Now, pre-order Samsung Galaxy Note10 for as low as Dh165

Samsung Electronics on Wednesday revealed its newest premium devices as it aims to solidify its leadership atop the field while once again kicking off what has now become a yearly second-half smartphone battle royale between the world's top three players.
The world's largest mobile device manufacturer flaunted two flagship Galaxy Note10 models, both of which come in 5G models as the progress towards the commercialisation of the next-generation mobile standard rapidly takes shape.
"The time has come to take the next big leap into the future. It begins with a new approach to technology progress that we call 'Experience Innovation'," D.J. Koh, president and CEO of Samsung's IT and mobile communications division, said at the Unpacked 2019 event from Barclays Center in Brooklyn at 12 midnight on Thursday.
"It's more than just the features on a smartphone; it is the integration of devices, services and the capabilities across the universe of Galaxy devices and our vast partner ecosystem," pointing out in particular the advent of technologies such as 5G, ushering in a new era of a more fast-paced and more connected digital world.
He stressed, however, that with greater, newer technologies, security is now, more than ever, important.
"It has become more complicated. 'Experience Innovation' depends on trust - to the networks you connect to, the services you use and the devices you depend on," Koh said.
"The foundation for trust is security. Security must be built into the device from chipset to kernel, device to network and app to cloud."
Samsung's new smartphones are the kickstarter for the battle in the second half of the year; Apple will be unveiling its next iPhones next month, while Huawei is expected to launch its latest Mate devices towards the end of the year.
While not technically the 10th device in the Note series - Samsung skipped the would-have-been Note6 to stay in line with the seventh model in the Galaxy S line-up - the Note10 is still very significant because, along with the Galaxy S10 launched earlier this year, it marks a decade of Samsung's venture into the premium device category that has catapulted it into top leadership ranks.
The Galaxy Note10 comes in two sizes - the 6.3-inch Note10 and the 6.8-inch Note10+, making the latter the biggest Samsung mobile device by far, topping last year's 6.4-inch Note9.
The Note10 and Note10+ come with a triple- and quad-lens camera, respectively. Additional enhancements were introduced, such as the ability to use bokeh effects on videos, zoom in on sound and an improved image stabiliser.
Their screens, as described by Samsung, are practically without bezels. Both will run on Google's Android 9.0 Pie operating system, and are sure shots to be upgradeable to the upcoming Android Q. They also come with enhanced cooling systems, faster wireless charging and an in-screen ultrasonic fingerprint scanner.
The wireless remote-control capabilities of the Note series' defining accessory, the S Pen, has also been enhanced. In the camera app, for instance, it can now be used to zoom, switch from back to front cameras, and even control YouTube videos. Its productivity tools for documents and mark-ups have also been improved.
Pre-orders for the devices are now live in the UAE on Samsung's website. They are also now available on telecom operators etisalat and du, as well as on retailers such as Sharaf DG, Jumbo Electronics and Axiom Telecom, each with own bundle offers.
In the UAE, the available storage capacity/RAM configurations are 256GB/8GB for the Note10, and 256GB/12GB and 512GB/12GB for the Note10+. They are priced at Dh3,499, Dh3,999 and Dh4,499, respectively.
Retailers in UAE, including Samsung, are offering the latest flagship phone on installments. The Note 10 is available for pre-order for as low as Dh165 at Sharaf DG.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella made an appearance at the event, stressing that it will be partnering further with the South Korean tech giant to make their ecosystems work more efficiently. The companies promised more seamless connectivity between Windows devices and the Note10, centering on tasks such as e-mail, documents and other essentials.
Samsung also unveiled the Galaxy Book S laptop, which is pegged to have up to 23 hours of battery life, and the Galaxy Watch Active 2, as it continues to strengthen its ecosystem of connected devices.
- alvin@khaleejtimes.com