Samsung Galaxy S20: Everything We Know So Far [Updated]
The Galaxy S20 range (previously Galaxy S11) has leaked and leaked and leaked. This article is a roundup of everything we know so far. There’s much to love, but a couple of changes fans will hate. That said, my overriding opinion is Samsung has a potential game-changer on its hands. These are the reasons why.
Tip: this article will be regularly updated, so bookmark it (02/02 new price, pre-order and performance updates)
Samsung Galaxy S20 render based on multiple leaks
Ice Universe
Codename – The Galaxy S20 range is known as Picasso. Why would Samsung name the phone after a great artist? Because the headline change will be to the camera. That said, its potential name change will also generate a lot of attention because Samsung has decided to change branding and call the Galaxy S11e the Galaxy S20, the Galaxy S11 the Galaxy S20+ and is considering calling the Galaxy S11+ the Galaxy S20 Ultra. I discuss the pros and cons of the changes here.
Specifications – via MySmartPrice, popular insider Ishan Agarwal has leaked the full specifications for the Galaxy S20 range. I break these down in sections below, but highlights include their massive new screen sizes, increased battery capacities, and the biggest camera upgrades for generations. There’s a lot to be excited about here.
Full specifications for the Galaxy S20 range have leaked
MySmartPrice / Ishan Agarwal
Design – we now have official press renders of the the new Galaxy S20 line-up, again thanks to Ishan Agarwal. The standout features are the new centralised (and shrunk) front camera as well as even thinner bezels and a huge new rear camera hump which houses the range’s biggest upgrade, the camera (more below).
Official renders of the Galaxy S20 Ultra (left) and Galaxy S20+ (right)
Ishan Agarwal
Camera – As you can see above, Samsung will equip the Galaxy S20 with a 48MP telephoto lens to the range. This is capable of 5x optical zoom and it will sit alongside a 48MP wide-angle lens, a ToF flight sensor and a massive 108MP primary camera on the Ultra model, which uses pixel binning technology to create one large 2.4μm pixel with a 12 megapixel final image size. This should lead to dramatic improvements in low light photography. It’s codename is the ‘ISOCELL Bright HM1’.
Downsides? Just one: Samsung is cancelling its headline dual aperture technology which it introduced with the Galaxy S9. The news comes courtesy of Xda Developer’s prolific leaker Max Weinbach who has been at the forefront of Galaxy S20 leaks this year. You can read about Dual Aperture technology here and how it gave the Galaxy S9 the edge over the iPhone X but Apple has come a long way since then and – with camera upgrades being the Galaxy S20’s headline feature, it seems Samsung has found a way to compete without it. We will see.
Ice Universe has revealed another headline facet to the camera of the flagship Galaxy S20 Ultra: it can shoot 108MP images with “almost no delay” and automatic HDR. Given the size of the images (even with pixel binning), this is a remarkable achievement and – if Samsung’s image processing can catch up with Apple and Google – this could be the year the Galaxy range takes back top spot in smartphone photography.
Gordon’s Top Samsung Daily Deals:
- NEW – Samsung Galaxy S10 or Note 10 – save up to $800 with AT&T – membership wireless – Costco – shop deal now
- NEW – Samsung Galaxy Devices – save up to $700 on the latest with Verizon – Costco – shop deal now
- (Refurbished) Samsung Galaxy S10+ 128GB, (U.S. Warranty) from $511 (save over $200) – Walmart – shop deal now
- Galaxy S10+ Plus Factory Unlocked Phone with 1TB (U.S. Warranty), Ceramic Black – typically $1,599.99 (save up to $700) – Samsung.com: $899.99
- Galaxy Note 10+ 256GB – typically $1,099.99 – B&H: $749.99 / Samsung.com: $799.99
Display – As mentioned above, Samsung is significantly increasing screen sizes (which should be offset by the smaller bezels) with the new Galaxy S20 range. This is what you’ll get:
- 6.2-inch Galaxy S20
- 6.7-inch Galaxy S20+
- 6.9-inch Galaxy S20 Ultra
Further, in a late shocker, information by Xda Developers’ popular insider Max Weinbach, reveals Samsung will drop its iconic Edge display from the Galaxy S20 range. Expect a polarized reaction to this news and it is likely to be as much of a deal maker for some as a deal breaker for others. You can read my opinions on the change here.
Performance – The Galaxy S20 will use Samsung’s newly unveiled Snapdragon 865 which has 20% faster graphics rendering than the Snapdragon 855 in the Galaxy S10 and 35% more power efficiency. There’s also upgraded LPDDR5 smartphone memory (30% faster, 30% more efficient).
Benchmarking leaks also strongly suggest the Galaxy S20 range will have a minimum of 12GB RAM with up to 16GB in the flagship Galaxy S20 Ultra. This is a massive amount and lays down the gauntlet to Android rivals in 2020. Though Apple’s iPhone 12 performance looks set for even bigger gains.
02/02 Update: GSMArena has spotted further benchmarks in Geekbench 5.1 for all three new Galaxy S20 models. The SM-G981 (Galaxy S20), SM-G986 (Galaxy S20+) and SM-G988 (Galaxy S20 Ultra) – are the 5G variants of each model and the benchmarks show they are the Snapdragon 865 variants sold in the US. They come with a massive 12GB RAM as standard and score 900 (single-core) and 3,200 (multi-core). This is a new high for Android phones, though the A13 chipset in the iPhone 11 range hits 1,300 and 3,300 respectively to keep it as top dog.
Connectivity – The Snapdragon 865 has 5G baked in so it will come to every Galaxy S20 model. WiFi 6 will also come as standard and Samsung is retaining the microSD expansion slot (though not for the entry level Galaxy S20) The bad news: the headphone jack has gone, which is not surprising after it was ditched by the Galaxy Note 10.
Biometrics – Samsung is not expected to introduce a Face ID rival, but it will add a supersized Qualcomm 3D Sonic Max fingerprint sensor to the Galaxy S20 which is 17x larger than the sensor used in the Galaxy S10 (making placement more instinctive). The sensor will also support two fingerprints at the same time which will deliver a significant increase in security which can be reserved for crucial moments, like the completion of financial transactions or logging into a banking app.
Qualcomm’s 3D Sonic Max in-display fingerprint reader is a dramatic step forward
Qualcomm
Battery Life – Another major upgrade. While 5G will consume more battery life, Samsung looks set to more than offset this with significant capacity upgrades
- Galaxy S20 – 4,000 mAh (S10: 3,400 mAh)
- Galaxy S20+: 4,500 mAh (S10+: 4,100 mAh)
- Galaxy S20 Ultra: 5,000 mAh
45W ‘Super Fast’ charging is also expected to come as standard. But don’t expect the company’s potentially revolutionary graphene batteries to be ready for the Galaxy S20 range, though it could possibly launch late in the year.
Downsides – the Galaxy S20 looks set to have all the bad points of the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus: for the S20 that means no microSD while every model will lose the headphone jack. XDA Developers has attained a hands-on video of a Galaxy S20 and it confirms the removal of the jack.
Release Date: Samsung has officially confirmed the Galaxy S20 will launch on February 11. The teaser image is also easily decoded: the first ‘A’ is the shape of the new Galaxy S20 rear camera hump (as the camera is the phone’s headline upgrade) and the second ‘A’ is the form factor of the new folding Galaxy smartphone (closed, because I understand it will have a clamshell design). You can read more about that phone here.
Samsung’s Galaxy S20 launch teaser is easily cracked
Samsung
Price: until now pricing for the Galaxy S20 range had been a tightly guarded secret but now a familiar (and highly reliable) source has shed light on what to expect. Popular leaker Max Weinberg has revealed Samsung will price its line-up between the following price points in Europe:
- Galaxy S20 5G: €900-1000
- Galaxy S20+ 5G: €1050-1100
- Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G: €1300
Prices in Europe tend to be higher than the US as they include sales tax, so if Samsung can hit these price points for the 5G versions of these phones then it will represent a reduction compared to last year when the Galaxy S10+ started at $1,300.
02/02 Update:Europe pricing has leaked via SamMobile for Europe (specifically Poland) which puts prices slightly lower at the entry-level but eye-wateringly high for the new Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G flagship:
- Galaxy S20 – from €812 (coming in blue, pink, gray)
- Galaxy S20+ and S20+ 5G – from €1,023 and €1,128 respectively (black, blue, gray)
- Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G – from €1,395 (black, gray)
European prices always include VAT, which may be some consolation to US buyers but it is clear Samsung is going for an iPhone 11 strategy here with the entry-level Galaxy S20 (the equivalent to last year’s Galaxy S10e) the true value option.
02/02 Update – Samsung has officially opened its pre-order site for the Galaxy S20 range even before its announcement! Samsung warns that “supplies will be limited” though it teases a “limited time offer” for those who pre-order which we already know will be a free set of Galaxy Buds+ wireless earphones (worth $150 and also to be announced at the Galaxy S20 launch event)
Leaked Samsung launch promotion revealing Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy S20 Ultra buyers will receive … [+]
EvLeaks
Conclusion
After incremental upgrades in 2019, Samsung is going for it in 2020 and a big motivation is Apple’s plans for the iPhone 12. These include an upgraded design, 120Hz ProMotion displays, some incredible 3D camera tricks, the return of Touch ID and, potentially, the end of the Lightning port. Apple may also release as many as six new iPhone models.
Yes, 2020 is shaping up to be major year for smartphone fans.
Tip: I will keep this article updated as your one-stop-shop for Galaxy S20 news, so bookmark it.
___
Follow Gordon on Facebook
More On Forbes
Apple iPhone 12: Everything We Know So Far
Apple AirPods Pro Vs AirPods: What’s The Difference?
Samsung Daily Deals: Galaxy S10, Note 10, TV Deals Hit New Price Lows
Powered by WPeMatico