Is it generally fair to expect a new high-end smartphone to be perfect in every way? Absolutely not. But when said device starts at an obscene $1,400 with a paltry 128 gigs of internal storage space, it's definitely not unfair to expect a certain degree of excellence across the board and a shorter than average list of flaws and weak points.
Obviously, that's one "achievement" the world's number one smartphone vendor didn't want associated with its latest crown jewel, especially during this very tough period for the mobile industry (and so many other industries). While some problems are more common than others, and a few could objectively be described as isolated in the grand scheme of things, every new one adds to the deeply flawed image of a handset that should have really come exceptionally close to perfection to convince us $1,400+ phones need to exist.
Hairline cracks and gaping holes
Everybody knows glass phones are inherently and frustratingly easy to break, which is why you should always, always, always splash out on a high-quality protective case immediately after buying a super-expensive device like the Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G, which guess what, also costs a small fortune to repair.
But what if your swanky, tough-as-nails cover is not enough to shield the handset against an invisible enemy looking to cause great damage to the protruding rear-facing camera module? And what if said damage were to appear mere weeks, even days after getting your mitts on the insanely powerful (but seemingly not very strong) S20 Ultra for the first time? Sounds heartbreaking, doesn't it?
While it's obviously impossible to verify all these claims, we also don't believe everyone is lying when denying the destruction could have been caused by a drop or anything else objectively justifying this type of damage. There's also a worrying number of people saying the camera glass cracked while they had their phones "protected" by expensive cases without anything out of the ordinary happening to explain or foreshadow the mysterious incidents.
In case you're wondering, the first such incidents were reported more than a month ago, but although their number seems to have steadily risen since then, we'd still not consider this a very widespread issue.
Samsung isn't taking the blame and repairs can be costly
Because the problems are not particularly widespread (especially considering the surprisingly high popularity of the extravagant S20 Ultra), you shouldn't be shocked to hear Samsung has yet to acknowledge the existence of any kind of design flaw wreaking this havoc on the already imperfect quad camera setup.
While we can definitely understand that, it's still disappointing to see multiple "product experts" on Samsung's official community webpages rushing to label the situation as "cosmetic damage", which of course is not covered by the company's standard warranty. There's rarely this much smoke without at least a spark of an underlying vulnerability, and it would be nice to see Samsung investigate a few of these reports before prompting users to pay out of pocket for repairs reaching $400 and even more in many countries.
The good news is you can drastically reduce that cost to $100 if you're a Samsung Premium Care member, but the bad news is fixing the problem might take some time due to many stores and repair centers being closed to help contain the coronavirus pandemic.
Besides, in the absence of a thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding these incidents, plenty of affected Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G owners are understandably wary of covering the aforementioned repair costs themselves, fearing a replacement of the possibly faulty glass may not fix the core issue for good. And you thought the green tint bug was bad.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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