Samsung Galaxy S20 Guides

Everything about Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra

New Features

How to Use Enhanced Processing on Galaxy S20 with Android 11 update?

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Enhanced Processing on Galaxy S20 with Android 11 updateEnhanced processing is one of the prominent new features in Galaxy S20 Android 11 update.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains what the enhanced processing is, how to enable it from Settings and quick settings panel and how to use enhanced processing on Galaxy S20 with Android 11 update.

The enhanced processing option is available after you upgraded Galaxy S20 (and Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 10, and Galaxy Note 20) to Android 11.  If your Galaxy S20 is still running Android 10, please check this guide on how to use and customise the power mode.

What is enhanced processing on Galaxy S20 with Android 11 update?

As mentioned here, Samsung revamped (simplified) the power modes and added the enhanced processing option in Android 11 (One UI 3.0) update for Galaxy S20, S10, Note 10, and Note 20.

But Samsung hasn’t offered a detailed explanation of this feature, except stating:

Get faster data processing for all apps except games. use more battery.

There are some wrong inceptions on this feature on the internet. Some mistakenly thought the enhanced processing is simply the old high-performance mode.

So, what is enhanced processing?

First, the enhanced processing, once enabled, can unleash the full CPU (and GPU) power so that the app can run faster.

Second, the enhanced processing works with power saving mode. In other words, you can use this feature even in the power saving mode.

It sounds confusing. But it makes sense.

Apparently, the enhanced processing actually unleash the CPU power on demand. When you are using an app in the power saving mode, in the past, the CPU speed is capped. Now, with the enhanced processing, the limit can be removed on demand with other restrictions (e.g., brightness) in place. Of course, it does not affect background apps.

Third, enhanced processing is a standalone feature.

Galaxy S20 Android 11 update simplified the power modes to 2 modes only: default mode and power saving mode.  The enhanced processing adds the option to speed up the CPU speed on demand for active (foreground) apps. This addressed the battery consumption issue in the old performance mode.

At the same time, there are many complaints about the old medium power saving mode, which slows down the apps noticeably. Some owners question the rationale of limiting the speed for the foreground apps. The enhanced processing addressed this … Read the rest

Top 11 new features in Galaxy S20 Android 11 update

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Top 11 new features in Galaxy S20 Android 11 updateSamsung officially released Galaxy S20 Android 11 update in early December  2020 globally. Galaxy S20 owners in most regions will get the Android 11 update (One UI 3.0) by the end of 2020.

Of course, in a few regions, owners have to wait and will get the update in January or February 2021.

Galaxy S20 Android 11 update brings a refreshed One UI 3.0 with most (not all) Android 11 features. This Galaxy S20 guide explains the top 11 new features in the Galaxy S20 Android 11 update to help you jumpstart with the new UI and new features.

This guide applies to all Galaxy S20 models (Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 FE, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra) because the new features and the new UI are almost identical on all these phones.

Please follow this guide to update Galaxy S20 to Android 11.

One UI 3.0 with a refreshed visual design

Samsung now updates One UI with each Android update. With Galaxy S20 Android 11 update, One UI was updated to version 3.0 with a refreshed visual design.

You will find One UI 3.0 offers generous space (empty region). But there are fewer wasted spaces compared to One UI 2 and One UI 2.5. So, most users will feel more relaxed when using the phone.

One UI 3.0 also introduced a few new visual effects to help you quickly focus on what matters most.

But they are controversial.  Some owners probably will not like some of them. For example, the blurred effect for notifications may irritate some users depending on the wallpaper used. Unfortunately, Samsung did not offer the options to turn them off, at least, up to now.

Overall, aesthetic improvements in One UI 3.0 are obvious. They make the UI modern and stylish.

Please note, Samsung removed the feature of customising the app icon shapes in this Android 11 update.

Revamped notifications

Some major improvements and new features in Android 11 are notification related. They make notifications very convenient to use, intuitive and interactive.

Samsung implemented almost all of them and added a few of their own.

Notification history

Sometimes, you may want to re-read a few notifications that were dismissed inadvertently. Or you may just want to check whether you missed any important notifications.

Android 11 introduced notification history, which allows you to check all notifications (of course including dismissed and silent notifications) in the … Read the rest

How to use and force Galaxy S20 dark mode?

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use and force Galaxy S20 dark modeGalaxy S20 dark mode can significantly reduce your eye strain when using the phone. It may also slightly save battery for Galaxy S20.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains what Galaxy S20 dark mode is, how to use and customize the dark mode on Galaxy S20, and how to force all apps to use dark mode on Galaxy S20.

Galaxy S20 dark mode works identically on Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra. So this guide applies to all these three Galaxy S20 phones.

What is Galaxy S20 dark mode?

Galaxy S20 dark mode turns on a dark theme at the system level to alleviate eye strain, especially under low-light conditions. In the past, it was called night mode sometimes.

To avoid confusions with the camera night mode, Samsung followed the Android convention of the dark theme and named it officially as the dark mode since Android 10 update.

So, essentially, Galaxy S20 dark mode is the dark theme in other Android phones noticeable improvements.

The dark theme will try to use dark (black or grey) background and white text. This usually makes your eyes more comfortable when staring at the screen, especially when the light condition is not good.

Individual app developers may choose to implement the Android dark theme, or ignore it, or implement their own dark theme.  So, by default, some apps may ignore the dark mode. In Android 10, you can force all apps to use the Galaxy S20 dark mode (read on).

One beneficial side-effect of applying Galaxy S20 dark mode is noticeable power saving (without changing Galaxy S20 power mode).  Because Galaxy S20 uses super AMOLED. The black pixels consume almost no power. So, when you switch to the dark background, the screen will utilize less power. For most owners, power saving is noticeable, and it is helpful to extend the battery lifespan slightly.

For most Galaxy S20 owners, there are three benefits of turning on the dark mode on Galaxy S20:

  1. Alleviate eye strain.
  2. Save battery.
  3. Aesthetic (depending on individual owners). Some users prefer a white (light) background, and others may prefer the black (dark) background.

You can enable or disable Galaxy S20 dark mode at any time manually, or use it automatically based on your schedule.

How to enable and disable the Galaxy S20 dark mode?

By default, the dark mode is not enabled on Galaxy S20. There are at least … Read the rest

How to use different camera lens to zoom in and zoom out on Galaxy S20?

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use different camera lensesGalaxy S20 is all about the camera. The three primary camera lenses on the back of Galaxy S20 allows you to zoom in and zoom out quickly to capture any objects/scenes far or close.

For example, Galaxy S20 Ultra offers up to 100x super-resolution zoom and up to 10x hybrid zoom.

But many Galaxy S20 owners are a bit confused on choosing the correct camera lens and set the proper zoom levels.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the differences among the three main (rear) cameras, the link between zoom and camera lenses,  how to choose different camera lenses, and how to zoom in and zoom out properly.

In this guide, we mainly use the Galaxy S20 Ultra rear cameras as an example. When there are any differences, we will highlight whether the feature is for Galaxy S20 Ultra, or Galaxy S20 (and S20+). All camera software features on three Galaxy S20 models are identical, although Galaxy S20 Ultra has better hardware specs for the primary wide-angle camera and the telephoto camera.

What are the different camera lenses on Galaxy S20?

Besides the depth sensor camera on Galaxy 20+ and S20 Ultra, on all three models of Galaxy S20 phones, there are three camera lenses for different purposes:

  1. Wide-angle camera.
  2. Ultra-wide-angle camera.
  3. Telephoto camera.

Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 FE, and Galaxy S20+ share the identical hardware of these three camera lenses. Galaxy S20 Ultra has an upgraded camera system. But the camera app is identical on all these phones. You can also use different shooting methods as well on all of these phones.

Wide-angle camera

The 12MP (or 108MP on Galaxy S20 Ultra) wide-angle camera is the primary shooter. By default, you will take photos and record videos (except 8K videos) with this camera lens. Of course, you can choose other lenses if you want (read on).

On Galaxy S20 Ultra, you can choose to save the pictures as 12MP (at the aspect ratio of 4:3) after combining pixels, or as 108MP (which take s far more storage). Usually, you should save the photo as normal 12MP in indoor or low-light conditions. You may consider the108MP option when lighting is excellent (e.g., outdoor in sunny days).

Ultra-wide-angle camera

The 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera is identical on all three Galaxy S20 models.

With a field of view (FoV) of 120˚, this camera allows you to capture … Read the rest

How to set Galaxy S20 display refresh rate?

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set Galaxy S20 display refresh rateThe 120Hz display refresh rate is one of the prominent new features of Galaxy S20.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the role of the display refresh rate on Galaxy S20, how to change the refresh rate on Galaxy S20, the limitations of the 120Hz refresh rate on Galaxy S20. Some questions you may have on this feature are also addressed.

The display refresh rate feature on three Galaxy S20 phones are identical. So, S20 in this refers to Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra.

What are the 60Hz and 120Hz display refresh rate on Galaxy S20?

The display refresh rate measures the number of times per second the display can redraw the whole screen. So, the unit of the refresh rate is Hertz (Hz, 1/s).

For most smartphones, the display refresh rate is 60Hz. And it is good enough for most users.

Most videos have a frame rate of 24~30 fps (frames per second).  Loosely, you can think one frame means one static image on the screen.

So, as long as the refresh rate is higher than the fps of the video, we say the display can handle the video. You can watch the video on such a display.

In reality, the 60Hz display refresh rate allows you to watch the video smoothly.

But some users, mainly gamers,  may prefer a higher refresh rate to enjoy more realistic gaming experiences.

The hardware and the software on Galaxy S20 are capable of generating graphic output at very high speed, far higher than 60fps even at the full WQHD resolution.

So, some games can benefit from the high fps if the display can handle the output smoothly.

Galaxy S20 answers such demands with the 120Hz refresh rate display.

As mentioned, the 120Hz refresh rate is not for everyone. You will see the difference if:

  • You are playing 60fps (or higher) videos.
  • You are playing a few games that can handle/generate output at a rate higher than 60fps. Most games do NOT benefit from a high frame rate.

Anyway, as a new feature of Galaxy S20, the 120Hz refresh rate display (motion smoothness) may improve your experiences with a few games and videos.

How to set the Galaxy S20 display refresh rate?

By default, the Galaxy S20 display refresh rate is et at 60Hz.  You can change it to 120Hz in the motion smoothness settings.

Please note, the 120Hz refresh rate is not … Read the rest

How to use single take camera mode on Galaxy S20?

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use single take camera modeSamsung debuted the single take camera mode with the release of Galaxy S20.  It helps you take several photos and videos automatically to capture important moments.

This Galaxy S20 camera guide explains how Galaxy S20 single take camera mode works, the limitations of the single take camera mode on Galaxy S20, how to use this camera mode to take single take photos and videos, and how to manage photos taken in the Galaxy S20 single take camera mode.

Because Samsung has backported the single take camera mode to Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 in One UI 2.1 update, you can use this camera mode not only on Galaxy S20 (S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra), but also Galaxy S10 (S10, S10e, and S10+) and Galaxy Note 10 (Note 10, Note 10+).

In this guide, Galaxy S20 is used as an example. You can use the single take camera mode on all support phones.

How does the single take camera mode on Galaxy S20 work?

Galaxy S20 single take camera mode uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analysis the scene and takes up to 10 photos and up to 4 videos automatically for you in 3-10 seconds.

You can simplify the single take camera mode into the following three stages.

  1. It uses all available camera lens/sensors to take many photos and record a few videos with various settings based on the scene detected.
  2. It analyses all photos and videos taken.
  3. It outputs the best photos and videos (including GIF animations if appropriate).

In stage 1, Galaxy S20 camera uses scene recognition and optimization to get the “optimal” settings first. The primary camera, ultra-wide camera and telephoto camera are all used to take some snapshots.

In stage 3, the photos or video generated are usually not the “original” one. Some original photos may be merged and cropped to form a “final” photo.  Panorama photos and GIF animations may also be created if Galaxy S20 thinks they are relevant to the scene. A few camera effects may also be applied to the output photos.

Anyway, the Galaxy S20 single take camera mode was designed to help you capture the important moments automatically with the optimal settings.

Can I use the single take camera mode on other phones (e.g., Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10)?

Samsung has backported the single take camera mode to Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 in the One UI … Read the rest

What is Galaxy S20 Hybrid Optic Zoom and Super Resolution Zoom?

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Galaxy S20 Hybrid Optic Zoom and Super Resolution ZoomOne of the most useful new features of Galaxy S20 is the camera zoom: up to 10x hybrid optical zoom, and 100x Super Resolution zoom. Samsung called it Space Zoom and registered a trademark for it.

Actually, the camera in S20 Ultra probably is the only reason for you to migrate to Galaxy S20 as explained in this post.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the details of Galaxy S20 hybrid optic zoom and super-resolution zoom, the differences between these two zooms, and their relationships with the optical zoom and digital zoom.

Please note, Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra have different camera configurations as explained in this page. 10x hybrid optical zoom and 100x Super Resolution zoon can only be found on Galaxy S20 Ultra. Galaxy S20 and S20+ only have 3x hybrid zoom and 30x super-resolution zoom.

You may check this guide to learn to use the new Galaxy S20 camera app and this guide (coming soon) on how to use the hybrid optical zoom and super-resolution zoom.

What is the optical zoom and digital zoom?

When taking photos or shooting videos, you may want to change the focal length of the photo. Sometimes you want to take a “close-up” (zoom-in) photo or wide ones (zoom-out).

This has been easily implemented on the cameras using a lens with controllable focal length. Even most sub-$300 point-and-shoot cameras are equipped with a lens which can offer 10x to 30x optical zoom.

But for smartphones, these traditional lenses cannot be used due to thinness fo the smartphone. The higher zoom levels usually mean a longer (thicker) lens.

So, up to now, the flagship smartphones usually stop at 3x optical room simply because of the thickness limitations fo the phone.

The zoom achieved through changing the focal length in the optical system is called “optical zoom”.

You should not be confused the optical zoom with the digital zoom, which can be found in almost all smartphones.

Digital zoom does not special hardware. In plain terms, it works in two stages:

  1. Crop the centre part of the photo.
  2. Resize the cropped photo to the size of the photo.

So, basically, the digital zoom is just an image editing.

When resizing the cropped photo, the actual “pixels” captured by the camera sensor cannot be increased. The software has to “create” some pixels to fill the space.

Of course, some vendors may use … Read the rest

5 worst features of Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra

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top 5 worst features of Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 UltraGalaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra will be one of the best selling flagship phones in 2020, although there are some missing features and poorly implemented features.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the top 5 worst features of Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra: in-display fingerprint scanner, curved screen, no headphone jack, no QC 3.0-, and the price.

In-display fingerprint scanner: the worst of the worst features of Galaxy S20

Samsung introduced the ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor in Galaxy S10.

It’s probably one of the worst features in S10 and S10+. Luckily, you can still choose Galaxy S10e if you need a better fingerprint reader.

The in-display fingerprint reader in most cases is less accurate, slower, and inconvenient. It is an example of meaningless innovation for smartphones.

Samsung since then added this not-ready features to all of their “flagship” smartphones to differentiate them from other Android phones (because only a few Chinese brands used similar or even worse in-display fingerprint read).

If you skip the fingerprint reader, then you have only the less secure face recognition for biometric authentications.  The default behaviour of face recognition in Galaxy S20 is that you have to swipe on the lock screen after the phone is unlocked. You need to follow this guide to disable the stay on the Lock screen.

All of the three Galaxy S20 models (Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra) use the same in-display fingerprint sensor.

If you need a normal fingerprint reader, you should eliminate Galaxy S20 from your list.

Although Samsung claimed they improved the fingerprint sensor, for example, a larger touch area (see Galaxy S20 layout) and faster recognition, it is still inferior to most of the capacitative fingerprint readers found in many middle-range smartphones.

You will feel the pain sooner or later. Especially, in the dry winter, it is almost impossible to use the in-display fingerprint reader.

So, we consider the in-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner is the worst of the worst features of Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and S20 Ultra.

Curved screen

Samsung “invented” the curved screen in Galaxy Note Edge (Note 4 Edge) with a separated curved edge screen, which nobody likes.

Samsung is so proud of their curved screens that they want to make it a signature feature of their top-tier smartphones, although it reduces the usability of the phone.

Since Galaxy S6,  the curved screen became an option: you … Read the rest

Top 5 new features of Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra

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new features of Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 UltraAs 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+. … Read the rest

Top 10 differences among Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra

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differences among Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 UltraSamsung released 3 models of Galaxy S20. So what are the major differences among Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra?

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the top 10 differences of these 3 models to help you choose the correct Galaxy S20 model for your needs. The major differences among Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 ultra include screen size, price, rear camera system, front camera, battery capacity, RAM, storage, colour options, weight and charging speed.

Please note, in some regions, the configuration options (RAM, storage, colour, 5G, LTE) may be limited. But software features are all identical in these three Galaxy S20 phones.

Screen Size

All of the three phones share the same screen resolution (WQHD+, 3200×1440) and display technology (Dynamic AMOLED 2X).

And all of the three phones support 120Hz refresh rate (at 1080p resolution) as explained in this page. FYI, most of the mainstream TVs, smartphones, PC monitors, laptop screens have a refresh rate of 60Hz.

But the size of the screen differs on these 3 phones:

  • Galaxy S20: 6.2″
  • Galaxy S20+: 6.7″
  • Galaxy S20 Ultra: 6.9″

The size difference between Galaxy S20 and the other two big brothers is obvious.  Between Galaxy S20+ and S20 Ultra, the difference is not so obvious.

In addition to the size, the curvature of the edge of the screen also differs noticeably among these 3 phones. Galaxy S20 screen is the flattest. Galaxy S20 Ultra has the sharpest curvature.

Please note,  the aspect ratio of the screen on Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra is 20:9. So, Galaxy S20 looks narrower than Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 (19:9), and therefore the 6.9″ Galaxy S20 Ultra is narrower than the 6.8″ Galaxy Note 10+ (76mm vs 77.2mm in width).

Price

What is common in the price of the Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra is expensive.

Among these 3 expensive Galaxy S20 models, Galaxy S20 Ultra is the most expensive starting at $1399 (with the base configuration).

Galaxy S20 starts at $999, and S20+ at $1199. These are for base (aka, minimum) configurations only, again.

This is a huge jump from the Galaxy S10 series.

It seems  Samsung cannot make the best Android phone. But they can make the most expensive mainstream Android phones.

Actually, Galaxy S20 is more expensive than the latest iPhone 11 Pro, which starts at $999 only.

Surely, this price is not sustainable.  … Read the rest