Samsung's Galaxy S10 family includes five handsets, the original four - the Galaxy S10e, the Galaxy S10, the Galaxy S10+ and the Galaxy S10 5G - along with the addition of the Galaxy S10 Lite, launched nearly 10 months after all the others.

Here is how Galaxy S10 Lite and the Galaxy S10 compares to the S10+, smaller S10e and larger S10 5G to help you find the right Galaxy S for you.

Samsung Galaxy S10 range prices

  • £669 to £1399
  • Galaxy S10 Lite prices to be confirmed

The Samsung Galaxy S10e starts at $749.99 and £669 in the UK.

The Galaxy S10 starts at $899.99, or £799.

The S10+ starts at $999.99, and £899. The top-of-the-range model will cost $1599.99/£1399.

The S10 5G starts at $1299 in the US, £1099 in the UK.

Samsung Galaxy S10

Design

  • S10 Lite: 162.5 x 75.6 x 8.1mm, 186g
  • S10e: 142.2 x 69.9 x 7.9mm, 150g
  • S10: 149.9 x 70.4 x 7.8mm, 157g
  • S10+: 157.6 x 74.1 x 7.8mm, 175g
  • S10 5G: 162.6 x 77.1 x 7.94mm, 198g

The Samsung Galaxy S10 models all feature a similar premium design with glass backs and solid metal frames. They differ in size and weight, but it is clear they are all from the same family, except for the S10 Lite, however, which offers a different camera design, closer to what we expect from the forthcoming Galaxy S20.

Colour options vary between the four devices. There are four standard colours including Prism Green, Prism Blue, Prism Black and Prism White. The S10e comes in a fifth option of Canary Yellow, and the larger storage capacity S10+ models come in white or black ceramic options only.

Super slim bezels surround the full, no-notch displays of all the S10 devices with punch holes for the front camera. On the rear, all have horizontal camera arrays, though the number of lenses varies depending on the model - more on that in a minute. It's here that the S10 Lite moves to a camera block in the top left corner.

Waterproofing is present on all S10 devices and all of them come with a microSD slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack, the Bixby button and USB Type-C for charging. All, that is, apart from the S10 Lite, which loses the Bixby button and the 3.5mm connector - and we don't know if it has an IP rating or not.

The S10 Lite, S10, S10+ and S10 5G all opt for an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor, while the S10e has a side-mounted captive fingerprint sensor on its right edge.

Displays

  • S10 Lite: 6.7-inch flat, AMOLED, Full HD+, 20:9
  • S10e: 5.8-inch flat, AMOLED, Full HD+, 19:9
  • S10: 6.1-inch curved, AMOLED, Quad HD+, 19:9
  • S10+: 6.4-inch curved, AMOLED, Quad HD+, 19:9
  • S10 5G: 6.7-inch curved, AMOLED, Quad HD+, 19:9

The Samsung Galaxy S10 range offers displays between 5.8-inches and 6.7-inches. The smallest device is the Galaxy S10e, while the largest is the Galaxy S10 5G or the new S10 Lite.

The standard S10 features a 6.1-inch screen while the S10+ comes with a 6.4-inch screen. The Galaxy S10, S10+ and S10 5G all have a dual-edge Infinity-O display, while the Galaxy S10e has a flat Infinity-O display, as does the S10 Lite. 

The S10e and S10 Lite have a Full HD+ resolution while the other three Galaxy S10 devices offer a Quad HD+ resolution. That means the S10 has the sharpest display in terms of pixel density, but across the board, these displays look great.

Cameras

  • S10 Lite: Triple rear, single front
  • S10e: Dual rear, single front
  • S10: Triple rear, single front
  • S10+: Triple rear, dual front
  • S10 5G: Quad rear, dual front

Starting with the selfie cameras, the Galaxy S10e has a 10-megapixel sensor with an f/1.9 aperture on the front. This camera is also on the Galaxy S10, S10+ and S10 5G, but the latter two devices add a second depth sensor to the front, so have a bigger hole in the display.

The S10 Lite, however, goes in a completely different direction, with a central punch hole camera and a 32-megapixel camera, f/2.2. That might suggest it will offer more detail but might be worse in low light performance.

Moving to the rear cameras, the Samsung Galaxy S10e comes with a dual camera system, made up of a main 12-megapixel lens with a dual aperture of f/1.5 and f/2.4, and a fixed focus 16-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide camera with an f/2.2 aperture.

The Galaxy S10 and S10+ both come with a triple rear camera system comprised of the same cameras as the S10e, but adding a third 12-megapixel f/2.4 telephoto lens. The Galaxy S10 5G adds a fourth lens to its rear - a 3D depth sensor

Finally we come to the newest phone, the S10 Lite, which has a completely different camera. The main sensor here is a 48-megapixel f/2.0, along with a 12-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide and a 5-megapixel macro camera. So the S10 Lite is entirely different in the camera department to all the other devices.

Hardware and software

  • S10 Lite: 6/8GB RAM, 128GB storage, 4500mAh
  • S10e: 6/8GB RAM, 128/256GB storage, 3100mAh
  • S10: 8GB RAM, 128GB/512GB storage, 3400mAh
  • S10+: 8/12GB RAM, 128GB/512GB/1TB, 4100mAh
  • S10 5G: 8GB RAM, 256GB storage, 4500mAh

All the Samsung Galaxy S10 models run on an octa-core 8nm processor, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset or the Exynos 9820, except the S10 Lite, which is Snapdragon 855 only, meaning it's not actually Lite - it's still flagship grade.

The S10 Lite comes in one variant, but the RAM differs based on location, so you get 6 or 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The S10e comes in two variants, 6/128GB or 8/256GB storage. The S10 also comes in two variants, 8/128GB or 8/512GB.

The S10+ comes in three variants, 8/128GB, 8/512GB, 12GB/1TB. The S10 5G comes in one model only with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. All S10 devices offer microSD support for storage expansion.

In terms of battery capacity, the S10e has the smallest at 3100mAh, the S10 follows with 3400mAh, while the S10+ makes the jump to 4100mAh. The S10 5G has the largest capacity at 4500mAh, although the S10 Lite also creeps in here - so could better many of the other devices in terms of battery life for the money.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G is the only S10 model to offer 5G capabilities, the others are 4G.

All four original models launched on Android Pie with Samsung's One UI software over the top so the user experience between the four handsets is similar, though the S10e misses out on a couple of camera features. The S10 Lite launches on Android 10, so will potentially offer the latest software before some of the other devices update - although in the long run, the software features are broadly the same.

Samsung Galaxy S10+

Samsung Galaxy S10 range conclusions

On paper, the S10+ is the hero device if you're not fussed about 5G: big screen, triple rear camera, dual front camera, large battery, and the option of up to 12GB of RAM and 1TB storage. The new S10 Lite makes a surprising entry through. We currently don't know how much it will cost, but on the spec sheet, if you're looking at S10 devices, it has a lot to offer against all the older phones.

The standard 10 takes a little step down from the S10+: smaller display (though still big enough), triple rear camera, single front camera, medium-sized battery, smaller storage options but a smaller price too.

The S10e is the cheapest of the Galaxy S10 devices: smallest screen, no in-display fingerprint sensor, dual rear camera, single front camera and a small battery by comparison. It's below £700 though and it still has an excellent design, so wins on value for money - but there are some compromises.

The S10 5G is for those looking to the future: 5G compatibility, huge display, quad rear camera, dual front camera and massive battery. It's a great phone, but the additions to the camera don't make a massive difference - it's really about the big screen and 5G. If you're not after 5G, then consider the huge S10 Lite as well. 

We'll update once we know the price for the S10 Lite and when we have reviewed it.