Unveiled at today’s Samsung Unpacked Event, the new Samsung Galaxy S20 5G manages to be an evolution on everything that made the Galaxy S10 so impressive.
From a new AI-powered camera array to improvements on most of the other core features, the Galaxy S20 is shaping up to be an impressive offering, especially for those using their phone as their main camera.
Skipping the S11, and moving right to the S20, Samsung has managed to push everything people demand from smartphones into this year’s device. The new models range from the 6.2-inch Galaxy S20 5G, all the way up to the 6.9-inch Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G. These models forgo the smaller offering, making way for a series of powerful phones, all capable in their own right.
The full range offers an AMOLED 2X screen, with HDR10+ 120Hz for all the game lovers out there. Moving past the display, all models come equipped with a 7 ㎚ 64-bit Octa-Core Processor, at least 12GB RAM, with a 16GB option available on the Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G. There is also fast wireless charging, a micro SD card slot, Android 10 with One UI, along with all the standard bells and whistles you hope from a flagship smartphone. The cherry on top is of course, as the name suggests, 5G integration.
Arguably the most exciting features of the S20 Line are the different cameras that each device offers. Starting with the Galaxy S20 5G, it comes with a triple camera setting, that includes an Ultra Wide12MP F2.2, a Wide-angle 12MP F1.8 and a Telephoto 64 MP F2.0. It also features Space Zoom Hybrid Optic Zoom 3X and can use software to Super-Resolution Zoom up to 30X. Bringing it all together is 10MP F2.2 selfie camera that rests on the front of the phone. This is all power by a 4,000mAh battery and the phone comes in three different colour variations, Cosmic Gray, Cloud Blue, and Cloud Pink.
Moving over to the Galaxy S20+ 5G, and you will find a quad-camera setup that offers up an Ultra-Wide 12 MP F2.2, a Wide-angle 12MP F1.8, a Telephoto: 64MP F2.0 and Depth Vision. As with the Galaxy S20 5G, you will get Space Zoom Hybrid Optic Zoom 3X and you can use software to Super-Resolution Zoom up to 30X. You will also find the same 10MP F2.2 selfie camera on the front of the device but it’s all powered by a larger 4,500mAh battery. It comes with the same colours and features 5G Non-Standalone (NSA), Sub-6 / mmWave.
Looking at the top end of the S20 range, you will find the Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G, which is built to offer the best experience possible for the lineup. The S20 Ultra boasts an Ultra-Wide 12 MP F2.2, a Wide-angle 108MP F1.8 a Telephoto: 48MP F3.5, Depth Vision, and due to the bigger sensor size, it also delivers Space Zoom Hybrid Optic Zoom 10X with Super Resolution Zoom up to 100X. Powering the bigger screen and features, the Ultra delivers a 5,000mAh battery, so you won’t be stuck without a charge as you snap away on your phone. It will feature 5G Non-Standalone (NSA), and be offered in Cosmic Grey, with Cosmic Black available only as a Samsung store exclusive.
This year, the entire S20 range offers bigger sensors compared to the S10 range. This will allow for more clarity, higher resolutions, and more light. This means that images should look more crisp and clear, especially in low light situations. Even in the brief tests that we did at the event, the improvements are obvious compared to last year’s offering. Images taken with the phone looked very sharp, with fantastic colour reproduction. It is hard to tell how they will fare in real-world testing, in a non-controlled environment, but from my time with the phones, you can colour me impressed.
The Space Zoom feature also works far better then I expected from looking at the features list. The S20 Ultra’s 108MP camera combined with the 10X optical zoom, makes images look passible, even at 100X zoom. Granted they are far more grainy, and you will need a tripod to get the best shot possible, but even with that in mind, the results were impressive. With the camera, I was able to make out small words at a distance, something I did not think possible with a smartphone, especially one of this size.
The S20 range also offers up Single Take, a new feature lets you capture many images from a moving subject with a single press of a button. This mode allows you to not only capture numerous photos, but it will also make gifs of the subject, along with finding you the best shots possible from the action. Using the scene Samsung set up for journalists, we managed to capture numerous stellar shots of an aerialist, along with other activities taking place in the scene. While it may not have a use for everyone, anyone looking to take pictures of unpredictable photo subjects like pets, or kids, will find this feature exciting. If it works as well in the wild as it does in these tests, it will be a fun addition to many people’s photographing adventures.
Samsung has also given the ability to capture up to 8K video, with Super Steady that will work to reduce motion even when you don’t have a gimbal or stabilization system in place. It will also let you use these new cameras in apps like Google Duo, with the video chat app now built right into the device’s phone feature, making it easy to call up and use when needed.
As this is a Samsung device, there is a slew of other software features that users can explore, along with improvements to their AI Bixby, including Netflix and Spotify integration. For anyone looking to game, the 120Hz screen will make even the most fast-paced game look smooth, and fluid on the bright vibrant screen.
CGMagazine will dive deeper into what the Samsung S20 5G range will offer in a full review, but from our brief time with the device, it’s clear that Samsung has improved greatly on their previous line. The device looks just as sleek as it has in the past, and the new camera arrays, along with overall improvements with the software make the Samsung S20 an exciting release and one that many people can feel confident in giving a try.
The Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra will launch on March 6th
