - 6439, n=96, last 2 years)
2611 Points -42%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
5565 Points
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
5779 Points +4%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
5794 Points +4%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
4236 Points -24%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
5530 Points -1%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (5530 - 5565, n=2)
5548 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (298 - 8601, n=96, last 2 years)
2775 Points -50%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
2720 Points
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
3134 Points +15%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
3317 Points +22%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
2794 Points +3%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
2488 Points -9%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (2488 - 2720, n=2)
2604 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1667 - 3525, n=96, last 2 years)
2671 Points -2%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
59 fps
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
58 fps -2%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
59 fps 0%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
60 fps +2%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
60 fps +2%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
60 fps +2%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
58 fps -2%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (58 - 60, n=4)
59.3 fps +1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (22 - 165, n=177, last 2 years)
83.6 fps +42%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
97 fps
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
119 fps +23%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
166 fps +71%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
166 fps +71%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
226 fps +133%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
85 fps -12%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
96 fps -1%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (96 - 143, n=4)
119.3 fps +23%
Average of class Smartphone
  (19 - 791, n=177, last 2 years)
243 fps +151%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
53 fps
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
58 fps +9%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
59 fps +11%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
55 fps +4%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
59 fps +11%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
51 fps -4%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
53 fps 0%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (53 - 59, n=4)
54.5 fps +3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.8 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
71.3 fps +35%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
85 fps
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
78 fps -8%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
100 fps +18%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
101 fps +19%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
107 fps +26%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
50 fps -41%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
67 fps -21%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (67 - 85, n=4)
80.5 fps -5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (9.2 - 363, n=178, last 2 years)
137.9 fps +62%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
37 fps
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
50 fps +35%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
57 fps +54%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
36 fps -3%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
58.9 fps +59%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
36 fps -3%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
37 fps 0%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (30 - 53, n=4)
39.3 fps +6%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.7 - 158, n=178, last 2 years)
60.2 fps +63%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
67 fps
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
53 fps -21%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
70 fps +4%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
71 fps +6%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
69.3 fps +3%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
35 fps -48%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
67 fps 0%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (53 - 67, n=4)
60 fps -10%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.2 - 279, n=178, last 2 years)
97 fps +45%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
23 fps
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
28 fps +22%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
37 fps +61%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
21 fps -9%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
31 fps +35%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
21 fps -9%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
23 fps 0%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (23 - 40, n=4)
27.3 fps +19%
Average of class Smartphone
  (5 - 117, n=178, last 2 years)
42.9 fps +87%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
43 fps
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
28 fps -35%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
42 fps -2%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
42 fps -2%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
40 fps -7%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
22 fps -49%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
43 fps 0%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (35 - 43, n=4)
41 fps -5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.9 - 166, n=178, last 2 years)
58.6 fps +36%
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
26 fps
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
29 fps +12%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
38 fps +46%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
23 fps -12%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
47 fps +81%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
22 fps -15%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
26 fps 0%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (16 - 26, n=4)
23.3 fps -10%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.6 - 123, n=218, last 2 years)
43.3 fps +67%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
46 fps
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
30 fps -35%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
42 fps -9%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
42 fps -9%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
36.8 fps -20%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
22 fps -52%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
46 fps 0%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (41 - 46, n=4)
44.3 fps -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.3 - 229, n=218, last 2 years)
62.9 fps +37%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
16 fps
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
20 fps +25%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
25 fps +56%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
15 fps -6%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
32.1 fps +101%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
14 fps -12%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
16 fps 0%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (16 - 28, n=4)
19 fps +19%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.8 - 105, n=218, last 2 years)
32.2 fps +101%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
17 fps
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
13 fps -24%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
17 fps 0%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
16 fps -6%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
16.3 fps -4%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
8.5 fps -50%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
17 fps 0%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (16 - 17, n=4)
16.8 fps -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (0.85 - 94, n=218, last 2 years)
25 fps +47%
Basemark GPU 1.1
1920x1080 Vulkan Medium Offscreen (sort by value)
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
36.29 fps
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
38.5 (9.69min - 72.94max) fps
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (38.4 - 38.6, n=3)
38.5 fps
Vulkan Medium Native (sort by value)
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
22.73 fps
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
27.18 (8.36min - 46.5max) fps
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (27.2 - 36.2, n=3)
30.2 fps
1920x1080 OpenGL Medium Offscreen (sort by value)
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
37.3 fps
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
32.26 (8.31min - 85.07max) fps
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (32.3 - 33, n=3)
32.6 fps
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
327454 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
273409 Points -17%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
371848 Points +14%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
369294 Points +13%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
302955 Points -7%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
321145 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
333277 Points +2%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (327454 - 333277, n=4)
329572 Points +1%
VRMark - Amber Room (sort by value)
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
4969 Score
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4967 Score
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
 
4967 Score
Average of class Smartphone
  (1010 - 10071, n=14, last 2 years)
5281 Score
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4226 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
4104 Points -3%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
5188 Points +23%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
4982 Points +18%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
4895 Points +16%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
4389 Points +4%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4520 Points +7%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (4226 - 4548, n=4)
4404 Points +4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points +35%
System (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
7793 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
7923 Points +2%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
8652 Points +11%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
9143 Points +17%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
11675 Points +50%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
8718 Points +12%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
8344 Points +7%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (7476 - 8344, n=4)
7861 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points +23%
Memory (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4502 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
5700 Points +27%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
6253 Points +39%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
5243 Points +16%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
1815 Points -60%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
4324 Points -4%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4306 Points -4%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (4306 - 4570, n=4)
4463 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points +38%
Graphics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
8981 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
5070 Points -44%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
9361 Points +4%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
9421 Points +5%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
15659 Points +74%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
8414 Points -6%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
8401 Points -6%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (7361 - 8981, n=4)
8307 Points -8%
Average of class Smartphone
  (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +55%
Web (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
1012 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
1239 Points +22%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
1431 Points +41%
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
1364 Points +35%
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
1731 Points +71%
LG G8s ThinQ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
1171 Points +16%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
1383 Points +37%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (1012 - 1439, n=4)
1305 Points +29%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points +47%
Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal - offscreen Overall Score (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
1421 Points
OnePlus 7 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
1425 Points
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Apple A12 Bionic, A12 Bionic GPU, 4096
2407 Points
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
1928 Points
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
  (1927 - 1937, n=3)
1931 Points
Average of class Smartphone
  (177 - 6114, n=61, last 2 years)
2145 Points

We used the preinstalled Samsung browser for our browser benchmarks, which could misrepresent our results slightly. However, the S10 5G performed in line with its S10 counterparts and felt smooth when web browsing in daily use. Overall, you should experience no issues when using the default browser.

Jetstream 2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 351, n=167, last 2 years)
104 Points +134%
OnePlus 7 Pro (Chrome 74)
62.5 Points +41%
LG G8s ThinQ (Chrome 75)
53.8 Points +21%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro (Chrome 74)
52.7 Points +19%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G (Samung Browser 9.2)
44.35 Points
Average Samsung Exynos 9820 (44.1 - 44.4, n=2)
44.2 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus (Samung Browser 9.0)
44.13 Points 0%
Speedometer 2.0 - Result
Average of class Smartphone (14.9 - 445, n=151, last 2 years)
104.7 runs/min +84%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro (Chrome 74)
66.3 runs/min +16%
LG G8s ThinQ (Chome 75)
64.1 runs/min +12%
OnePlus 7 Pro (Chome 74)
61.5 runs/min +8%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G (Samsung Browser 9.2)
57 runs/min
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus (Samsung Browser 9.0)
56 runs/min -2%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820 (54 - 57, n=3)
55.7 runs/min -2%
WebXPRT 3 - Overall
Apple iPhone Xs Max (Safari 12)
155 Points +35%
Average of class Smartphone (37 - 304, n=118, last 2 years)
130.7 Points +14%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus (Samsung Browser 9.0)
115 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
115 Points
Average Samsung Exynos 9820 (115 - 115, n=2)
115 Points 0%
OnePlus 7 Pro (Chrome 74)
111 Points -3%
LG G8s ThinQ (Chrome 75)
107 Points -7%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro (Chrome 74)
98 Points -15%
Huawei Mate 20 X (hrome 71)
86 Points -25%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Apple iPhone Xs Max (Safari 12)
43114 Points +109%
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33355 Points +62%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro (Chrome 74)
25640 Points +24%
OnePlus 7 Pro (Chrome 74)
24730 Points +20%
LG G8s ThinQ (Chrome 75)
23830 Points +15%
Huawei Mate 20 X (hrome 71)
21208 Points +3%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus (Samsung Browser 9.0)
20849 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G (Samsung Browser 9.2)
20653 Points
Average Samsung Exynos 9820 (18697 - 20849, n=4)
20121 Points -3%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Huawei Mate 20 X (hrome 71)
2145 ms * -18%
LG G8s ThinQ (Chrome 75)
2036 ms * -12%
OnePlus 7 Pro (Chrome 74)
1965 ms * -8%
Average Samsung Exynos 9820 (1823 - 2240, n=4)
1961 ms * -8%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus (Samsung Browser 9.0)
1857 ms * -2%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro (Chrome 74)
1852 ms * -2%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G (Samsung Browser 9.2)
1823 ms *
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1658 ms * +9%
Apple iPhone Xs Max (Safari 12)
603 ms * +67%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Apple iPhone Xs Max (Safari 12)
273 Points +200%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro (Chrome 74)
118.3 Points +30%
LG G8s ThinQ (Chrome 75)
94.1 Points +4%
Huawei Mate 20 X (hrome 71)
93.2 Points +3%
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus (Samsung Browser 9.0)
91.8 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G (Samsung Browser 9.2)
90.9 Points
Average Samsung Exynos 9820 (84 - 91.8, n=3)
88.9 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 104.3, n=2, last 2 years)
85.2 Points -6%

* ... smaller is better

Samsung has equipped the S10 5G with UFS 2.1 flash storage, which performed well in AndroBench. However, it cannot keep up with the faster UFS 3.0 standard, as demonstrated by the gap to the OnePlus 7 Pro. The Axon 10 Pro and Mate 20 X have considerably better random 4 KB write speeds too, which distorts our results somewhat.

The S10 5G only comes with 256 GB of storage, of which around 226 GB is free upon first booting the device. While this will probably be enough for most people, we cannot understand why Samsung chose to omit a microSD card reader. All other S10 devices have one, making the failure to include one in the most expensive variant even odder.

Samsung Galaxy S10 5GHuawei Mate 20 XZTE Axon 10 ProOnePlus 7 ProLG G8s ThinQSamsung Galaxy S10 PlusAverage 256 GB UFS 2.1 FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
223%
202%
43%
-1%
-1%
141%
379%
Sequential Read 256KB
816
912
12%
769
-6%
1468
80%
791
-3%
811
-1%
826 ?(496 - 984, n=22)
1%
1468 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
80%
Sequential Write 256KB
246.3
182.7
-26%
503
104%
387
57%
182.4
-26%
249.1
1%
358 ?(198.5 - 914, n=22)
45%
1078 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
338%
Random Read 4KB
135
144.4
7%
150.4
11%
174.1
29%
138
2%
135.2
0%
166.6 ?(108.4 - 265, n=22)
23%
242 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
79%
Random Write 4KB
23.79
237.6
899%
189.5
697%
24.8
4%
29.6
24%
22.7
-5%
141.5 ?(22.1 - 280, n=22)
495%
266 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
1018%

Games

The S10 5G should be a great gaming smartphone, at least on paper. We expected its powerful SoC, huge display and stereo speakers to deliver an immersive gaming experience, but the S10 5G cannot live up to expectations, as our GameBench frame-rate graphs below demonstrate.

In short, our review unit cannot maintain peak frame rates, with it fluctuating between 48 and 60 FPS in Arena of Valor. Likewise, PUBG Mobile runs at between 28 and 41 FPS, so we would recommend dropping the graphics settings for a smoother gaming experience. We would have expected better from a US$1,300 smartphone here.

The touchscreen and associated sensors worked perfectly during our tests, but the speakers often sounded tinny, as we will explain in the Speakers section of this review. The front-facing cameras do not interfere with any in-game UIs though, as it is hidden by a black bar.

Arena of Valor
PUBG Mobile
PUBG Mobile & Arena of Valor
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G; PUBG Mobile; 0.13.0: Ø37.3 (28-41)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G; Arena of Valor; 1.30.2.4: Ø57.2 (48-60)

Emissions

Temperature

GFXBench battery test: T-Rex - OpenGL ES 2.0
GFXBench battery test: T-Rex - OpenGL ES 2.0
GFXBench battery test: Manhattan - OpenGL ES 3.1
GFXBench battery test: Manhattan - OpenGL ES 3.1

The S10 5G manages its surface temperatures well at idle, with our review unit averaging 22.5 °C during our tests. The same applies under sustained load too, with surface temperatures peaking at 35.2 °C on the front of the device and averaging a pleasantly cool 31 °C across the whole device. In short, the S10 5G should never feel hot to the touch even if you are pushing it to its limits.

We also subjected our review unit to several GFXBench battery tests to determine how it manages its performance under sustained load. We ran the T-Rex and Manhattan benchmarks 30 times on a loop and recorded any changes in frame rates or battery life for each benchmark run-through. Modern smartphones often breeze through T-Rex but struggle in Manhattan, which is the case with the S10 5G. Our review unit maintained consistent frame rates during the former but throttled heavily in the latter after around the 18th loop. Overall, you should not notice drops in frame rates during short gaming sessions, but you may do so in prolonged ones.

Max. Load
 34.2 °C
94 F
33.2 °C
92 F
31.2 °C
88 F
 
 34.2 °C
94 F
35.2 °C
95 F
29.7 °C
85 F
 
 33.8 °C
93 F
33.2 °C
92 F
29 °C
84 F
 
Maximum: 35.2 °C = 95 F
Average: 32.6 °C = 91 F
25.3 °C
78 F
31 °C
88 F
30.5 °C
87 F
27.7 °C
82 F
30.3 °C
87 F
31.8 °C
89 F
27.3 °C
81 F
30 °C
86 F
31.4 °C
89 F
Maximum: 31.8 °C = 89 F
Average: 29.5 °C = 85 F
Power Supply (max.)  25.6 °C = 78 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 32.6 °C / 91 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 35.2 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 31.8 °C / 89 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23 °C / 73 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Heat map of the front of the device under load
Heat map of the front of the device under load
Heat map of the back of the device under load
Heat map of the back of the device under load

Speakers

Pink Noise speaker test
Pink Noise speaker test

The Galaxy S10 5G has stereo speakers like its S10 siblings, with it using its earpiece as a secondary speaker. The speakers get loud, with them reaching a maximum of 86.7 dB(A) during our tests, and their frequency response is decent, but they sound tinny in everyday life. We can hardly hear any deep mid or bass tones, so there is nothing to offset high-pitched frequencies. Worse still, the speakers distort at maximum volume, which is unfortunate.

Thankfully, audio outputted by the 3.5 mm jack sounds much better than it does with the stereo speakers, with the former reproducing audio cleanly and without any electrical interference. The S10 5G supports audio-out via Type-C and Bluetooth, with the latter able to operate at up to the 5.0 standard. While the device supports modern codecs like SBC, AAC, aptX and LDAC, Samsung continues to omit aptX HD, which is a shame. The S10 5G supports dual-audio Bluetooth too, meaning that it can stream audio to two sets of external audio equipment simultaneously.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2036.735.32537.130.93128.122.64027.627.75037.533.96322.923.28023.823.810021.323.912519.133.916018.449.120017.949.225017.756.831517.965.640014.662.650015.96463015.26780016.266.810001471.512501575160014.774.8200014.475.6250014.676.6315014.277.1400014.778.6500014.675.3630014.974.7800015.1711000015.163.31250014.8591600015.159.5SPL27.286.7N0.966.9median 15.1median 66.9Delta1.49.731.137.329.230.42622.323.221.531.931.327.421.72921.624.224.818.4341851.817.450.714.456.115.859.716.360.815.461.114.763.516.265.514.77313.871.61474.314.473.914.176.414.674.114.672.714.470.514.469.214.863.715.259.214.758.614.849.726.984.10.955.6median 14.7median 63.50.79.6hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseSamsung Galaxy S10 5GHuawei Mate 20 X
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.6% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.9% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 19% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 72% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 41% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 51% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Huawei Mate 20 X audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 17.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.7% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.1% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 26% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 65% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 47% of all tested devices were better, 9% similar, 45% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Power Management

Power Consumption

The S10 5G has a comparatively average power consumption, although it rises exponentially when we manually set the display to full brightness. Our review unit still consumes up to 0.08 W on standby, but this is not particularly onerous.

Samsung includes a 25 W power supply in the box that recharges the device’s 4,500 mAh battery quickly. The S10 5G needed just 86 minutes for a full charge during our tests and reached 50% charge after just 26 minutes. It took around 49 minutes to hit 80% and an additional 15 minutes to hit 90%.

Alternatively, you can charge the S10 5G with any Qi-standard wireless charger. Moreover, you could use Wireless PowerShare to charge other devices that support the Qi standard.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.01 / 0.08 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.66 / 1.82 / 1.83 Watt
Load midlight 6.11 / 9.81 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
4500 mAh
Huawei Mate 20 X
5000 mAh
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
4000 mAh
OnePlus 7 Pro
4000 mAh
Apple iPhone Xs Max
3174 mAh
LG G8s ThinQ
3550 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
4100 mAh
Average Samsung Exynos 9820
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
-1%
23%
-13%
7%
-13%
-0%
8%
4%
Idle Minimum *
0.66
0.79
-20%
0.76
-15%
0.9
-36%
1
-52%
1.2
-82%
0.73
-11%
0.65 ?(0.6 - 0.73, n=4)
2%
0.894 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
-35%
Idle Average *
1.82
1.72
5%
1.15
37%
1.8
1%
1.4
23%
1.6
12%
1.53
16%
1.455 ?(1.2 - 1.82, n=4)
20%
1.452 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
20%
Idle Maximum *
1.83
1.83
-0%
1.18
36%
2.9
-58%
1.7
7%
2
-9%
2.07
-13%
1.675 ?(1.3 - 2.07, n=4)
8%
1.632 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
11%
Load Average *
6.11
5.53
9%
3.95
35%
5.5
10%
4.6
25%
5
18%
6.03
1%
5.88 ?(5.2 - 6.17, n=4)
4%
5.55 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
9%
Load Maximum *
9.81
9.85
-0%
7.49
24%
8.2
16%
6.7
32%
10
-2%
9.18
6%
9.44 ?(8.55 - 10.2, n=4)
4%
8.23 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
16%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The S10 5G has a 4,500 mAh battery, which is larger than all but the Mate 20 X of our comparison devices. However, our review unit eats through its battery, with it only lasting 8:53 hours in our practical Wi-Fi battery life test.

We suspect that the culprits here are the 5G and Wi-Fi modems, the latter of which was also a thorn in the side of our other Galaxy S10 review units. The S10 5G still averages about 24% longer runtimes than the S10+, but it falls between 28% and 47% short of our comparison devices, despite most of them having small batteries.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
39h 00min
WiFi Websurfing (Samsung Browser 9.2)
8h 53min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
17h 27min
Load (maximum brightness)
5h 27min
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
4500 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
4100 mAh
Huawei Mate 20 X
5000 mAh
Apple iPhone Xs Max
3174 mAh
LG G8s ThinQ
3550 mAh
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
4000 mAh
OnePlus 7 Pro
4000 mAh
Battery Runtime
-24%
5%
-15%
-16%
-6%
-8%
Reader / Idle
2340
1560
-33%
1984
-15%
1305
-44%
1689
-28%
1927
-18%
1745
-25%
H.264
1047
921
-12%
986
-6%
801
-23%
753
-28%
1068
2%
802
-23%
WiFi v1.3
533
483
-9%
786
47%
742
39%
693
30%
680
28%
768
44%
Load
327
187
-43%
300
-8%
223
-32%
203
-38%
217
-34%
236
-28%

Pros

+ great design
+ premium materials
+ impressive cameras
+ super bright AMOLED display
+ IP68 certification
+ 3D face recognition
+ ultrasonic fingerprint sensor
+ reversible wireless charging
+ ultra-fast wired charging
+ headphone jack
+ powerful SoC

Cons

- frame rate stutters in demanding games
- SoC throttles under continuous load
- PWM
- no aptX HD
- no microSD card slot
- tinny-sounding speakers
- underwhelming battery life
- only single-SIM
- carrier branding
- bloatware

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G (SM-G977B) smartphone review.
The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G (SM-G977B) smartphone review.

The Galaxy S10 5G distinguishes itself from its peers in more ways than just its 5G modem. However, the latter overshadows many components that would be positives in other smartphones. Take the 4,500 mAh battery, for instance, which is larger than all but the battery in the Mate 20 X of the S10 5G’s contemporaries. 4,500 mAh is an impressively large battery on paper, but the 5G modem eats through it, giving our review unit less than 10 hours of Wi-Fi usage between charges. Moreover, Samsung currently only sells the S10 5G with carrier branding, of which we are not fans.

Also, Samsung still refuses to include support for aptX HD, and while the Exynos 9820 is a powerful SoC, the ARM Mali-G76 MP12 GPU stutters when playing challenging games. We appreciate that this a minor gripe, but we expect more from a US$1,300 smartphone. The omission of a microSD card slot is difficult to swallow too, especially considering that Samsung included one in all other S10 series smartphones. Incidentally, the speakers will not win any awards either.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G is a strong premiere for the new mobile standard, but a few niggles prevent it from blowing us away.

Conversely, the S10 5G has practically all the features that you could wish for from a modern flagship. Its huge AMOLED display gets extremely bright, with colours reproduced vividly and accurately. Samsung has done a great job with the cameras too, and we like the inclusion of ToF sensors as well. The ultrasonic fingerprint sensor works just as well as it does on the S10 and S10+, and it is nice to have the option of using 3D facial authentication instead. Having a 3.5 mm headphone jack is always welcome too.

The Galaxy S10 5G is a great choice if you are in the market for a phablet even when discounting its 5G capabilities. However, it looks mighty pricy next to its S10 siblings, while its few but glaring shortcomings may have people looking elsewhere.

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G - 09/03/2022 v7
Daniel Schmidt

Chassis
91%
Keyboard
67 / 75 → 90%
Pointing Device
98%
Connectivity
67 / 70 → 96%
Weight
88%
Battery
88%
Display
90%
Games Performance
52 / 64 → 81%
Application Performance
73 / 86 → 85%
Temperature
95%
Noise
100%
Audio
72 / 90 → 80%
Camera
79%
Average
82%
87%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Samsung Galaxy S10 5G Smartphone Review: A turbocharged S10 with a cutting-edge addition
Daniel Schmidt, 2019-07-28 (Update: 2019-07-31)