The Samsung Galaxy S20 is a series
of
Android
Android may refer to:
Science and technology
* Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human
* Android (operating system), Google's mobile operating system
** Bugdroid, a Google mascot sometimes referred to ...
-based
smartphone
A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...
s designed, developed, marketed, and manufactured by
Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (, sometimes shortened to SEC and stylized as SΛMSUNG) is a South Korean multinational corporation, multinational electronics corporation headquartered in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, South Korea. It is the pinnacle of ...
as part of its
Galaxy S series. They collectively serve as the successor to the
Galaxy S10 series. The first three smartphones were unveiled at Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event on 11 February 2020 while the Fan Edition model was unveiled at Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event on 23 September 2020.
The S20 series
consists of the flagship Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+ models differentiated primarily by screen size, the larger camera-focused model, the Galaxy S20 Ultra, and the cheaper flagship model, the Galaxy S20 FE. Key upgrades over the previous model, in addition to improved specifications, include a display with a 120 Hz
refresh rate, an improved camera system supporting
8K video
8K resolution refers to an image or display resolution with a width of approximately 8,000 pixels. 8K UHD () is the highest resolution defined in the Rec. 2020 (UHDTV) standard.
8K display resolution is the successor to 4K resolution. TV manu ...
recording (7680×4320) for the first three models and a super-resolution zoom of 30–100x, depending on the model.
The first three phones were released in the United States on 6 March 2020 and in Europe on 13 March 2020, while the Fan Edition was released globally on 2 October 2020. The Galaxy S20 FE, S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra launch prices started at $699, $999, $1,199 and $1,399, respectively.
It is the first smartphone lineup to receive USB fast-charger certification from the
USB Implementers Forum
The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) is a nonprofit organization created to promote and support USB (Universal Serial Bus). Its main activities are the promotion and marketing of USB, Wireless USB, USB On-The-Go, and the maintenance of the speci ...
(USB-IF).
In May, a rugged variant for military use named "Tactical Edition" was released.
The Galaxy S20 was succeeded by the
Galaxy S21, which was announced on 14 January 2021.
History
The title of the phone was originally presumed to be the Galaxy S11, due to its being the logical extension from the predecessor, the Galaxy S10. However, successive leaks in January 2020 revealed the title of the phone to be the Galaxy S20, because it was released in the year of 2020. In addition, details regarding the phone were leaked widely before the release, to the extent that almost all details regarding the specifications and design of the phone were known before the release. Leaker Max Weinbach obtained the actual phone a month before the release, confirming everything the community already guessed. Commentators remarked that by February, "most everything the company is planning to introduce has already leaked out." In addition to charts on the phone's specifications, marketing material and images of the phones themselves in real life were leaked.
Design
![Back of a Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus 5G](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Back_of_a_Samsung_Galaxy_S20_Plus_5G.jpg)
The Galaxy S20 series has a design similar to the
Samsung Galaxy Note 10
The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ...
, with an Infinity-O display (first introduced on the
Galaxy S10
The Samsung Galaxy S10 is a line of Android-based smartphones manufactured, released and marketed by Samsung Electronics as part of the Samsung Galaxy S series. The Galaxy S10 series is the tenth generation of the Samsung Galaxy S, its flagship ...
) containing a circular punch-hole in the top center this time for the frontal selfie camera. In a departure from past Galaxy S designs, the rear camera array is not centered, but located in the corner with a rectangular protrusion similar to that of the
iPhone 11 and the
Google Pixel 4
The Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL are a pair of Android smartphones designed, developed, and marketed by Google as part of the Google Pixel product line. They collectively serve as the successors to the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. They were officially a ...
. The S20 and S20FE houses three cameras while the S20+ has four cameras in the bump, while the S20 Ultra houses four cameras in a larger bump. S20 phones sold in Europe had news aggregator upday in partnership with
Axel Springer SE
Axel Springer SE () is a German digital and popular periodical publishing house which is the largest in Europe, with numerous multimedia news brands, such as '' Bild'', ''Die Welt'', and ''Fakt'' and more than 15,000 employees. It generated to ...
preinstalled, triggering notifications. Global color options for the first three phones are Cloud Pink, Cloud White, Cloud Blue, Cosmic Grey and Cosmic Black while the Fan Edition has Cloud Lavender, Cloud Mint, Cloud Navy, Cloud White, Cloud Red, and Cloud Orange. Cosmic Grey is available in all size variants except for the S20 FE, while Cosmic Black is limited to the S20+ and S20 Ultra, Cloud Blue is limited to the S20 and S20+, and Cloud Pink is exclusive to the S20. For the S20+, Prism Blue, is exclusively sold in Korea,
Best Buy
Best Buy Co. Inc. is an American multinational consumer electronics retailer headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota. Originally founded by Richard M. Schulze and James Wheeler in 1966 as an audio specialty store called Sound of Music, it was rebra ...
in the United States and through T-Mobile, Samsung Nederland and Tele2 in the Netherlands, while Aura Red is exclusive to
Korea Telecom,
Vodafone UK, Malaysia, and United Arab Emirates. Cloud White availability varies by country; in the United States it is exclusive to Verizon for the S20 with Ultrawide Band support. The S20 is sold in Italy, the S20+ is sold in Italy and Spain, and the S20 Ultra is sold in China and Germany.
In June 2020,
Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc., commonly known as Verizon, is an American multinational telecommunications conglomerate and a corporate component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is headquartered at 1095 Avenue of the Americas in ...
released the Galaxy S20 5G UW (Ultra Wideband). Differences from the S20 include the addition of mmWave, only 8 GB of RAM (compared to the usual 12 GB), and no microSD slot.
Moreover, Samsung released the Galaxy S20+ 5G
BTS
BTS (), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010 and debuting in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. The septet—consisting of members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—co-writes and co-produ ...
Edition in the summer of 2020, with the color "Haze Purple."
Specifications
Hardware
Chipsets
The S20 line comprises three models with various hardware specifications; international models of the S20 utilize the Exynos 990 system-on-chip, while the U.S., Canadian, Korean, Chinese and Japanese models utilize the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865.
Display
A
1440p
1440p is a family of video display resolutions that have a vertical resolution of 1440 pixels. The ''p'' stands for progressive scan, i.e. non-interlaced. The 1440 pixel vertical resolution is double the vertical resolution of 720p, and one-third ...
"
Dynamic AMOLED 2X" is featured with
HDR10+
HDR10+ is a high dynamic range (HDR) video technology that adds dynamic metadata to HDR10 source files. The dynamic metadata are used to adjust and optimize each frame of the HDR video to the consumer display's capabilities in a way based on the ...
support and "dynamic tone mapping" technology with the exception of the S20 FE which utilizes a more traditional
1080p
1080p (1920×1080 progressively displayed pixels; also known as Full HD or FHD, and BT.709) is a set of HDTV high-definition video modes characterized by 1,920 pixels displayed across the screen horizontally and 1,080 pixels down the screen vert ...
"
Super AMOLED" display with
HDR10+
HDR10+ is a high dynamic range (HDR) video technology that adds dynamic metadata to HDR10 source files. The dynamic metadata are used to adjust and optimize each frame of the HDR video to the consumer display's capabilities in a way based on the ...
support and "dynamic tone mapping" technology. The S20, S20 FE, and S20+ have a 6.2-inch, 6.5-inch, and 6.7-inch display, respectively, while the S20 Ultra has a 6.9-inch display. Except for the S20 FE, displays have curved sides that slope over the horizontal edges of the device. All devices utilizes a wider 20:9
aspect ratio in addition to a 120 Hz
refresh rate double that of the S10. The S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra utilizes an ultrasonic in-screen
fingerprint sensor while the S20 FE utilizes a more traditional optical in-screen
fingerprint sensor.
Storage
The base amount of RAM is 6 GB with an additional 8 GB option for the S20 FE, while the base amount is 8 GB, with an additional 12 GB option for the S20 & S20+ and a 16 GB option for the S20 Ultra. 128 GB of internal storage is standard with the S20 FE offering a 256 GB option while the S20+ & S20 Ultra also offers 256 GB and 512 GB options, with up to 1 TB of expansion via the microSD card slot.
Verizon's Galaxy S20 5G UW model is not equipped with a microSD slot.
Batteries
The S20, S20 FE, S20+, & S20 Ultra contain non-removable 4000 mAh, 4500 mAh, 4500 mAh, and 5000 mAh
Li-Po batteries respectively, and
Qi inductive charging
Inductive charging (also known as wireless charging or cordless charging) is a type of wireless power transfer. It uses electromagnetic induction to provide electricity to portable devices. Inductive charging is also used in vehicles, power tool ...
is supported at up to 15W as well as the ability to charge other Qi-compatible devices from the S20's own battery power, which is branded as ''“Samsung PowerShare”''. Wired charging is supported over USB-C at up to 25W for the S20, S20 FE, & S20+ and 45W for the S20 Ultra.
They support reverse charging at 4.5W.
Connectivity
The S20 series comes with
5G standard connectivity, though some regions may have special
LTE
LTE may refer to:
Science and technology
* LTE (telecommunication) (Long-Term Evolution), a telephone and mobile broadband standard
** LTE Advanced, an enhancement
*** LTE Advanced Pro
* Compaq LTE, a line of laptop computers produced by Compaq
* ...
variants. However, only Verizon models are compatible with higher-speed millimeter-wave networks. The 3.5 mm audio jack has been omitted entirely.
Cameras
The cameras on the Galaxy S20 series improved considerably over its predecessors, although unlike the S9 and S10, the aperture on the main lens is fixed. While the megapixels of the main and
ultra wide sensors remained unchanged on the S20 and S20+, the telephoto sensor received some improvements. The 64-megapixel telephoto camera, branded as ''“Space Zoom”'', supports 3X hybrid optical zoom (branded as "Hybrid Optic Zoom") and 30X digital zoom at 64 megapixels on the new telephoto sensor instead of 12 megapixels at two times on the
S10 S10 may refer to:
Automobiles
* Chevrolet S-10, a pickup truck
* Nissan Silvia (S10), a sports car
* Toyota Crown (S10), a luxury car
Aviation
* Lake Chelan Airport, in Chelan County, Washington, United States
* Letov Š-10, a Czech trainer ...
and 30 times digitally (branded as "Super-Resolution Zoom").
The S20+ receives a
time-of-flight sensor (branded as "DepthVision Camera") in addition to the regular S20's cameras. The Galaxy S20 Ultra has a quadruple lens setup that supports 4X
optical zoom and 100X
digital zoom, with a 108-megapixel wide
image sensor, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor and a 48-megapixel periscope telephoto sensor accompanied by a time-of-flight sensor. Both the wide-angle and telephoto sensors use
pixel binning Pixel binning, often called binning, is the process of combining adjacent pixels throughout an image, by summing or averaging their values, during or after readout.
Charge from adjacent pixels in CCD image sensors and some other image sensors can b ...
to output higher quality images at a standard resolution, with the wide-angle sensor using Nonacell technology which groups 3x3 pixels to capture more light.
The front camera is able to record video footage at 2160p.
A new camera mode was introduced called Single Take, which allows users to capture photos or videos at the same time with different sensors automatically.
The S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra can also record 8K videos at 24fps with a
bit rate
In telecommunications and computing, bit rate (bitrate or as a variable ''R'') is the number of bits that are conveyed or processed per unit of time.
The bit rate is expressed in the unit bit per second (symbol: bit/s), often in conjunction w ...
of 80
Mbps
In telecommunications, data-transfer rate is the average number of bits (bitrate), characters or symbols (baudrate), or data blocks per unit time passing through a communication link in a data-transmission system. Common data rate units are multi ...
,
which will consume about 600 MB of storage per minute. On the S20 and S20+, this is enabled by the 64 MP telephoto sensor, whereas the S20 Ultra's 108 MP wide sensor natively supports 8K video.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Tactical Edition
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Tactical Edition (TE) is a
touchscreen-enabled,
slate-format Android
Android may refer to:
Science and technology
* Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human
* Android (operating system), Google's mobile operating system
** Bugdroid, a Google mascot sometimes referred to ...
smartphone
A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...
designed, developed, and marketed by
Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (, sometimes shortened to SEC and stylized as SΛMSUNG) is a South Korean multinational corporation, multinational electronics corporation headquartered in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, South Korea. It is the pinnacle of ...
.
The device is built matching the needs of operators in the federal government and Department of Defense. The mobile is Commercial Solutions for Classified Program (CSfC) component approved,
with support to
night vision
Night vision is the ability to see in low-light conditions, either naturally with scotopic vision or through a night-vision device. Night vision requires both sufficient spectral range and sufficient intensity range. Humans have poor night vi ...
,
stealth mode
In business, stealth mode is a company's temporary state of secretiveness, usually undertaken to avoid alerting competitors to a pending product launch or another business initiative.
When an entire company is in stealth mode it may attempt to ...
,
drone
Drone most commonly refers to:
* Drone (bee), a male bee, from an unfertilized egg
* Unmanned aerial vehicle
* Unmanned surface vehicle, watercraft
* Unmanned underwater vehicle or underwater drone
Drone, drones or The Drones may also refer to:
...
feeds and
laser range finders. It can connect to tactical radios and mission systems, and runs applications like Battlefield assisted trauma distributed observation kit (BATDOK) etc.
External links
Official website
Supported video modes
The Samsung Galaxy S20 series supports the following video modes:
*
8K@24fps (not available for the S20 FE)
*
4K@30/60fps
*
1080p
1080p (1920×1080 progressively displayed pixels; also known as Full HD or FHD, and BT.709) is a set of HDTV high-definition video modes characterized by 1,920 pixels displayed across the screen horizontally and 1,080 pixels down the screen vert ...
@30/60fps
* 1080p@240fps
*
720p
720p (1280×720 px; also called HD ready, standard HD or just HD) is a progressive HDTV signal format with 720 horizontal lines/1280 columns and an aspect ratio (AR) of 16:9, normally known as widescreen HDTV (1.78:1). All major HDTV broadcast ...
@960fps (720p480fps upscale to 720p960fps on S20 Ultra)
All models can record at 720p30, 1080p30 or 4k30 with HDR10+, they can record with
HEVC
High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), also known as H.265 and MPEG-H Part 2, is a video compression standard designed as part of the MPEG-H project as a successor to the widely used Advanced Video Coding (AVC, H.264, or MPEG-4 Part 10). In compari ...
codec without HDR10+
Software
All four phones initially ran on
Android 10
Android 10 ( codenamed Android Q during development) is the tenth major release and the 17th version of the Android mobile operating system. It was first released as a developer preview on March 13, 2019, and was released publicly on Septembe ...
and Samsung's custom skin
One UI
One UI is a user interface developed by Samsung Electronics for its Android devices running Android 9 "Pie" and later. Succeeding Samsung Experience and TouchWiz, it is designed to make using larger smartphones easier and be more visually appea ...
2.1. In early December 2020, Samsung began releasing the Android 11 update with One UI 3 to all models. In January of 2022, all four phones has received the OneUI 4 update based on Android 12. In November 2022, all four phones has received the OneUI 5 update based on Android 13.
Software support
On 18 August 2020, Samsung revealed that all variants of the S20 series would be supported for three generations of Android software updates, and 4 years of security updates.
Known issues
Even before the general release, reviewers have seen autofocus and skin smoothing issues with the cameras, especially with the Galaxy S20 Ultra. Samsung is working on a fix, but the Exynos model continues to have autofocus issues after an update that was supposed to fix them.
Galaxy S20 Ultra can only record at 720p480fps and it upscales with AI to 720p960fps, Galaxy S20 and S20+ can record at 720p960fps.
Users have reported that the Snapdragon version has GPS lock issues. The Exynos model is also known to have heating issues.
Some devices also suffer from green display tint issues after a software update. The camera glass has been reported of spontaneously cracking, particularly on the Ultra version.
Some users reported instances of the Galaxy S20 FE suffering from touchscreen issues such as "ghost" touches and jittery movement when scrolling or zooming. Samsung attempted to fix the issue with several updates.
Some users in India reported that after being updated to One UI 4.01, a vertical line started appearing on the front display. These devices were out of warranty and Samsung India concluded it was user error. They charged around 16,000 INR to those users who were looking for a screen replacement. Around a thousand affected users tweeted about it asking for help and others decided to take legal action. Samsung India has still failed to acknowledge this issue.
Notes
See also
*
Digital zoom § ''iZoom''
*
Samsung Galaxy
*
Samsung Galaxy S series
*
Exynos
*
List of Qualcomm Snapdragon processors
*
AMOLED
References
External links
*
{{Android smartphones
Android (operating system) devices
Samsung mobile phones
Samsung Galaxy
Flagship smartphones
Mobile phones introduced in 2020
Mobile phones with multiple rear cameras
Mobile phones with 8K video recording