Samsung Galaxy Note10 Lite Review: Nothing 'Lite' about this toned down version

Samsung Galaxy Note10 Lite (Image: Sakshi Batra, Moneycontrol)

The Galaxy Note line up has always been seen as the best of Samsung each year, but the premium price tags attached to them have also refrained most smartphone users from experiencing the best it has to offer.

Well, no more. Samsung is beginning to stand up to fill in the gaps in the gradually changing trends by introducing its 'Lite' variants of its flagship phones.

We reviewed the Samsung Note10 Lite and here's how it fared.

Design and Display

The design looks similar to the S10 Lite with a glasstic (glass+plastic) back cover which helps cut costs. The back features a rectangular camera module which houses a triple cam set up and LED flash.

The phone’s metallic frame makes it comfortable to hold, however, the device is heavier than its flagship counterpart, weighing in at 199 grams. Something that would be a hiccup for those who prefer compact phones.

The phone houses the power and volume rocker on the right, while the SIM tray is on the left. On the bottom is the mono speaker grill, type C port and an 3.5mm jack -- which is welcome considering Samsung gave it a miss with the S10 Lite.

The most interesting thing is the S Pen being straight out of the flagship variant. The ultrasonic fingerprint scanner from the expensive version is however replaced with an optical fingerprint scanner - which users may find a tad slower.

Face unlock on the other hand is faster. The Note10 Lite sports a 6.7-inch flat panel with a Super AMOLED screen surrounded by visible bezels, but that does not disrupt the immersive viewing experience of Samsung's Infinity-O display.

Performance

At the heart of the device is a Samsung Exynos 9810 SoC - 10nm 64-bit octa-core processor, the same as on the S9 and S9+ and Note9. In terms of storage, the device gets 128GB, expandable up to 1TB using a MicroSD card and offers 6GB and 8GB RAM variants.

The core configuration ensures that for all intents and purposes the Note 10 Lite functions similar to the flagship -- be it running heavy-duty games or multi-tasking much as you’d expect on a premium phone.

But, unlike the Snapdragon 855 processor in the S10 Lite, the Exynos may lose some points for the device.

The Note 10 Lite is powered by a 4,500mAh battery, the biggest ever in a Note smartphone and similar to the S10 Lite which gives you over a day's use on a single charge with a 25W super-fast charging.

The drawback here could be that the device does not support wireless charging. And it drains sooner when binge-watching shows or videos or playing long gaming sessions.

Cameras

Note 10 Lite's camera set-up is almost similar to the Note 10. The rear camera set-up includes a primary 12MP ultra-wide lens; a 12MP wide-angle lens with dual-pixel technology and optical image stabilisation (OIS); and a 12MP telephoto lens (also with OIS). It has accurate colours and great image quality.

The front camera, on the other hand, comes with an upgraded 32MP lens and you won't be disappointed with your selfies here. You can also take portrait selfies, which is a plus.

In terms of video recording, the device has OIS which ensures quality is at par with the Note 10. It also has the Supersteady Moder which cover a wider space and enhanced stabilisation. Other features such as super-slowmo, slowmo and night mode are also pretty decent.

S Pen

If you were still unsure about the Galaxy Note 10 Lite, the USP  might sway you in favour of it. You can make notes, create doodles and designs, use the tool to click photos on your phone remotely, and with features you would find in the flagship Note 10/Note 10+, minus the gyro sensors.

Price and Availability

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite comes in three colour variants, the Aura Glow, Aura Black and Aura Red - which was the one we reviewed. It comes with a price tag of Rs 38,999 for 6GB RAM, 128GB storage variant and Rs 40,999 for the 8GB RAM, 128GB storage variant.

Drawbacks

Not water resistance
Not dust resistance
Two year old processor
Lower accuracy fingerprint reader

Plus points

Premium feel
S Pen a big hit
Versatile camera features
Good battery life
Value for Money

Verdict

The Note 10 Lite seeks to bring the premium experience to aspirational millennials. So if you are looking for a phone which is great for productivity, has the flagship features and is easy on your pocket, the Galaxy Note 10 Lite
is at present one of the best smartphones you can get in this price range.