The Korean company Samsung introduced the updated line of its top flagship smartphones – Galaxy S20 – to the world at the beginning of the year. The most prominent model in this line is the most expensive and technically equipped Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G, which features 8K video recording and 5G network support, and we immediately took a look at it. But are such "super capabilities" really necessary for everyone? Maybe the younger model of the series is enough?
Main characteristics of Samsung Galaxy S20 (model SM-G980F)
European version:
SoC Exynos 990, 8 cores (2×Mongoose M5 @ 2.73 GHz + 2×Cortex-A76 @ 2.50 GHz + 4×Cortex-A55 @ 2.0 GHz)
GPU Mali-G77 MP11
US version:
SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
GPU Adreno 650
Operating system Android 10.0; One UI 2
Touchscreen Dynamic AMOLED 6.2", 3200×1440, 20:9, 563 ppi, 120 Hz at a resolution of 2400×1080
RAM 8 GB, internal memory 128 GB
Support for microSD (compatible slot)
Support for Nano-SIM (2 pcs)
HSPA networks 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A (7CA) Cat.20 2000/200 Mbps
GPS/A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Galileo
Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (2.4 and 5 GHz)
Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE
NFC
USB 3.2 Type-C, USB OTG
No 3.5mm audio output
Camera 12 MP (f/1.8) + 64 MP (f/2.0) + 12 MP (f/2.2), 4320p@24 fps, 2160p@60 fps
Front camera 10 MP (f/2.2)
Proximity and light sensors, magnetic field, accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer
Under-display fingerprint scanner (ultrasonic)
Water protection IP68 (30 minutes at a depth of up to 1.5 m)
Battery 4000 mAh, fast charging 25 W, wireless charging 15 W
Dimensions 152×69×7.9 mm
Weight 163 g
Appearance and usability
The Samsung Galaxy S20 smartphone, unlike its relatives in the series, especially the huge Ultra 5G, turned out to be a small, lightweight, and compact pocket device with remarkable capabilities. The smartphone is not only comfortable in size but also looks great: there is no multicolor, cheap gradient, or mirror gloss; everything is strict and solid.
The protruding black camera block, of course, does not enhance its appearance, but this is the only design flaw.
The back panel is made of glass, and the side frame is metal. The smartphone does not slip in the hands, although fingerprints on its glass are, of course, visible.
In this sense, the lighter variant is more practical, as fingerprints are practically not noticeable.
In any case, the Galaxy S20 is one of the smallest and most attractive smartphones at the highest level, and fans of small flagships should pay attention to this model.
The camera block noticeably protrudes beyond the back surface, so the smartphone lies unstably on the table: it wobbles when touching the screen.
But here it is justified: it is better to have the entire body miniature and thin with just one protruding element.
The side buttons are placed on one side, large buttons, comfortable, with a pleasant springy travel. Tactilely they are indistinguishable, both are smooth and chrome-plated.
The front camera is inserted into a round cutout in the screen in the middle, in place of a notch.
Unfortunately, the smartphone does not have an LED notification indicator; notifications are possible only through the screen and the Always On feature.
The under-display fingerprint scanner is ultrasonic.
It works quite quickly, but still, for infallible recognition, you will have to hold your finger a little longer; a simple touch is not enough.
The card slot accepts either two Nano-SIM cards or a microSD memory card instead of one SIM card. Hot swapping of cards is supported.
On the bottom edge, there is a speaker, a call microphone, and a USB Type-C port. Unfortunately, the smartphone lacks a 3.5mm audio output for headphones.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 can be found in various colors, including gray, pink, blue, red, and white, but not all of them are officially presented.
The body of the new product has protection against water and dust according to the IP68 standard (submersion for 30 minutes at a depth of up to 1.5 m).
Screen
The Samsung Galaxy S20 smartphone is equipped with an AMOLED display (Dynamic AMOLED 2X) with a diagonal of 6.2 inches and a resolution of 3200×1440, covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 6.
The physical dimensions of the screen are 65×145 mm, and the aspect ratio is 2 - 563 ppi.
Thus, at the same resolution, the small S20 screen has the highest pixel density of all three models in the new Samsung series.
The width of the bezel around the screen is less than 2 mm on the sides, 3 mm on the top, and 4 mm on the bottom. The bezel is indeed minimal.
The screen supports a refresh rate of 120 Hz, but not at QHD resolution. That is, either 120 Hz at Full HD+, or 60 Hz at Quad HD+.
The front surface of the screen is made of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches.
Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are better than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereafter simply Nexus 7).
For clarity, here is a photo where a white surface is reflected on the turned-off screens (left – Nexus 7, right – Samsung Galaxy S20, which can be distinguished by size):
The screen on the Samsung Galaxy S20 is noticeably darker (brightness in the photos 107 vs. 116 on the Nexus 7) and has no pronounced tint. The two reflected objects on the Samsung Galaxy S20 screen are very faint, indicating that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. Due to the fewer boundaries (type glass/air) with significantly different refractive indices, screens without an air gap look better in conditions of intense external illumination, but their repair in case of cracked outer glass is much more expensive, as the entire screen has to be replaced. The outer surface of the Samsung Galaxy S20 screen has a special oleophobic (oil-repellent) coating (very effective, much better than on the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a slower rate than with regular glass.
When displaying a white field on the entire screen and manually controlling the brightness, its maximum value was only 340 cd/m² under normal conditions, but in very bright light, it increases to 740 cd/m². It should also be noted that in this case, the smaller the area of white on the screen, the brighter it is, meaning the actual maximum brightness of white areas will almost always be higher than the stated value. For example, if the area of the white field is about 2% of the screen area, and everything else is filled with black, then in bright light, the brightness of white reaches 1315 cd/m². As a result, reading the screen during the day in sunlight should be at an excellent level, and the dark theme not only saves battery charge but also contributes to better visibility of information on the screen in high lighting conditions. The minimum brightness value is 1.6 cd/m², meaning the reduced brightness level allows the device to be used without problems even in the dark. Automatic brightness adjustment works based on the light sensor (located under the screen near the top edge and to the right of the center). The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider: the user can try to set the desired brightness level in the current conditions. If everything is left at default, then in complete darkness, the auto-brightness function reduces brightness to 8 cd/m² (a bit dark), in conditions of an artificially lit office (about 550 lx) it sets to 110-125 cd/m² (normal), and conditionally under direct sunlight, it increases to 740 cd/m² (to the maximum, and needed). The result did not completely satisfy us, so in the dark, we slightly increased the brightness, resulting in the following values for the three conditions mentioned above: 15, 130, and 740 cd/m² (an ideal combination). It turns out that the auto-brightness adjustment function works adequately and allows the user to adjust the operation to individual requirements. At any brightness level, there is significant modulation at a frequency of 240 Hz.
