What year S10 was the fastest?
The Galaxy S10 was fastest in 2019, the year it launched as Samsung's flagship smartphone and delivered top-tier performance in contemporary benchmarks. This article explains what that means and how speed was measured at the time.
Defining speed in 2019
In the smartphone world, “fastest” can refer to raw CPU/GPU performance, the smoothness of user interactions, app launch times, and sustained performance under load. At its debut in 2019, the Galaxy S10 came with high-end processors and responsive software, placing it among the speed leaders of that year.
What contributed to the S10’s speed in 2019
Several hardware and software factors combined to make the Galaxy S10 a top performer at launch. Reviewers highlighted the Snapdragon 855 in the US and the Exynos 9820 in other regions, along with ample RAM and fast storage, all wrapped in Samsung’s optimization of One UI on Android.
- Top-tier processors: Snapdragon 855 (USA) or Exynos 9820 (global) delivering strong single- and multi-core performance
- Generous memory and fast storage helping with multitasking and data access
- Efficient thermals and software optimization that preserved speed under load
- High bandwidth display and responsive touchscreen capabilities contributing to perceived speed
Note: Exact speed can vary by market variant and software version, and some rivals released devices in 2019 that matched or exceeded certain benchmarks in specific tests. Nevertheless, at launch the S10 was among the fastest smartphones available that year.
Rivals and the 2019 landscape
During its release window, devices such as the OnePlus 7 Pro, Huawei P30 Pro, and Apple’s iPhone lineup offered stiff competition in performance. While some models outpaced the S10 in particular benchmarks, the S10 consistently ranked at the top tier for speed among flagship phones launched in 2019.
Benchmark results vary by test and region, and real-world experience also depends on software updates and cooling performance over time. The S10’s early performance leadership reflected its hardware and software integration at the time.
Why the year matters for speed assessments
Speed rankings are often time-bound. A device can be the fastest at launch but be overtaken by later models with newer CPUs, faster memory, or more optimized software. The S10’s 2019 release set a high bar for flagship speed, even as subsequent phones in 2020 and beyond introduced new performance benchmarks.
Summary
In brief, the Galaxy S10 was among the fastest smartphones at its launch in 2019, driven by high-end processors (Snapdragon 855 or Exynos 9820), ample RAM, and optimized software. While some rivals matched or exceeded certain benchmarks that year, the S10 established itself as a speed leader in the 2019 flagship market. As the ecosystem evolved, newer models surpassed it in various benchmarks, but 2019 remains the year the S10 was at the peak of speed among top-tier devices at release.
