Samsung unveils new Galaxy Note 10 and 10+ smartphones

Samsung has unveiled two new versions of its big-screen Galaxy Note smartphone, as the tech giant tries to maintain its position as the world’s biggest phone maker.

The Galaxy Note 10 and 10+ both feature an updated version of Samsung’s S Pen digital stylus, which can now carry out Air Actions, allowing users to make mid-air gestures with the pen, to control some screen navigation.

Samsung introduced the first Note device in 2011 as a bigger-screen alternative to traditional smartphones, with the “phablet” meant to serve as a middle ground between a tablet and a phone.

The 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED Infinity-O display on the Note 10+ is the largest screen ever on a Note device, the Korean tech giant said, while the Note 10 has a 6.3-inch display.

A 5G-ready version of the Note 10+ has also been confirmed.

The new devices, which were unveiled at a live event in New York, will launch in the wake of Samsung reporting a decline in sales of premium smartphones, with users increasingly turning to mid-range handsets.

The technology giant may be hoping to appeal to a broader range of potential buyers by offering two versions of the Note 10, industry analysts have suggested.

The Note 10 and 10+ also have large batteries which support super-fast charging – Samsung says a day’s battery life can be gained from 30 minutes of charge – as well as new video capture and editing features, while the headphone port has been removed.

The new phones will go on sale on August 23, Samsung said.