Android 10

Top 10 new features in Android 10 update for Galaxy S10

Samsung started to roll out the Android 10 update for Galaxy S10 in December 2019. The update is expected to reach almost all Galaxy S10 (S10, S10+, S10e, and S10 5G) by Q1 2020.

In most regions, the Andriod 10 update should be available by January 2020.

Android 10 update for Galaxy S10 is the first major update for the device. Some Galaxy Note 10 new features were ported to Galaxy S10 in the September 2019 update as explained in this post. But in some regions, this feature update is combined with the Android 10 update.

Of course, Galaxy S10 (all 4 variants) will get the new version of Android (Android 10). In addition to the underhood improvements in performance, security, and privacy, most of the Android 10 features are available in Galaxy S10 now.

This Galaxy S10 guide explains the top 10 new features you should try in the Android 10 update for Galaxy S10: native screen recorder, Android 10 navigation gesture, more info in Device Care, tweaked camera UI, enhanced biometrics, power limit for Wireless PowerShare, improved one-handed mode, OneDrive integration in the Gallery app, dark mode, and One UI 2.0.

Update: after receiving two additional major updates: Android 11 (One UI 3) update and Android 12 (One UI 4) update, Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10e reach to the end of life. Samsung stopped releasing security updates for Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10e from April 2023.

Native screen recorder

In addition to streaming your screen (e.g., play games), screen recording (not just screenshots) is very useful for technical support and sharing procedural info.

Samsung first introduced the native screen recorder in Galaxy Note 10. Now in the Android 10 update for Galaxy S10, all S10 phones (including S10e, S10, S10+, and S10 5G) have this nice feature.

Compared to the screen recorder on Galaxy Note 10, Samsung apparently polished the app a bit in Galaxy S10 so that you get more control.

Android 10 navigation gesture (full-screen gestures)

Google introduced navigation gestures in Android Pie with a Home button and an Overview button. In Android 10, the navigation gestures can be used without any buttons (aka, full-screen gestures).

In the Android 10 update for Galaxy S10, the new Android 10 navigation gestures were added.

Of course, you can still use Samsung's navigation features introduced in Android Pie (Android 9).

If you are not a fan of either of the navigation gesture implantations, you can use the traditional navigation buttons.

Anyway, the Android 10 navigation gesture is just an additional option.

You may check this guide on how to use navigation gestures on Galaxy S10 after the Android 10 update.

More info from Device Care

Device Care now offers more information on most cards.

For example, in the battery usage card, you can get more detailed information about battery usage and estimation.

Tweaked Camera UI

Samsung is still not sure how a good camera UI should be. So, they … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S10 night mode?

simon · Leave a Comment

Galaxy S10 night mode allows you to use the dark theme in system-wide to help your eyes and save battery. So, it is sometimes called the dark mode.

On Galaxy S10, Samsung chose to extend the dark theme features in the stock Android Pie to deliver better user experiences with the new One UI.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide explains the details of the night mode on Galaxy S10 (including Galaxy S10, S10e, S10+, and S10 5G), and shows you how to enable and customize the night mode.

What is Galaxy S10 night mode? Why you may need it?

By default, Android phones tend to use a white background. This usually looks great when you show the screenshot in presentations.

But it is not good for your eyes, especially in the low-light conditions, for example, in a theatre, or in the bedroom.

For the OLED screen like the one in all Galaxy S10 phones, the black (dark) background can save noticeable battery as well.

In Android Pie (Android 9), Google finally introduced the dark theme. But it is half-baked: the setting page still uses a white background even you enable the dark theme, as explained in this guide.

Samsung started to support third-party themes since the Galaxy S6. So, technically, you can get a dark theme for your S6, S7, S8, S9, and S10 with a third-party theme from the Galaxy Store. But the quality of these third-party themes varies sharply.

In Android Pie update, Samsung implemented and enhanced the dark theme feature in the stock Android. And it is named as the night mode.

So, Galaxy S10 night mode is essentially an enhanced (improved) version of the dark theme in Android Pie.

You should not confuse this night mode with the newly added night mode in Galaxy S10 camera app, which is just a camera mode for low-light conditions. The night mode discussed here is a theme (or template) with a dark (black) background.

In the Android 10 update for Galaxy S10, a new dark mode was introduced. In Android 12 update for Galaxy S10, you may use Extra Dim to dim the screen beyond the minimum brightness level.

How to enable and customize the Galaxy S10 night mode?

By default, the night mode is not enabled on Galaxy S10 (S10, S10+, S10e, and S10 5G). You need to enable it by following the steps below if you want to try or use the night mode.

In Galaxy S10 Settings, tap Display as shown in the screenshot below.

In the Display settings page, as shown above, you can find the Night mode option.

You can tap the switch (or drag it to the right side) to enable the night mode immediately.

Of course, you can tap Nigth mode (not the switch) to open the night mode settings so that you can further customize (schedule) it.

As shown below, you can use the night mode on Galaxy S10 in two ways… Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S10 wireless PowerShare to charge other devices?

simon · Leave a Comment

You can use Galaxy S10 wireless PowerShare to charge other devices wirelessly using Galaxy S10's battery.

Galaxy S10 (including Galaxy S10, S10+, S10e, and S10 5G) can be used as a wireless charger to share Galaxy S10 battery with other devices.

This Galaxy S10 new feature guide explains the details of Galaxy S10 wireless PowerShare feature, how to use it to charge other devices, and answers some questions you may have when using the wireless PowerShare.

Update: with Android 10 update, you can now set the battery limit for Wireless PowerShare. Please refer to this guide on how to set the battery limit for Wireless PowerShare.

Please also note, Galaxy S20, Galaxy S21, Galaxy Note 10, and Galaxy Note 20 all support Wireless PowerShare. So this guide also applies to all these phones.

What is Galaxy S10 wireless PowerShare?

Wireless charging is not new. Samsung added it as a standard feature since Galaxy S6.

But using the phone as a wireless charger to share the phone battery with other devices is still new.

Huawei named this feature as wireless reverse charging and introduced it in Mate 20 Pro (in 2018) and P30 Pro. Samsung introduced this feature in Galaxy S10 (all 4 models) and named it as wireless PowerShare.

Galaxy S10 wireless PowerShare lets you share the battery juice of Galaxy S1o with other devices that support Qi wireless charging.

Technically, you can still use Galaxy S10 as usual when you share the battery with other devices.

You can even use wireless PowerShare when you are charging Galaxy S10 battery through a USB cable. For example, you may have only one charger, but you need to charge both the phone and a Galaxy Watch. In this case, you can connect the wall charger to charge the Galaxy S10 battery. At the same time, you can use wireless PowerShare to charge the watch.

In a nutshell, Galaxy S10 wireless PowerShare adds a Qi wireless charger on the back of Galaxy S10. And the charger can use Galaxy S10 battery to charge other devices wirelessly.

Limitations of Galaxy S10 wireless PowerShare

Wireless PowerShare is very convenient, and it works with any devices that support Qi wireless charging.

FYI, most recent mobile devices including iPhone support Qi wireless charging. All Samsung gadgets with wireless charging support Qi wireless.

But wireless PowerShare has some limitations including:

Charging speed is slow. There is no fast charging. The maximum charging capacity is 5W. The actual charging speed is substantially lower than this. So, Galaxy S10 wireless PowerShare is mainly designed for accessories like Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Watch. It may be a temporal solution of sharing the battery with other phones. If the other phone also has a USB C port, you can charge it faster by directly connecting Galaxy S10 to that phone with a USB-C to USB-C cable.
You may have to remove the covers or cases for Galaxy

… Read the rest

Specifications of Samsung Galaxy S10, S10 Plus, S10e, and S10 5G

simon · 3 Comments

Although software plays a more and more important role in today's smartphones, many potential Galaxy S10 buyers are still eager to know what are the specifications of Samsung Galaxy S10.

Based on early leaks and rumours, the specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S10 are almost certain in most aspects.

This post summarizes the key specifications of Samsung Galaxy S10, S10 Plus, S10e, and S10 5G.

Update: From April 2023, Samsung stopped releasing security updates for Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10e after 3 major OS updates (Android 10/One UI 2 update, Android 11/One UI 3 update, and Android 12/One UI 4 update) and 4-year security updates.

How many models of Galaxy S10 will be?

~~Almost certain, t~~There ~~will be 3~~ are 4 Galaxy S10 models with slightly different specifications:

Galaxy S10.
Galaxy S10+ (Plus).
Galaxy S10e.
Galaxy S10 5G (in selected markets only).

Galaxy S10 is targeting mainstream users. S10+ (S1o Plus) is targeting hardware enthusiasts who want to get everything available. Galaxy S10e is targeting buyers who want a smaller phone. All these 3 Galaxy S10 models will be available globally on March 8, 2019.

Galaxy S10 5G is the only 5G capable phone in the market now. It will be available in Q2 2019. Because the 5G network is only available in very limited regions and carriers, Galaxy S10 5G will be available in selected regions. 5G features (e.g., 5G NR, 5G NSA, 5G sub-6, and 5G mmWave) are explained in this guide.

The specifications of Galaxy S10, S10+, S10e, and S10 5G are slightly different.

Of course, Galaxy S10+ will be the most expensive one among the three (the pricing of S10 5G is still not available now). S10e will be the cheapest.

Key features in specifications of Samsung Galaxy S10, S10 Plus, and S10e

Samsung Galaxy 10 is the 1oth generation of Galaxy S series phones. Samsung needs to use this historical device to showcase its leadership in the oversaturated smartphone market.

In addition to the annual upgrade of CPU, there are some interesting and major changes in Galaxy S10 specifications.

The infinity display will be pushed to the limit: the top bezel is not enough for the camera lens and a hole in the display has to be punched. So, Samsung just named it Infinity O display. You may hide the hole (cutout) using a black bar (Galaxy S10 virtual bezel) if you do not like the hole. But this will reduce the usable screen area.

So, instead of a notch, you will see the punched area for the front cameras as shown below.

The fingerprint scanner will now be embedded under the screen in Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10 5G. And it uses an ultrasonic 3D scanning technique. There is no button or cutout for the fingerprint scanner. Please check this guide on how to use Galaxy S1o in-display ultrasonic fingerprint reader.

On Galaxy S10e, the fingerprint scanner will be embedded in … Read the rest