Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite vs Galaxy S10 Lite: Which one should you buy?

Samsung recently launched two new ‘Lite’ smartphones, the Galaxy S10 Lite and the Galaxy Note 10 Lite. The two new variants from Samsung’s flagship series offer some key features at a much affordable price range.

The Galaxy Note 10 Lite starts at Rs 38,999, whereas the Galaxy S10 Lite is priced at Rs 39,999. In case you are finding it tough to decide which one to buy among the two Lite flagships, here are some key differences between the Galaxy S10 Lite and Galaxy Note 10 Lite.

Design and display
Both smartphones feature the same screen size at 6.7-inch Infinity-O panel and even a Full HD+ resolution. The difference between the two is that the Galaxy S10 Lite has a Super AMOLED Plus panel instead of a Super AMOLED found on the Galaxy Note 10 Lite.

According to Samsung, the ‘Plus’ AMOLED display uses flexible OLED technology for a thin and light panel. We will have to test both the devices to notice the difference in colour accuracy and vibrancy levels if there is any.

Both the smartphones share an identical plastic body design and have the same camera module design on the back as well. The Galaxy Note 10 Lite features a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Camera
Galaxy Note 10 Lite features a 12MP triple-camera setup with a 12MP wide lens, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 12MP telephoto, aka zoom lens. Galaxy S10 Lite, on the other hand, features a 48MP primary wide lens with Super Steady OIS mode, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 5MP macro lens.

Galaxy Note 10 Lite offers a 2x telephoto sensor that may come in handy at times. This zoom lens and the 12MP primary lens feature support for optical image stabilisation (OIS).

If shooting videos and higher resolution images is your priority, the Galaxy S10 Lite seems like a better option considering the onboard stabilisation that Samsung is boasting about.

For selfies, both the smartphones feature a 32MP front camera.

Performance
This is the part where the Galaxy S10 Lite completely dominates the Galaxy Note 10 Lite. Samsung has opted for the two-year-old Exynos 9810 SoC, which was found on the Galaxy S9 series. This particular chipset, paired with 6GB/8GB RAM and 128GB internal memory, is infamous for its thermal issues and poor battery life management.

Galaxy S10 Lite features a much-more powerful and reliable Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC paired with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage.

Both the smartphones pack a 4,500 mAh battery with support for ‘Super Fast charging’.

Another difference here is the support for S Pen, which is exclusive only to the Galaxy Note lineup. The S Pen can perform tasks like Air Actions, remote gestures, a shutter button, etc, that may come in handy for faster productivity. 

ConclusionIt is pretty evident that the Galaxy S10 Lite is a much better deal for someone who wants their smartphone to do everything. Be it a vibrant display, a reliable-yet-powerful processor, and a versatile set of cameras, the Galaxy S10 Lite seems like a better bargain, at least on paper. The whole spec-sheet combined offers a much better value-for-money proposition.

Samsung’s choice of processor for the Galaxy Note 10 Lite may have left our readers confused. However, Galaxy Note 10 Lite is more for productivity on a smartphone. If you are someone who takes many notes and needs a stylus, the S Pen offering on the Galaxy Note 10 Lite is the smartphone for you. Add to it the inclusion of the 3.5mm headphone jack that the Galaxy S10 Lite misses out on.

Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite is priced at Rs 39,999 and comes with a single 8GB+128GB storage option. The Galaxy Note 10 Lite, on the other hand, offers two RAM options of 6GB and 8GB, with 128GB internal memory as standard across the two variants.

However, there are two other smartphones that are very popular in the segment — the Realme X2 Pro (Review) and the OnePlus 7T (Review). Both these smartphones pack a robust set of specifications, that when combined with the price, offer an excellent deal in terms of value for your money. 

The X2 Pro is quite popular for its ‘true flagship killer’ specifications. We even called it the ‘King of Flagship Killers of 2019’ in our detailed review. The OnePlus 7T has been the most popular offering in the price segment. After the entry of Samsung’s two new ‘Lite’ flagship offerings, maybe OnePlus should worry about its dominance in the segment.

Do check our comparison of Galaxy S10 Lite vs Galaxy Note 10 Lite vs OnePlus 7T vs Realme X2 Pro to buy the best smartphone under Rs 40,000 in India.