Galaxy S10 Guides

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infinity O display

How to use Galaxy S10 virtual bezel to hide the front camera cutout without using any apps?

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You can hide the front camera cutout on Galaxy S10, S10+, S105G, and S10e with the Galaxy S10 virtual bezel without using any third-party apps.

Samsung pinched an elongated hole for the front cameras to avoid a notch on the screen. And they proudly announced this trick as infinity “O” display. But some owners do not like this design.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide explains how to use Galaxy S10 virtual bezel to hide the front camera cutout on Galaxy S10, S10+, S105G, and S10e, and the implications of using Galaxy S10 virtual bezel.

Why some owners do not like the front camera cutout?

Nowadays, all smartphone manufacturers try hard to increase screen size without increasing the overall size of the phone.

So, the size of the bezels decreases over the years.  Samsung virtually eliminated the bezels on the sides with curved display since Galaxy S6.

On the bottom, Samsung removed the physical buttons and reduced the size of the bezel to the limit already.

So, on Galaxy S10, they tried to reduce the size of the bezel on the top further.

But there is a hard limit on the top: the front camera, notification LED, iris scanner, proximity, and light sensors all need spaces and cannot be hidden.

And Samsung made 2 stupid mistakes in reducing the size of the top bezel on Galaxy S10 (S10, S10+, S10 5G, and S10e):

  • The iris scanner was removed.
  • The notification LED was removed.

The hole punch for the front camera actually is not a bad idea, although some owners may prefer the notch design as in other Android phones or iPhones.

But what makes it wrong (or less ideal) is the location of the hole.  On all Galaxy S10 phones, the hole is punched on the right side.

First, the hole destroys the symmetry of the front side. The ugly asymmetric look will be magnified when you use an app with a white background.

Second, the curved screen is used on Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10 5G. The hole must keep a certain distance from the curved part. This results in a significantly-reduced area for the status bar.  So, Galaxy S10 has to offer the option for you to reduce the number of notification icons on the status bar or even hide/disable the notification icons on the status bar entirely.

Of course, some Galaxy S10 owners like the design.

Anyway, for those owners who cannot live with the look of the front camera cutout, it is easy to hide the front camera cutout without using any apps.

The truth is that Samsung already knew some owners would dislike the hole and therefore offered the Galaxy S10 virtual bezel to hide the front camera cutout.

The price you have to pay to hide the Galaxy S10 front camera cutout is slightly reduced screen size.

How to use Galaxy S10 virtual bezel to hide the front camera cutout?

If you want to hide the front cutout on Galaxy S10, you can … Read the rest

How to set photo size on Galaxy S10, S10e, S10 5G, and S10+?

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Galaxy S10 camera aspect ratioYou can adjust the photo size on Galaxy S10, S10e, S10 5G, and S10+ to make sure the photo is good for the intended usages, e.g., to show on a TV screen, or to print on photopapers, or to use it for a design project.

Unfortunately, Samsung removed the option to explicitly set photo size on Galaxy S10, S10e, S10 5G, and S10+. You have to implicitly set photo size through the aspect ratio settings.

This Galaxy S10 camera guide explains the available photo sizes  and how to set photo size on Galaxy S10, S10e, S10 5G, and S10+

Why you may want to set photo size on Galaxy S10, S10e, S10 5G, and S10+?

The requirement for a photo to be shared with others on the phone or to be printed on the photobook is surely different.

The size of a photo includes two factors:

  1. Aspect ratio.
  2. The number of pixels (resolution).

For the aspect ratio, the Galaxy S10 camera supports the following aspect ratios: 4:3, 16:9, 1:1, and 19:9 (full), as explained in Galaxy S10 camera settings.

The 4:3 aspect ratio is good for printing and for old monitors.  The native aspect ratio of the rear camera sensors on all Galaxy S10 phones is close to 4:3.

Therefore, among all aspect ratios, the 4:3 aspect ratio can have the maximum pixels.  You can imagine photos with all other aspect ratios are just cropped from the 4:3 one (as illustrated in the picture below).

The 16:9 aspect ratio is ideal for most TV screens and modern monitors.   Because of 4:3=16:12, a 16:9 photo crops the 4:3 photo in the height direction and maintains the width.

The 1:1 aspect ratio is mostly used by designers and some social networks. As 1:1=3:3, a 1:1 photo on Galaxy S10 crops the 4:3 photo in the width direction and maintains the height.

The 19:9 (aka full) ratio matches the Galaxy S10 phone screen. All 4 Galaxy S10 models have a screen with an aspect ratio of 19:9.  A 19:9 photo on Galaxy S10 also crops the 4:3 photo in the height direction and maintains the width, like the 16:9 one.

The cropping relationship between the 4 aspect ratios is illustrated in the following picture.

Please note, the above discussion is only for the rear cameras on Galaxy S10.

The front camera(s) on Galaxy S10 has a native aspect ratio close to (slightly smaller than) 3:2. This means for aspect ratios larger than 3: 2 (i.e.,  19:9 and 16:9), the photos are cropped in the height direction. The photos with an aspect ratio smaller than 3:2 (i.e., 4:3 and 1:1) are cropped in the width direction.

For some unknown reasons, Samsung removed the options to set up the number of pixels for the photos on Galaxy S10. Once you set the aspect ratio, the size of the photo will be fixed at the maximum number of pixels.

How to set photo size on Galaxy S10,

… Read the rest

How to disable or customize the notification icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar?

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disable or customize the notification icons in the Galaxy S10 status barYou can customize or even disable notification icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar to save space for the status icons.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide shows you how to limit the number of notifications icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar to 3, or to disable notification icons in the status bar.

This guide applies to all Galaxy S10 models: Galaxy S10, S10+, S10e, and S10 5G.

Why you may consider to customize or disable notification icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar?

Due to the cutout of front cameras in the screen (see Galaxy S10 layout), the icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar are not aligned to the right edge of the screen. Instead, the status icons are aligned to the left side of the camera cutout (the left side of the O of the infinity O display).

Besides, since Android Pie update for Galaxy S9, Samsung displays the current time on the left side of the status bar like other Android phones.

Therefore, the usable space for the notification icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar is significantly reduced.

For example, as shown below, the default status bar can be very crowded if you show many notification icons. The meaning of the Galaxy S10 status icons and notification icons are compiled in this page.

Therefore, Samsung allows you to customize the number of notification icons shown on the status bar.

You can even disable notification icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar.

How to disable or customize the notification icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar?

If you want to customize the number of Galaxy S10 notification icons in the status bar or to disable notification icons in Galaxy S10 status bar, you can do so in Galaxy S10 Settings.

In the Settings page, tap Notifications, as shown below, to manage Galaxy S10 notifications.

turn off and customize the notification icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar turn off and customize the notification icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar

In the notification settings page, as shown in the screenshot above, tap Status bar.

Now, in the status bar, you can see all options for customizing notifications icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar.

As shown below, you can choose to show:

  • 3 recent notifications. If you have notifications from more than 3 apps, only the notifications icons from the last 3 apps will be shown.
  • All notifications.

The option of Shown battery percentage actually let you decide to show or hide the battery level on the right side of the status bar (among status icons, not notification icons).

As shown in the screenshot below, there is one notification icon. If you tap the switch for “Show notification icons” to turn it off it will hide the notification icon from the status bar.

turn off and customize the notification icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar turn off and customize the notification icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar

As shown in the screenshot above, you can find the notification icon disappears after you disable notification icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar.

Please note, disabling notification icons in the status bar does not affect the notification itself. The corresponding notifications are still in the notification panel. … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S10 touchscreen gestures on Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10e?

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use Galaxy S10 touchscreen gestures on Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10eUsing Galaxy S10 touchscreen gestures is not an option; it is a requirement if you want to use Galaxy S10, S10+, or S10e.

The good news is that Galaxy S10 touchscreen gestures are similar to those on other smartphones.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide uses animation to demonstrate how to use seven Galaxy S10 touchscreen gestures. The examples (scenarios)  of using these Galaxy S10 touchscreen gestures are also provided.

The touchscreen gestures are identical on Galaxy S10, S10+, S10e, and S10 5G. So, in this guide, Galaxy S10 refers to all four models of Galaxy S10 phones.

What are the seven Galaxy S10 touchscreen gestures?

Unless you attach a keyboard/mouse to Galaxy S10 or use voice commands (e.g., Google Assistant or Bixby Voice), you have to use Galaxy S10 touchscreen gestures to control the screen and interact with the phone in apps.

Galaxy S10 touchscreen gestures refer to how your finger(s) moves on the screen.

The screen (see Galaxy S10 layout) in Galaxy S10 is a touchscreen. When your finger or a capacitive pen touches the screen, it can identify the motion.

The motion pattern can be designed and programmed as a gesture. The system and apps can then perform certain operations as a response to the gesture.

In Galaxy S10, as like in other Android phones, seven touchscreen gestures, tap, double tap, long tap (tap and hold), swipe, drag, pinch, and spread, are fully supported.

Galaxy S10 touchscreen gestures are used by:

  • The system. Galaxy S10 may use slightly different touchscreen gestures compared to other phones. For example, the navigation gesture is different from that in stock Android.
  • Individual apps. App developers can assign any functions to any gestures inside the app.

Please note S Pen is for Galaxy Note devices. Galaxy S10 screen will NOT respond to S Pen.

Very often, three of the Galaxy S10 touchscreen gestures were also programmed for some hardware buttons (keys).  In this case, we usually refer the gestures as press (instead of tap), double press and long press.

Please do not confuse the touchscreen gestures with Galaxy S10 navigation gestures.

Some Samsung cases/covers may also support some gestures. For example, both Galaxy S10 LED View cover (LED wallet) and the Galaxy S10 Clear view (S view) cover support swipe gesture to accept or reject a call.

List of  Galaxy S10 touchscreen gestures their usages

We will use animations to illustrate what are the 7 Galaxy S10 touchscreen gestures. The examples of using each gesture are followed.

Smartphone touchscreen gestures usually mimic the behaviors of a mouse on a PC.  When you use Samsung Dex with Galaxy S10, the mouse can replace these Galaxy S10 touchscreen gestures.

1. Tap gesture (press)

Tap (single tap) is one of the essential Galaxy S10 touchscreen gestures. You cannot survive without it.

The tap gesture, as shown in the animation below,  means you touch somewhere (e..g., a button in an app, an app icon in Galaxy S10 home screen) on the screen … Read the rest

Top 10 new features of Galaxy S10

The top 10 exciting new features of Galaxy S10

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top 10 new features of Galaxy S10As Samsung’s flagship smartphones in 2019, Galaxy S10 (include Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10+, and Galaxy S10 5G) packs the latest technology Samsung has or can access. So, you can expect some exciting new features of Galaxy S10.

It is impractical to discuss all new features of Galaxy S10 in one post because of the long list of the new features of Galaxy S10. For the hardware specifications, you may check this post. For Galaxy S10 layout, you may check this guide.

In this post, we will explain the top 10 most exciting new features of Galaxy S10 most owners will enjoy: Dynamic AMOLED with HDR 10+, infinity O display, ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner, Bixby Routine, ultrawide camera, wireless PowerShare, Android Pie and One UI, Digital wellbeing, recording 4K UHD video with HDR 10+, and fast wireless charging 2.0.

Of course, Galaxy S10 is far from perfect. There are also some disappointing and missing features of Galaxy S10 as discussed here.

The most exciting new feature of Galaxy S10: Dynamic AMOLED with HDR10+

Samsung flagship phones traditionally have the best display.  No other smartphone makers can match Samsung when the display is discussed.

In Galaxy S10, Samsung updates its Super AMOLED to Dynamic AMOLED.

So, All four Galaxy S10 devices (Galaxy s10e, Galaxy S10, Galaxy s10+, and Galaxy S1o 5G) all have a Dynamic AMOLED screen.

This AMOLED is somewhat different (and better) from the screen in Galaxy S9 and other Galaxy phones.

In a nutshell, the Dynamic AMOLED on Galaxy S10 supports:

  • Higher brightness (up to 1200 nits peak luminance). You can use the screen even directly under the sunlight.
  • Larger dynamic range.  From black to white, you can see more “colors”.
  • HDR10+.  In addition to static dynamic metadata, HDR10+ also supports dynamic metadata. Therefore the brightness boundaries can be set and changed on a frame-by-frame basis. Galaxy S10 (all models) is the only smartphone certified with HDR10+ up to now (February 2019).
  • Lower blue light emission.  You will feel more comfortable to use the screen in all lighting conditions. Galaxy S10 screen (all models) was certified by TÜV Rheinland.

Dynamic AMOLED is probably the most exciting new features of Galaxy S10. It is available in all four models: Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10+, and Galaxy S10 5G.

The most innovative workaround of Galaxy S10: Infinity O display

All smartphone manufacturers are working hard to reducing the bezels.

But there is a limit because of the front-facing cameras.

So far, to solve this problem, other smartphone manufacturers follow iPhone X: using a notch, which can be quite ugly (subjective).

Samsung finds an innovative workaround for this issue: punch a hole for the front-facing cameras.  It looks far better than the notches.

And in Galaxy S10, Samsung calls it infinity O display. All 4 Galaxy s10 models use infinity O display. Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy S10 5G get a bigger (and elongated) “hole”.

If you are not a fan of the punched hole, you … Read the rest

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

Get to know Galaxy S10 specs (and Galaxy S10+ specs, Galaxy S10e specs, and Galaxy S10 5G specs)

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pecifications of Samsung Galaxy S10, S10 Plus and S10eAlthough 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 Galaxy S10.

Based on early leaks and rumors, specifications of 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.

How many models of Galaxy S10 will be?

Almost certain, tThere 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.

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.

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

The fingerprint scanner will now be embedded under the screen in Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10 5G. And it uses 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 the power button on the right side of the phone.

Wireless charging has been a standard feature since Galaxy S6. Now, Samsung will add the wireless PowerShare (reverse wireless charging) into Galaxy S10.  You can use your phone as a wireless charger to charge other devices as explained in this guide.

Galaxy S10, S10+, S10e, and S10 5G will be powered by Android Pie with the new… Read the rest