Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite review: Bringing the 'everything phone' to the masses 

Samsung’s Galaxy te is often called ‘everything’ phone. For years, Galaxy te has stood for one thing – being go-to premium smartphone for productivity. In a bid to bring it to more consumers, Samsung did something different with its current-generation Galaxy te 10 lineup.  

Galaxy te 10 was launched in two sizes – a smaller 6.3-inch Galaxy te 10 and a much larger 6.8-inch Galaxy te 10+. idea was to offer a little something for everybody without compromising on core hardware and functionality. But here’s thing, while Galaxy te 10 price in India starts at Rs 69,999, Galaxy te 10+ starts at Rs 79,999. 

smartphone market in India is going through rapid changes. Almost every brand we kw is making an everything phone w, or something very close, and many of m are selling se devices at more affordable prices. Galaxy te isn’t only everything phone around anymore - unless of course you ‘specifically’ want a stylus. You can say this called for action, and Samsung it seems, has responded. For first time in its history, Samsung has launched a seemingly ‘affordable’ Galaxy te meant for a more mainstream audience. phone in question is called Galaxy te 10 Lite. 

Galaxy te 10 Lite is available in two configurations, 6GB/128GB and 8GB/128GB. While 6GB RAM variant of Galaxy te 10 Lite sells for Rs 38,999, 8GB RAM version of phone is available for Rs 40,999. Let’s find out, if it’s any good.  

Design and display 

Even though Galaxy S10 Lite is ‘technically’ ‘lite’ version in Samsung’s current Galaxy te 10 lineup, it isn’t smallest. That would be vanilla Galaxy te 10 (6.3-inch). Galaxy te 10 Lite, with its 6.7-inch screen size, is in fact just a hair short of highest end Galaxy te 10+ - which is 6.8-inch by way. Clearly, Galaxy te 10 Lite is designed for those looking for a tall screen – at a more mainstream pricing of course.  

But n again, because this is a Samsung phone, you’ll probably won’t tice it much. Much like any or high-end Samsung phone, Galaxy te 10 Lite also keeps its physical dimensions in check. Wherever it can. But you kw this thing also must accommodate a stylus, so you probably alrey kw what you’re getting into. Galaxy te 10 Lite is t a phone meant for ‘comfortable’ one hand use, much like any or phone of its size.  

What really matters is that even though this is a ‘Lite’ phone, overall designed doesn’t feel cheap or iffy. With rounded corners and curved sides, Galaxy te 10 Lite fits just right into your hands, while its flat front ensures it doesn’t slip off from your hands. back is rar plain and simple with a rectangular camera module positioned at one end at top. This is a design inspired from Samsung’s new Galaxy A lineup, something that you also see in this year’s Galaxy S20.  

Being an affordable flagship means that some corners have been cut though. Galaxy te 10 Lite is me of ‘glossy’ plastic. Samsung calls material '3D Glasstic.’ This material is prone to smudge and scratches, so bundled case comes handy. 

front of Galaxy te 10 Lite is familiar if you’ve crossed paths with Galaxy te 10 lineup. This thing is literally all-screen and bezel with an Infinity-O punch hole in a de center position. You don’t get Samsung’s highest end Dynamic AMOLED here, just Super AMOLED. But n, Samsung makes best (AMOLED) display panels for smartphones and Galaxy te 10 Lite also has one of best screens that money can buy at its price.  

Wher it be brightness or contrast or outdoor legibility, re’s thing really to complain here. Colors are more natural by default, but re is also an option to pump out Samsung’s signature over-contrast through settings. resolution is FHD+ and while re’s OnePlus 7T-like 90Hz refresh rate here, quality of display is so good, chances are you won’t even tice it.  

Unlike more premium Galaxy te 10 phones, Galaxy te 10 Lite gets an optical in-display fingerprint scanner which is faster in comparison, but again, it is a hit and miss affair. 

Performance, software and battery life 

Galaxy te 10 Lite rocks an Exys 9810 processor. Those keeping a track would kw, this is a 2-year old processor seen in Galaxy S9 phones. Which is t confusing. Why would a phone like Galaxy S10 Lite get a newer Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 and a Galaxy te 10 Lite – which is supposed to be an everything phone on a budget – get a dated chipset? While I don’t have an answer for that, and while I still have concerns with regards to future proofing, I can tell you that in present, Galaxy te 10 Lite is by means a slouch. Something that its core hardware would have you believe.  

If anything, because Samsung is using a custom-built chip in Galaxy te 10 Lite, on paper, it has leeway to optimize it well to squeeze out every drop from its SoC. And it does. While syntic benchmarks may t reveal its true colors, this thing performs very well in day-to-day us. Exys 9810 in Galaxy te 10 Lite is paired with up to 8GB RAM and 128GB UFS 2.1 stor which is furr expandable by up to 1TB via a hybrid micro-SD card slot. dual-SIM phone runs Android 10-based One UI 2 software – that's best from Samsung right w.   

Galaxy te 10 Lite performs well at basic tasks as well as high-end gaming. And it does that mostly without breaking a sweat. This means that Galaxy te 10 Lite handles everyday tasks well and plays graphically demanding games like PUBG at high settings well eugh although toning things down should get you smoor gameplay.  

phone is efficient too and it boasts of biggest battery that Samsung has ever shipped in a high-end flagship to date - which is 4,500mAh. Battery life is outstanding. Galaxy te 10 Lite will easily last over a day for even most demanding users. Galaxy te Lite furr supports 25W fast charging. compliant charger which is bundled in box tops phone in around 1 hour and 20 minutes. 

S-Pen 

S-Pen that tags along with Galaxy te 10 Lite is same as one you get with more premium Galaxy te 10, minus gyroscope. This means it has same pressure sensitivity and packs same features – but it can’t do ‘air’ gestures. This is fine considering price. Even though Samsung’s S-Pen has competition, I like that it continues to d more and more useful features to it every year. Digital text conversion is something that Samsung introduced two years ago. w, Samsung is using AI to make it more accurate and you also w get option to directly export your text to Microsoft Word – that's neat. 

Plus, re’s a vast array of existing things, like screen off memo, GIF creation et al that S-Pen is kwn for. I haven’t h any ‘visible’ latency issues while using S-Pen with Galaxy te 10 Lite. It’s as fun and as one-of-its-kind as experience on more expensive Galaxy te phones, if t more. 

Camera 

Galaxy te 10 Lite offers a lot of versatility when it comes to cameras. re’s a 12MP main camera with f/1.7 aperture and OIS, a 12MP telephoto camera for 2x optical zoom with OIS, and ar 12MP ultrawide angle camera. On front, Galaxy te 10 Lite has a 32MP camera.     

all-round results are promising. This is especially true about main camera. Samsung seems to be using new algorithms so all-round result is warmer and more pleasing to eyes with great dynamic range as well especially in ideal lighting. Low light photos appear somewhat soft and mushy because of Samsung’s highly aggressive ise reduction in such situations. But Samsung’s night mode does help get more out of your low light photos. ultrawide angle camera lets you capture a wider perspective with good details and rich colors in both good and tricky light. Low-light photos taken with it are thing to write home about though. telephoto camera can shoot some really good-looking ‘optically’ zoomed photos in almost all kinds of lighting scenarios. 

Selfies taken with 32MP front camera come out well detailed with pleasing colors in good lighting with intensity of ise increasing as level of light goes down. 

Should you buy Samsung Galaxy te 10 Lite? 

answer to that depends first and foremost on how bly you want S-Pen stylus. If you’ve been looking to get into this ecosystem all along, but couldn’t because of Samsung’s premium asking price, Galaxy te 10 Lite is a -brainer. 

Even if you’re t into S-Pen, Galaxy te 10 Lite packs quite a pack keeping intact all essentials that make a smartphone tick – including a hephone jack and expandable stor. If, however having everything does t matter to you, Galaxy S10 Lite is a better, more powerful option for you at around similar price tag.     

(Photos by Saurabh Singh)

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