Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus review: the one you want
“The Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus has everything you need now, and with 5G, it's ready for the future. It's the Galaxy S20 phone that needs to be bought in 2020. "
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Nice screen, 120Hz refresh rate
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The camera takes good photos in all environments
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Slim and light
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5G for the future
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Boring design
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The camera software needs some improvements
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus is the smartphone equivalent of a well-known friend. The design, the camera and the performance reliably deliver all expectations. But you won't find any surprises either. It is a safe, trustworthy companion.
There is nothing wrong with that. The new and unexpected can be fun, but it can also disappoint or distract you. This year, the safe choice in the chaos of everyday life feels like the right choice. Of the three new Samsung Galaxy S20 smartphones released in 2020, you should buy this one.
design
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus isn't a nice smartphone, but it's a mature, well-proportioned mobile device. This inconspicuous phone is only suitable for demonstration if you get it in the pretty cloud blue color. In the black or gray shown here, it won't turn your head, but you can be satisfied with using one of the most nifty phones you can currently buy.
Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com
What I mean? The 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen is not strongly curved on the side of the phone, but the 3D glass above it is beautifully shaped on every corner to give the front of the phone a modern shape that is comfortable to hold . The on / off switch and the volume rocker are on the right. The metal body is not only between the chassis and the glass, but is also arranged around it.
Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com
The style of the Galaxy S20 Plus can be appreciated, but it's not for everyone. The camera hump on the back is a bleak rectangle in the top corner, and the gray color seems to be inspired by the last time the Navy gave a battleship a quick spruce. It is also not significantly different from many other cell phones available today, including the Huawei P40 Pro and the Oppo Find X2 Pro.
Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com
The Galaxy S20 Plus is certainly light and slim. It's 6.5 ounces and 0.3 inches thick, which not only makes it a better phone to put in your pocket, but also to last for long distances. However, it is slippery and its width makes it easy to stretch with one hand. A case would be advisable to keep the phone protected.
Compared to its brothers, the S20 Plus is just right. The Galaxy S20 Ultra is considerably larger and heavier, and the S20 is a bit too small for modern conditions, unless you specifically want a small phone. The S20 Plus seems to be the most suitable for most people.
camera
The S20 Plus has a quad-sensor camera on the back, which consists of a 12-megapixel 1: 1.8 wide-angle lens, a 64-megapixel 1: 2.0 telephoto sensor and another 12-megapixel -1: 2.2-Ultra-. wide sensor. A time of flight sensor completes the lineup, and this is the same camera system as the regular Galaxy S20. You can take 3x hybrid zoom recordings or up to 30x digital recordings, record 8K videos at 24 frames per second (fps), record with HDR10 + and record slow-motion videos at 960 fps.
Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com
When the sun shines, the shots are pretty saturated, which can split opinions, but I often found that they animated the pictures well. Night mode is effective and brightens scenes with medium lighting without adding excessive noise. In very poor lighting conditions, however, it becomes loud and less user-friendly. The worst crime is consistently inaccurate edge detection in portrait orientation and problems with focusing. The same problems were found when testing the Galaxy S20 Ultra.
Outside of the saturation surge, Samsung software can also be sluggish when sharpening, but you'll have to look for it to notice. I had no issues with the 8K video mode we saw on the S20 Ultra. The high-resolution videos were recorded smoothly and looked stunning on the screen. It should be noted that this S20 Plus has a Samsung Exynos processor, while the S20 Ultra we tested has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865.
Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com
Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com
Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com
Although 8K videos look good, playback in all their glory is currently impossible for most because of the cost of buying an 8K TV. Avoid the massive file sizes (at least 500 MB per minute). and shoot at 4K or 1080p. This way, you can also use Samsung's superb Super Steady Stabilization mode, which works incredibly well.
The Galaxy S20 Plus also features Samsung's entertaining single-take mode, where you can record video instead of taking still pictures, and the software generates a selection of clips, GIFs and still pictures for you. It's great for taking pictures and videos that can be shared right now, without having to worry about missing anything. It's easy to use and really fun.
Selfies with 20 megapixels in the central hole are a mixed bag. If you don't use portrait mode, they come out very well, with nice colors and natural tones, but portrait mode is unreliable, blurs edges when they shouldn't be, and smoothes the skin to an unacceptable level. I like the automatically activated gesture control, where holding up your hand starts a countdown timer. The phone has always "seen" my hand, which makes it reliable and user-friendly.
S20 Plus night mode Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com
S20 Plus non-night mode Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com
The results of the camera of the Galaxy S20 Plus are generally very good, almost regardless of the environment or the time of day. It's a great all-rounder and versatile enough that you don't want a feature that it doesn't provide, provided you don't expect much from portrait mode and want a bit of saturation in your photos on sunny days.
Screen and performance
Samsung knows how to create a stunning screen. The dynamic 6.7-inch AMOLED screen offers a resolution of 3200 x 1440 pixels at a frequency of 120 Hz and supports HDR10 +. It is undoubtedly beautiful, with stunning colors and a dynamic range, especially when viewing HDR content. Fortunately, a lower resolution video doesn't suffer and I also enjoyed watching older 720p videos. The size of the S20 Plus also makes it an excellent video partner. The previously described low weight is ideal for relaxed viewing on the couch or in bed.
Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com
The refresh rate of 120 Hz means smoother scrolling, less flickering and less eye strain when surfing for longer periods and is extremely effective. You cannot use the 120 Hz refresh rate when the screen is set to full resolution. At this point, it will switch back to a refresh rate of 60 Hz, which is also the case if the phone gets too hot. I preferred the advantages of the higher refresh rate to the higher resolution, so I found the combination with 2400 x 1080 pixels / 120 Hz best for everyday use.
As much as I like the screen and overall size of the S20 Plus, it can't keep up with the fabulously huge 6.9-inch S20 Ultra when it comes to impressive viewing, but you have to decide whether you're ready with the similar to epic size and size to live weight. That is why the S20 Plus is the sensible choice among the three S20 phones. Put it next to the iPhone 11 Pro, another phone with a great screen, and the vibrancy of the S20 Plus is clear. In addition to the more natural tones of the iPhone, colors burst from the screen.
Galaxy S20 Plus (top) against iPhone 11 Pro Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com
The Galaxy S20 Plus is sold with two different processors depending on where you buy it worldwide. In the US, it comes with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 865 processor, while in the UK it comes with Samsung's own Exynos 990 chip, which has been tested here with 12 GB of RAM.
In the real world, the differences between the two are minimal for everyday tasks, although some independent tests have shown that the Snapdragon 865's Adreno 865 graphics chip is more efficient and therefore may offer better battery life when you play or use the full resolution screen . Here are two benchmark test results:
- Geekbench 5: 919 single-core / 2,838 multi-core
- 3DMark: 6,357 (volcano)
It stands directly behind the Oppo Find X2 Pro with Snapdragon 865. A quick test of an S20 Ultra with Exynos drive did not surprisingly show that it was very close to that of the S20 Plus. As you'd expect from a high-performance smartphone like this, the S20 Plus has no problems with everyday tasks, including gaming. Although, like the S20 Ultra, the body feels very warm when it works very hard.
Fortunately, the S20 Plus does not get hot when playing, and its weight loss allows long sessions without fatigue. Even if the graphics on Asphalt 9: Legends are set high, the game is as fast and exciting as usual. The view spans the entire screen and you quickly forget that the pinhole camera is present. DariusBurst SP, which runs at 120 Hz, is beautifully fluid and fun, but some game content is lost above due to the aspect ratio of the phone when you play in full screen mode. This also affects some older games like Reckless Racing 3, which due to the wide aspect ratio leads to a smaller playing area. However, these problems do not only occur with the S20 Plus.
5G is standard on the S20 Plus, so it's ready when the new network is available near you. During this period of social isolation, I was only able to test the S20 Plus on Vodafone's 4G network and EE's 4G network in the UK, where it performed excellently and offered excellent call quality and reception.
Software and battery
Samsung's software can be described in a similar way to the design. It's extremely user-friendly, attractive, but not over the top, and a perfect companion that most people can use every day. It's also colorful, with uniformly shaped icons across the operating system, an effective system-wide dark mode, and a logical settings menu. The constantly active screen is informative and can be adjusted a little. Notifications can be made using the notification shadow.
Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com
Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com
Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com
Disadvantage? Nothing serious, just a few quarrels. Samsung's OneUI 2.0 differs significantly from Android on a Google Pixel, which some may not like, and although Bixby's virtual assistant is on board, it's largely useless. Samsung also pre-assigned the power button to call Bixby instead of turning the phone on and off. This is now done with a button in the notification shadow. This can be changed in the settings, but is still annoying. Samsung Daily, which is displayed from the home screen, is also a pointless mess of widgets and warnings.
A large 4,500 mAh battery supplies the Galaxy S20 Plus with heavy use for a whole day, even if, in my experience, the refresh rate of 120 Hz is active. During this period of social isolation, the S20 Plus handled multiple voice calls, multiple long video calls, a bit of photography, and regular general use, and generally lasted from early morning until late at night. On days of moderate use, the S20 Plus will not almost run out of power.
Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com
Charging is also quick. There is a 25W charging block in the box, and the phone also supports wireless charging. While not as fast as some of the fastest phones on the market (e.g. the Oppo Find X2 Pro), it is fast enough for most. With a 30-minute charge, the battery will be 55% empty and approximately 75 minutes fully charged.
Price, guarantee and availability
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus costs $ 1,200, which is in the middle of the $ 1,000 Galaxy S20 and the $ 1,400 Galaxy S20 Ultra. The phone can be purchased through the Samsung website and through major contract partners. The phone costs £ 1,000 in the UK, and I tested the phone on the Vodafone network, where it is available with a contract starting at £ 68 a month.
Our opinion
The Galaxy S20 Plus is the Galaxy S20 phone to buy, which sits at the right price with the right screen size in a case of a reasonable size. It is very easy to use, very powerful and the camera takes great photos in different situations. It is only disappointed by the boring design and some inconsistencies in the camera, but none of them are deal breakers.
Is there a better alternative?
If you're considering the Galaxy S20 Plus, you should also take a closer look at the iPhone 11 Pro for $ 1,000. It is Apple's best smartphone yet and our choice as the best smartphone currently available. However, if you're from Android, you'll need to get used to some software and usage changes. However, we think it's worth it. The only concession here is that the iPhone doesn't have 5G, which makes the S20 Plus a slightly better bet in the long run.
If you stay in the Android camp, you can see the Google Pixel 4 XL for its camera and software, but the battery life is much worse than the S20 Plus. Alternatively, you can wait and see what the OnePlus 8 looks like when it is announced on April 14th. If you're outside of the U.S. or like to import, the Oppo Find X2 Pro offers the same benefits as the S20 Plus with the advantage of super-fast charging in the deal.
How long it will take?
The phone is made of glass. So be careful or wrap it in an envelope. The good news, however, is that it has IP68 protection for water resistance. Android 10 is now installed, but there is no indication of when the phone will receive an update to Android 11 after its release later this year. Samsung updates are moderately fast, and the latest flagships are usually updated first.
Since the phone has 5G, regardless of whether it is available in your area, it is still ready to take advantage of the high data speeds if you decide to introduce the new network. Add this with the latest processor, the latest screen technology, and a decent camera, and the Galaxy S20 Plus has no problem beyond the duration of a two-year contract.
Should you buy one?
Yes. If you want a phone from the Galaxy S20 family you should buy it and it is also one of the best Android phones overall.
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