Samsung has dropped three of a kind with i new Galaxy S20. Today's presentation showed three smartphones similar in appearance but very different in size, with the Ultra model to stand out further thanks to a giant screen. This year 5G overwhelmingly enters the S range, together with a totally renewed photographic sector, which makes zooming a potential killer application, and batteries with truly remarkable dimensions, which reach 5000 mAh in the Ultra variant.
If we add to this an increasingly minimalist design and the increased performance guaranteed by the new SoC, we get some of the most interesting smartphones arriving in 2020. We have had the opportunity to briefly try all the new phones just presented, which are going to form a rich and varied line-up.
A simple and rational design
Samsung has not tried to impress with the design of the new S20. Of course the rear photographic sensor, larger in size, changes the glance on the backcover, making this element predominant compared to the other details present, in reality very few. The horizontal development of the cameras seen in the Galaxy S10 gives way to a sensor that is positioned vertically on the rear body, perfectly embedded in the glass, a material that covers most of the phone, also equipped with IP68 certification for resistance to liquids and dust .
The Galaxy S20 and S20 + still manage to maintain a certain proportion between glass and photographic sensor, the Ultra model instead must necessarily highlight this element. In photography, size matters and to better support the photographic sector of the top of the range, the size of the module where the optics and sensors are housed has to be increased.
Compared to the Note 10+ instead Samsung has revised the position of the power button and the volume rocker, which are both on the right side instead of the left, more easily reached with the thumb. The fingerprint sensor is instead located below the screen, but unlocking via facial recognition is also available.
On the ergonomics front, the Korean house has chosen a very simple but effective approach, creating three variants similar in specifications but suitable for very different tastes. S20, with its 6.2-inch screen with very thin edges, which disappear almost from sight on all sides, is the one that offers the best ergonomics and usability with one hand, thanks also to the weight of 163 grams. S20 + instead, with its 6.7-inch display and a weight of 186 grams, it becomes more difficult to use with one hand, while the Ultra model takes size to the limit of the tablet world, with a 6.9-inch panel and a weight of 220 grams. The ergonomics factor is important to choose the S20 that best suits your needs, Samsung's choice to create three smartphones with such different sizes could therefore be a winner, meeting the needs of different types of users.
120 Hz for all Exynos 990 processors
The S20 range will represent Samsung's spearhead between now and the next few months, probably until August, the month traditionally dedicated to the Note line. It is therefore not surprising that the Korean company has chosen components really pushed for its realization, starting with the display. S20 uses one Dynamic AMOLED screen 6.2-inch QHD +, with 563 PPI and HDR10 + certification. S20 + instead has a 6.7-inch one, always QHD + but 525 PPI. The Ultra model instead features a 6.9-inch QHD + 511 PPI panel. Why Dynamic AMOLED? Why for the first time Samsung has brought the 120 Hz refresh rate to all its top of the range. During the short test we observed that 120 Hz can only be activated at Full HD + resolution, it is also possible to set the refresh rate at 60 Hz, to save battery, or activate the "Dynamic" mode, which automatically adapts the refresh rate based on to the tasks performed by the smartphone. The effect given by the high refresh rate is obviously very pleasant, giving a marked sensation of speed to the use of the phone.
Another common element among all models is the processor used, a Exynos 990 made at 7 nm. According to the Korean company, the 8 cores that compose it are 20% more powerful than the previous model. The GPU is also new, a Mali-G77, which completely changes architecture compared to the past, passing to the Valhall one, for an increase in performance, and efficiency, which settles around 20%.
The 5G modem is not integrated into the processor, a choice made to try to keep costs down. In fact, several versions of the S20 will arrive on the Italian market. S20 will be available with 4G connection, 128 GB internal memory and 8 GB of RAM at 929 euros, while the 5G model with 128 + 12 GB will cost 1029 euros. S20 + instead starts from a price of 1029 euros for the 4G model with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory, rising to 1129 euros for the 5G variant of 12 + 128 GB and to 1279 euros for the 12 + 512 GB one, also this 5G. Finally S20 Ultra will arrive on the market in two versions, both 5G, with a price starting from € 1379 for the 12 + 128 GB one and then reaching € 1579 for the 512 + 16 GB one.
Cameras and battery
Cameras and battery size are among the biggest differences of the new models. S20 is equipped with a triple photographic sensor, consisting of a 12 Megapixel main camera with F / 1.8 aperture, a 12 Megapixel Ultra Wide camera with F / 2.2 aperture and a 64 Megapixel telephoto with F / 2.0 aperture, used to obtain a 3x zoom with minimal quality loss. The zoom can go up to 30x through digital magnification. Both the main cam and the telephoto are equipped with optical image stabilization.
S20 + incorporates the characteristics described so far but adds a sensor for measuring depth of field, to create shots with a higher quality blurred effect.
S20 Ultra instead takes the photographic capabilities of the S20 range to the extreme, configuring itself as a real cameraphone. In this case the main sensor is 108 megapixels with F / 1.8 aperture, which takes pictures through a technique called "pixel binning".
In practice, the pixels are merged into groups of nine to generate a final 12 Megapixel image, with pixels 2.4 microns large. Increasing the pixel size increases the quality and sharpness of night shots, generating less digital noise. These are the largest pixels ever seen on a Samsung phone. Together with this we find a 12 Megapixel wide angle cam, with F / 2.2 aperture, and a 48 Megapixel telephoto camera with F / 3.5 aperture. This also uses pixel binning to generate 12 megapixel final images. Obviously there is also the sensor for the depth of field. Both the main sensor and the telephoto are electronically stabilized and allow to reach a 10x zoom with minimum quality loss, which can even reach 100x by digital magnification.
Another difference between the various models is represented by the front camera, 10 Megapixels and f / 2.2 aperture for S20 and S20 +, while in the Ultra variant it reaches 40 Megapixel with f / 1.4 aperture. S20 Ultra also uses pixel binning for the front cam, thus generating better images in poor lighting conditions. On the video front, all models are capable of recording up to 8K resolution at 30 fps.
Unfortunately we have not had the opportunity to try in depth the new photographic sector designed by Samsung in the short test we carried out before the presentation, the same thing goes for autonomy. On paper, all models enjoy large batteries, starting from 4000 mAh of S20 to rise to 4500 mAh of S20 +, up to 5000 mAh of the Ultra variant, which could beat several autonomy records. It all depends on the optimization of the software, Android 10, and on the energy needs of the Exynos 990 SoC, impossible to evaluate today without a multi-day trial.
