Samsung Galaxy S20 Review

By
Susan Giles
9.5

10

0
9.5

10

Samsung Galaxy S20

The Galaxy line is often considered the reference in Android-powered smartphones. While, some users may be asking themselves why the brand jumped a few designations to call its newest generation “S20”, the simple reason is that “20” stands for the year 2020, ushering in a decade of next-generation performance and innovation.

With this crucial aspect now clarified, let us dig into how the eminent Korean manufacturer managed to deliver an attractive, comprehensive, and ultra-versatile package with its brand-new Galaxy S20 flagship. Spoiler alert: it’s 5G-enabled!

Release Date and Pricing

Samsung officially released the Galaxy S20 on March 6th, 2020 (amid the global COVID-19 pandemic), along with its siblings, the S20 Plus and S20 Ultra. These new generation of Galaxy phones have replaced the S10 and S10 Plus models from the previous year. A new super-size iteration (with a 6.8 inch screen!), for users who love a big screen and want plenty of room to play, has been added. The S20 currently retails for $999 for the standard 128GB version, and larger models will typically cost anywhere between $1,199 and $1,499.

Design

Proud of its decades-long tradition in the industry, Samsung has yet again nailed its product design this year — sleek and high-end with a premium feel. The S20 comes in an all-aluminum frame, boasting a curved Gorilla 6 glass panel on both the front and back side of the phone. Size-wise, its dimensions stand at 69.1 x 151.7 x 7.9 mm, weighing in at a modest 163gm.

As the generation’s most compact form factor, the S20 is ideal for those who favor a one-hand-friendly smartphone; it’s comparable to the iPhone 11 Pro, except that it’s longer, narrower, and lighter, which makes for a more comfortable and navigable user experience.

The phone also comes with dust and water resistance, thanks to its IP68-certified protection for optimum durability, while the 3.5mm jack port has been taken out. As far as color choices, Samsung has bet on a wide range of glossy iterations for the S20 line’s entry model, including cosmic gray, cloud blue, and cloud pink, along with two sexy special editions in cloud white and aurora red.

In terms of sturdiness and build quality, clearly, few (if any) modern smartphones have managed to reach this level of craftsmanship and excellence, we’ve come to expect, from this pioneering brand.

Display

The Samsung Galaxy S20 fosters a super bright Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, with a pixel resolution of 1,440 x 3,200 and a 563 pixel-per-inch (ppi) density. Coupled with a brand-new 120Hz refresh rate and HDR 10+ support, this makes for an enhanced, exceptionally smooth, and quite frankly unrivaled viewing experience.

Note that the 120Hz setting will drain the battery faster, which can be remedied by switching to the standard 60Hz rate and FullHD+ mode (it will still look fantastic). As far as size, at 6.2-inch, versus 5.8-inch for the iPhone 11 Pro, the S20 is the clear winner. Moreover, it boasts an impressive 89.5% screen-to-body ratio, for immersive viewing, which beats the Apple competitor and its 82.1% by a mile.

Accurate color reproduction is another highlight of the S20’s phenomenal display, notably in the user-favorite Vivid mode that captures the essence of OLED technology. The phone also features a convenient in-screen fingerprint reader which, despite some noted sluggishness, remains a serviceable option for those who do not wish to rely on face recognition to unlock their phone (unlike iPhones where FaceID rules).

https://revyou.com/uploads/thumbnail-960/1610884574175632071.webp Samsung Galaxy S20 Review

Performance

Considering its lofty price point, we’d be in the right to expect dazzling specs on this model; and there’s not much to be disappointed about. As a matter of fact, the Galaxy S20 comes equipped with a cutting-edge Exynos 990 chipset, a powerful 64-bit eight-core processor, and 12GB of RAM memory for painless multitasking (compared to the iPhone 11 Pro which only has 4GB).

The improved Mali-G77 GPU makes watching videos, gaming, and other processor-hungry activities an effortless breeze. While the S20 is only available in 128GB of storage, Samsung has chosen to perpetuate its addition of a convenient card slot for expandable capacity, which can welcome up to 1TB. This gives it the edge over the 11 Pro, which retails for the same price of $999, only with a smaller screen, a less powerful platform, half the storage space, and no option for expandable memory.

Another advantage of the Galaxy S20, as you guessed, is its 5G-readiness; as newer infrastructures are slowly replacing 3G and LTE broadbands, this will allow for astounding internet speeds. It can be considered a genuine trailblazer. There is a downside, though, in that the standard S20 can only support Sub-6 5G, while the Plus and Ultra models both support Sub-6 and mmWave signals.

However, when it comes to value-for-money, the S20 is unbeatable. Lastly, the phone comes equipped with the Android 10 operating system, which packs quite a punch in terms of features and customization options.

Battery

Samsung smartphones are revered for their exemplary battery life. On the Galaxy S20, we find a Li-Po 4,000 mAh (non-removable) battery, which offers autonomy of nearly 10 hours, for intensive users. This still falls short of its siblings and their +14 hours of continuous usage, owing to the fact that the Plus and Ultra boast more powerful and energy-efficient Snapdragon chips, along with greater battery capacities (4,500 and 5,000 mAh, respectively).

In any case, the S20 will be a reliable all-day companion, whether it’s for calling, texting, social media, streaming, music, gaming, photography, and more. Aside from the wireless and reverse wireless feature, which receive or provide power to other devices (phones, earbuds), the Galaxy S20 offers a fast charging feature of 25W through a USB type-C port bloc, included in the box. This allows users to gain roughly 30% in 15 minutes, and 55% in 30 minutes. A full charge, on the other hand, will take just over an hour (1h06).

Camera

We saved the best for last! Aside from a new design, upgraded internal specs, and 5G-ableness, the Galaxy S20 now welcomes a brand-new triple camera that will delight amateur and professional photographers and videographers alike. The triple camera bundle consists of a 12MP (26mm wide-angle), a 64MP (29mm telephoto), as well as a 12MP (13mm ultrawide), with aperture spanning ƒ/1.8 to ƒ/2.2.

A revamped build and new integrated sensors help capture stunning, incredibly-detailed photos with every shutter, even in low-light settings. The camera also has an improved LED flash, along with a x1.1 optical zoom and x3 hybrid zoom, which pales in comparison to the S20 Ultra’s ground-breaking x100 optical zoom, but still does a commendable job.

As far as video recording, it’s just as exceptional on a modern smartphone; you’ll be able to shoot videos at up to 8K quality (24 fps), coupled with Super Steady video stabilization for optimal results. Lastly, the front camera is a solid 10MP lens, allowing 4K recording at 30fps, and 1080p at 60fps.

Final Verdict

All things considered, it’s no wonder why the Samsung Galaxy S20 has been crowned phone of the year by several tech connoisseurs. With a polished design and fantastic screen, more-than-ever powerful specs, an improved camera bundle, better battery, and a coveted 5G reception, you’re bound to shed a tear when you’ll be unboxing your own! The only catch, of course, is its price, which we’ve only grown accustomed to with modern high-end smartphone flagships.