Why I am NOT Buying Galaxy Note 10 “Right Now”!

Every year, Samsung releases the Galaxy Note series about 6 months after the S series.  For example, the Galaxy S10 was launched in March earlier this year and the new Galaxy Note 10 will be available at end of August.   This timing “gap” allows means you are getting much of the same but paying a lot more.

First, the Galaxy Note 10 series have pretty much identical features in terms of camera, performance, and everything else except for few minor upgrades such as the S-Pen and AR camera.  For those of you who want the extra super-wide angle front camera like myself, you can only find it on the Galaxy S10 Plus.  Samsung has gone with just one center front camera this year with both the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus along with an extra depth camera for AR abilities.  While AR camera sounds like a great way to scan 3D objects and make them into your favorite AR emojis, I find that feature very gimmicky and I doubt I would personally use it very much.  I mean, I rather have practical, real-world usage than features that I absolutely don’t need.  If having the best cameras for photos and videos is more important, I feel the Galaxy S10 Plus is better way to go especially if you don’t need the S-Pen.  In fact, you can pick up a Galaxy S10 Plus right now on eBay for just $769.99. (Compare w/ $949.99 for brand, new Galaxy Note 10)  Also, the Galaxy S10 Plus comes with a 1440P display while the Note 10 has 1080P screen(talk about downgrades, not upgrades).

Second, if you absolutely don’t need the faster Snapdragon 855 processor and the new cameras but you want excellent S-Pen capabilities, you might better off getting last year’s Galaxy Note 9, which pretty much give you the same Note 10 S-Pen features without the new gestures, which you probably don’t need anyways.  You can grab a BRAND, NEW Galaxy Note 9 for just $589.99(Compare w/ $949.99 for brand, new Galaxy Note 10) and it actually have a higher-resolution 1440P screen along with slightly bigger 6.4-inch screen(instead of Note 10’s 6.3-inch).  That’s almost 50% in savings, you could buy 2 Galaxy Note 9 smartphones for the price of just one Galaxy Note 10!   And in terms of screen resolution and size, the Galaxy Note 10 is actually a downgrade!

Now, Samsung does offer many different ways you can save money through Samsung.com where you can get free stuff for pre-orders(such as microSD cards, Gear VR, 1-year Netflix, etc…etc…) along with buy back program for your old smartphones.  The only reason I don’t like this route is because the phones offered on Samsung.com are all U.S. models with locked bootloaders(this is only for the U.S. market, for other markets like Europe or Asia, you probably get the international model you can unlock bootloader), which means no root and custom ROMs.   If you can save big using Samsung.com’s promotions, I think that’s a great way to go.  As for me, I absolutely need root, so I will be picking up a Note 10 Plus on eBay.  Plus prices are much cheaper on the open market(especially with time) as prices fluctuate and you can get a steal on most of the Samsung Galaxy phones simply by waiting more.

It’s always smart to wait at least a month before buying a new smartphone as you can buy the phones much cheaper rather than getting over-hyped.  For what it is, the Galaxy Note 10 is worth getting if you are getting a good deal on it whether that’s through Samsung’s promotions or buying a month after the launch on eBay.  I hope these tips help you save some money on your next smartphone purchase and good luck!

Galaxy Note 10 & Galaxy Note 10 Plus Deals To Watch on Ebay(eBay Sellers I recommend):

Galaxy Note 10 256GB – Link

Galaxy Note 10 Plus 256GB – Link