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Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra review: perfection exists only on paper

AndroidPIT samsung galaxy s20 ultra review 26
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Samsung's new flagship smartphones have arrived. The Galaxy S20 Ultra lives up to its name, at least on paper. In reality, after using for about a week, the true picture is more complicated. There are five cameras with a total of more than 200 megapixels, 8K video recording and as much storage and RAM as a decent desktop computer. But we don't judge smartphones on paper. Here's the real deal.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

Good

  • Beautiful display
  • Excellent everyday camera
  • Strong 5x and 10x zoom
  • Snappy performance

Bad

  • Huge and cumbersome
  • Gimmicky Space Zoom
  • Weak Exynos chip (EU version)
  • No 120Hz at WQHD+
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra: All deals

The $1,400 flagship phone

All models of the Samsung Galaxy S20 are available now in most regions in the world. The Galaxy S20 Ultra starts at $1,399 for the model with 128GB of storage and 12GB of RAM. The top model with 512GB of internal storage and 16GB of RAM can be purchased from Samsung for $1,599.

So, not cheap then. At these prices, Samsung is competing with the likes of the iPhone 11 Pro Max here. Unlike the S20 and S20+, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is only available as a 5G model. In the box, you get a pair of wired USB-C headphones from AKG and a 25W charger.

 

The biggest and boldest Samsung Galaxy yet

Samsung's in a bind. On the one hand, Chinese manufacturers are attacking with attractive flagship smartphones at budget prices, greedy for market share. On the other hand, there has been an expensive feature contest with Apple and Huawei for years. This leaves Samsung little room for overly bold design changes to its flagship Galaxy S series smartphones.

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The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra feels huge in your hand. / © NextPit

While the South Koreans are already laying the foundation for the foldable future of smartphones with the Galaxy Fold and the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip, the new Galaxy S20 Ultra is rather conservative and stays on the safe side, at least from the outside. But you shouldn't be deceived by the comparatively unexciting design of the Galaxy S20 Ultra. The completely new quad-camera system on the back reveals Samsung's ambitions. Samsung has looking to impress with internal features, rather than external design innovations, this year.

Does anyone still remember when Samsung's Note series stood for "big smartphones" and the S-series for comparatively compact all-rounders? Well, the Galaxy S20 Ultra is larger and heavier than the current largest Note model, and any Note model released to date for that matter.

The specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra are really impressive. The housing design, however, is not. The ceramic case is now yesterday's news. Instead, there is only high gloss Gorilla Glass 6 all around. No special gloss or color effects (unless you count fingerprints, which these cases attract like nothing else). Only Cosmic Grey or Cosmic Black are available as colors for the S20 Ultra, too.

AndroidPIT samsung galaxy s20 ultra review 15
The camera bump on the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is huge. / © NextPit

The smaller models are at least additionally offered in Cloud Blue or Cloud Pink. It's a pity, but the camera systems of all S20 models stick out so far that a protective cover is almost obligatory anyway, if only to prevent wobbling on the table. I am also glad that I have not had to take this smartphone out of the house much due to the current situation in Europe. You are not slipping this into your trouser pocket. Not even close!

Samsung still does the best displays

The 6.9-inch Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED display of the Galaxy S20 Ultra is impressive with its 511 ppi pixel density and HDR10+ certification. Not surprisingly, after all, Samsung builds some of the best displays in the industry. It's crisply sharp and bright, with rich colors and even thinner bezels at the top and bottom are present compared to its predecessor. But there's no unnecessary and user-unfriendly "waterfall" display as in Huawei's top models, which curves over the entire sides on the left and right of the device. Sure, the display falls a bit to the side, but not too much. There is enough space for well-placed power and volume buttons. Samsung has dialed-back the curve of these display edges significantly for the S20 Ultra, and I for one am glad to see it.

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Big and beautiful: the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra display. / © NextPit

The big new feature of the S20 Ultra's display is its 120Hz refresh rate. We've seen 90Hz slowly coming onto the market for about a year now, but this is the first time we've seen 120Hz from one of the big boys. It's silky smooth, but there is a huge caveat. Out of the box, the S20 Ultra is set at 1080p, 60Hz. The very first thing I did with the phone was to make the switch in the settings. It's then that you realize that Samsung refuses to let users run 120Hz at the WQHD+ resolution at the same time. If you want that smooth 120Hz refresh rate, you have to settle for FHD+. It's a compromise I was happy to make, but now that OPPO lets you have 120Hz at the full resolution on the new Find X2 Pro, I would be surprised if Samsung doesn't release a software update to match. After all, there is no hardware reason not to have it, it must just be to save battery life.

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Scrolling at 120Hz is an absolute joy.  / © NextPit

Under the display, there is once again an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor hidden, and a simple but still quite insecure face recognition system via the front camera is also available. The fingerprint sensor is unchanged from last year's S10 lineup. That's not necessarily bad, but don't be expecting an upgrade if you didn't get along with the best of 2019's in-display fingerprint sensors.

Overall, Samsung still makes the best smartphone displays in the world, and the S20 Ultra is probably the best I've ever seen on a device that I have tested.

One UI continues to improve

On the software side, the Samsung Galaxy S20 runs One UI 2.1 based on Android 10. I've never been much of a fan of Samsung's software - blame TouchWiz - but things are certainly looking better these days. The number of features baked in is ridiculous, but this can be both a blessing and a curse. Those who read a lot of me will know I am a Google Pixel fan, almost entirely because of the software, and Samsung is still a long way away from having a clean, quick interface like OnePlus too. That said, I am growing to enjoy One UI more and more with every update.

One cool feature in the S20 Ultra is the ability to pin apps to the massive amount of RAM onboard. In the multi-task menu, you can lock an app so that it is always open in the background. It makes dipping back into your most-used apps even quicker, and you'll still have plenty of RAM left over so you don't notice a dip in performance elsewhere. Cool idea, that's well-executed.

one ui s20 ultra
Samsung's One UI is getting better, but it is still not as 'pure' and what you get from Google or OnePlus. / © NextPit

Samsung has an Exynos problem

In terms of performance, Samsung doesn't hold back either and has packed either 12 or 16GB of RAM into the S20 Ultra, depending on whether you choose a model with 128 or 256 or 512GB of storage space, each of which can be expanded by up to 1TB via MicroSD.

In Europe and other selected markets, all S20 models are equipped with Samsung's own Exynos 990. In the USA, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 865 eight-core processor is used. The performance of the cameras in combination with the current Snapdragon 865, or in Europe with the Exynos 990, also demonstrates a very special feature: 8K video recording. The Exynos version I tested though, does have a few problems.

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The S20 Ultra is still a powerhouse but is behind the competition in terms of AI. / © NextPit

There is no issue with everyday performance on the Galaxy S20 Ultra - everything feels quick and snappy - but there has been some fuss about the performance of Samsung's in-house processor compared to the Snapdragon models. AI performance is one area where you really see a difference between this and the top of the market. When Shu and I ran an AI benchmark test on both the S20 Ultra and the new Huawei P40 Pro, the result was embarrassing for Samsung - 102,935 on the Kirin-powered phone versus 35,485 for the Exynos - and it is scores like this that have lead to the consumer backlash over the decision.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra benchmark tests results:

  Huawei P40 Pro OPPO Find X2 Pro Samsung S20 Ultra
3D Mark Sling Shot Extreme ES 3.1 6073 7814 6752
3D Mark Sling Vulkan 5427 6344 5925
3D Mark Sling Shot ES 3.0 3965 8890 7403
Geekbench 5 (Single / Multi) 757 / 2986 910 / 3295 747 / 2690

It would also be a crime not to mention that this is a 5G-ready smartphone (mmWave, Sub 6, TDD/FDD). I tested the phone on the O2 network in Berlin, Germany, and there is no access to 5G for me. Others in the UK and the USA have reported remarkable speeds on 5G networks with the S20 Ultra, but for most of the world today, this is a feature from the future still.

The camera-by-numbers approach

Samsung has gone big on the camera this year and there are a lot of numbers to tackle here. With a 108-megapixel main camera and the 48-megapixel telephoto camera with up to 100x hybrid zoom, paired with an ultra-wide-angle camera and a time-of-flight camera christened "DepthVision", Samsung aims to return to the top of the camera rankings once again.

Because of the new SoC and that 8K video recording, you are able to change the picture section afterwards without big quality losses, provided of course the final video is only played in 4K or Full HD anyway. Also, thanks to the "8K Video Snap" function, 33-megapixel photos can be generated from the 8K videos. The Ultra model's selfie camera integrated into the display in the hole punch has a resolution of 40 megapixels. The selfie cameras in the two smaller S20 models, however, only offer a 10-megapixel resolution.

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Loads of camera tech packed into a not-so-small package. / © NextPit

My colleague and camera expert, Stefan, has already conducted a full, in-depth camera review of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, so I won't step on his toes too much here and will instead direct you to read the professional opinion:

I will add one personal titbit though, and this is something that has been burning inside me for a while. I still get don't get the obsession with insane levels of zoom: 5x can be useful, but even 10x I find pointless in 99 percent of the photos I shoot. The need for 100x is purely for marketing clout, in my opinion, with none of the photos taken being properly usable on social media platforms or even for sharing on WhatsApp with friends.

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I am a fan of the new hole-punch placement, which is less intrusive in the middle of the display. / © NextPit

All-day battery life at 120Hz

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra comes with a large 5,000 mAh battery. It also supports wireless charging up to 15W and reverse wireless charging, which Samsung calls Wireless Powershare, to charge your Galaxy Buds+ from the back of the phone, for example. The 25W charger includes in the box took an average of about an hour to charge the phone from 10 percent to 100 percent, which is not bad when you consider is a 5,000 mAh cell.

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The large size means you have space for a 5,000 mAh battery. / © NextPit

I have to admit I was expecting the battery life to suffer from that huge display running at 120Hz, but I really haven't had any problems. Sure, I have been on lockdown and therefore not been outside of the house much, but I have been trying to burn through the battery and I put my tablet away for a couple of days and switched purely to the S20 Ultra for my evening browsing and entertainment and I was still ending the day with 15 or 20 percent batter with five or six hours of screen-on time. The Samsung flagship can last a full day no matter what you throw at it.

Whether or not it can still hold up with both 120Hz and the WQHD+ resolution both on, I am not able to test. I will keep banging this drum until Samsung lets me try it. The phone costs $1,400, if we want to hammer the battery then let us.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra technical specifications

Final verdict

Our first impression of the Galaxy S20 Ultra was that it was a wolf in sheep's clothing, with no big surprises. Overall, it's a solid package, but there is so much overkill here. Samsung has shoved all of its chips into the middle of the poker table and it's hasn't quite paid off. It feels like a smartphone that has been designed for the marketing team to give it the big licks. Specsheet squabblers are going to love this, but in reality, when you use it as your daily driver, the numbers don't quite translate into real-life benefits. Is it a top-level smartphone for 2020? Sure. Is it a must-have, next-level smartphone at the cutting-edge or the industry, not yet.

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David McCourt

David McCourt
Editor

David enjoys staying abreast of the latest technology and newest Android apps. Outside of the office, he can be found playing snooker and writing bad 00s indie songs.

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13 comments
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  • TriciaRay 5
    TriciaRay Jun 18, 2020 Link to comment

    Really cool smartphone!


  • 26
    Andrew Burgin Mar 31, 2020 Link to comment

    Samsung now will be under loads of pressure after promising such a camera up date that as really failed,and now you tube showing to consumers the difference between the Snapdragon version and the Exynos version of the Galaxy s20 phones,and loads will be turning the backs in Europe into buying any S20 models,Why?have Samsung done this in the first place as Apple never mess about with the chips they use,and now any phone using the Exynos chips might get turned away by loads of consumers,even a petition as been made against Samsung for not just using the Snapdragon chips in any phone they produce in the near future,like to see what happens if the Note 20 goes on the same path,that is why i am waiting for the Motorola Edge instead of buying any S20 phone soon


  • 49
    storm Mar 31, 2020 Link to comment

    Too expensive, Too big, Too much glass, and curved screen glass.
    So much wrong here.

    marco sarli


    • David McCourt 16
      David McCourt Mar 31, 2020 Link to comment

      Largely agree, although the curved screen is way more subtle on this than the S10 or P30/P40. To the point where I can live with it.


  • 28
    itprolonden Feb 14, 2020 Link to comment

    Samsung has nothing to worry about vs Chinese competitors


  • Greg Loechel 4
    Greg Loechel Feb 12, 2020 Link to comment

    G'day, this was suppose to be a review not a comparison we want to know what it can do not what other phones do against others there is no other phone that comes close to Samsung what maker has a family of Smart things start on the censers let us know what color screws!! (at least we would know you had the back off) Rumours are not facts. See ya!!


    • David McCourt 16
      David McCourt Feb 12, 2020 Link to comment

      This is a hands-on Greg, after only a couple of hours with the phones. We will be doing a full review in the coming weeks when we have tested them properly in a real-life setting.

      Greg Loechel


      • David McCourt 16
        David McCourt Feb 12, 2020 Link to comment

        Unfortunately, manufacturers generally don't let you take their products apart at preview events ; )

        marco sarli


  • 4
    OnePlus7ProIsBoss Feb 12, 2020 Link to comment

    This is typical Android Pit definitely expected from these guys. Nobody comes here for guidance about Galaxy products real Samsung users already know the truth #NothingBeatsSamsung

    Greg Loechel


  • marco sarli 39
    marco sarli
    • Admin
    Feb 12, 2020 Link to comment

    Not impressed. For example I have had a 5000 mah battery already for a while on a much cheaper Redmi 8 and I can't see anything that justifies the price tag.

    Deactivated Account


    • 2
      velocity hs Apr 1, 2020 Link to comment

      Exactly, not impressed at all

      marco sarli


  • 46
    Deactivated Account Feb 11, 2020 Link to comment

    Un exciting is an understatement, Samsung has become more boring than Apple every phone looks like the last. I agree storm I hate curved displays. A plastics back and a removable battery I would pay 1500 buck for a new high end phone, because it would last 5+ years.

    marco sarli


  • 49
    storm Feb 11, 2020 Link to comment

    I wish we could have high end flat displays and plastic backs.

    Manuelmarco sarliDeactivated Account

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