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.
I like the 6.9″ screen and the long battery life
The flat screen and the motion smoothness at 120Hz are two features that stands out to me. Gone are the days where I have to constantly fix the air bubbles of the screen protector on a curved screen. Performance wise, smooth transitions is a valuable feature when I want to stream Netflix and do some gaming.
the large display and the long battery life
I like the phone because mainly the Camera is Excellent and also the Screen size is good.
I like the cameras and the size of the screen!!
Super Steady video will help a lot, and the incredible 5G speed tops my list of desired features.
I’m really looking forward to the next generation speed and Wireless PowerShare.
The improved camera features and longer battery life will make my life easier.
Sounds like an amazing phone! I particularly love the large display and the long battery life — two features missing in my current phone. Thanks for the review and the chance to win.
I could really use the long battery life and the Space Zoom camera
I could really use the long battery life and the Space Zoom camera feature
I like the sound of the Motion Smoothness setting and the awesome battery performance
the 6.9″ screen and the long battery life.
I became a Samsung fan a few years back and haven’t looked back. The Samsung Galaxy S20 has everything to help me get through my workday. The size and quality of the screen display and battery life are a must for me. And even if insignificant, the feature that sold me on Samsung, is the fact that I have a keyboard with the numbers up top and not have to switch just makes sending messages so much faster. Samsung loyal client 100%
I think the camera and large screen are good for me, as a proud grandmother I am always taking photos and as I am getting older the large screen helps with access when I forget my glasses.
Long battery life and the fact that i have always used samsung phones
I’d have to say that the 2 biggest things about this phone for me would be the refresh rate and the camera. If I’m honest, I’ve never had a phone of my own. It’s always been an ‘eventually’ sort of thing as we’ve had other things we’ve needed more than I need one, but it’d be really nice to finally have my first one. Even more awesome if it was from a contest! Haha.
I really like the long battery life and the 108mp camera looks awesome.
The long battery life will be very helpful since I use my phone slot through out the day. The camera quality will be really good cus it’ll make taking pictures for my page easier
The extended battery life is definitely a huge plus for me! For long days of travel where I am replying emails on my phone it’ll be nice to not need be stuck near an outlet all day! Along with that the new camera system is my favourite piece. I love getting a picture of each cities skyline when I visit! The ultrawide lens will be great for that.
This Android 10 Operating System Samsung Galaxy S 20 Ultra 5 G is manufactured using the highest technology.What will make my life as a Youtuber easier by making it more proactive,combining:work at leisure. I will get better pictures because: there is a quadruple set of rear cameras with lots of optical features and digital zoom of up to 100 X.It is fantastic!!! The innovative battery is long lasting and ultra fast charging that keeps your device charged all day. i can already imagine myself with my SAMSUNG GALAXY S 20 ULTRA 5 G…Working on what I love most and with this creative technological innovation …This is what it is.”‘.Future”!!!
the 6.9″ screen and the long battery life.
The thing I appreciate about these types of Reviews is the fact that there’s an acknowledgement of both the pro’s of the phone, but the con’s associated. i.e. the take on 8k video. The Ultra is indeed the best of the three, but like he mentioned, the other two will satisfy the daily consumer just as well for a good discount!
The two features that I’d love personally on this device would be the space zoom and refresh rate of the screen!
The thing I appreciate about these types of Reviews is the fact that there’s an acknowledgement of both the pro’s of the phone, but the con’s associated. i.e. the take on 8k video. The Ultra is indeed the best of the three, but like he mentioned, the other two will satisfy the daily consumer just as well for a good discount!
The two features of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G phone that would make my life easier and more fun would be the extended battery life and the 108-megapixel wide lens camera.
S20 Ultra’s camera and screen is most amazing to me.
That it is a “productivity workhorse” would help with my classroom work as would the larger screen.
I like the 108-megapixel standard wide lens and 120mhz refresh rate for smooth experience navigating the interface and apps.
Very Nice Phone. I like the optical zoom, and the refresh rate is awsome
I like long battery and space zoom camera. It’s really interesting that the phone camera can have that kind of quality.
The long battery life and large screen size would make doing school work a lot easier.
I love the 6.9″ screen and the long battery life.
I like longer battery life and the camera quality
I like the 8K video recording and the 5000mAh battery.
The camera and battery life would be huge upgrades compared to the S7 I currently use
I really like its 108-megapixel standard wide lens camera and the 6.9 inch screen size.
Wow !!! After reading your review my work life would be so much simpler with more battery life, better note book and easier to use (better software to get through the day)
longer battery life and larger screen will make working on my phone much easier!
longer battery life & food mode sounds fun!
The long battery life and the 108-megapixel wide lens camera.
Thanks for the in-depth review. The 108mp camera would be a huge upgrade from my old digital camera and would allow me to take better photos. The larger screen would make my life easier when I’m reading e-books on the subway.
This Phone would be such a great fit for my lifestyle because I love taking photo’s of my daily activities, like yoga and chess. The 5g bandwidth would be oh so great for using it to help search up yoga routines and play high quality chess games with my dear friends. This would be the perfect phone. Thank you, Ted for giving such a great review. I love you man.
It has a big screen and 5 cameras
The battery life being extended with the massive battery. And 108-megapixel standard wide lens camera.
I use my phone a lot so the long battery life would make my lie easier so I don’t have to worry about my phone dying. The camera and the fun features like food mode would definitely help make my IG feed look a lot nicer and impressive!
The bigger screen and impressive battery will make my life easier.
The incredible camera and the huge battery life and screen would make my life a lot easier and a lot more fun! I still run a Samsung GS5 and an iPhone SE first gen.
Very impressed by the camera megapixels and the 5000mah battery makes for a superior long term battery life. Both features very tough to find in most other products in the market.
I like very large memory capability and the long battery life.
I love both the camera and the battery. My current phone needs to be replaced for so many reasons but because its so old it doesn’t really take pictures that are worth sharing and lasts maybe a half day on a charge. My carrier said soon it won’t be able to connect to the network. This new Samsung looks like a masterpiece and they have always made such great quality things.
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