The Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G is Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone packed with its latest and best features, but how good are they when you put them all together? Samsung figures three is better than two or one, having again come out with a trio of phones for its flagship Galaxy S line. The Galaxy S20 and S20+ are flagships on their own merits, only the S20 Ultra is the one meant to push the envelope. Where the other two are highly similar to each other, this one stands out a little more. Even so, choosing between the S20 Ultra and either one of the other two will depend on what you prioritize most.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra SpecsDisplay: 6.9-inch 3040 x 1440 Dynamic AMOLED display 21:9 aspect ratio with 522 pixels per inch |
Getting bigger
The S20 Ultra is the largest phone Samsung has made—purely on screen size—at 6.9-inches. If you remember the Galaxy Mega from back in 2013, you would know that phone was significantly taller and wider than this phone is, despite having a 6.3-inch display. It’s also only 0.1-inches bigger than the Galaxy Note10.
Even with its super thin bezels, it’s going to be an unwieldy device for some. The camera array has a noticeable bump in the back, and the added dimensions all around contribute to a heavier frame. If you like big phones, there aren’t too many that will be bigger than this.
As I noted in my review of the other two S20 devices, Samsung wisely abandoned the curved displays it championed for so long. This phone has a flat screen and is better for it. It was probably also a good idea to move the front-facing camera back to the middle, rather than to the right-hand corner.
Under the hood, the S20 Ultra isn’t all that different from the other two models. The processor, RAM and internal storage are the same. The microSD card slot to expand storage further returns, while the headphone jack doesn’t. Samsung removed it, marking the first time it has done so for a Galaxy S phone. The company also combined the dedicated Bixby button with the power button and moved it over to the right side above the volume buttons.
The feature set is extensive, but the S20 Ultra is largely defined by its camera, headlined by its 108-megapixel standard wide lens. It’s an impressive camera array on paper, and there’s more to it once you dig deeper.
Performance and software
There’s a lot to like about how this phone performs. It’s powerful enough to handle everything from streaming media to gaming. As a daily driver, it’s a workhorse, and if productivity is important to you, you’ve got a big screen and efficient battery life working for you.
In fact, I had little to complain about when it came to just using the phone like I normally would. I’m not crazy about Samsung’s ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, though. If there’s going to be a new version coming, it’s likely coming in the next Galaxy Note. In the S20 Ultra, it can sometimes be unresponsive or take a little too long to get past the lock screen.
On the other hand, the phone supports a 120Hz refresh rate for the screen. It’s not enabled out of the box, but you can set it by going to Settings>Display>Motion smoothness. You’ll be glad you did because it makes for a smooth experience navigating the interface and apps. Scroll through a social media feed or news article and it becomes obvious. It’s buttery smooth and makes a difference when playing more demanding games.
There is a catch, though. The phone offers a 3400 x 1080 resolution option (it’s 2400 x 1080 by default), but when you select that, 120Hz won’t work. It’s likely Samsung did this to preserve longer battery life, but in any case, you can’t use both at once. I always chose 120Hz over the higher resolution for the simple fact 2400 x 1080 still looks great on this gorgeous display.
Although it will show itself in time, the marriage of hardware and software here is pretty robust, making the S20 Ultra a more than capable handset.
Camera – Space Zoom
This is really the bread and butter of the device. More importantly, it’s what sets it apart from the other two S20 models. Samsung crammed a lot into the camera array, but as I’ll explain, it’s not all especially useful.
I’ll start with Space Zoom, the 100x zoom in the 108-megapixel standard lens. The moment Samsung announced it, I was immediately skeptical. I was right to be because the resulting image is totally unusable. It is a technical feat to make a phone zoom in that far, but there are virtually no optics involved, so what you end up with is a mostly-cropped digital zoom that makes the photo look like a blotchy, pixilated photo.
Even at 30x zoom, the photos are okay, but not exceptional. It is cool to be able to get something out of zooming in that far, but again, don’t expect anything impressive. At 10x zoom, however, results look far more interesting. The hybrid zoom combines the 4x optical zoom of the 48-megapixel telephoto lens and adds digital zoom to make up the rest. It’s just the right number because it doesn’t push the image sensor to overly crop or interpret a scene.
All this zooming also makes it challenging to shoot handheld. At 10x, it’s not too bad, but above that, you will find it hard to frame a shot. At 100x, it’s almost impossible, as the slightest shake can pull the camera off-centre.
Camera – 108-megapixel sensor
By now, we know that megapixels do not make or break a camera. Here’s the thing: the image sensor inside is actually 12-megapixels. Samsung uses what’s called pixel binning to split each pixel in the sensor at a 9:1 ratio to push the number up to 108.
While the sensor’s physical size is 70 per cent larger than the Galaxy S10+, pixel binning ultimately determines how well it shoots. However, you can turn 108-megapixels off and shoot at 12-megapixels, which is better in low-light settings.
With the right conditions, the S20 Ultra can capture amazing shots, with a great number of options available to shoot with. Pro mode has always been my personal favourite, though it bothers me Samsung won’t let it work with all three lenses. Single Take is surprisingly useful for capturing a key moment in multiple ways. If you’re watching live music and get close enough, pan around the band and you get multiple photos and video clips all at once. It’s not as great for most situations, but is handy at the right time.
Food mode is made for the Instagram and Facebook crowd. Live Focus is back, though I found the standard and telephoto lenses adept at creating bokeh effects of their own. I would recommend turning the scene optimizer off to reduce the level of software processing so that colours don’t oversaturate. Unfortunately, it may still oversharpen objects, or smooth out skin a little too much.
That processing can be problematic when interpreting night or low-light scenes, where subtlety is often the better route. Night mode is better than it was before, but I don’t see it overlapping Google or Huawei. If you’re comfortable enough, shoot in RAW and learn to edit those images. It’s the only way you can avoid any post-processing.
Video recording
The S20 Ultra supports 8K video recording, but unless you have an 8K TV lying around, it shouldn’t matter to you. There’s also a caveat to how this works that you may want to know.
To shoot in 8K, you need at least a 33-megapixel sensor or higher. Since the telephoto lens has the 48-megapixel sensor, that’s the one that actually shoots the footage. You don’t notice the switch from the standard lens, but that’s what’s happening to get 8K.
It is neat that you can pull out a 33-megapixel still photo from 8K footage, but I would only attempt to do it in daylight conditions for subjects that are further away. If you’re shooting a vista, or capturing wildlife from a distance, there’s a possibility such a feature could work.
Those instances may be few and far between. Plus, 8K TVs (and content) aren’t ubiquitous yet, so it may be a feature that’s more relevant later on. To me, shooting in 4K at 60fps is more impactful. Shoot any scene with plenty of movement and the footage will look nice and crisp.
Pro Video mode shouldn’t be overlooked, either. It’s the same idea as the Pro photo mode, with granular controls for composition. Adjust the shutter speed, ISO, white balance and focus, along with temperature, saturation, highlights, shadows and contrast. If you fancy yourself an amateur filmmaker, you might like that level of control over a scene. Unfortunately, it’s missing 24fps, which would have given footage a more cinematic flair.
Samsung continues to restrict lenses for video capture. You can’t shoot any video with the ultra-wide lens, and with the telephoto one stepping in on 8K, it’s not available, either.
Battery life
With all the features and performance packed into this phone, you’d be right to wonder about battery life. In my testing, it held out impressively well, giving me juice to work with after a long day of regular usage.
I’d expect something good when there’s a 5000mAh battery inside, but its ability to sip gradually is superb engineering. It’s some of the best battery performance I’ve seen in a smartphone of its size. It is true that 120Hz does affect its longevity per charge, though I was fine with that trade-off.
The phone comes with a 25W charger in the box, capable of fast charging from zero to full in roughly one hour. It does support 45W chargers in case you want to give that a boost. Of the three S20 phones, this is the only one that does.
Wireless PowerShare is there for those times you want to charge another device wirelessly on the phone’s back. It’s decent for a quick boost on another phone, but is better suited for smaller devices, like the Galaxy Buds or Buds+, for instance. Anything that supports Qi wireless charging is compatible.
5G connectivity
Canada’s major carriers have confirmed their 5G networks are coming. Rogers even rolled out its own on March 6, but it only works in pockets of downtown Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. I didn’t have access while testing the S20 Ultra, so can’t offer any insight into how well it works.
Final thoughts
The S20 Ultra is undoubtedly a powerful and fully-loaded handset. The big screen, robust components and smooth performance should make it a shoo-in for anyone. And yet, I’m cautious to recommend it. The Galaxy S20 and S20+ are impressive and the features that set the Ultra apart are either not as compelling or not as relevant yet.
If you want the best of the best Samsung can offer, then sure, this may be the phone for you. But if you want competent performance with most of the same features (and a better price), either one of the other two S20 devices would suffice for most users. It’s also a big phone in size, and that could matter where ergonomics are concerned.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G is available now in cosmic grey.
The 108-megapixel camera would take amazing photos.and the 5G connectivity will future-proof the device. Good review!
I would really like the larger screen size and longer battery life in this phone.
Thanks for the review Ted. I want a bigger phone with a better camera. I’d love to win it.
The 5000mAh battery and the 6.9-inch Display are the 2 features I appreciate most from this new Samsung offering.
The 5000mah battery would make life easier.
The 6.9″ display would make life fun.
The two features of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G that will make my life more easier and fun are its massive 5,000 mAh battery and its high-resolution camera of up to 108MP.
The large battery capacity will mean I can use the phone on a daily basis without the constant worry of power anxiety. Awesome!
The high resolution camera will mean I can snap and share beautiful, clear photos with my family and friends with ease. That sure would be fantastic!
Thank you very much Best Buy for putting on this giveaway and providing the opportunity to win such a generous and absolutely stunning prize!
Would love to win, as this phone would be a massive upgrade over my current phone, which would make my life definitely easier. I would be just delighted if I won!
I like that Ted says it has some of the best battery performance he’s seen in a smartphone that size. I also really like that it’s a big phone with a great big screen..so much better to see those beautiful photos it takes.
The two features I like the most are the bigger 5000mah battery and the 8k video recording.
The 108MP camera would make picture taking fun again. The huge 5,000mAh battery would be awesome to have.
This would be a dream phone!
I would enjoy the big 6.9 inch screen and the large battery capacity! Wow
I like the wireless charging and the great camera, both big selling features for me.
I like the big screen and the great camera, I use both a lot.
The big screen and great battery life are my favorites
Two features of the S20 Ultra 5G that would make my life fun, and easier are the display size and the snapdragon processor because i am currently still using a very old phone that i had for a while the S5 neo, in comparison to the s20 ultra 5G, this size is much bigger and a better system that is powerful enough to handle things i would normally do on a computer like writing and editing or watching movies. Like a tablet in your hands that could easily fit in your pocket.
The big screen and efficient battery life will make life easier.
The wireless charging and long battery life is incredible!
The awesome cameras and the 5G speeds makes the S20 Ultra 5G the best phone available!
Great camera and wireless charging
My favorite features are the large screen and the wireless charging. This phone embarrasses my current phone in every way. (I hope that the flat screen means I can get an otter box on it)
My phone is over 3 years old now, so the battery life would be awesome! The new and much better camera would also be awesome!
The two features of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G that will make my life easier are the multiple rear cameras (up to 108MP!) and the 5,000 mAh battery.
The large screen size and long lasting battery are both very appealing to me!
I am almost reluctant to say that this might be too much of a phone for me, but here goes: The wireless charging is a huge game changer as I am often found charger-less. The other feature that is earth-shattering is the high-resolution camera of up to 108MP. No more separate cameras for me.
I really like the clean sleek design. The memory storage and of course picture and video 🙂
Wireless charging and camera
The space zoom feature and efficient battery are probably my favourite additions. A large screen for watching videos is also a plus. Sounds like a stellar device.
If I won this contest, i would give this phone to my husband. His 2 favourite features would be the camera, as he is constantly taking pictures around Manitoba for his Blog. The other feature would be the battery life, so while he is travelling he wouldn’t need to change his phone so much. Thank you for the opportunity.
Display wireless charging and the camera this is a sweet little phone!
Wireless charging is a game changer and battery life would make my life easier too
I need a new phone. Mine often doesn’t have enough memory to even update, but that’s my fault as I went for something very basic when I bought it. The camera isn’t any good either so this new phone would get me really excited.
I’d love the long battery life and video capabilities.
I love Samsung phones! Would love to win one. I don’t think I’ll ever switch brands. Thanks for the review
This sounds like phone I need! 5G size and battery life hook me up
I love Samsung Galaxy phones and the S20 looks even better. I would love to win this phone
I love the large Screen, definitely took some getting used to, the 100x zoom is a good feature, the near 7″ screen is what I need for work and play. The camera is the biggest selling point of this phone. It takes great photos.
There are too many features to list! For me, one bonus is the larger battery. I consume a lot of videos on my phone and not having to worry about charging so often would be nice.
Second would have to be the camera video. Like mentioned above, megapixels don’t make or break the camera. But having the ability to change the megapixel setting for different shots is nice
The screen size and zoom are my favourite features! It would make my life a lot easier!
The Galaxy S20 Ultra has many outstanding features. However the 2 that stand out for me are the 6.9 inch screen, which would be easier on my eyes. Secondly, the camera that comes with various options to get a great shot.
Love the size and the amount space available in this phone! Hope to win one!
Oh man! The video quality on this new samsung phone is stunning – maybe a bit overkill but I want it haha
Love the big screen size—at 6.9-inches and battery life. Since my A50 screen just went on me, I could really use this phone!
The 6.9-inch 3040 x 1440 Dynamic AMOLED display and the 8k video recording are the two features that would help make life easier. I use my phone to shoot projects and watch content so those two features are a great step up.
Increased battery life and the camera
I use my phone a lot for work, and I need as much storage space as I can get. The 128gb default size is a nice increase over my current phone, and expandable to 2TB is ridiculous! Along with that is fast charging, so I no longer have to risk my phone dying when I only have a few moments near a power supply during the workday.
I like the battery life and the camera of the phone.
I would love the longer battery life and the quality of the camera in the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G.
Larger battery capacity and wireless charging will be a life saver =)
I currently use a Samsung Galaxy S10e, and the two biggest features that make the S20 Ultra 5G really stand out for me would have to be the 120 Hz display and the Space Zoom feature. I take photos with my phone a lot, and sometimes I end up in scenarios where I wish I had a real camera with a 10x or 15x zoom lens. With a tripod and an S20 Ultra, I would be able to take those shots.
My current phone is getting old so the battery doesn’t last long, so having this new phone with a long lasting battery will help me a lot. Also I use my phone to watch a lot of videos so the giant screen will be easier on the eyes.
Definitely like the large battery capacity and large screen.
This camera on the Samsung, along with the video capability and battery life are absolute game changers , love love love !!
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