Samsung Galaxy A10 2019 unboxing and hands-on review

I got my hands on the Samsung Galaxy A10 2019 model. You know me: all it takes for me to start cranking out an article is an encounter with a phone. Yes; I know it is a problem – a very good problem. Anyway, here is my Samsung Galaxy A10 2019 unboxing and hands-on review. Come have fun with me.

Samsung’s new Galaxy A Series devices have come with interesting specs and better pricing – clearly a response by Samsung to make smartphones that are more competitive in markets where the Chinese smartphone brands are making a killing with more affordable devices.

Does the Galaxy A10 2019 pull it off? We will find out. For starters, it is a good idea to run through the key specs of our review phone at this point, so let’s do that quickly; shall we?

Samsung Galaxy A10 2019 Duos Quick Specs

What we have is a 6.2-inch display and Android 9 Pie running under the hood. It has a 13 MP rear camera, a 5 MP selfie camera embedded in a water drop notch, 2 GB RAM, 32 GB internal memory, and a 3400 mAh battery.

This unit is a Duos device, meaning it has two SIM card slots.

Samsung Galaxy A10 2019 Unboxing

In the box is the phone itself, a USB cable, charging adapter, 3.5mm headset, as well as paper documentations.

Samsung Galaxy A10 2019 Setting Up

With the unboxing out of the way, setting up the Galaxy A10 2019 was next. Using Samsung’s Smart Switch app, I was able to switch everything from an older phone – apps, videos, images, contacts, call logs, and SMS – over to it in a matter of minutes. It even carried over the active wallpaper from the old device.

To use Smart Switch, you need to have it installed on both the old and the new phone, then initiate the transfer and sit back till it is completed. This was perhaps the smoothest and easiest device switch I have ever done.

If you own or buy a Samsung smartphone, you want to remember this app and put it to use when you switch.

Samsung Galaxy A10 2019 Hands-on Review

Our Samsung Galaxy A10 2019 unboxing and setting up out of the way, it is time to share our first impressions of this budget smartphone.

The first thing that struck me when I picked it up out of the box was how premium it felt. The A10 2019 almost looks and feels like a Galaxy S9 Plus. That is a bit of an exaggeration, but that is the impression it gives off. This is a solidly built smartphone.

However, despite the great appearance and build, the low performance quickly jarred me back to reality: using an Android phone with on only 2 GB of RAM has its drawbacks – you will feel the lag when launching apps and switching between apps. And in this case, the A10 2019 has a big 6.2-inch display. The EXYNOS 7884 chip struggles too.

Besides the lag one experiences in using the phone, the Samsung Galaxy A10 2019 is an up-to-date experience, software-wise. It runs Android 9 Pie with a layer of Samsung’s new One UI on it. Dark Mode is there, along with all the other benefits of One UI. It is sleek, it is user-friendly, and it is extensive in terms of features and functionality.

This is a 4G LTE smartphone too. Unfortunately, like most of the devices in the new Galaxy A-series, it does not support Glo’s 4G network. You will be able to use 2 SIM cards in it, as It is a dual-SIM phone with a dedicated micro-SD card slot. It is good that you do not have to sacrifice one SIM card slot for a memory card.

At the back of the phone is a single 13 MP lens and a single LED flash.

As part of this Samsung Galaxy A10 unboxing, I am including answers to some of the most common questions that I have been asked about the phone. If you have a question that isn’t answered below, do post it as a comment and I will respond to it.

Does Samsung A10 have fingerprint?

There is no fingerprint scanner there or anywhere else on the Samsung A10 phone.

Does Samsung A10 support fast charging?

No; Samsung Galaxy A10 doesn’t support any fast charging standard.

Does Samsung A10 screen have Gorilla Glass protection?

No; Samsung Galaxy A10’s display does not have Gorilla Glass protection.

Does Samsung Galaxy A10 support 4G LTE?

Yes; the Galaxy A10 is equipped with a 4G LTE radio in both SIM slots. The phone also supports dual 4G-VoLTE.

Is Samsung Galaxy A10 a good phone?

In my opinion, Samsung A10 smartphone is quite pricey smartphone for the features and performance that it offers, though the price is bound to drop in a little while. For $119 or ₦45,000 at the time of this review, you will get a similar smartphone with 3 GB RAM (even 4 GB in some quarters), fingerprint scanner, dual camera, and a 4000 mAh battery. So, you can get more features and better performance for the price, but of course, it wouldn’t be a Samsung and the physical build will not be as great as what exists here.

If the brand name or image of the phone you carry is important to you, then Samsung Galaxy A10 2019 is fair game. You will walk into any meeting or setting and not a lot of people will have any idea that you are carrying a lower mid-range smartphone.

But if you want more features and better performance, for a little extra cash, you can get the Samsung Galaxy A20 2019, or simply look towards Infinix, Xiaomi, TECNO, Soda, and others.

• Don’t miss our reviews.
• Join our WhatsApp Group, to be notified of the most important articles and deals,
• Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. 

Author: Mister Mobility

Master storyteller and founder of Mobility Nigeria, Mister Mobility, has used and reviewed hundreds of mobile phones since 2001.