[Design Story] How Samsung Reimagined the Galaxy Note10’s Design

Striking a perfect balance of power and pocketability, the Galaxy Note10 and Galaxy Note10+ pack an array of bar-raising performance technologies and productivity tools into a slim, nearly bezel-less design that’s as stunning as the devices are powerful.

Yun-je Kang, Senior Vice President and Head of Samsung Electronics’ Design Team, summed up the philosophy behind the flagships’ design. “These days, our smartphones are always in our hands, and they’re becoming items that express our individuality and preferences,” said Kang. “From the beginning, we worked hard to achieve a design that reflected a deep understanding of how consumers use their smartphones today.”

Let’s examine how Samsung optimized the Galaxy Note10’s form factor to offer Millennial and Gen Z users a more immersive and productive smartphone experience.

Sleek and Slim, with an All-New S Pen

The Galaxy Note10 features a streamlined form that’s comfortable to grasp and looks as if it were chiseled from a single piece of glass. Simple but solid, the smartphones’ monolith-like frame supports a nearly bezel-less display, which offers multitasking Note users more room to do what they do best.

The smartphones’ brilliant Cinematic Infinity Display gracefully flows over the edges, blurring the line between body and display. Centered at the top is the in-display cutout for the front-facing camera. In addition to lending the screen a balanced aesthetic, the lens’s placement opens the door for users to enjoy a wide range of fun and inventive wallpaper designs that utilize the camera in creative ways.

In addition, the Note series’ signature feature, the S Pen, has been updated with a redesign and a slew of convenient enhancements, including support for multiple hues in Samsung Notes. Now, when using Samsung’s powerful notetaking app, users can easily save a preferred pen color and style as their favorite pen, load it with the touch of the S Pen’s button, and start writing and drawing to their heart’s content. Moreover, the S Pen’s seamless integration into the Galaxy Note10’s body enhances the devices’ unibody aesthetic.

The S Pen itself is comfortable in the hand, and an absolute pleasure to use. Samsung eliminated as many unnecessary elements as possible when refining the S Pen’s design, resulting in a sleek and sophisticated form. The S Pen’s Samsung logo and metallic section – fixtures of previous S Pens’ designs – have also been removed to enhance the tool’s elegant aesthetic.

To make users’ experience even more satisfying, Samsung also equipped the new S Pen with the ability to recreate the actual sounds that pens and other utensils make when writing or drawing. So scribbling a note on the Galaxy Note10’s display sounds just like scribbling on paper. And each time the user places the S Pen back in their device, they’ll hear a slight click, like the sound that a cap makes when it’s placed on a pen.

More Choices and Colors

The introduction of the 6.3-inch Galaxy Note10 and the 6.8-inch Galaxy Note10+ marks the first time that a Galaxy Note will be available in two sizes. Offering the newest Note in a compact form factor – alongside a model similar in size to previous editions – enables smartphone users who prefer a smaller screen to experience the signature Note features that make these devices so special.

The Galaxy Note10’s gorgeous design is complemented by a selection of three likewise stunning color options: Aura Glow, Aura White, and Aura Black. The latter two hues are exquisite in their luster, as is the iridescent Aura Glow, which reflects a rainbow of colors depending on the angle of the light, in what amounts to an eye-catching visualization of the smartphones’ ability to streamline a wide range of user interests. Additional color options – available in select markets – include the equally beautiful Aura Red, Aura Pink and Aura Blue.*

To offer users more ways to make their smartphone their own, the Galaxy Note10 also features a wide-ranging accessory selection that includes stylish covers of various colors and materials. Choose the Clear View cover for a practical look, or the Leather Cover for a more classic aesthetic.

Packaging That Puts the Planet First

When developing new Galaxy devices, Samsung prioritizes enhancements that make its powerful innovations simpler and more sustainable. Sustainability has never been more important to consumers – particularly Millennials. In fact, according to a recent Nielsen report, up to 73 percent of Millennials say they’d be willing to pay extra for sustainable goods.

Like the Galaxy S10 before it, the Galaxy Note10 features simple, eco-friendly packaging that utilizes sustainable materials in place of plastics and vinyl, and was designed with a focus on consuming fewer resources. Now, each smartphone and its components are fitted into a sturdy pulp mold rather than being packaged separately.

Other environmentally friendly adjustments include Samsung’s decisions to use FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)-certified paper when producing the Galaxy Note10’s packaging and manuals, replace plastic ties with paper alternatives, and utilize 20 percent recycled plastic when crafting the devices’ chargers.

In addition to utilizing more environmentally friendly materials in its products and packaging, Samsung continues to explore innovative ways to reduce electronics waste through initiatives like the Galaxy Upcycling program. By championing the benefits of upcycling, which involves finding new and useful applications for old technology, the company’s efforts are not only helping to save more devices from ending up in landfills; they’re also spurring the development of dynamic technologies with potential applications in the worlds of healthcare, education and more.

As Kang explained, sustainability remains a guiding focus when designing new Galaxy innovations. “Sustainability is an important value in Galaxy device design,” said Kang. “Going forward, Samsung will continue to pursue sustainable innovation – not only by simplifying products’ designs, but also by removing unnecessary elements, and by replacing materials with more eco-friendly alternatives.”

* Availability may vary by market and model.