Samsung S10 5G first look: A supersized phone with six cameras

I have two main issues with supersized phones: They’re too big to fit in my pocket, and they can be uncomfortably heavy. The Samsung S10 5G solves both of these problems. I got the chance to go hands-on with Samsung's largest Galaxy S phone ever. The S10 5G is the first supersized phone I would enjoy using as an all-in-one entertainment device.

The first thing that must be noted about the S10 5G is that its headlining feature remains just a promise for most people right now. Samsung says consumers will potentially see speeds 20 times faster on 5G networks than on 4G, but there’s no way to tell. Like most places today, Hong Kong doesn’t yet have a commercially available 5G network, so I couldn’t test Samsung’s claim. That’s a bummer.

My first impression when I held the S10 5G was that it doesn't feel nearly as big and heavy as it looks. The phone was very well-balanced in my hands, although users with smaller hands may not feel the same way.

The fact that it feels so good in the hands makes it much easier to enjoy the best part of this phone: the 6.7-inch AMOLED display. It’s a bright, hyper-saturated display. Thanks to the AMOLED, it has deep blacks contrasted against punchy colors that pop out of the screen. Watching a K-pop music video on the phone was an impressive experience.

The S10 5G is an even more polished, refined, balanced device than the S10+. On the front, there’s a larger camera cutout that contains a 3D depth sensor for users to record Live Focus video. This enables a real-time background blur while shooting video using the selfie cam. You also get better background blur effects in selfie photos when shooting in portrait mode.

The S10 5G has a reflective glass back with a whopping four-camera setup, which includes an ultra-wide-angle lens, wide angle lens, telephoto lens, and another 3D depth camera. Without widespread 5G availability, this latter feature is the most distinguishing for the S10 5G right now.

The 3D camera uses time-of-flight technology to capture a realistic 3D depth map of whatever the camera is facing. It’s meant to improve AR gaming experiences and further refine the background blur effect in portrait shots. As with the front-facing 3D sensor, the one on the back also provides real-time background blurring in videos.

Overall, the S10 5G is a good upgrade option for Galaxy Note 9 users who just want a large screen (users who need the stylus will have to wait for the Note 10). The S10 5G has a bigger battery (4,500 mAh), 3D depth cameras on the front and back and support for 5G and 25W fast charging. The rounded corners and chamfered edges also make the phone easy to hold.

As of right now, the S10 5G is the best phone you can get from Samsung. It has the best camera and the best display. It’s also the first 5G smartphone available to buy, for what that’s worth. Depending on 5G roll out schedules for where you live, that alone could be worth the upgrade.