Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite vs Note 10 Plus: Which Fits Your Needs?

Introduction

Is the Note 10 Lite good enough, or should you go all the way up to the Plus version?

Let's see.

In August of 2019, Samsung launched its Galaxy Note 10 Plus. The Galaxy Note 10 Lite, however, saw the light of day in January 2020.

In this article, we see how the Galaxy Note 10 Lite and the Galaxy Note 10 Plus compare to each other to help you decide and see which one of these is the right one for you.

You'll never find the Galaxy Note 10 Plus at the price of the Galaxy Note 10 Lite. Keep this in mind when comparing both Galaxys.

Look out for a "Tek-Score" in every section of this article. We evaluated every quantifiable specification, so you can better understand the difference between the two. The global score will help you compare them to other phones because you'll probably have other phones in mind.  ? 

That score is research-based. It's from Globalwebindex.com about what people want from their next smartphone. But don't let that daunt you. You can set it based on what you value. You can skip to the end, but I suggest you keep reading to know more about them.

For additional information regarding our smartphone comparisons, check this FAQ.

You'll also see a progress bar underlining some features. It's for you to know how well they fare against other smartphones at the same price range.  ? 

You can click here:  i  to view the ones we're comparing to, but we only include smartphones with price tags from -20% to +20%.

Feel free to click any feature title to check out the related top 10 listings for every spending plan.

Price*			vs.
Device	Galaxy Note 10 Lite	Galaxy Note 10 Plus
Release Date	2020, January	2019, August	-1y.
OS Updates	3 years	3 years	0y.
Security Updates	4 years	4 years	0y.

*Reference: 100: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

Which One Has The Best Performance?

About performance: Geekbench 5 scores the Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5% ahead of its sibling in the multi-core ranking. All in all, there's not much of a difference between the two.  ? 

By the way, you can define both of them as upper mid-range.

What about their chipsets? The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus features an Exynos 9825 processor and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite, an Exynos 9810 processor.

About the graphics: while the first one brings a Mali-G76 MP12, the other has a Mali-G72 MP18.

Android 9.0 (Pie) And One UI runs out-of-the-box on the Galaxy Note 10 Lite, and the Galaxy Note 10 Plus runs on Android 9 (Pie) and OneUI.

PS: The Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (with the Adreno 640 GPU) and the Exynos 9825 (with the Mali-G76) are market-dependent.

There's a performance increase of about 20% on the 855 for the Galaxy Note 10 Plus.

Performance*			vs.
Features	Galaxy Note 10 Lite	Galaxy Note 10 Plus
SoC	Exynos 9810	Exynos 9825
Graphics	Mali-G72 MP18	Mali-G76 MP12
Geekbench 5 Score	2027	2137	110
OS	Android 9.0 (Pie) And One UI	Android 9 (Pie) and OneUI
Tek-Score	5.4	5.6	0.2

*Reference: 100: Apple iPhone 12.

Which Phone Has The Best Display?

The Galaxy Note 10 Plus is the title-holder here, and it wins by a significant margin.

The Galaxy Note 10 Lite offers a sharp, 6.7-inch AMOLED display slightly smaller than the 6.8-inch AMOLED panel on the Galaxy Note 10 Plus. To each, it's own. Me, I'd go for an AMOLED screen, but a decent LCD can be just as good.

If you prefer a smartphone with a big display, there aren't many devices to consider besides the Galaxy Note 10 Plus. Most phones from its price range don't even come close.

The Galaxy Note 10 Plus adopts a 1440x3040 Quad HD resolution. The Galaxy Note 10 Lite features a more modest resolution of 1080x2400 (Full HD) pixels.

Screens seem to get bigger each year, so be aware: The Galaxy Note 10 Lite is shielded with a Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The Galaxy Note 10 Plus display is preserved with a previous generation's Gorilla Glass 6. I was hoping for a newer version from Samsung. After all, Corning released this version in 2013.

One feature that I do value is the Always-On-Display, and they both have it.

If you're looking for the brightest display, the Galaxy Note 10 Lite will reach 622 nits, while the Galaxy Note 10 Plus goes up to 794 nits.  ? 

The Galaxy Note 10 Lite does HDR video, while its sibling can display HDR10+ content.

Considering the Galaxy Note 10 Lite, just know that 88% of its rivals can play HDR content, 94% have an AMOLED screen, and 81% have an Always-On display.

For the Galaxy Note 10 Plus, as a reference, 77% of its rivals can play HDR content, 90% have an AMOLED screen, and 80% have an Always-On display. In contrast, only 13% of them feature Gorilla Glass 6 or Victus.

Display Density (DPIs)*			vs.
Features	Galaxy Note 10 Lite	Galaxy Note 10 Plus
Size	6.7	6.8	0.1
Screen Type	AMOLED	AMOLED
Resolution (px)	1080x2400	1440x3040	1785600
Refresh Rate	60hz	60hz	0
Dots per Inch	392.81	494.68	101.87
Always-On-Display	Yes	Yes
Notch	Hole	Hole
Peak Brightness	622 nits	794 nits	172
HDR	HDR	HDR10+
Sub Tek-Score	8.0	9.1	1.1
Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass 3	Corning Gorilla Glass 6
Tek-Score	4.0	8.0	4.0

*Reference: 100: Sony Xperia 1 II.

Which Phone Has The Best Cameras?

Considering their score, I think that the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus has a more dependable camera.

Let's delve into their cameras. The Galaxy Note 10 Lite's primary camera has a 12 Megapixels sensor, with an aperture of f/1.7, a 27mm wide-angle lens, one flash LED, HDR abilities, and Optical Image Stabilization. Videos on its shooter have a maximum resolution of 2160p.

There's also one 12 Megapixels camera with an aperture of f/2.4, plus a 52mm telephoto lens. And another one with 12 Megapixels (f/2.2) with a 12mm ultra-wide-angle lens.

Want to know about its selfie capabilities? It has a generous 32 Mp (f/2.2) shooter and a 25 mm wide-angle lens.

As soon as DXOMARK evaluates this camera, I'll update this article, and when they do, I'm sure they'll give it about 98* points. By including the telephoto and wide-angle lenses, it'll get 111** points.

PS: all of its rivals can record videos in 4K or more and have an ultra-wide-angle lens. On the other hand, only 25% of them feature a macro lens.

The standard camera on the back of the Galaxy Note 10 Plus has a 12 Megapixels sensor and a 27mm, f/1.5 aperture, wide-angle lens. It also has one flash LED, HDR capabilities, and Optical Image Stabilization. When it comes to recording videos, it can do 2160p. It also has two extra rear-facing camera lenses. One has 12 Megapixels (with an aperture of f/2.1 plus a 52mm telephoto lens), and another with 16 Megapixels (f/2.2) with a 12mm ultra-wide-angle lens, plus a depth sensor.

The Galaxy Note 10+ has a dual aperture camera. You can choose between f/1.5 or f/2.4.

The front-facing camera features a 10 Mp shooter with an aperture of f/2.2 and a 26 mm wide-angle lens.

On DXOMARK's reviewing article, they gave this shooter 118 points. And by adding the telephoto and wide-angle lenses, that score goes up to 130. Just click here to read about it.

Winding it up, just to let you know, 97% of its rivals can record videos in 4 or 8K, and all have an ultra-wide-angle lens.

We can classify the Galaxy Note 10 Lite as an upper mid-range and the Galaxy Note 10 Plus more as a lower high-end.

Something you will definitely enjoy on these cameras is their 2x optical zoom. It will enable you to get a closer view of the subject before taking your picture.

You can easily isolate a subject in the Galaxy Note 10 Plus, and yield sharper results along the way without introducing camera shake because of its aperture.

*I do recommend DXOMARK's reviews. Unfortunately, they don't test every smartphone camera out there. So whenever I come across one such camera, I take every hardware specs (like lenses, sensor size, OIS, aperture, and so on) and give a comparable score. Our lastest test on our formula showed a 2 points (more or less) error threshold.  ? 

**Consider this as an estimative, particularly on mid-end cameras with less than 40MP and no zoom lens. They just revised their formula, and I only have few reviewed devices to deduce a compatible score.

Picture Quality*			vs.
Primary Camera	Galaxy Note 10 Lite	Galaxy Note 10 Plus
Megapixels	12	12	0
Aperture	1.7	1.5	-0.2
Lens	27mm	27mm	0
Lens Type	Wide-Angle	Wide-Angle
Flash	1	1	0
HDR	Yes	Yes
OIS	Yes	Yes
Video	2160	2160	0
Score	111	130	19

*Reference: 100: Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra.

Extra Camera(s)	Galaxy Note 10 Lite	Galaxy Note 10 Plus	vs.
Megapixels	12	12	0
Aperture	2.4	2.1	-0.3
Lens	52mm (2x zoom)	52mm (2x zoom)	0
Lens Type	Telephoto lens	Telephoto lens
Megapixels	12	16	4
Aperture	2.2	2.2	0.0
Lens	12mm	12mm	0
Lens Type	Ultra-wide-Angle	Ultra-wide-Angle
Megapixels	-	0.3
Lens Type	-	Depth Sensor
Score	13	12	-1

Selfie Camera	Galaxy Note 10 Lite	Galaxy Note 10 Plus	vs.
Megapixels	32	10	-22
Aperture	2.2	2.2	0.0
Lens	25mm	26mm	1

	Galaxy Note 10 Lite	Galaxy Note 10 Plus	vs.
Tek-Score	6.5	7.6	1.1

Who has the best frame?

The Galaxy Note 10 Plus does win some points here, mainly for its glass back, the number of color options, water resistance, and looks.

The Galaxy Note 10 Lite has a height of 163 mm (6.42 inches) and a width of 76 mm (2.99 inches). The Galaxy Note 10 Plus, on the other hand, is 1 mm smaller and 1 mm wider (about 0.04 inches by 0.04 inches).

They have about the same depth: 8 mm (0.32 inches) vs. 7 mm (0.28 inches).

Do you want a front and back glass body? Then the Galaxy Note 10 Plus is the one. Adding to that, both weigh about the same: 196 g. (6.91 oz). If you're curious, I've created an adapted score for a "weight to display size" ratio. The Galaxy Note 10 Lite got 4.7, meaning it has an acceptable score for its display size. The Galaxy Note 10 Plus, however, has 5.3, so nothing to state here.  ? 

If you like having color options, you can buy the Galaxy Note 10 Lite in Aura Glow, Aura Red, and Aura Black. The Galaxy Note 10 Plus, in its turn, comes in Aura Glow, Aura Black, Aura White, and Aura Blue.

They share their size, so there ain't much to see here.

Do you value a fingerprint scanner? Both devices included it.

The Galaxy Note 10 Plus is rated IP68, which means it's water-resistant in up to 1 to 3 meters. That should be for up to 30 minutes, on standby, and freshwater only.

Looks*			vs.
Body	Galaxy Note 10 Lite	Galaxy Note 10 Plus
Size	163 x 76 x 8 mm (5.75 x 2.68 x 0.28 in)	162 x 77 x 7 mm (5.71 x 2.72 x 0.25 in)	-11786
Weight	199 g. (7.02 oz)	196 g. (6.91 oz)	-3
Build	Front glass	Front and back glass
Colors	Aura Glow, Aura Red, and Aura Black	Aura Glow, Aura Black, Aura White, and Aura Blue
Screen To Body Ratio	87.49%	92.52%	5.04
Disp.Size To Weight Score	4.7	5.3	0.6
Looks	5.8/10	10.0/10	4.2
Waterproof	-	IP68
Biometrics	Under Display Fingerprint	Under Display Fingerprint
Tek-Score	1.4	7.3	5.9

*100% = 4+ colors + front and back glass + S2BR: 86+%.

Which has the best battery?

The Galaxy Note 10 Lite features a 4500 mAh battery, while the Galaxy Note 10 Plus has 4300 mAh. But by GSMArena's standards, you should get the same battery life with either device.

If you charge it up, this is what you'll find out about the Galaxy Note 10 Lite:  ? 

• By talking for 1 hour, browsing the web for 1 hour, and playing videos for 1 hour, you'll have 83% of the battery remaining.
• After 1 hour of talking, 3 hours of web browsing, and 1 hour of video playback, you'll get down to 69% left.
• If you do 1 hour of talking, 1 hour of web browsing, and 3 hours of video playback, you'll likely end up with 70% of the battery charge.

And this is how the Galaxy Note 10 Plus handles these tests:

• After 1 hour of talking, 1 hour of web browsing, and 1 hour of video playback, you'll be at 84% of the battery charge.
• For 1 hour of talking, 3 hours of web browsing, and 1 hour of video playback, this phone should end with 68%.
• After 1 hour of talking, 1 hour of web browsing, and 3 hours of video playback, you'll be with 74%.

You should know that the Galaxy Note 10 Plus is also beating most smartphones. You can check here if it still is on our best-of listing.

Fast charging's here, and both Galaxys support it. The Galaxy Note 10 Plus can go up to 45w, and the Galaxy Note 10 Lite up to 25.

The Galaxy Note 10 Plus also supports wireless charging at 15w.

The Galaxy Note 10 Plus can also wirelessly charge other devices at 9w. These additional features do make a difference.

Quick charging is reasonably speedy with the Galaxy Note 10 Plus's charger. Its competitors usually sit at nearly 24w.

Galaxy Note 10 Plus's Quick wireless charging is likewise snappy. That's something you rarely see at this price range.

Battery*			vs.
Features	Galaxy Note 10 Lite	Galaxy Note 10 Plus
Capacity (mAh)	4500	4300	-200
1h Talk + 1h Web + 1h Video	83% left	84% left	1
1h Talk + 3h Web + 1h Video	69% left	68% left	-1
1h Talk + 1h Web + 3h Video	70% left	74% left	4
Bat. To Phone Size Score  ?	3.1	3.3	0.1
Sub Tek-Score	7.4	7.5	0.1
Fast Charging	25w	45w	20
Wireless Charging	No	15w	15
Reverse Charging	No	9w	9
Tek-Score	6.4	7.6	1.2

*Reference: 90: Samsung Galaxy A31.

Which has more storage?

Definitely, the Galaxy Note 10 Plus.

In terms of RAM, the Galaxy Note 10 Lite brings 6GB. In terms of storage, it has 128GB. It isn't an issue because there's always the MicroSD card expandable storage solution.

On the Galaxy Note 10 Plus, you'll find 256GB of internal storage and 12GB of RAM. You can count on the MicroSD card to save the day. Plus, you'll most likely get less RAM and less storage by picking any rival at that price range. 6Gb of RAM and 102Gb of storage: that's the average, not the best you can find, as you can see here.

Storage*			vs.
Features	Galaxy Note 10 Lite	Galaxy Note 10 Plus
RAM (GB)	6GB	12GB	6
Internal (GB)	128GB	256GB	128
Micro SD	microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot)	microSDXC (shared SIM slot)
Tek-Score	7.5	10.0	2.5

*Internal Storage + 256GB Memory Card (Max: 512GB).

Which is the most connectivity-friendly?

You can only get a headphone jack with the Galaxy Note 10 Lite.

Both devices feature the standard Bluetooth 5.0 module. Both phones also have NFC, so nothing special here.

If you're not ready to jump into the wireless buds wagon, stick with the Galaxy Note 10 Lite for now. Just skip adapters on the Galaxy Note 10 Plus and get a decent pair of wireless earbuds.

The Galaxy Note 10 Plus is LTE or (LTE and) 5G compatible.

Connectivity			vs.
Features	Galaxy Note 10 Lite	Galaxy Note 10 Plus
Network	LTE	LTE (also available in 5G)
Bluetooth	5.0	5.0
NFC	Yes	Yes
3.5mm jack	Yes	No
Tek-Score	8.5	3.6	-4.9

Which is more affordable?

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite may not be the best bang for your buck. But with a great deal or a price drop, it can be an impressive finding. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus, on the other hand, is usually more costly, but I think that you can find some additional value in it. Maybe you can get some money back if you end up selling it.

I hope the following tables will help you make a wiser decision.

Here are the best deals on some major online stores:

Reference: $425

$499.99

$699.99

Check now

$455.00

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite

Reference: $949

$949.99

$1,035.00

Check now

$899.98

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus

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Prices marked with ! are from renewed/refurbished/carrier-locked phones (except eBay prices that, as a last resort, can be from bids or used devices).

How much of a "phone" can your money buy?
That's how much "score" you can get with $100 based on the global score that you'll see in the next section (higher is better).

Have you found better prices elsewhere? The formula is simple: score/price*100.

Also, don't forget to check the latest deals from these four stores, and the state of the art on mobile technology, if you don't want to overpay on your next smartphone.

Related articles:

Best smartphone deals

The Best Unbiased Smartphones For All Budgets

Smartphone Specs Statistics: The State Of The Art (Q1 2021)

Want to know about that global score? For reference purposes, I'll tell you where most of its rivals average. They usually sit close to 6.4 (for the Galaxy Note 10 Lite) and 6.1 (for the Galaxy Note 10 Plus).

Verdict: What Makes the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus Stand Out?

Let me start by saying that if you can get the Snapdragon variant of the S10 Plus, you'll have to add a performance and battery boost to the table.

With that said, these Exynos chipsets have about the same performance, so it's one less thing you have to consider. But just because they share their speed doesn't mean that the Lite has the premium feeling of its higher-priced siblings. In fact, by cutting on build quality (Gorilla Glass 3 and plastic back), cameras, water-resistance, wireless (and reverse) charging, RAM, and storage, this ends up feeling more like a mid-range device. It also is the only Note device that still keeps the headphone jack.

But you can choose to see the glass half-full. After all, its the cheapest device featuring an S Pen.

Pros	Galaxy Note 10 Lite	Galaxy Note 10 Plus
#1	AMOLED	AMOLED
#2	Always-On-Display	Always-On-Display
#3	Cameras	Cameras
#4	Battery Life	Battery Life
#5	Fast Charging	Fast Charging
#6	MicroSD Slot	Wireless Charging
#7	3.5mm Jack	MicroSD Slot
#8		Storage
#9		Glass Protection

Cons	Galaxy Note 10 Lite	Galaxy Note 10 Plus
#1	Wireless Charging	Weight
#2	Weight	3.5mm Jack
#3	Price	Price
#4	Glass Protection

Relative Score*			vs.
Global Score	Galaxy Note 10 Lite	Galaxy Note 10 Plus
Gaming Score	5.8	7.5	1.7
Tek-Score	5.82	7.65	1.83
Your Score

Scroll the sliders down below to get your own personalized score. Let's suppose you value performance and battery life, and you don't really care about anything else. Then, just set the "Performance" and the "Battery" sliders up to 5 (5+5=10), and then the other sliders down to 0. You'll know what's the best phone for you.

*Reference: 100: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

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