Samsung has a cut-price Galaxy Note 10 ‘Lite’ on the way
Samsung is preparing to launch a new version of its Galaxy Note 10 smartphone in early 2020. But instead of offering an upgrade on the current model, it will have less power and a lower price.
This isn't the first time Samsung has rolled out the 'Lite' name to bridge the gap between its flagship and mid-tier smartphones, but it is the first time we've seen a Lite version of the Galaxy Note.
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Rumors of the handset have circled for some time, and it has been spotted passing through the FCC — usually sure-fire proof that a new phone is about to go on sale. Now, the handset's spec sheet has seemingly leaked online, and has been published by WinFuture, an often accurate source for smartphone news.
According to the report, the Galaxy Note 10 Lite will still be Note-sized, thanks to a large 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2400 x 1080. This makes the new phone 0.1in smaller than the Note 10+, but 0.4in larger than the Note 10. Underneath that screen will be an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor — the first time Samsung has used such technology on a midrange handset.
It will also feature the S-Pen the Note range is famous for, but here the stylus lacks the motion gestures of the regular Note 10.
The phone also has the same circular cutout for its central selfie camera, which uses a huge 32-megapixel sensor, far larger than that of the Note 10 and 10+. Around the back, the Lite has a triple camera setup with ultra wide-angle, telephoto, and 2x optical zoom lenses.
Inside is where the Note 10 Lite starts to fall behind its stablemates. The phone reportedly uses the same Exynos 9810 processor which Samsung fitted to the Galaxy S9, a phone that launched back in the first quarter of 2018. This means the Note 10 Lite's processor will be almost two years old when it is expected to go on sale in early 2020.
That chip is joined by 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, plus room for expansion via a microSD card slot.
The Note 10 Lite's battery is said to be 4,500 mAh, which if true means it is larger than even that of the Note 10+, and with a whole 1,000 mAh more capacity than the Note 10. Paired with the less power-demanding processor, this should mean excellent battery life from the new model.
As for the price, it has previously been reported that the Note 10 Lite will cost in the region of €600 in Europe, which is $665, or some $300 cheaper than the Note 10. If you're looking for a big-screen Android with Samsung design, an in-display fingerprint reader and potentially excellent battery life - and of course, that S Pen stylus — then the Note 10 Lite could well be the phone for you.