Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite Price in India and Galaxy S10 Lite will change the way we look at flagship smartphones. Here's how
Samsung has bought to India two new 'Lite' flagship smartphones - Galaxy Note 10 Lite and Galaxy S10 Lite, recently. The two smartphones have been launched just ahead of the much-awaited Samsung Galaxy S20. The timing of these back to back launches by the South Korean giant has left many confused. If you are also wondering what separates these phones from one another and which one can be your right pick whether or not to wait for S20 then read on. Here's everything you need to understand about the two new smartphones and its competitors available in the market; including the ones released by OnePlus and Realme.
Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite
Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite is available India with a price tag of Rs 39,999 and at that price point, the smartphone goes head-to-head against the OnePlus 7T and the OnePlus 7 Pro. The Galaxy S10 Lite has to live up to its family name and in order to reach an aggressive price point, the company had to make its own fair share of compromises with the new "Light" flagship smartphone.
First, the smartphone does not feature a glass back design. Since the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S6, the glass back designs have become the unsaid mandate in the company's flagship range. The smartphone looks a lot similar to the Samsung Galaxy A series from the back. However, unlike the Galaxy A50 or Galaxy M30, this one does not feature a plastic back. It uses a compound called Glasstic - a combination of plastic and glass together. This brings drop resistance of plastic with a slightly better scratch resistance - a property of glass.
The compromises go further than just the materials used. Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite comes with the Snapdragon 855 processor under the hood. Qualcomm launched the SD855 chip a year ago and it has launched the Snapdragon 855+ and even the Snapdragon 865 since then. Use of an older chip could have been done to keep the prices in check; considering the prices tend to fall over time. Currently, the Snapdragon 855 chip is available at the price of a mid-range chip. While the processor is not as good as the new flagship chipsets, it still beats most of the mid-range chips available in the market.
But, are so many compromises in a flagship to reduce a price a wise idea?
Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite features a 48MP camera at the back.
Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite not only gets a more affordable price tag but also brings a true Samsung flagship experience on board. It brings the same Samsung AMOLED panel found on the flagship smartphones. It even offers flagship features like Samsung Pay, a punch-hole design and much more. Apart from that, the new smartphone comes with a 48MP triple camera setup with Super Steady OIS. The display and camera experience offered in this smartphone is going to be leaps ahead of smartphones from brands including OnePlus, Realme and Asus.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite was announced alongside the Galaxy S10 Lite. At first glance, the two phones look strikingly similar, however, upon a closer look, they seem less so. Unlike the S10 Lite, the Galaxy Note 10 Lite comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack. It also gets 25W fast charging as opposed to 45W seen on the S10 Lite. Both the smartphones feature a 6.7-inch AMOLED fullHD+ display, have a Glasstic back design and are backed by a 4,500mAh battery. And that is where the similarities end!
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite comes with an S-Pen that also features Air gestures.
Even with an S-Pen on board, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite is available with a starting price tag of Rs 38,999. The smartphone also features a triple camera setup that seems to be weaker than the S10 Lite on paper. It comes with a 12-megapixel main sensor paired with an ultrawide lens and a 2x telephoto lens. Strangely, the Note 10 Lite comes with a two-year-old Exynos 9810 chipset. The chipset was seen on the Indian variant of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9 smartphones in 2018. Being a two-year-old flagship chipset, the Exynos 9810 does bring higher performance than the mid-range chips and at the same time also costs relatively cheaper than the latest flagship processors out there.
One might miss at the first glance, but the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite gets a smaller hole punch on the front when compared with the S10 Lite.
What's in for you?
With these two smartphones, Samsung is aiming to bounce back with mid-range flagship segment. It had said to face a slowdown with brands including Xiaomi, OnePlus and Realme offering flagships in Rs 30-40,000 price range, which were available above Rs 50,000 earlier.
In a pocket pleasing range, Samsung in its Galaxy S and Galaxy Note lineup initiated two new Galaxy families - the Galaxy A and Galaxy M. The company even offered a massive 6,000mAh battery to bring the price to performance ration on the higher side. Now that the company has built a great reputation in the flagship, mid-tier and budget segments, there is just one segment left to counter - the mid-range flagships. OnePlus 7T, Asus 6Z, Redmi K20 Pro and the Realme X2 Pro are hitting a new segment which most people like to refer to as 'Flagship Killers'.
These smartphones manage to offer flagship specifications at a relatively lower price point. Samsung does not want to lag behind and with the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite and the Galaxy Note 10 Lite, the company is trying to bridge the gap between the Galaxy A series and the Galaxy S or Note series. OnePlus 7T and Realme X2 offer much faster processors and high refresh rate displays at relatively lower price points. However, Samsung phones not only bring the brand trust but also the features that a consumer would actually end up using.
Even as the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite and Galaxy Note 10 Lite come with older flagship processors, those who really want the Samsung Galaxy flagship experience without shedding out a lot of cash can buy these new devices instead of leaning towards a year-old flagship model selling at a cheaper price.
Even with the same price range, the company is targetting a different kind of audience with each of Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite and Galaxy S10. While the Galaxy S10 Lite is targetting towards the younger generation, the Note 10 Lite focuses on delivering features that can satisfy the more mature people like businessmen who would actually make use of an S Pen and not be worried about not having a faster chip for gaming or a 48MP sensor at the back.
