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Samsung has officially “unpacked” the Galaxy S20 lineup. Pun intended. And there are three models: Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy S20 Ultra. Just like the leaks told us there would be.
Samsung is really stressing with the Galaxy S20 series that this is more than just an iterative update, hence the reason why it is the Galaxy S20 and not Galaxy S11.
The way the new series breaks down is pretty easy. The Galaxy S20 and S20+ are the regular bread and butter smartphones that you’d expect from Samsung. But the Galaxy S20 Ultra goes above and beyond and gives you just about everything you could ever imagine.
The biggest screens ever on the Galaxy S line
With the Galaxy S20 series, Samsung is going even bigger. Each model has a larger screen than its predecessor.
The Galaxy S20 has a 6.2-inch display, an upgrade over the Galaxy S10’s 6.1-inch.
While the Galaxy S20+ gets a 6.7-inch display, a big upgrade over the 6.4-inch on the Galaxy S10+.
Finally, the Galaxy S20 Ultra has a 6.9-inch display. That’s the biggest Samsung has ever put on a flagship smartphone. The Galaxy Note 10+ last year had a measly 6.8-inch display on-board. It’s not Samsung’s biggest smartphone ever, as it released the Galaxy W back in 2014 with a 7-inch display.
All three smartphones come with 120Hz displays, which make them the only non-gaming smartphones to have a refresh rate that high.
Adding in a high refresh rate display like this means that users are going to have a much smoother experience when doing everyday tasks. As well as when gaming. And yes, that means that if you want to use 120Hz, you’re going to have to use a lower screen resolution – full HD+ instead of the full QHD+.
That’s not all that these displays have to offer. There is also the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor that is still on-board and it is under the glass still. It has improved compared to the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 series. Which is good to see. Of course, facial recognition is still available too.
Batteries just keep getting beefier
Samsung has equipped the Galaxy S20 series with battery capacities ranging from 4,000mAh all the way up to 5,000mAh. The Galaxy S20+ sits in the middle at 4,500mAh.
These are some pretty beefy batteries, and considering we’re looking at 120Hz displays with 5G support, that was a good move on Samsung’s part.
The battery should get you through the day, no matter which Galaxy S20 smartphone you pick up. However, if for some reason it does not, there is a 25W charger in the box for all three models. And the Galaxy S20 Ultra also sports 45W charging. However, a charger that supports that charging speed is not in the box.
Three different smartphones, three different camera setups
Samsung is going all out with its cameras this year on the Galaxy S20. Offering three different setups across the three devices.
The Galaxy S20 and S20+ sport a 64-megapixel main sensor, with two 12-megapixel sensors for telephoto and ultrawide. The Galaxy S20+ adds a Time of Flight Sensor for better Bokeh.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy S20 Ultra boasts a 108-megapixel main camera. With two 12-megapixel sensors for telephoto and ultrawide. Then there is a 48-megapixel sensor that is actually folded behind the zoom sensor. This is what is allowing Samsung to do 10x lossless zoom and 100x zoom (thanks to Hybrid Zoom and some AI). By folding the sensor, it is able to use less space.
Needless to say, the cameras on this year’s Galaxy S20 series are pretty incredible.
Taking your gaming experience to the next level
Samsung has always had a focus on the gaming experience of its smartphones, and with the Galaxy S20 series, it is taking it up a notch.
With the addition of 120Hz displays on the Galaxy S20 series, gamers are going to be able to have a smoother experience when playing games on their phone. Samsung also improved the touch sensitivity of the Galaxy S20 series, so there is less input lag.
Samsung has equipped all models with the very powerful Snapdragon 865 chipset, and at least 12GB of RAM (there is a 16GB model for the Galaxy S20 Ultra), combined with the AI Game Booster feature that Samsung has, that’s going to provide a really great experience. Even for the most demanding titles.
And then there’s 5G. Obviously that’s not available everywhere, but it will be in the coming year or two. And that’s going to make gameplay even better. Thanks to the much lower latency compared to 4G LTE.
Android 10 out of the box
All three Galaxy S20 models are going to ship with Android 10 out of the box – with One UI 2 that was announced late last year. This is the latest version of Google and Samsung’s software.
There’s not many changes with the software on the Galaxy S20 series, versus the Galaxy Note 10 series. The biggest change is that Google Duo is now integrated directly into the dialer.
This integration is going to allow users to video chat using Duo right from the dialer, and call someone just like they would normally do. This is only on Galaxy, for now. And it will do video chat in full HD resolution. That’s a big change, since every other phone only does 720p.
With the Galaxy S20 series, you can expect Android updates for the next two years and security updates for the next three. Samsung has done a great job lately at updating its devices and keeping them updated. In fact, right now, the Galaxy S9 is getting Android 10, before some other flagships from 2019 get the update. So you won’t need to worry about not getting updates with Samsung.
Pre-Orders start on February 21
Pre-orders for the new Galaxy S20 series will start on February 21, with the devices being available in store on March 6. And will be available in cosmic black, cosmic gray, cloud pink and cloud blue.
The Galaxy S20 and S20+ will not be available from Verizon, since those two are only supporting Sub-6 5G, and not mmWave. Only the Galaxy S20 Ultra supports mmWave, thus Verizon is only selling that one. This is because Verizon’s 5G network is all on mmWave right now – it’s doing Sub-6 later on.
Galaxy S20 will cost you $999, Galaxy S20+ will be $1199 and the Galaxy S20 Ultra will be $1399. If you pre-order, you will get a $100 Samsung.com credit for the Galaxy S20. That jumps to $150 for the Galaxy S20+ and $200 for the Galaxy S20 Ultra.
Samsung is keeping the Galaxy S10 series around too. And giving it a $150 price drop, starting today. Getting the Galaxy S10e $599, Galaxy S10 at $749 and Galaxy S10+ at $849. Essentially providing a Galaxy for every price point.