Samsung Galaxy S10+ Prism Black 128GB

The Galaxy S10+ is a 2019 flagship that still holds up thanks to a 98th percentile feature set and 90th percentile build quality. The 6.4-inch 1200-nit Dynamic AMOLED display is still great, and you get a headphone jack, expandable storage, and wireless charging. But the Snapdragon 855 is showing its age with a 34th percentile performance score and no 5G. At USD 420 to USD 500 for a refurbished unit, it's a solid buy for feature lovers. At USD 1,000, it's a rip-off.

The Snapdragon 855 is an 8-core chip clocked at 2.84GHz, paired with 8GB of RAM. For daily tasks, it's still responsive. Apps open fine, scrolling is smooth, and multitasking with 8GB of RAM means you won't hit memory limits often. But our performance percentile of 34th tells the real story. This chip is showing its age, especially compared to anything from the last two or three years. Gaming is the weakest area, scoring just 41.9 out of 100 in our gaming-specific rating.

The display is where this phone still shines. 1200 nits of peak brightness on a 3040 x 1440 Dynamic AMOLED panel is genuinely good, even by 2025 standards. That's a 75th percentile display score, which means it's above average but not top-tier anymore. The 4100mAh battery lands at the 56th percentile, so it's about average. With moderate use, you'll get through a day, but heavy users will want a charger nearby. Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 helps, and reverse wireless charging is a nice party trick for topping up earbuds.

Against the current crop of phones, the S10+ is in a weird spot. The Google Pixel 10 Pro and Apple iPhone 17 absolutely demolish it in performance, camera quality, and software support. The OnePlus 15 and Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 are also significantly faster. But none of those phones have a headphone jack, and most don't have expandable storage. The Nothing Phone 4a Pro is probably the closest modern comparison in terms of feature philosophy, but even that trades the headphone jack for a more modern design.

The real trade-off is this: the S10+ gives you features that no longer exist on modern flagships, but you're paying for it with an aging processor and no 5G. If you live in an area with good 5G coverage, the S10+ will feel slow on data. If you mostly use Wi-Fi and don't game, the performance gap matters less. The camera setup is still decent at the 73rd percentile, but it's not going to compete with a Pixel 10 Pro's computational photography. You're buying this phone for the features and the price, not for raw performance.

Here's where things get interesting. Prices on Newegg range from USD 420 to USD 1,000 depending on condition and seller. That's a USD 580 spread, which is wild for a phone this old. The refurbished Grade B units are the cheapest option, and honestly, that's probably the smart buy if you're considering this phone. Paying USD 1,000 for a Snapdragon 855 in 2025 makes no sense when you can get a current mid-range phone with better performance for less.

At the USD 420 end, the value proposition is decent. You're getting a phone with a 98th percentile feature set and 90th percentile build quality for less than half the price of a new flagship. But at the top end of that range, you're getting fleeced. The sweet spot is finding a clean refurbished unit in the USD 420 to USD 500 range. Anything above that and you should seriously consider a newer mid-range option instead.

The Galaxy S10+ is one of those phones that quietly got a lot right. It's a 2019 flagship that still holds up surprisingly well in 2025, mostly because Samsung packed it with features that newer phones keep dropping. You've got a 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED display at 3040 x 1440, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage with expandable storage up to 512GB, and a headphone jack. Yes, an actual headphone jack. In 2025, that's practically a collector's item.

Who's this for? Someone who wants a solid, feature-rich phone without paying current flagship prices. The S10+ sits in that sweet spot where refurbished units are cheap but the hardware still feels premium. The build quality ranks in the 90th percentile in our database, and the feature set hits the 98th percentile. That's a rare combo at this price point. You're getting IP68 water resistance, wireless charging, reverse wireless charging, stereo speakers, and a triple camera setup.

The catch is the processor. The Snapdragon 855 was fast in 2019, but it's now six years old. Performance lands in the 34th percentile compared to everything else we track. That's not a dealbreaker for everyday use, but it's worth knowing before you buy. If you're mostly texting, browsing, and taking photos, you'll be fine. If you're trying to run Genshin Impact at max settings, this isn't your phone.

Gamers should skip this phone without hesitation. The 41.9 gaming score is rough, and the Snapdragon 855 will struggle with demanding titles. If mobile gaming matters to you, look at the OnePlus 15 or even a mid-range phone from the last two years. You'll get much better frame rates and thermal performance.

Anyone who needs 5G should also look elsewhere. The S10+ is 4G only, and as carriers continue to refarm spectrum for 5G, 4G performance will only get worse over time. If you're buying a phone to keep for two or three years, the lack of 5G is a real problem. The Nothing Phone 4a Pro or a refurbished Pixel 10 Pro would be better long-term bets. And if you're someone who wants the latest Android features and security updates, this phone stopped getting major updates years ago. You'd be better served by something newer, even if it means giving up the headphone jack.

For the right person, the S10+ is still a great buy. If you want a headphone jack, expandable storage, wireless charging, and a great display without spending current flagship money, this is one of the last phones that delivers all of that. The 98th percentile feature set is no joke. You're getting IP68, stereo speakers, reverse wireless charging, and a microSD slot in a phone that costs a fraction of what a new flagship costs.

But if you're a gamer or someone who needs 5G speeds, look elsewhere. The 41.9 gaming score and lack of 5G are dealbreakers for that crowd. Same goes for anyone who wants long-term software support. Samsung stopped major Android updates for this phone years ago, so you're stuck on an older version of Android with security patches that are increasingly sporadic. For a secondary phone, a media device, or someone who just wants a reliable daily driver with all the legacy features, the S10+ still makes sense. Just don't overpay for it.