Chapter 1
Exploring What You Can Do with Your Phone
IN THIS CHAPTER
Reviewing the basic capabilities of just about any mobile phone
Understanding what sets smartphones apart
Mapping out what makes Samsung Galaxy S10 phones so cool
Getting you prepared to enjoy your phone
Whether you want just the basics from a mobile phone (make and take phone calls, customize your ringtone, take some pictures, maybe use a Bluetooth headset) or you want your phone to be always by your side (a tool for multiple uses throughout your day), you can make that happen. In this chapter, I outline all the things your Samsung Galaxy S10 can do - from the basics to what makes Galaxy S10 phones different from the rest.
Discovering the Basics of Your Phone
All mobile phones on the market today include basic functions, and even some entry-level phones are a little more sophisticated. Of course, Samsung includes all basic functions on the Galaxy S10 model. In addition to making and taking calls (see Chapter 3) and sending and receiving texts (see Chapter 4), the Galaxy S10 sports the following basic features:
- 16MP digital camera: This resolution is more than enough for posting good-quality images on the Internet and even having 8-x-10-inch prints made. There is also a front-facing camera with 10MP that is useful for videoconference calls and selfies. Your phone has some amazing capabilities (see Chapter 9 for more information).
- Ringtones: You can replace the standard ringtone with custom ringtones that you download to your phone. You also can specify different rings for different numbers.
- Bluetooth: The Galaxy S10 phone supports stereo and standard Bluetooth devices. (See Chapter 3 for more on Bluetooth.)
- High-resolution screen: The Galaxy S10 and S10+ offer the highest-resolution touchscreens on the market (3,200 x 1,800 pixels); the S10E is not too far behind, with full HD+ resolution.
- Capacitive touchscreen: The Galaxy S10 phone offers a very slick touchscreen that's sensitive enough to allow you to interact with the screen accurately, but not so sensitive that it's hard to manage. In addition, it has an optional setting that steps up the sensitivity for special circumstances, like when you want to use one hand!
Taking Your Phone to the Next Level: The Smartphone Features
In addition to the basic capabilities of any entry-level phone, the Galaxy S10, which is based on the popular Android platform for mobile devices, has capabilities associated with other smartphones, such as the Apple iPhone:
- Internet access: Access websites through a web browser on your phone.
- Photos: The Galaxy S10 comes with a very intelligent camera that has millions of combinations of settings, filters, and resolutions and also has the capability to manage photos. The S10 and the S10+ also come with a wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens.
- Wireless email: Send and receive email from your phone.
- Multimedia: Play music and videos on your phone.
- Contact Manager: The Galaxy S10 lets you take shortcuts that save you from having to enter someone's ten-digit number each time you want to call or text a friend. In fact, the Contact Manager can track all the numbers that an individual might have, store an email address and photo for the person, and synchronize with the program you use for managing contacts on both your personal and work PCs!
- Digital camcorder: The Galaxy S10 comes with a built-in digital camcorder that records live video at a resolution that you can set, including 4K/UHD (ultra-high definition, which is the resolution that is available on the newest televisions).
- Mapping and directions: The Galaxy S10 uses GPS (Global Positioning System) along with other complementary positioning systems to tell you where you are, find local services that you need, and give you directions to where you want to go.
- Fitness information: The Galaxy S10 automatically tracks important health information within the phone and with external sensors.
- Business applications: The Galaxy S10 can keep you productive while you're away from the office.
I go into each of these capabilities in greater detail in the following sections.
Internet access
Until a few years ago, the only way to access the Internet when you were away from a desk was with a laptop. Smartphones are a great alternative to laptops because they're small, convenient, and ready to launch their web browsers right away. Even more important, when you have a smartphone, you can access the Internet wherever you are - whether Wi-Fi is available or not.
The drawback to smartphones, however, is that their screen size is smaller than that of even the most basic laptop. On the Galaxy S10 phone, you can use the standard version of a website if you want. You can pinch and stretch your way to get the information you want. (See Chapter 2 for more information on pinching and stretching. For more information on accessing the Internet from your Galaxy S10 phone, turn to Chapter 7.)
To make things a bit easier, many popular websites offer an easier-to-use app that you can download and install on your phone. This is discussed in detail in Chapter 8. Essentially, the website reformats the information from the site so that it's easier to read and navigate in the mobile environment. Figure 1-1 compares a regular website with the app version of that website.
FIGURE 1-1: A website and the app version of the main site.
Photos
The image application on your phone helps you use the digital camera on your Galaxy S10 phone to its full potential. It would almost make sense to call the Samsung Galaxy S10 a smart camera with a built-in phone! There are all kinds of smarts in these applications that automatically figure out what you're trying to do and make it so that you're suddenly the next Ansel Adams.
Studies have found that cellphone users tend to snap a bunch of pictures within the first month of phone usage. After that, the photos sit on the phone (instead of being downloaded to a computer), and the picture-taking rate drops dramatically.
The Galaxy S10 image management application is different. You can integrate your camera images into your home photo library, as well as photo-sharing sites such as Google Photos and Instagram, with minimal effort.
For more on how to use the Photo applications, turn to Chapter 9.
Wireless email
On your Galaxy S10 smartphone, you can access your business and personal email accounts, reading and sending email messages on the go. Depending on your email system, you might be able to sync so that when you delete an email on your phone, the email is deleted on your computer at the same time so that you don't have to read the same messages on your phone and your computer.
Chapter 5 covers setting up your business and personal email accounts.
Multimedia
Some smartphones allow you to play music and videos on your phone. On the Galaxy S10, you can use the applications that come with the phone, or you can download applications that offer these capabilities from the Play Store.
Chapter 12 covers how to use the multimedia services with your Galaxy S10 phone.
An intelligent agent
Chapter 14 explores how to use Samsung's intelligent agent called Bixby. You simply ask Bixby to take care of things for you, such as update an appointment or check for prices and Bixby will go off and do it.
Customizing Your Phone with Games and Applications
Application developers - large and small - are working on the Android platform to offer a variety of applications and games for the Galaxy S10 phone. Compared to most of the other smartphone platforms, Google imposes fewer restrictions on application developers regarding what's allowable. This freedom to develop resonates with many developers - resulting in a bonanza of application development on this platform.
As of this writing, almost three million applications are available from Google's Play Store. For more information about downloading games and applications, turn to Chapter 8.
Downloading games
Chapter 10 of this book is for gamers. Although your phone comes with a few general-interest games, you can find a whole wide world of games for every skill and taste. In Chapter 10, I give you all the information you need to set up different gaming experiences. Whether you prefer stand-alone games or multiplayer games, you can set up your Galaxy S10 phone to get what you need.
Downloading applications
Your phone comes with some very nice applications, but these might not take you as far as you want to go. You might also have some special interests, such as philately or stargazing, that neither Samsung nor your carrier felt would be of sufficient general interest to include on the phone. (Can you imagine?)
Your phone also comes with preloaded widgets, which are smaller applications that serve particular purposes, such as retrieving particular stock quotes or telling you how your phone's battery is feeling today. Widgets reside on...
