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Samsung Galaxy S20
Samsung Galaxy S20
Samsung Galaxy S20
Samsung Galaxy S20
Samsung Galaxy S20
Samsung Galaxy S20
...


8.7/10
Informr score
The Samsung Galaxy S20 currently has an Informr score of 8.7 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 36 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

What's good

  • Great multitasking and gaming
  • Comfortable in the hand
  • Beautiful 120hz HDR screen for movies and videos
  • All-day battery life
  • 5G support

What's bad

  • Fingerprint scanner is slow
  • Tons of pre-installed apps
  • No headphone jack
  • High price tag

As the most basic model in Samsung's 2020 Galaxy lineup, the Galaxy S20 checks most of the boxes the average buyer is looking for while offering a substantial savings over its larger siblings. As is typical with Samsung's Galaxy S series, experts found little to dislike about the phone and many recommend it as both the best value in the current lineup and the best option for the average person.

Design

Curved edges and lots of glass make the Galaxy S20 comfortable in the hand but reviewers found it a little boring.

There's only a few color options available and that back glass is going to be a fingerprint magnet. It also means you'll probably want insurance or a case.

Speaking of fingerprints, the in-screen fingerprint scanner was a bit clunky for many reviewers. Hopefully, that can be sorted in software updates.

Trusted Reviews says, "The Galaxy S20 feels great to hold and it’s fairly compact by 2020 standards. What it isn’t though is particularly interesting to look at – even the colour choices are somewhat dull."

Display

Featuring nearly every bell and whistle you can cram in a display, the screen offers an exceptional experience.

If you love games, the high refresh rate will keep you in the competition and make movement silky smooth while HDR and full HD support will make movies and TV shows pop.

It's also plenty bright so you won't need to squint or find some shade to use it outside.

What Hi-Fi says, "...  If you’re looking to upgrade from a two or three-year-old handset, this one is undoubtedly going to be on your shopping list."

Performance

Unless you're willing to switch to an iPhone, you won't find faster performance than the Galaxy S20 in early 2020. 

Whether you're hopping between apps to keep in touch with friends, playing the latest games, or sorting through emails, reviews found the phone absolutely screams.

MobileSyrup says, "It seemed that no matter what I threw at it, the S20 kept going. The experience streaming music, videos, gaming, social media and more was smooth and fast. Plus, the 12GB of RAM let me open up all of the nearly 100 apps on my S20 without any noticeable slowdowns."

Software & Storage

The Galaxy S20 offers 128GB of room to store your digital stuff and runs the latest version of Android with Samsung's One UI 2.0. It should receive updates for a few years, so there is little to worry about in terms of the latest features or security patches.

Unfortunately, Samsung really piles on the pre-installed apps and settings choices. So expect to have a few options for everything from email and messaging to social media and news feeds.

Cameras

The phone comes close to beating the best phone cameras on the market but falls short in a few ways.

The zoom on 64MP telephoto lens wowed reviewers for its detail and noise-free shots. But color and night photography fell behind the leaders.

Still, reviews indicate the three lens (12MP/12MP/64MP) rear camera and 10MP front-facing lens should work great when snapping pics of your daily adventures.

It's also one of the first phones to shoot 8K video, but doing so means you'll need a steady hand as it disables image stabilization.

Mobile Syrup says, "... The Samsung S20 camera is excellent. It’s more than good enough for everything you’ll use it for. In small ways, I think that the Pixel 4 or the iPhone 11 Pro best the S20, but on the whole, you won’t be disappointed with the phone’s images."

Battery Life

Unless you're on your phone 24/7, you should have no issues with battery life on the Galaxy S20. Even if you find yourself low, fast charging and wireless charging support means you can top things off nice and quick.

Mobile Syrup says, "In most cases, I made it to the end of a day with about 30 or 40 percent charge remaining and around four or more hours of screen-on time on the ‘Optimized’ setting with 120Hz refresh, FHD+ resolution and auto-brightness turned on."

Audio

Be prepared to buy an adapter or use Bluetooth to enjoy your favorite music and videos because the phone doesn't have a 3.5mm headphone jack.

That said, reviewers found the AKG-tuned headphones included enjoyable.

There's also a Music Share feature that lets people connect to your phone to stream audio to your Bluetooth speaker or car without the need for all the disconnecting and reconnecting.

Pricing

There's no getting around it -- the Galaxy S20 isn't cheap. The MSRP at release starts at $999.

Fortunately, most reviewers agreed it's worth the price if you have room in the budget for it.

Being a major Samsung release, availability should be excellent at both major electronics retailers and carriers alike.

Specs at a Glance

  • Glass and metal chassis
  • 6.2-inch 120Hz, QHD OLED display
  • 2.84Ghz octa-core processor
  • 12GB of RAM
  • Android 10
  • 128GB of internal storage
  • MicroSD card support
  • 12MP/12MP/64MP rear camera
  • 10MP front camera
  • 4,000mAh battery with wired/wireless fast charging
  • AKG-tuned audio

The Bottom Line

If cost isn't a concern, the Samsung Galaxy S20 offers an excellent camera, chart-topping performance, an amazing display, and a level of design polish few Android phones can touch in 2020.

That said, the top-tier experience comes with top-tier prices so it's not the most budget-friendly option around.

Mobile Syrup says, "... The S20 is the one you probably should buy of the three. It’s big without being too big, feature-rich without being overloaded and generally an excellent value compared to the other phones in the lineup."

What Hi-Fi says, "...  If you’re looking to upgrade from a two or three-year-old handset, this one is undoubtedly going to be on your shopping list."


Android
Operating system
Operating system
Android
2.84 GHz
Processor
Processor
2.84 GHz
6.2"
Screen Size
Screen Size
6.2"
64+ MP, f/2.0
Camera
Camera
64+ MP, f/2.0
4000 mAh
Battery


What the Critics Are Saying...


NextPit
NextPit

Looking at a phone from last year for a review was more fun than I thought it would be! The Galaxy S20 was either pretty ahead of its time, or the smartphone world didn't come up with too many innovations last year. What I find exciting is that there are some details where the S20 is superior to its...

- David McCourt, NextPit
TrustedReviews
TrustedReviews

For most people, the Samsung Galaxy S20 is still one of the best Android phone available right now. Especially with the cheaper prices around. However, I would seriously consider the Galaxy S20 FE which has a Snapdragon 865 and better battery life, along with superior performance. There's also the O...

- Max Parker, TrustedReviews
Recombu
Recombu

With the Galaxy S20, Samsung has played it safe – opting for refinements over innovation. However, these refinements were craved by many and culminate in a cracking experience – from the stunning display and manageable size to top-notch photography. Galaxy S20 rivals other flagships in almost every...

- Adam Speight, Recombu
Tom's Guide
Tom's Guide

The Samsung Galaxy S20 offers a smooth 120Hz display, improved cameras and 5G in a fairly compact design, but the battery life could be better.

- Mark Spoonauer, Tom's Guide
IGN
IGN

The Samsung Galaxy S20 is every bit a flagship, and while it stumbles trying to live up to the hype of special features like Space Zoom and 5G, that shouldn’t overshadow all the ways it otherwise excels. The $1,000 price tag may be steep, but carrier deals and the inevitable price cut to come later...

- Mark Knapp, IGN


Prices (Where to Buy)




Common Questions


The Galaxy S20 price will vary depending on retailer, age, special offers and whether or not it's purchased with a service plan. If purchased with a 2 year service contract for example, you would likely pay much less for the phone itself up front. You can compare Samsung Galaxy S20 prices from around the web here on The Informr.


We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Samsung Galaxy S20 user manual here.


Samsung backs up the Galaxy S20 with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.


If your Galaxy S20 has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Samsung support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Samsung's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.



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Quick view

Screen Size
6.2"

The Samsung Galaxy S20's screen size is 6.2 inches with 1440 x 3200 pixels resolution.

Processor
2.84 GHz

There is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Octa-core 2.84 GHz processor (CPU).

OS

The phone runs on the Android 10 (Update Available: 13) operating system (OS).

Camera
64+ MP

You can take photos or capture video with the phone's onboard 64+ MP, f/2.0 camera.

There is also a secondary front facing camera with 10+ megapixels resolution.

Storage
128 GB

Internal memory is 128 GB. An external, MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 1000 GB) expansion slot is available for increased storage capacity.

Battery
4000mAh

The phone is powered by a Lithium Polymer (Li-Pol), 4000 mAh battery. Samsung's performance ratings are 1680 minutes, 1020 minutes Wi-Fi surfing.

Galaxy S20 Specs

Overview
Release Date March 6, 2020
Regions Available USA, Canada, United Kingdom
Operating System Android 10 (Update Available: 13)

Compare Android Smartphones

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Octa-core 2.84 GHz
Internal Storage 128 GB
RAM 8/12 GB
Hearing Aid Compatible Yes
TTY/TDD Yes
Noise Cancellation Yes
SAR Head: 0.76 W/kg
Body: 1.01 W/kg
Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year
Accessories Included USB Power Adapter, Standard Battery, Headphones, Data Cable
Cellular
Networks
GPRS, EDGE, EV-DO, HSUPA, HSPA+, LTE, 5G
Mobile / Cellular Data
5G, 4G/LTE
Push-to-talk (PTT) No
Wi-Fi Calling Yes
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) Yes
SIM card size
Nano-SIM
Dual SIM Yes
Connectivity
USB USB Type-C
USB OTG Support Yes
GPS Type A-GPS
Infrared No
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth Profiles A2DP, AVRCP, OPP/FTP, HID, HFP, HSP
Bluetooth Audio Codecs SBC, aptX
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Mobile Hotspot Yes
Memory Expansion Slot Yes
Expansion Slot Info MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 1000 GB)
NFC Yes
Data Tethering Compatibility Yes
Camera
Main Camera
Resolution / Aperture
64+ Megapixels, f/2.0
Zoom
3x optical, 10x digital
Flash
Yes (LED)
Additional Rear Camera Info
Auto focus, Brightness control, Effects, Face detection, Geotagging, Image stabilization, ISO, Multi-shot, Night mode, Panorama, Self-timer, 2nd camera feature (12 MP, F2.2, Ultra-wide), 3rd camera feature (12 MP, F1.8), HDR, Time lapse mode, Slow motion recording
Video Recording Formats
MPEG-4
Video Recording Parameters
Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 pixels), 60 fps
Front Camera
Resolution / Aperture
10+ Megapixels
Additional Front Camera Info
Aperture F2.2
Video Recording Parameters
Display / Screen
Type Color
Technology Dynamic AMOLED
Colors 16.7 million
Resolution 1440 x 3200 pixels
Pixel Density 566 pixels
Size 6.2 inches
Secondary Display No
Sensors Ambient Light, Proximity, Motion / Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Digital Compass
Multi-Touch Yes
Fingerprint-Resistant Coating No
Additional Display Features Capacitive touchscreen, Infinity-O Display, HDR10+ certified, 120Hz display support
Power & Battery
Battery Type Lithium Polymer (Li-Pol)
Battery Capacity 4000 mAh
Removable Battery No
Wireless Charging Yes
Fast Charging Yes
Video Playback Time Up to 1200 minutes
Internet Use (Wi-Fi) Up to 1020 minutes
Internet Use (Cellular) Up to 900 minutes
Talk Time Up to 1680 minutes
Standby Time Up to 10 days
Mixed Usage No
Physical Characteristics
Design Type Bar
Material Aluminium
Colors Cloud Pink, Cloud Blue, Cosmic Gray, White
Dimensions [H x W x D] 15.17 x 6.91 x 0.79 cm (6 x 2.7 x 0.3 in)
Weight 163 grams
Water Resistant / Waterproof Water Resistant
Rugged design No
IP Rating IP 68
Headset Jack No
External Speakers Stereo
Input / Navigation
Sleep / Wake Key Yes
Home Key No
Input / Keyboard Type Touchscreen
Navigation Type Touchscreen
External Volume Control Yes
Fingerprint Sensor Yes
More
Additional Information Other Names (AKA):
Related Links Manual (PDF)
Samsung Galaxy S20 Reviews
Where to buy Samsung Galaxy S20
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