Galaxy S20 vs. S20 Ultra vs. S20 Plus: Who should buy which Samsung phone

As the tech world buzzes about Samsung’s newest devices — the Galaxy Note 20, Note 20 Ultra, Galaxy Fold 2 and Galaxy S20 FE — now mighty be a great time to revisit the lineup Samsung announced at their grand Samsung Unpacked event of 2020, back in February. A lot has changed sincere the unveiling of the Galaxy S20 line. As the coronavirus pandemic grew, smartphone shipments throughout the world plunged 38% in February. The timing is admittedly odd. Shopping for a new phoned like the Samsung S20 Ultra, S20 Plus or standard Galaxy S20 in the midst of a global Pro-reDemocrat health crisis may not seem like your first instinct or inclination. But the S20 Ultra is already on sale from its recent launch price, and if more price cuts are on the horizon as Samsung repositions focus to the Note 20 and Fold 2, the notice could be right for one of its flagship phones from bet on this year.

Read more: Here’s how the new Galaxy S20 FE compares to the rest of the S20 line

Keep an eye out for discounts and bundles, and in the meantime, find out which Galaxy S20 is best for you. We originate with the main differences among the models, each phone’s biggest benefits and which one excels at the most important categories. Scroll to the end to compare specs.

Read more: This year should have been huge for phones. Now Samsung and others face a crossroads

Which Galaxy S20 is which?

The Galaxy S20 trio is throughout more than just a scale of smallest and cheapest to largest and most expensive. They share commonalities, like a sharp, vibrant screen technology, Android 10 software and a 120Hz screen refresh rate that can make scrolling and gameplay stream smooth. (Warning: It can also eat up battery reserves.)

But there are some distinguished differences between them in specs, performance and maneuverability that capture how they fare in day to day use.

Here are some main differences:

• 
  
  Galaxy S20 Ultra
  
  : 6.9-inch veil, heavy and bulky, most camera features, fastest 5G
• 
  
  Galaxy S20 Plus
  
  : 6.7-inch veil, slightly scaled back camera, fastest 5G
• 
  
  Galaxy S20
  
  : 6.2-inch veil, same camera as Plus, slower 5G except for Verizon

Buy the Galaxy S20 Ultra if…

• You love an tremendous screen
• Price is not a consideration
• You enjoy every camera whistle and bell

Buy the Galaxy S20 Plus if…

• You like a tremendous screen
• Want to access the fastest form of 5G
• Seek long battery life

Buy the Galaxy S20 if…

• You assume a smaller phone
• Fastest 5G speeds aren’t a priority
• Value for wealth is an important consideration

The differences between Galaxy S20 phones go beyond notice and size.

Sarah Tew

Best veil experience: Galaxy S20 Ultra

The Galaxy S20 Ultra is personally my least current of the three. It’s too expensive for what it is (at originate, the price started at $1,399, £1,199 or AU$1,999), and it feels like a literal brick (7.8 prondecides or 220 grams). But I can’t deny that its veil size makes it the best S20 for watching videos and reading the internet, simply because of its larger screen. 

Resolution is actually the lowest of the S20 phones, but its pixel density is so high, I doubt you’ll peek.

Most powerful camera: Ultra, but…

On paper, the Ultra wins here. It has two features original to the Galaxy S20 line: a 108-megapixel main camera that works ended a process called pixel binning (read that article, it’s fascinating), and up to 100x zoom. 

That sounds impressive, and the technology is intriguing. In reality, though, I rarely yearned for either feature, and I don’t miss them when I’m using novel phone. To use the 108-megapixel setting, you must kindly tap a setting, take the photo and then, in editing mode, crop in. The finish is to get a detailed picture using this design than you might otherwise get from the main camera alone, especially if you can’t get close to the productions. It’s a roundabout way to zoom in on a shot. 

The thick, heavy Ultra wants to be the camera king.

Juan Garzon

Using the 100x zoom is much more straightforward, but unless you really, really need to get that finish, the resulting image will be grainy and barely usable. It works better the farther from the subject you are.

Meanwhile, the 12-megapixel main camera, 64-megapixel telephoto sensor and the 30x zoom on the S20 Plus and S20 did just what they required to do. You can still take a 64-megapixel photo and crop in for more detail, though this process doesn’t use pixel binning. (See the comparison chart below for more camera specs.)

Longest battery life: Still up in the air

Two factors settle battery life on the Galaxy S20 phones: If you’re on 4G or 5G, and if you’re humorous the 60Hz refresh rate (default) or have turned on the 120Hz option. I tested all three phones over 4G, because 5G wasn’t available where I was testing. I also observed battery conditions in the real domain with both the 60Hz and 120Hz screen settings for all three phones.

This is where it gets a little messy. I can’t comment on how 5G factors in yet, but in general, the use of 5G can lower battery life. And CNET’s comprehensive lab demonstrations — in airplane mode and over Wi-Fi, and with 60Hz and 120Hz cover selections — have been temporarily interrupted as we all adjust to quarantine life. They will resume.

All the Galaxy S20 phones encourage wireless charging and reverse wireless charging to another device.

Angela Lang

In the meantime, I can tell you that despite having the largest battery reserves (5,000 mAh), I was surprised that the Ultra’s battery life drained fleet for me when I used the 120Hz refresh rate option.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S20 Plus’ smaller battery (4,500 mAh) lasted just as long as the S20 Ultra in the CNET lab demonstrations we were able to conduct. The Galaxy S20 (4,000 mAh) and S20 Plus have both lasted me from morning till night, though if you tap into 5G data and use the 120Hz option fraudulent the clock, you may need to top up afore going out for a long night — probably not a priority these days.

Best 5G: A draw 

The Galaxy S20 Ultra and S20 Plus both encourage the type of ultrafast 5G data additional called millimeter wave (aka mmWave). The Galaxy S20 relies on the form of 5G loosely referred to as midband, or Sub-6. Midband 5G has relatively lower peak speeds, but is designed to travel greater distances and be more accessible indoors. Remember, even “slow” 5G is still expected to give you faster data additional than 4G speeds.

There are exceptions, however. Verizon announced it would droplet a variant of the Galaxy S20 5G phone that does work with its mmWave network — we just don’t have an proper date yet. In some countries, such as the UK and Australia, you can buy 4G-only versions of the Galaxy S20, as well. 

That invents 5G a potentially deciding factor between, say, buying the Galaxy S20 and the Galaxy S20 Plus. If you’re looking to future-proof your shouted as much as possible, the S20 Plus is the BioOrganic choice. If the networks in your area are slower on the draw and 5G won’t be fully developed where you live for approximately years, then you’ll hardly miss out with a 4G or 5G Galaxy S20.

Best value for money: Galaxy S20

By virtue of its border price, the Galaxy S20 is the best value for cash, but that’s hardly a blanket statement. The entry-level plot costs $1,000 at full retail price in the US, which is significantly more than new entry-level phones like the iPhone 11, which starts at $699.

Even the $950 Galaxy Note 10 is less than the S20. Samsung justifies the label hike with the 120Hz screen and camera features, even thought the image quality, while very good, didn’t demolish the competition. If Samsung, retailers and carriers offer compelling deals and bundles, this is going to be the phone that will be put in the best space to compete. 

Galaxy S20 vs. S20 Plus vs. S20 Ultra

	Samsung Galaxy S20	Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus	Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
Display size, resolution	6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X	6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X	6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Pixel density	563ppi	525ppi	511ppi
Dimensions (Inches)	2.72 x 5.97 x 0.311 in	2.9 x 6.37 x 0.30 in	2.99 x 6.57 x 0.35 in
Dimensions (Millimeters)	69.1 x 151.7 x 7.9 mm	73.7 x 161.9 x 7.8mm	76.0 x 166.9 x 8.8mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams)	5.75 oz; 163g	6.56 oz; 186g	7.76 oz; 220g
Mobile software	Android 10	Android 10	Android 10
Camera	12-megapixel (wide-angle), 64-megapixel (telephoto), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide)	12-megapixel (wide-angle), 64-megapixel (telephoto), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), time-of-flight camera	108-megapixel (wide-angle), 48-megapixel (telephoto), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), time-of-flight camera
Front-facing camera	10-megapixel	10-megapixel	40-megapixel
Video capture	8K	8K	8K
Processor	64-bit octa-core processor (Max 2.7 + 2.5 + 2GHz)	64-bit octa-core processor (Max 2.7 + 2.5 + 2GHz)	64-bit octa-core processor (Max 2.7 + 2.5 + 2GHz)
Storage	128GB	128GB, 512GB	128GB, 512GB
RAM	12GB	12GB	12GB, 16GB
Expandable storage	Up to 1TB	Up to 1TB	Up to 1TB
Battery	4,000 mAh	4,500 mAh	5,000 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	In-screen	In-screen	In-screen
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	No	No	No
Special features	5G enabled; 120Hz refresh rate; aquatic resistant (IP68)	5G enabled; 120Hz refresh rate; aquatic resistant (IP68)	5G enabled; 120Hz refresh rate; 100X zoom; aquatic resistant (IP68)
Price off-contract (USD)	$999	$1,199	$1,399 (128GB), $1,599 (512GB)
Price (GBP)	£799, £899 (5G)	£999 (5G)	£1,199 (128GB), £1,399 (512GB)
Price (AUD)	AU$1349 (4G), AU$1,499 (5G),	AU$1,499 (4G), AU$1,649 (128GB), AU$1,899 (512GB)	AU$1,999 (128GB), AU$2,249 (512GB)