We already have with us the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra to make its corresponding review, something that, we are not going to lie to you, we waited with some anxiety. Well, we already have it in our hands to analyze how is this new incorporation into the S family of this year 2020.
Although there is a slightly more powerful version than the one that the brand has given us, the device that we have been sent does not believe that it falls short in any aspect, but quite the opposite, since it has 12 GB of RAM and Exynos 990 as processor.
Samsung Galaxy A51, review with opinion and specifications
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, technical sheet
- Screen: Dynamic AMOLED of 6.9 inches, 1,400 x 3,200 pixels, 20: 9 ratio and a pixel density of 511 dpi.
- Processor: Exynos 990 of 7 nm.
- RAM: 12 GB
- Internal storage: 128 GB expandable through microSD cards.
- Rear camera: Main 108 MP, f / 1.8, 0.8 m + Telephoto 48 MP, f / 3.5, 0.8 m, 10x optical zoom, x100 digital zoom + Ultra wide angle 12 MP, f / 2.2, 1.4 m + 3D ToF, f /1.0.
- Front camera: 40 MP, f / 2.2, 0.7 m.
- Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac / ax, Bluetooth 5.0, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Galileo.
- Ports and sensors: USB Type C, fingerprint sensor (below the screen, ultrasonic), facial recognition sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, compass and barometer.
- Battery: 5,000 mAh with fast load of 45 W, wireless of 15 W and inverse of 9 W.
- OS: Android 10 + One UI.
- Price: 1,359 euros.
Purchase: Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (Amazon)
Purchase: Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (PC Components)
Big terminal in every way
The first thing that is obvious when you hold the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra for the first time are its dimensions. We are 166.9 mm high and 76 mm wide with a 8.8 mm thickness.
This implies that it is not a telephone to handle with one hand, at least in most cases. One sensation we had in his presentation and that, now after several days working with him, is to be before a excessively thick terminal. This worsens the sensation in hand since it is something that is quite noticeable.
It is a somewhat heavier than expected smartphone, but in return we have 5G mmWave technology, high-level rear camera sensors and a huge 5,000 mAh battery.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra so can only be ordered in black or gray, something that seems to us an error on the part of Samsung, since with these two colors the back is quite bland. That is, the great protagonist of the back is the camera module and this module in these two colors goes completely unnoticed, being even mimetized in the color black.
Samsung should have added to this Ultra version the blue color that the Galaxy S20 and S20 Plus have, since it highlights the camera module quite a bit and we believe that contrast greatly favors the terminal.
If we take a look at the smartphone from all sides we see that on the right side we have the volume up and down button, in addition to the one dedicated to turning the terminal on or off.
Above we have the noise cancellation microphone, in addition to the slot for our SIM card and microSD.
The left side is deserted and at the bottom we have the call microphone, the USB Type C to charge the terminal (also OTG) and the multimedia speaker.
Exceptional screen level
The screen of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is a panel 6.9 inch Dynamic AMOLED, with a screen ratio of 20: 9, resolution of 1,400 x 3,200 pixels, with 89% screen on the front and that achieves a density of 511 pixels per inch, in addition to bringing the coating against scratches and bumps Gorilla Glass 6.
It is a screen of 120 Hz refresh rate, which only works when the resolution is in FullHD + for an autonomous issue, since the expense at 120 Hz in QHD + will be excessive and that is why from Samsung they have limited it to FullHD + only.
It is a screen that looks exceptionally good both if we place it in QHD + resolution or if we do it in FullHD +. The colors are spectacular, the sharpness and contrast are at a great level and the viewing angles touch the perfection. If we talk about brightness, we have a smartphone that will help us to look outside without problems.
And if you wonder if the 120 Hz are noticeable, we must tell you that s. We have compared a screen with 90 Hz right next to that of the Galaxy S20 Ultra and the higher refresh rate of the Galaxy S20 Ultra watching the same video shows.
In games with a lot of graphic content the highest refresh rate makes us have a most immersive and real experience in the game, making our visual experience better than in any other terminal.
Regarding the audio we have to tell you that we have not noticed a great leap since the previous generation. This does not mean that it is bad, nor the least, only that they have kept the great sound that we already had in the previous Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus.
If we connect headphones via Bluetooth or USB C (it does not have a 3.5 mm audio jack), the experience is still very good since we will have a clear sound, with well-achieved bass and a full-bodied audio.
Review: Samsung Galaxy M30s, a mobile that will be difficult to beat in many aspects
Superlative performance
If for some reason you can take out this Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is for its power since in its interior we have:
- Samsung Exynos 990 as a processor
- 12 GB of RAM.
- 128 GB of internal storage Expandable through microSD card.
- Mali-G77 MP11 as a GPU
The performance of the Galaxy S20 Ultra is very good in every imaginable situation. When we run powerful games or apps that require a lot of performance from the terminal, we have not noticed even the slightest hesitation when loading, running or running them.
Moreover, on some occasions it seems that it is so much left that we have left open games in the background like Asphalt 9, then run NBA 2K20 and the phone allows us to play without any problem.
In the connectivity section, the most remarkable thing is its 5G network support, combining the mmWave technology with sub-6, to have faster downloads and a wider range. The fact that the 5G network is still in paales in Spain has not allowed us to test this connectivity.
In this section you also have WiFi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac / ax, Bluetooth 5.0, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Galileo, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, compass, barometer and NFC.
The operating system that has the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is Android 10 masked in the One UI 2.0 customization layer. This layer of Samsung, as we have told you on other occasions, is not one of the best in the market, but it is much better than the missing TouchWiz.
In its favor it has its customization capacity, without becoming MIUI (Xiaomi layer), but allowing the user to have enough options to put the interface aspect to their liking.
Review: Samsung Galaxy Note 10+, does not revolutionize but does evolve
Against him has something that has been happening to all layers of Samsung for generations, which is nothing but the lack of fluidity on certain occasions, in addition to a slight lag in transitions That only happens occasionally.
Have quite a few preinstalled applications Samsung, such as SmartThings, Samsung Health, Galaxy Wearable, Smart Switch, Samsung Members, Galaxy Store, Samsung Notes or Samsung Global Goals, in addition to Netflix and Spotify.
It is not the volume of applications that were installed years ago in Samsung, but they are a few, although we have to say that several of them we could consider as quite interesting to use in our day, such as Samsung Health or Samsung Notes.
Irregular unlocking
In addition to the more traditional forms of unlocking such as the PIN or the pattern, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra incorporates the latest in this section with a fingerprint reader under the screen and facial unlocking.
The ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is much better than we experienced in the previous generation (we saw a good evolution in the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+), although sometimes it is a bit slow. That is, it is very effective and rarely fails to read our footprint.
On the other hand the facial unlocking seemed somewhat irregular since it is highly dependent on two things, the light and the position of the terminal.
When the light is scarce, it is much harder for us to read our face and sometimes forces us to unlock the print or try again to see our face. In addition, while other devices just bring the terminal slightly to our face and unlock, the Galaxy S20 Ultra needs that we have the phone practically in front of the face to be able to read our features and unlock.
Excellent cameras with a lot of marketing
First let's take a look at the specifications of the rear camera of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra which they boast so much from the brand and then analyze the results.
- Main Sensor: 108 MP, f / 1.8, 26 mm, 1 / 1.33 ", 0.8 m, PDAF, OIS.
- Telephoto: 48 MP, f / 3.5, 103 mm, 1 / 2.0 ", 0.8 m, PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom, x100 digital zoom.
- Super wide angle: 12 MP, f / 2.2, 13 mm, 1.4 m, Super Steady video.
- Depth sensor: 0.3 MP, 3D TOF, f / 1.0.
This rear camera is capable of recording at 4320p at 24 fps, 2160p at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60/240 fps and 720p at 960 fps (via software), in addition to being HDR10 + compatible.
According to the 8K video recording, it seems to us that at the marketing level it is quite good, but at the user level it has more problems than advantages.
The videos are spectacular, with a really good color and sharpness. The problem comes when reproducing them, since televisions or devices to reproduce 8K are rather scarce in Spanish homes.
Review: Samsung Galaxy Fold, the Korean mobile phone is here
In addition, the files resulting from these recordings are huge and take up a lot of space inside the smartphone (about 600 MB per minute, with a maximum per video of 8 GB). To all this, we add the inconvenience that only record at 24 fps, something that worsens the movement of the videos.
Definitely, it is better to record at 4K or 1080p, since with Samsung's new Super Steady stabilizer (with rollover correction) some great videos will come out.
If we use the 108 megapixel sensor For our snapshots, we have not observed a great change with respect to the ones taken by the 12 megapixel sensor, except when we approach the images. It is normal since, with such a megapixel figure, capture much more information and allows us to have a much greater detail when you bring the photos closer than the rest of the sensors you mount.
The photos with this main sensor have a quite aggressive processing, which causes interference in the final results of the photos. Sometimes for good, since it softens complicated contours, but at other times that smoothing causes the depth of certain elements of the image to be lost.
Regarding the x100 zoom that incorporates into the 48 megapixel lens we have mixed feelings, although as an advertising claim its pull is undoubted. On the one hand, we think that until the zoom x10 the photos are of good level considering how these types of snapshots are usually.
From ah, the x30 zoom can only be used in certain situations very specific and spicy (and with any luck) when taking pictures. If we take snapshots with the zoom x100, these photos are of a very poor quality and they can only serve us as a curious topic to teach friends or family and see how far the camera goes.
Photos with blur effect (bokeh) we liked them a lot. When the main element of the static photo, the trimming is very correct and the blur is natural and precise.
In those snapshots where the main element of the photo is in motion, is where we see truly versatility Galaxy S20 Ultra in this section, since it is able to identify what you have to keep without blurring, make a cut that is more than correct (although sometimes you lose a little in the furthest part of the object) and blur the rest in a very natural and fast way.
In the night photos we observe that without the night mode the photos come out with enough light and sharpness to be worth for most users since their light capture is quite good. That s, the improvement is substantial when we run night mode, since we not only have more sharpnessbut the colorful is more intense and pretty.
The front camera is 40 megapixels, f / 2.2, 26 mm, 0.7 m, PDAF, in addition to being able to record video at 2160p at 30/60 fps and 1080p at 30 fps.
The we liked a lot of selfies Since we have good sharpness, good color and if we use the portrait mode the blur is precise and natural. Surely we are facing one of the best front cameras today.
Improve the autonomy
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra has a 5,000 mAh battery, with fast load of 45 W, wireless fast Qi of 15 W and wireless inverse of 9 W. The autonomy in this terminal must be included in several aspects and tests.
In a daily use (with 4G) where some call, the WhatsApp, the navigation and some YouTube video are the protagonists, reach the end of the day with enough battery to endure all night.
Yes we change the screen to work with 120 Hz continuously, the autonomy of the Galaxy S20 Ultra It is reduced by 3 hours of active screen (at least, sometimes more) so it is advisable to use 120 Hz when playing only.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is capable of charging 30% of its battery in just 15 minutes, 60% in 30 minutes, reaching the 100% in one hour and ten minutes, a really good amount.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, price and conclusion
If something has made clear this Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is that we are facing a terminal to be placed in the top three of the best phones of this year, waiting to see the rest of the brands launch.
This also implies that its price is directly proportional to the position it occupies in this supposed list of the best, since we are talking about 1,359 euros We must disburse if we want this version with 12 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage that we have tested.
Evidently We liked the Galaxy S20 Ultra in every way, with some other thing that should improve since the perfect terminal does not exist, but even so it is undoubted that Samsung has made it extremely difficult for its competitors so that they can reach the benefits of this smartphone, which today we have left our review.
Purchase: Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (Amazon)
Purchase: Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (PC Components)
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra's strengths in our review
- The finishes are spectacular.
- It is the best screen of a smartphone to date.
- It is very difficult to reach its peak in performance.
- The cameras are extremely versatile.
Weak points of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra in our review
- One UI still has room for improvement.
- Both the 8K video and the x100 zoom are more marketing than something really usable.
- The facial sensor should improve.
- It is very expensive.
Our valuation
- Design: 9.5
- Screen: 10
- Hardware: 9.5
- Autonomous: 8
- Camera: 9
- Software: 7
- Price: 6
- Overall score: 8.4
Review: Samsung Space Monitor, the 4K monitor that does not take up space on your table
