The Best Galaxy Note 10 Color Has a Big Trade-Off

(Image credit: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Samsung)

The most beautiful version of the Galaxy Note 10 has a pretty big trade-off. I know because I tried to work with our photographer yesterday to take shots of the Galaxy Note 10 Plus for our Galaxy Note 10 Plus review.

And we had to use a polishing cloth. A lot.

The Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus come in multiple colors, but the most head-turning hue is Aura Glow, which is an iridescent silver that changes color based on how light hits the back of the phone. It's a pretty mesmerizing effect.

The problem is that this glass design smudges very easily, to the point that we had to wipe the back of the Note 10 Plus every few minutes. And I'm not the only one who has noticed this issue. Michael Fisher, aka Mr. Mobile, posted a photo to Twitter describing the problem.

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Fisher joked that the ad for dbrand "bascially writes itself at this point," referring to a company that makes skins and cases for the Galaxy Note 10 and other phones. He also noted that he washes his hands regularly. I also had clean hands when handling the Aura Glow Galaxy Note 10, but it didn't matter. 

The Note 10 and Note 10 Plus are also available in Aura White, Aura Black and Aura Blue. I didn't spend much time with the other colors during my initial hands-on time with the phones, but I didn't notice them smudging up as quickly as the Aura Glow version.

The bottom line is that you'll probably want to invest in a Galaxy Note 10 case for your phone, especially if you opt for Aura Glow. But I would lean towards a clear case to show off what you paid $949 to $1,200 to get.

Mark Spoonauer

Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in chief of Tom's Guide and has covered technology for over 20 years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at key industry events and appears regularly on TV to discuss the latest trends, including Cheddar, Fox Business and other outlets. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.