The Galaxy S10 is a fitting 10th-anniversary phone for Samsung and its storied S series. It delivers on change with a novel-looking Infinity-O screen so large it displaces the front camera, and a triple-lens rear camera that takes ultra-wide photos. Its in-screen fingerprint sensor tech should serve you well, while its Wireless PowerShare could serve your friends well. That’s a lot of change – just know that it comes at a high price and the Galaxy S10e and S10 Plus flank it from both sides of the coin as better options.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 is engineered and designed to be a conversation-changer, a phone that’s crafted to turn everyone’s yearly question of “Do I really need to upgrade?” into a more exclamatory “I really need to upgrade!”

The S10 does make this case, according to the six months we’ve spent testing Samsung’s new flagship phone for 2019 – with some clear caveats… and competition. The even more ambitious Samsung Galaxy Note 10 has come out, with S Pen stylus and more features to appeal to folks who need the absolute top of the line.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 release date was Friday, March 8 and it was announced on February 20, with pre-orders opening right away in some countries. In the US, Galaxy S10 pre-orders started on February 21.

There’s a hitch or two in Samsung’s masterplan to get everyone to upgrade to this particular handset. The  Samsung  S10 launch price was expensive, more so than the Galaxy S9, although it’s markedly better value than the iPhone XS, which is more expensive and has a smaller 5.8-inch screen.

It’s on sale through Amazon in the US and B&H Photo, though it’s still a considerable investment. The Galaxy S10e is cheaper and almost as good, while the Galaxy S10 Plus is the phone you’ll want if you can handle its price and screen size – and that’s to say nothing of the Galaxy S10 5G and the Samsung Galaxy Fold, which early adopters may look for true innovation at a higher price.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 price starts at $899 / £799 / AU$1,349 / AED 3,199 for the 128GB of storage model, meaning you’re spending an additional $180 / £60 / AED 100 on this phone over the S9 launch price.