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How to use the new fingerprint reader to unlock Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10e?

Samsung dramatically changed the fingerprint reader (fingerprint sensor) on Galaxy S10. An in-display ultrasonic fingerprint reader is used in Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+.

With the removal of Iris scanner on Galaxy S10, many owners will have to use the fingerprint scanner to quickly unlock Galaxy S10.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide explains how to register fingerprints and use the fingerprint reader to unlock Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10e.

What’s new in Galaxy S10 fingerprint reader?

Galaxy S10 (and Galaxy S10+) is the first smartphone with an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint reader, which is one of the most notable new features of Galaxy S10.

Instead of scanning your fingerprint using capacitive or optical methods, ultrasonic fingerprint sensor uses sonic pulse waves to find out the 3D structure of your fingerprints.

Similar ultrasonic technology has been used in biomedical imaging in hospitals for decades and saved many lives.

Generally speaking, or technically, the ultrasonic fingerprint reader can get the real 3D info of your fingerprints and therefore it could potentially be far more accurate than the traditional capacitive fingerprint reader.

Do not confuse this in-display ultrasonic fingerprint reader with the in-display optical fingerprint ones (as in a few OnePlus and Vivo phones). The optical fingerprint reader is the slowest one. It is even slower than the traditional capacitive fingerprint reader. And the optical one is the least secure because it is essentially a kind of 2D photo recognition.

For Galaxy S10e, a traditional capacitive fingerprint sensor is mounted on the power button as illustrated in Galaxy S10 layout. The position is at least better than the fingerprint on Galaxy S8 (see Galaxy S8 layout) or S9 (see Galaxy S9 layout).

What are the major limitations of the in-display ultrasonic fingerprint reader on Galaxy S10 and S10+?

Although the in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor sounds cool and is actually the most secure (accurate) fingerprint reader, there are some inherent limitations of this new sensor on Galaxy S10:

Many screen protectors will not work nicely with the in-display fingerprint reader. The sonic waves are affected by the air between the screen and screen protector. Therefore the sensor may not function properly even if a small air bubble is trapped by the screen protector.
You need to know where to press your finger.
The matching sensitivity is not rocket science. If Samsung set the sensitivity too high, you may have to press several times. If it is set too low, it will not be secure.

So, as explained in the top 10 disappointing and missing features of Galaxy S10, I prefer the fingerprint sensor on Galaxy S10e.

How to register fingerprints for the fingerprinter reader on Galaxy S10?

To use the new fingerprint reader to unlock Galaxy S10, you need to register your fingerprints first.

The procedure of registering (adding) fingerprints is identical for all 4 Galaxy S10 phones. But in this guide, we will use Galaxy S10 for the illustration.

In Galaxy S10 Settings, tap Biometrics and security… Read the rest “How to use the new fingerprint reader to unlock Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10e?”

Top 10 disappointing or missing features of Galaxy S10

simon · Leave a Comment

Galaxy S10, S10e, S10+, and S10 5G set the standard for the flagship smartphones in 2019. There are many new features and improvements in both hardware and software.

But they are far from perfect. There are some missing features in all 4 Galaxy S10 phones. Some features may also be very disappointing.

This post summarizes the top 10 disappointing and missing features of Galaxy S10.

#1. The most disappointing and missing feature of Galaxy S10: Iris scanner is gone

Iris scanner was first introduced in the explosive Galaxy Note 7. Most owners did not get the chance to try it before the phone was recalled, and re-recalled.

In Galaxy S8 (and S8+), the iris scanner works reasonably well. Many Galaxy S8 owners actually used the iris scanner because of the awkward location of the fingerprint scanner.

Obviously, the iris scanner was improved dramatically in Galaxy S9. It is faster than all other unlocking methods including the fingerprint scanner because of the less-ideal location and smaller size of the fingerprint scanner. If you are using a case or cover for Galaxy S9 or S9, it is not easy to reach the fingerprint scanner.

When more and more owners realized and started to enjoy this unlock feature, Samsung removed it in Galaxy S10.

None of the 4 Galaxy S10 models has the iris scanner.

The reason given by Samsung is the lack of bezel space for the iris scanner.

But if they can punch a hole for the front-facing camera(s), why cannot punch another hole for iris scanner? Here is the Galaxy S1o layout.

#2. The most demanded but missing feature of Galaxy S10: freely remapping Bixby button (key)

Bixby is quite good if you compare it to Siri. But if you compare it to Google Assistant, which is shipped with all Android Pie phones, Bixby is far behind.

But Samsung pushed Bixby so hard that a dedicated hardware Bixby key was introduced in Galaxy S8 and S8+, and all subsequent Galaxy phones get the button below the volume keys.

The most annoying part is that you cannot remap the button for other more useful features. e..g. Launching the camera or using it as a camera shutter button, if you have no intention to use Bixby, or have no intention to use the Bixby button.

In Galaxy S8 and S9, you can disable the Bixby key by letting it do nothing when pressed. If you turn off Bixby Voice in Bixby settings, the long press gesture of the Bixby key will also be deactivated and do nothing.

But in Android Pie update for Galaxy S9, S8, Note 9, and Note 8, Samsung does not allow you to disable Bixby button. You have to choose a single press or double press to launch Bixby. You cannot assign “do nothing” to either of the gesture. Even worse, the long press gesture will always launch Bixby Voice directly. And you cannot turn off Bixby Voice!

In Galaxy S10 … Read the rest “Top 10 disappointing or missing features of Galaxy S10”

Top 10 new features of Galaxy S10

The top 10 exciting new features of Galaxy S10

simon · Leave a Comment

As 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”.

The most talked new features: the ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner

Samsung has … Read the rest “Top 10 new features of Galaxy S10”

About Galaxy S10 Guides

What the Galaxy S10 Guides community does and how the website is organized

simon · Leave a Comment

Galaxy S10 guides community is part of the GadgetGuideOnline network featuring detailed how-to guides for the latest gadgets.

This post explains what the Galaxy S10 Guides community does and how the Galaxy S9 guides are organized.

What does the Galaxy S10 Guides community do?

Galaxy S10 guides @GadgetGuideOnline is an online community for Galaxy S10 owners and by Galaxy S10 owners.

It is an owner-help-owner community for owners of Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, and Galaxy S10e. Galaxy S10 5G will be also covered.

For many Galaxy S10 owners, access to the “official” support can be:

Inconvenient. There may be very limited Samsung support centers in some regions. You do not want to drive a few hours to the support center, wait a few hours in the queue if you can get the answer or solution through a community like Galaxy S10 Guides here. Also, most support centers only open in office hours when you may have to work.
Ineffective. In the support centers, the standard procedures have to be followed. Very often, you have to reset the phone and have to wait a long time.
Costy. If your Galaxy S10 is out of warranty (e.g., you bought it from other regions), the cost of the visit to the support center can be quite expensive.
Inadequate. In most regions, the support for your Galaxy S10, S10+, S1oe, and S10 5G is limited to hardware and pre-installed apps.

Of course, for hardware related issues, you have to visit the local service center because they have all the tools software to test the hardware.

But for software related issues or feature related questions, you can find the solution or answer without wasting time in the service center.

Galaxy S10 Guides offer many high-quality how-to style guides explaining the features of Galaxy S10, showing you how to use your Galaxy S10, helping you find and use proper accessories for your Galaxy S10.

The comments section in Galaxy S10 guides lets you ask questions or share your solutions.

Galaxy S10 Guides do NOT cover the following: rooting Galaxy S10, DIY hacking the S10 hardware, flashing the firmware for Galaxy S10…

Galaxy S10 Guide is a free community: all contents are free to read. You are free to ask questions related to Galaxy S10, S10+, S10e, and S10 5G.

How are Galaxy S10 Guides organized?

Detailed how-to guides on using Galaxy S10 or solving problems on Galaxy S10 are the starting point. Many owners can learn to use some features of Galaxy S10 through these guides. Owners can also share their solution or recommendations for a similar problem.

Discussions are moderated in the comments section so that meaningful contributions from fellow Galaxy S10 owners will benefit other members in the community.

There are 5 sections in Galaxy S10 Guides.

Galaxy S10 new features guides

This section hosts detailed guides explaining the new features of the Galaxy S10 and showing you how to use them.

For example, many owners want to know how … Read the rest “About Galaxy S10 Guides”