The Galaxy S20 Ultra (left) has a large optical zoom
Since the launch of the Galaxy S7 in 2016, Samsung has been making small increments in the next year's top-of-the-line model. So it was until the Galaxy S10, from 2019. But with the Galaxy S20 Ultra, which hits stores in April for the suggested price of R $ 8,500, the story is another. The most expensive model of the new line of South Koreans brings great advances in screen and camera.
Design and specifications
With a 6.9 inch screen, the Galaxy S20 Ultra a big smartphone. It weighs 222 grams and is almost 17 centimeters high, almost not fitting in a jeans pocket. The configuration evaluated came with an eight-core Samsung Exynos 990 processor and 12 GB of RAM, in addition to 128 GB of expandable internal storage with memory cards.
The RAM memory so generous think that a Moto G8 Power has 4GB that the Android 10 operating system, with the One UI 2 interface from Samsung, allows to leave frequently used applications open, without having to close everything from time to time to leave the faster phone. One of the versions of the S20 Ultra has 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage.
Its design differs somewhat from the standard of the latest Galaxy S, with an almost borderless screen (and without rounded edges, as was standard) and a simpler finish on the black or gray back only. Now the camera comes in the form of a domed piece, with the three cameras and a sensor distributed in the rear in a bump that can be hidden with a protective cover, included in the box. The front camera is integrated into the screen, with an O in the center. It is worth noting that the headphone connector (standard 3.5 mm) is not present in the Galaxy S20 Ultra (nor in the other models of the 2020 line), and the product box comes with standard USB-C wired headphones.
The screen itself already brings about a considerable change in the Galaxy. It uses the same dynamic AMOLED display with a maximum resolution of 1440 x 3200, but Samsung's first device with a maximum frequency of 120Hz. This means that the screen transitions between applications are much smoother, the performance in games that require images in constant motion is improved and the overall experience using the device is more pleasant. The downside of using the 120Hz screen is a higher battery consumption, but this is not an issue for the Galaxy S20 Ultra.
The battery has a capacity of 5,000 mAH, something among the Galaxy S. enough for a full day of use remembering that a large screen consumes more energy. Some features, such as 108 megapixel photos and the ability to make 8K resolution videos, also require more of the smartphone battery. The model we evaluated reached 12 hours of use with a 31% load, which is quite reasonable. The device came with a 25W fast charger in the box, but Samsung allows you to use an optional 45W charger, which promises to be even faster.
The camera
Samsung says that the camera is one of the main reasons for changing a smartphone, and the configuration present in the S20 Ultra is something new for the brand but not in the world of phones. The Galaxy S20 line has practically the same hardware configuration, changing the camera in the most advanced model, the S20 Ultra. The Galaxy S20 and S20 + feature a 64 megapixel camera and the S20 Ultra, a 108 megapixel camera, all with what the brand calls Space Zoom ".
What does Space Zoom? In practice, the same thing that Huawei did with the P30 line last year, with a large optical zoom (5x) that uses a prism on the back of the phone and a hybrid zoom (up to 50x) thanks to some camera tricks. The S20 Ultra can reach up to 100x approach, which is quite impressive in theory – the practice is something else.
The rear of the S20 Ultra – the dominant part – is occupied by the main camera (108 megapixels), a wide angle (12 megapixels) and the zoom / periscope (48 megapixels), in addition to an LED flash and a depth sensor. And the zoom is the great differential of this device, but it requires a little training and adaptation by the consumer.
By default, the camera does not come with 108 megapixel mode enabled. The standard will keep 12 megapixels activated and, depending on the scene, the camera's artificial intelligence system suggests switching to 108 megapixels, in order to capture more details of the scene, with excellent results and huge files generated.
However, there are flaws in the process. Autofocus, especially on very close-up images, tends to fail. something that should be resolved with some future update. In night scenes, the performance is very good, but the camera takes a long time to capture the photo – at a party in a bar, for example, it is difficult to keep people still for seven seconds to take a perfect photo (as in real life). Activating the flash turned out to be an excellent alternative, with very good lighting in the photos. a camera, in general, that can offer excellent results, but that the photographer will not always have the patience to wait for such perfection.
The 100x hybrid zoom, like the 50x of the Huawei P30 Pro, turns out to be more of a sales promise than a reality: the main camera, when opened, shows the options to switch between the wide-angle lens, the main and the 5X optical zoom.
When you touch the zoom, more options appear (0.5, 1, 2, 4, 10, 30 and 100x). Above 5x, the zoom becomes hybrid between optical and digital (mixing the periscope sensor and processing via software) and brings good results – depending on the lighting, of course up to 30x, which is a surprising fact for a smartphone camera. Above that, the image loses quality and it is difficult to find itself in the distant scene shown on the screen, proving the point that one more number for marketing people to use. A guide, in the corner of the display, helps you to find your way around when you play spy watching the balconies of the buildings in the neighborhood.
Among the other new features of the camera, the highlight goes to the new single shot mode, which uses all the cameras at the same time to capture videos and photos of a specific scene – congratulations to you. The photographer, then, chooses the important moments to save, giving greater option of choice.
Finally, another huge number of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is the ability to record videos in 8K resolution. Here the camera generates a huge file (about 1 megabyte per second captured) and beautiful to see on the phone's screen, but complicated to watch elsewhere – except on 8K TVs from brands like Samsung itself. D to upload the maximum resolution to YouTube, at least.
Meet the Galaxy S20, new phone announced by Samsung
On Tuesday, Samsung presented three new mobile devices: Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 + and Galaxy S20 Ultra. We bring you the main features of the Galaxy S20 in this gallery.
The new models of the Galaxy S20 line have three colors: dark gray, blue and pink.
The cell phone arrives on the market in three different models: the S20, S20 + and S20 Ultra, which will cost, respectively, US $ 1,000, US $ 1,200 and US $ 1,400. Samsung even announced a reduction in prices on the Galaxy S10 line.
At the event, the pre-sale was announced for February 14, in the United States. There is still no date set for the launch of the devices in Brazil.
Regarding the screen, the S20 is 6.2 inches, while the S20 + is 6.7 inches. The Ultra has the largest screen in the history of a Samsung smartphone, with 6.9 inches. All screens are AMOLED and support 120 Hz display.
The Galaxy S20 has a triple rear camera with a 64 MP main lens. The S20 + S20 Ultra has a quadruple rear camera, with the Ultra version equipped with a 108MP main lens. The new Galaxy S20 line is also the first from Samsung to record 8K videos, with a zoom that can reach up to 100x on the S20 Ultra and 30x on the others.
According to Samsung, the devices bring a battery with a capacity 10% greater than the predecessor line Galaxy S10: the battery of the S20, S20 + and S20 Ultra, have, respectively, 4,000 mAh, 4,500 mAh and 5,000 mAh. The entire line comes with a 25W fast charger – the S20 Ultra also has a super fast 45W charging option.
In terms of performance, Samsung releases have a Snapdragon 865 processor. The devices have 12 GB of memory, and the S20 Ultra has a 16 GB option. The S20 is available with 128 GB storage, while the S20 + and S20 Ultra have options with 128 GB, 256 GB and 512 GB.
The Galaxy S20 line is Samsung's first to support 5G. All devices are compatible with the technology.
