The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 was considered one of the hottest handsets of the year even though it boasted incremental upgrades over the Galaxy Note 8. With the Note 9, Samsung had once again proved that its Note Series was an all-inclusive device that featured zero compromises.

Nevertheless, the Note 10+ is a well-equipped smartphone that includes everything but the headphone jack, another strange exclusion. Samsung's intransigence about supporting certain Bluetooth codecs still irritates us too.

high screen-to-body ratio; impressively bright OLED panel; HDR10; useful S-Pen; strong cameras; good fingerprint sensor; expandable storage; fast SoC; UFS 3.0 flash storage; optional 5G model; great gaming performance

underwhelming Wi-Fi performance; middling battery life; no headphone jack; no heart rate sensor; no aptX HD

On paper the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ appears to one of the best Android phones you can buy. That's true in reality, too, having tested the phone as if it were out own for a week. But it doesn't mean it's the best.

Massive screen with neat punch-hole camera arrangement looks great; Speedy and smooth operation; Doesn't force Bixby upon you; Adept variety of cameras (wide; Standard; Zoom; S Pen stylus is integrated and adds an extra layer of control

Battery life not great for a phone of this size; Design a little too wide; Generally poor connectivity in our testing (using Three 4G SIM; Aura Glow finish will be love/hate; Cameras not class-leading; Closer than ever to S series

It’s hard to approach another Samsung flagship phone without asking “what’s new”, especially when the latest Galaxy Note 10+ looks very much like the Galaxy S10+ from earlier this year.

What you get for your money is a massive display, great design, loads of power under the hood and the robust S-pen stylus functionality.

Often called the “everything phone", the Galaxy Note line is by far the crown jewel in Samsung’s smartphone portfolio. The device can boast of a legitimate fan-base for Note devices, akin to Apple’s iPhones.

The Note 10 Plus is expensive, but you get a gorgeous screen, endless battery life and complete stylus control.

If you’re a Galaxy fan, whether that be Galaxy S or Galaxy Note, buy this phone. It’s incredibly good, even if you’re upgrading from a Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S10 model. Even if it’s just for that Aura Glow color, it’s worth it.

Specs; Display; Camera; Hardware; Battery; Software; S Pen; Sound; Fingerprint Reader; Power Button Location aka “Side Key”

If you want pen-input, then the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus is the best out there, wildly out-classing everything other than its predecessor, the Note 9 in that respect. If you don't, it's still an excellent phone, but you could get a comparable screen and imaging experience for less money in the...

Gorgeous; immersive display; Excellent; versatile stills/video camera; Pen input is a dream for Lightroom

It's a big phone; It's an expensive phone; Loves fingerprints

Samsung closed the camera gap with rivals and created a top-of-the-line phone for people who want the best Android has to offer.

The Galaxy Note 10 Plus delivers the premium goods; from a killer 6.8-inch screen and all-day battery life to excellent camera tools.

The Note 10 Plus is expensive; There's no headphone jack, which will disappoint long-time Samsung fans; The depth-sensing camera is extremely limited.