Summary

Samsung's new flagship, the Galaxy S20 Ultra, tries to pack every single modern phone feature and the kitchen sink, and it mostly succeeds. It is Samsung's most expensive smartphone yet (not counting the foldables) and for the first time, the starting price is actually higher than on arch-rival Apple's top device, the iPhone 11 Pro Max.

In exchange for that high price, you get more features: the S20 Ultra comes with 5G connectivity that the iPhone lacks, it comes with a zoom camera that allows you to see things so far away that your eye cannot see them, and its screen now refreshes at double the rate for a buttery smooth experience. All of that is powered by a huge, 5,000mAh battery cell that lasts on and on.

There are a few camera kinks like a wonky autofocus in video and there are a few inconsistencies and smaller issues with the camera. Samsung has promised an update that would fix those camera issues, but while we are optimistic, we do feel like this phone has been rushed a bit. The interface is also starting to get a bit overwhelming with settings. Overall, though, the S20 Ultra will likely impress you, especially if you can stomach its $1,400 price.

Intro


Making a phone that truly stands out these days is a tough challenge: most smartphones already look great, cameras are better than ever, and even battery life has gotten quite good lately.

So what would you do if you were the one calling the shots at the biggest smartphone maker in the world?

Well, we know what Samsung would do: come up with a crazy new camera system that can zoom further than ever before and add every new feature you could think of in a single device. After the hugely successful Galaxy S10 series last year, Samsung takes things up a notch with its most expensive phone yet (not counting the folding and flipping ones): the Galaxy S20 Ultra. It has everything you might want in a flagship phone: a big, 6.9-inch screen with colors that look incredible, a giant, 5,000mAh battery on the inside, and support for 5G connectivity. But its main focus is on the one feature Samsung says has the most value to those looking for a new phone, and it's the camera.

How well has Samsung done its job? I have been using the Galaxy S20 Ultra for a week now, taking a bunch of photos and comparing it to the most popular rivals from Apple, Google and others. Read on to find out how the S20 Ultra performed.

But first, let's start with a quick look at what you get inside the box with the Ultra:

  • Phone with pre-applied plastic screen protector
  • 25-watt charger with USB-C connection (black)
  • USB-C to USB-C cable (black)
  • USB-C in-ear headphones, tuned by AKG (black)
  • A pair of large and small sized eartips for the headphones
  • User manual
  • SIM tool
  • *Clear Case (might be included in some markets and not in others)

Design


You might be quite intimidated when you read that the S20 Ultra has a 6.9-inch screen. "Wasn't that as big as tablets back in the day?," you may rightfully wonder. The answer is a bit complicated, but put shortly, no, the S20 Ultra is definitely not as big as tablets back in the day. The reason for this is the aspect ratio which used to be more squarish on older devices, and these days, the S20 Ultra has a much taller and also a much narrower display (it uses a 20:9 aspect ratio). In fact, the S20 Ultra is quite the tall phone, yet at the same time it's even narrower than the 6.5" iPhone 11 Pro Max which uses a different aspect ratio.

Since we have already drawn some parallels, let's also say that the S20 Ultra is also quite the thick phone. Compared to its S10 predecessors from last year, it's noticeably bulkier and heavier too.

The materials Samsung uses are the familiar combination of toughened glass for the front and back, and polished, glossy aluminum for the middle frame of the device. Archrival Apple is using stainless steel for its Pro series of iPhones, and that materials feels a bit more lush, but the aluminum on the S20 Ultra helps keep the weight down and the Ultra weighs less than an iPhone 11 Pro Max.

My colleague Peter complained about how disappointingly dull the design of the S20 Ultra is, especially when you compare it with the mesmerizing Aura Glow finish on Samsung's Note 10 Plus late last year, a design that reflected colors in all sorts of beautiful patterns while remaining classy. Here on the S20 Ultra you have none of that eye-candy: just a plain old boring gray model and a black version, and both attract fingerprints like crazy too. Most people would probably put a case on it and not care too much, but it's strange nonetheless.