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Samsung just unveiled its next major smartphone, the Galaxy S20 - here's how it compares to last year's Galaxy S10
Samsung just unveiled its next major smartphone, the Galaxy S20 - here's how it compares to last year's Galaxy S10
Lisa EadiciccoFeb 12, 2020, 01:03 IST
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business InsiderThe Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20 Plus
The biggest difference between the Galaxy S20 and its predecessor is in its camera. The new model, which Samsung announced on Tuesday, has an upgraded 64-megapixel camera, while the Ultra version has a whopping 108-megapixel camera.
There are also other differences to note when it comes to the screen and performance as well.
The phones in the new lineup, for example, have larger screens with a higher refresh rate.
After a deluge of rumors and leaks, Samsung just announced its next major smartphone - the Galaxy S20. Like its predecessors, the S20 comes in multiple versions and sizes.
The biggest change to this year's model is in its camera. In fact, Samsung says it's the biggest overhaul to its smartphones' camera since the Galaxy S7 was released in 2016. The S20, S20 Plus, and their more premium sibling, the S20 Ultra, come with larger camera sensors that are better equipped to take in more light, although the specifications vary between them.
The camera may be the most significant update, but there are plenty of other changes between the S20 and its predecessor, especially when it comes to their screens and performance. The Galaxy S20 will also have Google's Duo video chat app directly integrated into the phone's dialer - likely a move to offer a competitor to Apple's FaceTime. That feature will be coming to some previous Galaxy phones as well.
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The Galaxy S20 starts at $1,000, while the Galaxy S20 Plus begins at $1,200 and the entry-level Galaxy S20 Ultra costs $1,400.
Here's a look at the biggest differences between the new Galaxy 20 and last year's Galaxy S10.
The S20 is getting a big camera upgrade compared to last year's phone.
Samsung has made some noticeable changes to its smartphones' camera with the Galaxy S20. The Galaxy S20 and its larger counterpart, the Galaxy S20 Plus, both have a 64-megapixel camera with a 30x zoom.
Specifically, the Galaxy S20 has a triple-lens setup with a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera, and a 64-megapixel telephoto lens. The Galaxy S20 Plus has a quadruple main camera that consists of the same lenses and sensors found on the standard S20 but with the addition of a depth-sensing camera.
The Galaxy S10, by comparison, has a 12-megapixel main camera, 12-megapixel telephoto camera, and a 16 megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera. It can also only zoom up to 10X. The same goes for the Galaxy S10 Plus and the Galaxy S20 5G, the latter of which also has a 3D camera.
Otherwise, the S20 and S20 Plus also have larger wide and ultra-wide angle sensors compared to the Galaxy S10, which should provide better low light and sharper detail.
But it's the more expensive Galaxy S20 Ultra that has the most significant changes when it comes to camera quality. The Ultra model has quad-camera setup with a massive 108-megapixel wide-angle camera, which is more megapixels than Samsung has ever put in a smartphone camera sensor.
Those 108 megapixels are also capable of grouping together to form one 12-megapixel sensor with larger pixels so that it can take in more light. Otherwise, it has a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera and a 48-megapixel telephoto lens as well as a depth-sensing camera.
The Galaxy S20 lineup can also record video at 8K resolution, whereas the Galaxy S10 can only shoot up to 4K.
All variants of the Galaxy S20 support 5G.
The Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 Plus, and Galaxy S20 Ultra all support 5G connectivity. That's a departure from last year's lineup, in which only the appropriately-named Galaxy S10 5G supported the next-generation wireless network.
The new phones also have larger screens than last year's Galaxy S10 family.
Samsung's newest Galaxy phones are getting a small bump in screen size as well. The Galaxy S20 has a 6.2 inch screen, while the Galaxy S20 Plus has a 6.7-inch display and the Galaxy S20 Ultra has a 6.9-inch screen.
The Galaxy S10, by comparison, has a slightly smaller 6.1-inch screen, while the Galaxy S10 Plus' screen measures 6.4 inches and the Galaxy s10 5G's display measures 6.7 inches.
And the displays on Samsung's newest phones have a higher 120Hz refresh rate, which should make the screen more responsive.
Last year, OnePlus and Google both released smartphones with screens capable of achieving refresh rates of 90Hz — higher than the average 60Hz refresh rate.
Now, Samsung is going one step further by bringing a 120Hz refresh rate to its new Galaxy lineup. That speedier refresh rate — which refers to the number of times the phone's screen refreshes per second — should make the screen generally feel smoother and more responsive.
Samsung isn't the only company that sells phones with 120Hz refresh rates. Gaming hardware company Razer also offers a smartphone with the same refresh rate.
The phones will also have larger batteries than last year's model.
Samsung's Galaxy S20, S20 Plus, and S20 Ultra will have batteries with respective capacities of 4000 mAh, 4500 mAh, and 5000mAh, making them considerably larger than the batteries in last year's Galaxy S10 lineup. The Galaxy S10, for example, has a 3400 mAh battery, while the Galaxy S10 Plus has a 4100 mAh battery and the S10 5G includes a 4500 mAh battery.
It's unclear if that will result in additional battery life, however, since that larger capacity is probably needed to power 5G connections and the screen's higher refresh rate.
All models will have much more RAM too, which should make them feel quick and snappy.
The Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 Plus, and Galaxy S20 Ultra will all come with 12GB of RAM. That's a significant bump from the 8GB of RAM in the Galaxy 10, entry-level Galaxy S10 Plus, and Galaxy S10 5G. Last year's Galaxy S10 Plus is available in a configuration that has 12GB of RAM, but now the company has made this standard across the board.
RAM is short for "random access memory," and it's the short-term storage your phone uses to pull data for apps and other aspects of your phone's software while they're in use. This type of storage is considerably faster than your phone's main storage, where photos, apps, videos, and other content are stored. More RAM in a smartphone should make your phone generally feel faster.
Although that much RAM in a phone is somewhat rare, it's not completely unheard of. Other than the Galaxy S10 Plus, Samsung's Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus also offers a 12GB RAM option, as does the OnePlus 7 Pro.
They come in new color choices too.
Samsung's Galaxy S20 is available in pink, blue, and gray, while the Galaxy S20 Plus will be sold in gray, blue, and black, and the Galaxy S20 Ultra comes in gray and black. Last year's Galaxy S10, comparatively, comes in black, green, blue, and white. The Galaxy S10 5G also came in gold.
Overall, the Galaxy S20 makes it clear that Samsung is focusing a lot of its efforts on developing better cameras when it comes to the smartphone experience. The S20 will also probably feel a bit faster thanks to its additional RAM and 120GHz screen, but the camera is really the center of Samsung's attention.
