As the 11th generation of the Galaxy S phone, Galaxy S20 sets the bar for flagship Android phones in 2020. As expected, there are numerous new features in Galaxy S20 (including S20+ and S20 Ultra).
This Galaxy S20 guide explains the top 5 new features of Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra: better cameras, larger battery, Less curved screens, 120Hz refresh rate, and faster CPU. We did not include some new features that are available only in some regions, like eSIM support.
Please note, although Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra differs in some aspects as explained in this guide. They share many common features. So, in this guide, Galaxy S20 usually refers to all three Galaxy S20 models (Galaxy S20, S20+, Galaxy S20 Ultra) by default.
Better cameras: the most appealing new features of Galaxy S20
The No.1 reason you may consider to choose or upgrade to Galaxy S20 is the camera.
If you are happy with the camera on your current phone, there is NO reason to change or upgrade to Galaxy S20. Period.
As explained in the differences among Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra, the cameras in Galaxy S20 and S20+ are similar. What differs Galaxy S20 camera from competitors is the camera on Galaxy S20 Ultra.
Front camera
For the front camera, Galaxy S20 and S20+ share the identical 10MP camera sensor with last year’s Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+. They are only slightly better than the front cameras on Galaxy S10+, Galaxy S10, and Galaxy S10e.
But S20 Ultra is a different story.
The 40MP front camera on Galaxy S20 Ultra is a significant improvement compared to previous models. In low-light conditions, Galaxy S20 Ultra can combine 4 pixels into one and delivers better quality 10MP photos.
Please note, all 3 models of Galaxy S20 only have single front camera sensor. There is no secondary front camera as in Galaxy S10+.
Rear cameras
Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+ share similar wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle camera sensors as in last year’s Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10. The increase of the pixel size on Galaxy S20 and S20+ will definitely improve the photo quality when the lighting condition is not ideal.
The 64MP telephoto camera sensor in Galaxy S20 and S20+ is a big improvement from the 12MP telephoto sensor in Galaxy S10, S10+, Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+. FYI, Galaxy S10e does not have a telephoto camera.
The depth sensor (ToF camera) on Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy S20 Ultra is similar to that on Galaxy Note 10+.
Galaxy S20 Ultra improved the rear cameras significantly:
- 108MP wide-angle main camera can produce high-quality photos. When combing nine pixels into one, the 12MP photo usually has very low noise.
- The 48MP telephoto camera can offer 4x optical zoom with OIS.
Anyway, Galaxy S20 and S20+ only improve the rear camera slightly compared to last year’s flagship phones. It is Galaxy S20 Ultra that revolutionizes the smartphone camera.
Single Take mode
The new single take mode takes photos can use all cameras to take photos for about 10 seconds and recommend you different photos and videos.
In the background, AI can identify faces, environment, and movements. Then proper photos (some with filters and crops automatically) and videos are generated.
Please check this guide on how the Single Take camera mode works, and how to use the Single Take mode on Galaxy S20.
8K video recording
4K is history.
If you have an 8KTV or monitor, then you can record 8K videos with the rear camera.
Pro Video
In all previous Galaxy phones, the Pro mode is limited to still photos.
Galaxy S20 now include a new Pro Video mode, which allows you to use Pro mode for videos.
Of course, there are some incremental improvements in a few other Galaxy S20 camera modes.
Hybrid optical zoom and super-resolution zoom
The hybrid optical zoom, which uses traditional optical zoom and combines data from various sensors, is comparable to optical zoom because it is lossless.
Galaxy S20 and S20+ offer 3x hybrid zoom. Galaxy S20 Ultra offers up to 10X hybrid zoom. FYI, Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ offers 2x optical zoom.
Super-resolution zoom is improved digital zoom. Galaxy S20 uses some proprietary technology and other sensor data to improve the digital zoom.
Technically, at different zoom levels, camera sensors info from different cameras is combined and used in different ways, as explained in this guide.
Larger battery
Galaxy S20 has a significantly larger (capacity) battery, compared to Galaxy S10.
So, you can expect longer screen time even though Galaxy S20 is larger.
The battery capacity in Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra is 4000, 4500, and 5000mAh, respectively.
As a comparison, the capacity in Galaxy S10e, S10, and S10+ is 3100, 3400, and 4100 mAh respectively.
Galaxy S20, and S20+ support up to 25w super-fast charging 2.0. Galaxy S20 Ultra supports up to 45w.
Please check this guide to learn more on charging Galaxy S20 battery.
Less curved screens
Sadly, the curved display, or edge screen as Samsung called it, is still present in all Galaxy S20 models.
The good news is that it is less curved (see Galaxy S20 layout). Galaxy S20 Ultra has the sharpest curved edge. But it is flatter than S10.
It is still unclear when Samsung will remove such useless innovations.
120Hz refresh rate
For most users, the 60Hz refresh rate is sufficient.
But for some gamers, the higher, the better. Galaxy S20 screen now supports 120Hz refresh rate.
The catch is that the 120Hz refresh rate only works at 1080p resolution or lower.
Please refer to this guide on the detailed explanation and usage of the Galaxy S20’s 120Hz display refresh rate.
Faster CPU
For most flagship smartphones, the CPU actually is not an issue.
But the endless chase for speed requires chip makers to deliver faster CPU.
Galaxy S20 uses two different chips depending on the market:
- Snapdragon 865 in North America, China, Korea, and a few other regions.
- Exynos 990 in Europe, most Asian countries, Africa, and Oceania.
These are the fastest smartphone chip that money can buy in 2020 (Apple has faster chips for iOS only).
Normally, Snapdragon chips perform better than Exynos counterpart for most tasks. But due to cost and licensing considerations, Samsung still use their own chips on more than half of their flagship phones.
What do you think about the new features of Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra?
You may share your thoughts on the new features of Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra in the comment box below.
Have questions on new features of Galaxy S20? Check Galaxy S20 new feature guides page.
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