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Which new Samsung phone should you buy? Galaxy S10 vs Galaxy S10+ vs Galaxy Fold compared

Samsung chose to unveil not just one but five new phones at its Unpacked event this week, complementing its range of Galaxy S10 devices with the innovative Galaxy Fold.

The Galaxy S10, S10+, S10e, S10 5G and Fold all offer something unique for users, be it size, specs, or the ability to unfold and transform into a tablet.

Combined with the vast range of non-Samsung alternatives – the iPhone XS, the Google Pixel 3, the Huawei P30 Pro, to name just three – it may seem more difficult than ever to decide which device is the right one to buy.

As American psychologist Barry Schwartz wrote in Paradox of Choices, having too many options "no longer liberates but debilitates" consumers.

With prices ranging from around £700 to close to £2,000 for the new Samsung phones, making the wrong choice could be costly. So considering all the options, which is the best smartphone for you to buy?

Galaxy S10e

This is the entry-level phone – the 'e' stands for 'everyone' – designed to entice people into the Galaxy family.

It comes with 6GB to 8GB of RAM, either 128GB or 256GB of internal storage, an HD+ screen and a 3,100 mAh battery.

A 10 megapixel front camera is complimented with a dual-lens setup on the rear that holds a 12 megapixel and 16 megapixel camera.

The Galaxy S10e is also the smallest of the Galaxy family, measuring 5.8-inches, meaning some people may favour it simply for its pocket-friendly size.

Prices for the Galaxy S10e start at £669.

Galaxy S10

This is technically Samsung's true flagship, serving as the direct successor to the Galaxy S9.

Like the S10e, there are a number of design features that sets this anniversary edition apart from its predecessors, including a hole-punch design to hold its front-facing camera.

Samsung announced a range of new Galaxy smartphones on 20 February, 2019 (Samsung)
Samsung announced a range of new Galaxy smartphones on 20 February, 2019 (Samsung)

The Galaxy S10 goes one better than the S10e – and two better compared to the S9 – when it comes to the rear camera, featuring a triple lens setup to significantly boost its picture-taking credentials.

An in-screen fingerprint scanner and reverse wireless charging also adds to its flagship status, keeping it at the cutting edge of the smartphone space.

It is also slightly bigger, measuring 6.1-inches and weighing 157 grams, and comes with a standard 8GB of RAM. Prices for the Galaxy S10 start at £799.

Galaxy S10+

As the name suggests, the S10+ is essentially a plus-sized version of the S10.

Measuring 6.4-inches, the S10+ features the same triple-lens setup on the rear of the phone but adds another lens to the front.

It can also hold an incredible 1.5 terabytes of data – 500GB more than its nearest rival (the Galaxy Note9) – if its 512GB expandable memory is utilised.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus was unveiled on 20 February. Its release date is scheduled for early March (Samsung)
The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus was unveiled on 20 February. Its release date is scheduled for early March (Samsung)

The battery on the S10+ is also enormous, though without real-world testing it's difficult to say how far this will go in an average user's day.

Up to 12GB of RAM makes this smartphone more powerful than most modern laptops.

Prices for the Galaxy S10+ start at £899

Galaxy S10 5G

The Galaxy S10 5G is huge – and not only because of its 6.7-inch frame.

Its real significance comes in its support for 5G, the next-generation mobile network that will define communications for the next decade.

This phone will appeal to anyone wanting to see what this new world might look like, though it's likely going to be at least a year before 5G rolls out on any significant scale.

In terms of general specs, the Galaxy S10 5G is most similar to the Galaxy S10, with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.

Samsung is yet to announce a price or exact release date for the Galaxy S10 5G, though it will likely be coming at some point in the summer.

Galaxy Fold

While some may be questioning what the point of a folding phone is, others are heralding the Galaxy Fold as the future of smartphones.

Like the S10 5G, this is a phone for early adopters, with future generations likely to iron out any kinks that may arise from such a radically new technology.

The Samsung Galaxy Fold represents the biggest evolution in mobile technology since the first ever smartphone (Samsung)
The Samsung Galaxy Fold represents the biggest evolution in mobile technology since the first ever smartphone (Samsung)

It comes with 512GB of internal storage as standard, 12GB of RAM and an incredible six cameras.

Samsung is yet to announce the cost of the Galaxy Fold in the UK, but with prices in the US set at $1,980 and €2,000 in Europe, British buyers can expect to pay around £1,600.