Technologies

Best Samsung Galaxy S10 Cases: Top S10, S10 Plus and S10E Picks

Keep your Samsung Galaxy S10 safe with our list of the best cases.

If you’re stubbornly refusing to upgrade from your Samsung Galaxy S10 (we don’t blame you, it was a fantastic phone in its day), you may want to freshen it up with a new protective case to protect your smartphone and its delicate screen against cracks, chips and other damage. Whether you have the small (Galaxy S10E), medium (S10) or large (S10 Plus) from the Galaxy S10 series, there are plenty of Samsung Galaxy S10 case options out there for your device.

Here are some of our favorite picks for the best Galaxy S10 case in every style, from rugged armor cases to leather covers to polycarbonate cases and even a clear case. Some have button covers and reinforced corners for extra protection.There are options that are compatible with a belt clip holster so it’s always within grabbing distance. There are others that have a card slot so you don’t have to carry a wallet and a phone. Some of the recommendations for these Galaxy S series cases are based on our experience with the preceding S9 versions.

Tough but relatively slim

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OtterBox Symmetry Series

$45 at Amazon

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The OtterBox Symmetry Series is the company’s most stylish phone cover case and is fairly slim, durable and will protect your device and camera (it’s similar to Speck’s cases, which certainly influenced OtterBox’s design). This Samsung Galaxy S10 phone case comes in black, a clear case version and a variety of other colors. This rugged case which provides drop protection and a raised lip screen bumper starts at $40.

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Gear4 Piccadilly

$10 at Amazon

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I like several of Gear4’s cases, including the translucent Piccadilly, which comes in a few different scratch resistant design options, as well as the Gear4 Battersea. The Gear4 Piccadilly Samsung Galaxy S10 case is wireless charger compatible and has raised edges for extra protection. All of Gear4’s cases feature a lining of the company’s special D3O shock-absorbing material for drop protection. The Piccadilly starts at $30.

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Catalyst Case

$35 at Amazon

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Catalyst was once known for its waterproof cases and it still sells them. It’s shifted to making slim «shockproof cases» that protect the screen and camera of your smartphone with a clear back, raised bezels and a removable lanyard. Ijust wish the lanyard could be tightened on your wrist. This shock absorption case for the Samsung Galaxy S10 series is available in clear (pictured) or trimmed in black for $40.

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Tech 21 Evo Check

$13 at Amazon

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We’ve been longtime fans of cases from Tech21. The company has the usual assortment of cases for your Galaxy S10 device, including old stalwart — and my personal favorite — the Evo Check (pictured here). It’s rated as having 12-foot drop protection as well as antimicrobial technology and is available in the «smokey» color you see here as well as the more purplish ultra violet.

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Scooch Wingman

$15 at Walmart

$9 at Amazon

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Scooch bills its Wingman as a five-in-one case. That’s because the slap-bracelet style bendable kickstand not only props your phone up horizontally and vertically but is supposed to allow you to grip your phone more easily, «eliminating pinky fatigue» and serves as an air vent mount in your car. Finally, the case is also a case — and a pretty protective one.

Wallet and folio cases

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Samsung LED Wallet Case

$85 at Amazon

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This is the favorite Samsung case of CNET TV guru David Katzmaier. The LED Wallet Case is a slim wallet case (you can store a single credit card in it, but not much more) that has a set of LEDs that light up to show the time as well as notifications in retro dot-matrix fashion. You can also turn off alarms andanswer phone calls by swiping the screen protector cover. Plus, with the special icons youassign to your contacts, you’ll know who’s calling.

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Gear4 Oxford

$6 at Amazon

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The Oxford is Gear4’s folio case, which converts into a kickstand and has a slot to store a credit card and cash. It, too, uses the company’s D30 material to protect your phone and is wireless charging compatible.

Tough cases

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X-Doria Defense Shield Series

$13 at Amazon

X-Doria’s Defense Shield Series comes in a few different variations. For a rugged case that the company says is «certified to exceed MIL-STD-810G military grade drop-test standards for drops up to 3m (10 ft),» it isn’t too bulky. I personally like the iridescent model (the Galaxy S10 case on the right in the photo).

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OtterBox Pursuit Series

$26 at Walmart

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Over the years, I’ve regularly included OtterBox’s Defense Series cases in best cases roundups, but it’s become a little too bulky for my tough case tastes. OtterBox’s Pursuit Series feels and looks like a sleeker version of the Defender Series, with seals, port covers, and easy cutouts for buttons (you’ll want to reach those buttons). It comes in three colors.

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Urban Armor Monarch Series

$15 at Amazon

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Urban Armor Gear makes a few different ultra hybrid case lines that are all decent. I like the translucent Phylo (pictured left), but if you’re looking for aGalaxy S10 case that’s a little tougher to offer rugged protection for your phone and camera, there’s the Monarch Series (pictured right, for $60). Available in multiple colors and textures (including top grain leather and alloy metal hardware), it’s got reinforced corners and the company says it meets 2x military drop-test standards (MIL STD 810G 516.6) and comes with a 10-year limited warranty.

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LifeProof Next

$19 at Amazon

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LifeProof, now owned by OtterBox, is known for its rugged cases. The Next has a fairly sleek design for a tough case and comes in two different trim options with a translucent back.

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Technologies

Apple Reportedly Planning Cheaper Macs to Compete With Budget Chromebooks, PCs

Apple doesn’t market its machines as affordable, but that could be changing.

Apple may release more affordable Mac laptops to compete with Chromebooks and budget-friendly Windows laptops as early as 2026.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports the company has plans to roll out a machine for «well under $1,000.» According to Gurman, the new laptop is already in early production under the codename J700. This matches earlier rumors that a low-cost MacBook Air was in the pipeline at around $599, which would allow Apple to directly compete with other cheap laptops, including Chromebooks and Windows PCs.

A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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According to the report, costs will be kept down by using a lower-end LCD that’s smaller than the 13.6-inch MacBook Air, potentially making the new affordable MacBook as small as 12 inches.

Another way Apple could reduce the cost is by using an A-series iPhone chip, which falls short of the top-tier performance offered by the MacBook Pro or the current M4 Air. The upcoming chip may be a variant of the A19 Pro chip that debuted with the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air, which Apple says is capable of MacBook-level performance.

As CNET senior editor Matt Elliott noted, the promise is a bold one. He speculates that the rumored $599 MacBook Air may get the same smartphone processor, or an M-series chip based on that architecture.

Bloomberg also reports that a MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro and M5 Max chip is in development, and Apple has completed work on a MacBook Air powered by the M5 chip, which is planned for release early next year.

The affordable laptop would be designed for casual users, students and businesses, specifically individuals who need a device for tasks such as web browsing, light media editing and document creation. The tech giant is also targeting the education market, as well as iPad buyers who may also want a traditional laptop.

«If this is strictly a move to entice consumers with a high-quality, lower-cost MacBook running MacOS in place of an iPad with a keyboard, then yes, Apple can likely take a chunk of that market,» said Josh Goldman, managing editor at CNET.

«Making inroads into the education market at this point, where Chromebooks have taken over since the pandemic, will prove challenging, though I’m sure it’s nothing that throwing billions of dollars at can’t fix,» CNET’s Goldman said.

This price range is ‘a big departure’

Price is likely to be key here. A $599 price tag would place the new Mac in the same range as more affordable Chromebooks and entry-level laptops, representing a significant change from Apple’s previous strategy.

«Apple potentially dipping into the Chromebook range of $300 to $500 with a new MacBook is a big departure,» said Goldman.

He notes that one of Apple’s most affordable MacBooks is the M4 MacBook Air, available new starting at $999 for the 13-inch model. Walmart still sells a new M1 MacBook Air, a 5-year-old laptop, for around $600.

By contrast, an iPad 11th Gen with a Magic Keyboard will run you around $600, making it clear that Apple’s target market for the rumored device is students and lighter users.

Apple typically hasn’t targeted the lower-priced segment of the market with its MacBooks. However, with consumer wallets under pressure from inflation, high tariffs and layoffs, an affordable MacBook could be imperative and timely.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Nov. 5, #408

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Nov. 5, No. 408.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is pretty diverse. The blue answers stuck out to me right away, because some of them are super famous and the others felt like they belonged with those names. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: How to see a game.

Green group hint: Soccer.

Blue group hint: Giddy up!

Purple group hint: Not a run play.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Ways to consume a sporting event.

Green group: NWSL teams.

Blue group: Triple Crown horse racing winners.

Purple group: Pass ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is ways to consume a sporting event. The four answers are in person, radio, streaming and television.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is NWSL teams. The four answers are Current, Dash, Pride and Spirit.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Triple Crown horse racing winners. The four answers are Citation, Gallant Fox, Omaha and Secretariat.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is pass ____. The four answers are breakup, interference, protection and rush.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 5, #878

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Nov. 5, #878.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle has a diverse mix of topics, including a neat blue category that music fans will ace. And it isn’t too tough, but if you need help, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Mess up.

Green group hint: Lead pipe is another one.

Blue group hint: They command the stage.

Purple group hint: Not snow, but …