Samsung Galaxy S10 vs. Samsung Galaxy S10e

The Basics - What is the Samsung Galaxy all about?

The Samsung Galaxy range is one of the main competitors to Apple's iPhone and plays right at the top among the big players. 

In spring 2019, Samsung launched the Samsung Galaxy S10. It stood out for its huge improvements to performance and for having included a 5G-capable version for the first time. The slimmer Galaxy S10e variant is mostly the same phone except it has a smaller and lower-resolution display, lacks the third telephoto camera, and has slightly less battery life. Of course, it also comes at a lower price.

On the subject of price, while new devices can cost a whole lot, Back Market offers you the entire Samsung Galaxy S10 range expertly refurbished. The smartphones come to us via more than 1,000 merchants and are tested by technical experts. This results in second-hand smartphones that are as good as the original. So you buy electronics with a between 30-70% discount compared to the new price, and you enjoy the same phone.

What is different about Samsung smartphones compared to Apple iPhones?

It took a while for Samsung to break into the smartphone scene. It was in June 2009 when they first made a wave, with the release of the first touchscreen Galaxy phone. It immediately competed with the iPhone, and it – along with the HTC phones – was the first Android-based smartphone. Android is the operating system that Google developed for smartphones, and it’s the world’s most popular smartphone platform, even above Apple’s iPhone-exclusive iOS. 

Since then, more than 50 Galaxy phones have been released by Samsung. Among them are the S10 and the S10e from February 2019. Compared to Apple, Samsung smartphones are slightly cheaper in price, but they do still boast excellent performance.

Even used, the Samsung Galaxy S10, S10+ and S10e remain in great shape today. When refurbished at Back Market, they’re guarantee to work perfectly too – in addition to the 12-month warranty.

👉 Reading tip: iPhone vs Samsung: what are the differences?

Spec Comparison - Samsung Galaxy S10 vs S10e

In 2019, Samsung unveiled its new S10 phones at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. In the process, the company presented the flagship S10, the enhanced S10+ variant and the slightly smaller S10e format. A version with an integrated 5G-capable modem was also included. 

Since most customers were interested in buying the S10 or the Samsung Galaxy S10e used, let’s look at the most important differences here.

What are the features of the Samsung Galaxy S10?

The Samsung Galaxy S10 impresses with its 8-core processor, capable of fast clock speeds up to 2.84 GHz. The 8 GB working memory ensures a high load capacity. The internal storage offers 128 GB or 512 GB of space to store your photos and videos. 

You can capture those pictures and videos with its high-resolution 16 MP main camera. In total, there are three individual lenses on the Galaxy S10. It has an ultra-wide-angle lens, a wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens with a 2x optical zoom.

The 6.1-inch (15.49 cm) Dynamic AMOLED display is capable of HDR10+ and has a lovely 3,040 x 1,440 pixel resolution. The density is 552 pixels per inch. This enables razor-sharp text, images and colour contrast. In standard mode, the resolution is reduced to 2,280 x 1,080 pixels to conserve battery life. With a 3,400 mAh capacity, the battery provides up to about 10 hours of use.

• 6.1-inch (15.49 cm) Dynamic AMOLED (HDR10+) display

• Maximum resolution of 3,040 x 1,440 pixels

• Standard resolution at 2,280 x 1,080 pixels

• Pixel density 552 ppi

• 3,400 mAh battery (approx. 10 hours runtime)

• Storage capacity between 128 GB and 512 GB

• Eight-core processor with up to 2.84 GHz

• 8 GB RAM

👉 Reading tip: Samsung Galaxy S10 Review

Overview of the Samsung Galaxy S10e

The Samsung Galaxy S10e is the S10’s little brother, meant for those who want a cheaper, smaller device for everyday use. It measures just 5.8 inches (14.73 cm) and has a similarly good AMOLED display with HDR10+ technology. The resolution is 2,280 x 1,080 pixels. Its powered by a snappy 8-core Snapdragon 855 chip – the same one found in the S10 and S10 Plus. The working memory is either 6 GB or 8 GB. You can choose between 128 GB and 256 GB of internal memory. On the back, there is a camera with 16-megapixel ultra-wide angle and 12-megapixel wide angle (thus the telephoto lens is missing compared to the S10). The front camera is a bit more modest at just a 10 MP resolution. The battery is similarly slightly lower at 3,100 mAh.

• 5.8-inch (14.73 cm) Dynamic AMOLED display (HDR10+)

• 280 x 1,080 pixel resolution

• 6 or 8 GB RAM

• 128 or 256 GB of storage

• 16-megapixel ultra-wide and 12-megapixel wide-angle camera

• 10-megapixel front camera

• 8-core processor with up to 2.84 GHz

• Battery with 3,100 mAh (about 9 hours of online runtime)

What are the differences: Samsung S10 vs S10e?

The S10 and S10e differ slightly in size and performance. At 5.8 inches (14.73 cm) and weighing 150 g, the Samsung Galaxy S10e is smaller and lighter than the standard version. As a result, the battery has also been reduced somewhat - the runtime is about 1.5 hours less than the original. 

In contrast to the S10, the S10e is also only available with 6 GB of RAM. The bigger 512 GB storage capacity is only available with the standard S10 as well; the S10e is limited to a maximum of 256 GB. 

The main differences in daily use are really the display resolution and the cameras. The S10 is slightly sharper at a 3,040 x 1,440 pixel resolution. It is also equipped with three cameras - the slimmed-down model only packing two and omitting the telephoto lens. 

👉 Want more details? Discover all the other differences in our Galaxy S10 vs Galaxy S10e comparison.

Who is the Galaxy S10e for?

Whether you buy the Samsung Galaxy S10e used or opt for the Galaxy S10 depends on your use. If you use the phone exclusively for classic communication and surfing, the S10e is the better choice given the price-performance ratio.

For more professional video and photo editing, the Galaxy S10 is our recommendation. Especially given the low prices for refurbished products at Back Market, it is probably worth spending a little more money.

How to buy the Samsung Galaxy S10 second-hand

Back Market has given itself the goal of countering our throwaway culture and reducing electronic waste. The tendency to buy new nowadays turns too many perfectly functional phones into rubbish. Our more than 1,000 cooperation partners buy them and bring them back to mint condition. For example, the battery of many devices is replaced so that the second-hand devices also have the same runtime as the original. Other components are also refurbished by the affiliates. This means you get your Galaxy S10 or S10e in as-new, refurbished condition and still with price reductions of between 30 and 70 percent compared to new.

• You buy like-new second-hand devices with discounts of up to 70% off compared to new prices

• Reduction of electronic waste through recycling

• 12-month extra guarantee beyond the compulsory state warranty

• Transparency on the actual condition of the phones