Samsung Galaxy Note 10+: the best Android phone for Microsoft and Windows users

I have never been a big fan of the Samsung Galaxy series smartphones. The last time I used a Galaxy flagship product, it was with the Galaxy S8, and I sold it after just a few weeks because I could not put myself in the Sheltered from the Android version of Samsung. I felt swollen and did not look very handsome. The hardware was excellent, as always Samsung hardware, but this is only part of the story regarding the choice of a smartphone, and the software side of Samsung just did not work for me.

But it's been two years and Samsung has reviewed its version of Android with the new OneUI that tries to unlock things and make them nicer. Since then, Microsoft has also joined Samsung's entertainment by announcing a partnership that allows it to integrate its own services into OneUI and Galaxy Note 10 for a better Microsoft ecosystem experience.

This partnership explains why we are looking at the Galaxy Note 10 on Windows Central. it's the phone that Microsoft thinks you should buy if you're part of the Microsoft ecosystem. If you use Windows, Office, Outlook, Skype and more on your PC, the Galaxy Note 10 lets you bring those experiences with you on the go.

This is a review of the Galaxy Note 10 from the point of view of a Microsoft user. If you are interested in the device as a whole and want to know more about Samsung's own changes and features compared to previous Samsung phones, be sure to check out the detailed analysis of Android Central.

Check out the Android Central review on the Galaxy Note 10+

Galaxy Note 10+ material

It's one of the best smartphone hardware on the market.

This is a beautifully crafted combination of metal and glass with curved edges, tight angles and a hypnotic edge-to-edge display. The Note10 + is big, but it is not unusually large, as have the Note devices in recent years. If you're used to big phones, the Note 10+ will feel like home. Otherwise, there is a smaller model of 6.3 inches that looks a lot more like the size of an iPhone XR.

The display is absolutely beautiful. It's a high resolution WQHD + OLED. Many have said that it was the best screen on any smartphone at this time, and I am inclined to agree. By default, it comes out of the box with a Full HD resolution, but if you want to enjoy the total quality offered by the display, you can increase the resolution in WQHD +, which I did. This can reduce battery life, but I have not noticed a significant loss of endurance.

Note 10 + battery life

Speaking of battery life, that's fine. I'm using the Exynos model, not the Snapdragon one, but I can not criticize this battery life. I do not spend a day and a half without problems before falling below 15%. Even in this case, with the load of 45w of Note 10 +, I went back up to 100% in no time.

It also has a wireless charge and supports "wireless fast charge". I use both the Anker and Pixel wireless chargers, and while both support fast charging, only the Anker Charger offers fast charging capabilities to the Galaxy Note 10+.

There is a fingerprint reader under display, which is good, but not the best. My OnePlus 7 Pro has a better on-screen fingerprint reader than the Note 10+. It seems a little slower and sometimes a little less precise. It is significantly slower than any capacitive fingerprint reader that is currently found on most smartphones. You will therefore notice that it comes from a phone that did not already have a fingerprint reader.

The performance of the camera with the grade 10+ are very good. I find the pictures sharp and colorful, but I refer you to the criticism of Android Central for a deeper look at the cameras because I really did not spend too much time with them.

Excellent haptic on Note 10+

Let's talk about the headphone jack. I am not personally disturbed by his withdrawal, but there are people who are. Samsung compensates for this by providing a very good pair of USB-C in-ear headphones in the box. You can also buy a dongle separately if you already have a pair of 3.5mm jack headphones with which you do not want to separate.

I am happy that Samsung has removed the plug from the Note 10+, because its removal has given way to a larger battery and, more importantly, a better haptic motor. Haptic devices inside a phone are one of the most important parts of the UX experience. Having a bad haptic motor can make all the difference between a feeling of superior quality and an economic feeling experience. Removing the jack seems to make room for a much larger and much better haptic engine. Of course, even with the withdrawal of the jack, the haptic motor of Note 10 + is not as well like an iPhone, or Pixel from elsewhere, but it's certainly better than the previous Note devices.

There is also the Galaxy Note base pen, which is super cool. It acts as both pointer and inker, as does a surface pen with Windows 10.

Powerful specifications

Inside, you get the best specifications. It has a Snapdragon 850 (or Exynos 9825) 12GB RAM and a 256GB storage expandable via microSD. You also get stereo speakers facing the top and bottom of the device, as well as super clickable volume and power buttons on the left side – no Bixby button here, which is great .

All in all, it's an excellent material for a smartphone. It should be noted that there are many differences between the Galaxy Note 10 and the Note 10+. We review the 10+ rating and, although most of the things mentioned here apply to both, the smaller 10 rating has a smaller battery, fewer camera functions and a lower resolution screen.

Galaxy Note 10+ Software

Android, OneUI and Microsoft join forces to create this phone. the phone to get if you are part of the Microsoft ecosystem. Microsoft and Samsung have collaborated to integrate several Microsoft software and services into this device, so that users can take full advantage of the best of Microsoft on Android without downloading anything manually.

This is easily the best Android phone for Windows users.

OneUI is an improvement over the Samsung software of the past. It still has hundreds of features you probably will not want or need, but it does not seem that the experience is too heavy. This device is paired with 12 GB of RAM, so all services running in the background leave plenty of room for other activities.

I have mixed feelings about the overall aesthetic design of OneUI. It 's very rounded at the corners, and in some areas it' s awesome, but in others, it seems a little useless. It has specific modes of light and dark, which I like. All in all, I think most people will not have a problem with Samsung's OneUI over Android, but I'm not sure the same can be said about the over-the-top application.

The Microsoft partnership contributes somewhat. The Galaxy Note 10 is full of applications, some of which offer the same thing, but offered by different companies. For example, three email applications are integrated with Galaxy Note 10: Samsung Email, Gmail and now Outlook. This seems a little excessive and could be easily solved by asking the user, during setup, the email client that he wishes.

Many (but not all) applications provided can be uninstalled or disabled by the user. All Google and Microsoft applications can be, as well as several Samsung applications. Right out of the box, you get all of Samsung's application suites, including its own Galaxy App Store in addition to Google Play, as well as all of Google's suites and now Microsoft applications. Microsoft contains the fewest apps bundled on the device, but a dedicated Microsoft Screen on the Home screen contains Outlook, LinkedIn, Office and OneDrive.

The Galaxy Note 10+ Microsoft link

Let's focus on Microsoft's additions to the Galaxy Note 10, because that's the main reason we're interested in this device. Microsoft has entered into a huge partnership agreement with Samsung and worked closely with Samsung. It offered software and services designed by Microsoft. In appearance, this does not seem like a big problem, because Microsoft's Android apps are available on any Android device if you install them manually. But this is a big problem because bundling Microsoft applications means that users are more likely to view them. It's about integrating these Microsoft experiences into Galaxy Note 10.

Microsoft has created an exclusive Office Mobile app for Samsung devices, which includes all Office applications on Android. In fact, I prefer this rather than having separate applications for each, and until now, I have not noticed any difference in the features defined between standalone applications and the I & # 39; hub application.

The Outlook application has also been optimized for the Galaxy Note 10 experience. It now supports the S Pen Pen and you can use it to hover e-mails in your inbox so you can get the most out of it. And a quick overview of email content, as well as quick actions for common tasks such as reply, delete, and mark. This feature also works on previous Note devices.

You also have LinkedIn and OneDrive provided with the device, and as far as I know, there are no additions or additional features unique to Samsung. Microsoft had stated that OneDrive would be integrated with the Samsung Gallery application for photo backup, but I have not seen this integration yet.

The integration of your phone

The improvements to your phone on this device are particularly noteworthy. The Your Phone experience on the Galaxy Note 10 is very different, even going as far as not calling "Your phone", but rather "Link to Windows".

Your phone does not appear as an application in the application list because it has been integrated with the System Settings application, with a new user interface that gives it a look and feel of origin . This user interface is simple and provides a quick overview of the type of PC connected, the Microsoft account you are using, and the ability to switch between using mobile data and sending telemetry. This is better than the standard application Your Phone Companion, which provides no information to the user and is more an advertisement for other Microsoft applications.

There is also a quick-access toggle in the notification center that allows you to jump directly to the configuration of a link between your phone and your PC, or to turn it on or off when you do not need it. The real interesting side of this work is what Microsoft has done behind the scenes to enhance the Your Phone experience as a whole.

I've used Your Phone on a number of Android devices, and this one has never been as reliable or as fast as with the Galaxy Note 10. he did some work under the hood to improve reliability, and it really shows. The synchronization of notifications and SMS is now almost instantaneous and still works without me having to reconnect from time to time.

This makes a huge difference to the overall user experience. I am so frustrated by the fact that your phone apparently disconnects from my phone for no reason if you use the OnePlus or Pixel, but the Galaxy Note 10 is able to maintain a stable connection at any time. The application synchronization speed Your phone with the phone is also improved, which saves you from waiting 10 seconds or more for sending an SMS or display from a photo.

The last big change brought by Microsoft to your phone on the Galaxy Note 10 is the addition of screen copy support on any Windows 10 PC. Other smartphones supporting screen copying do not only work on some devices tested by Microsoft, but with the Galaxy Note 10, it works on all devices, without using Bluetooth.

Microsoft also announced that by the end of the year, your phone would be able to synchronize cellular calls between your phone and your PC. I guess this will happen first on the Galaxy Note 10, which means Galaxy Note users can take calls using your phone on their PC, just as an iPhone user can take calls on their Mac. This is a nice feature to have integrated into the operating system at a native level.

Samsung DeX for Windows 10

There's also a new feature called DeX for Windows that turns any Windows PC into a DeX workstation by connecting your phone to a standard USB-C cable. This will display the DeX workstation powered by your phone, allowing you to run any Android applications you have on your phone directly on your PC. Personally, I have no use for this, but I understand why this could be useful for companies or people who own a specific application only on Android.

However, the experience is very slow. It appears to be connected to a DeX virtual desktop environment and does not natively transfer video through the USB port of your laptop. For this reason, there is a lag between clicking and typing. If you usually connect to a PC at work or at home, it will not be much different. But otherwise, the delay and the artifacts are clearly noticeable.

To summarize all that …

The Galaxy Note 10 is the phone to buy if you want to enjoy the best Microsoft experiences on Android. Period. The material is excellent. You hold this device and it only screams high-end. And improvements to integrations with Microsoft services make it a great option for Microsoft Windows users.

4
out of 5

This is not perfect, for the reasons listed above. But there is no better option if you invest in Microsoft services. It's so simple.

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