Among the Samsung Galaxy S20 line of phones, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus is expected to be the larger-sized version that may boast higher specs, a bigger battery, and possibly even more features. We’ll find out for sure on the February 11 launch date, which we know thanks to Samsung’s official invites.
This could land as the Galaxy S20 Plus even though we originally expected it to be called the Galaxy S11 Plus. Rumors suggest Samsung is skipping S11-S19 for the round S20 in order to align the nomenclature with the year 2020. Cute.
What we’ve heard so far comes from leaks and speculation – like suspecting the S11 Plus will be a 5G phone. That’s because the next flagship chipset in line, the Snapdragon 865, requires a 5G modem installed on the device – but to save costs, we could also see a 4G model.
There's a greater question of what role the S20 Plus plays though, now that the S20 Ultra is rumored to sit above it as the maximum-spec'd model in the S20 line.
It could just be a larger S20, but given that Samsung typically follows Apple’s lead in phone lineups, we could see the standard S20 become the new affordable flagship, in a similar way to the iPhone 11. That would be in place of an S20e, so in that case the S20 Plus could be a 'standard' spec'd version, a larger version, or both.
We've also heard that Samsung might be upping the display refresh rate to 120Hz paired with a 1080p screen, with the option to push it back down to 60Hz for a QHD+ resolution.
Most other rumors refer to either the S20 or the rumored full-spec'd S20 Ultra, so we've referenced those that could potentially apply to the S20 Plus, too. Below then you'll find what little we know for sure along with the many leaks and rumors that we've heard, which together start to paint a picture of the Samsung Galaxy S20 or S11 Plus.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? The next larger-sized Galaxy S flagship from Samsung
- When is it out? Tuesday, February 11
- What will it cost? Probably upwards of $999 / £899 / AU$1,499
Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus release date and price
The Samsung Galaxy S11 or S20 range is set to be announced on Tuesday, February 11 in San Francisco.
Based on past form, that means we could see the Galaxy S11 phones in stores the first week of March. That said, while the Galaxy S10 release date was March 8, this year's launch event is nine days sooner than last year's, so it's possible the S11 Plus will hit stores at the very beginning of March.
Samsung’s Galaxy launch invite that was sent to TechRadar
The Galaxy S11 Plus price could be the same as the S10 Plus's was at launch. That phone was $999 / £899 / AU$1,499 at launch for its cheapest storage size, rising to $1,599 / £1,399 / AU$2,399 for the largest 1TB/12GB version.
There's always a chance Samsung could price the Galaxy S11 Plus to be even more expensive – either because of its increased specs or for the inclusion of 5G, especially given the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G's starting price was $1,299 / £1,099/ AU$1,850. However, we won't know for sure until Samsung officially launches the S11 Plus.
But the initial price leak we've seen pegs the starting price at €1,099 (around $1,215 / £926 / AU$1,775). That's for the Galaxy S20 Plus 5G – we haven't heard whether there might be a lower-priced 4G model.
The Galaxy S11 Plus could launch along with new premium wireless earbuds designed to rival the Apple AirPods Pro. These are rumored to be called the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus.
Given the original AirPods-rivaling Galaxy Buds were released alongside the Galaxy S10, it would make sense for the new model to launch with the S11 range.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus name
While it makes sense that the Samsung Galaxy S11 Plus would be the next numbering in the line after the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, we could see it leap ahead, with rumors calling it the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus.
Since the handset will come out in 2020, we've heard Samsung might want the phone names to match the release year, for this model and those thereafter.
Specifically, according to few sources including a reliable leaker and potentially even the Samsung CEO himself, the whole line could be branded as the Samsung Galaxy S20, Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, and Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, instead of (respectively) the S11e, S11 and S11 Plus we've been assuming.
Until we know for sure, we'll still mostly refer to this device as the Galaxy S11 Plus, but that will change if we get official word from Samsung that the new devices will be the S20 series. Confusing, but necessary.
We haven't heard much mention of a distinct 5G model in the lineup, though this isn't much of a surprise given how likely it is that Samsung will include 5G in each of the standard models. This would follow what the phone-maker did with the 5G version of the Galaxy Note 10 Plus, as opposed to crafting a unique 5G handset, as it did with the Galaxy S10 5G.
As a last naming rumor, we've heard the Galaxy S line could be discontinued: one source suggests that the S11 and Galaxy Note 11 will merge to create the Galaxy One, a new series that would combine all of Samsung's premium features into one smartphone line. While that's still a moonshot rumor, it would be unwise not to even consider it.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus news and rumors
Perhaps the most important leaks are the ones showing us how these new Samsung flagships could look, and we've seen leaks of the entire lineup.
In fact, we’ve seen several leaked renders of the Samsung Galaxy S11 range, and while the designs vary, there are a lot of similarities. Check out some here, others here, and even more here.
Just about every render we've seen shows the rear cameras as being in a large bump at the top left of the back of the phone. How they're laid out is less certain though, with some of the renders showing them in a single neat row while others point to a more haphazard arrangement, but some allegedly real images suggest something different to either of those options.
Hands-on images of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, as it's called in the leak, show the lenses and flash laid out in two vertical rows within the camera bump, domino-style.
We've also heard that the S11 Plus could have a punch-hole camera in the top-center of the display, similar to where it is in the Galaxy Note 10 range, which we've seen in leaked images. The source adds that the camera would be smaller than on the Note 10 range though, which lines up with leaked images that show a noticeably smaller punch-hole.
The most prevalent sizing rumor implies that the Samsung Galaxy S20 (which could launch as the lowest-cost model instead of the S11e) will have a 6.2-inch screen, while the S20 Plus (or S11 Plus) will have a 6.7-inch display, and the S20 Ultra will have a 6.9-inch screen. That’s a noticeable size increase over the previous generation's screens.
A remarkably complete spec leak, shown below, echoes those sizes, adding that the S20 Plus will have a 1440 x 3200 20:9 screen with 525 pixels per inch, and that the body of the phone will be IP68 certified and come in at 162 x 74 x 7.8mm and 188g.
As for the rest of the design, one rumor we've heard is that the standard Galaxy S11 might come in blue, grey and black colors, while the cheaper Samsung Galaxy S11e might come in more playful blue, grey and pink shades. Another leak suggests official colors: Cosmic Black, Cosmic Grey, and Cloud Blue.
That's a lot like how Apple has split hues on its iPhones between more restrained colors in the 'Pro' models and fun, vibrant hues for the less expensive version. The source doesn't say which colors to expect for the Samsung Galaxy S11 Plus (or Ultra), but we wouldn't be surprised by a premium color for the premium version.
The screen meanwhile could feature a maximum 120Hz refresh rate, offering smoother interactions than the 60Hz offered by the S10 range. A 120Hz mode was allegedly spotted in a beta for Samsung's smartphone software, an assertion supported by another source.
A further leak backed this up with a fuzzy image specifically of an S11 Plus showing these options as well as a maximum display resolution of 3,200 x 1,440 WQHD+ – but crucially, the 120Hz mode can't operate at this resolution, which only supports 60Hz refresh rate.
That same leak suggests that the S11 Plus, and conceivably the rest of the line, is finally doing away with the headphone jack.
While we couldn't exactly see whether this was true with the alleged hands-on video included by the source of the leak (below), it would make sense, with the Galaxy Note 10 range and most other flagships already lacking such a port.
The Samsung Galaxy S11 Plus might come with new screen tech though, given that Samsung has trademarked the name SAMOLED. That sounds a whole lot like a new take on the AMOLED screens used by its flagship handsets, though we have no idea how SAMOLED would differ.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus camera
We’re anticipating that the the Samsung Galaxy S11 Plus (or possibly the Ultra) will come with a 108MP sensor, an idea which is supported by not one but two leaks. This 108MP sensor is expected to combine nine pixels into one, which becomes the equivalent of 12MP shots that can take in plenty lot of light for far more vivid photography.
Exciting as this sounds, some more recent rumors (highlighted below) suggest that the Galaxy S11 Plus will actually just have a 12MP main snapper, with the 108MP lens reserved for the S11 Ultra, so don't count on seeing this on the mid model.
One source alleges that the S11 line's telephoto lens meanwhile could have a 5x optical zoom, and it might use a 48MP sensor. That would make for the most high-res zoom lens sensor we’ve seen on a phone yet.
While we haven’t heard too much about other lenses in the array yet, we’re expecting an ultra-wide angle lens, likely a depth sensor and perhaps even a macro lens, given that the recently-launched Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite has a macro lens.
We've also seen how the camera arrangement on the Galaxy S11 Plus (or Galaxy S20 Ultra) might look, as evidenced by the tweet below. A more recent rumor from the same source meanwhile implies a four-camera array on the rear of the Galaxy S11 Plus.
They previously claimed it would have five rear lenses, but they note that this new information is from a more recent prototype – which leads them to believe that four lenses is more likely.
This also aligns with one of the most recent renders we've seen leaked, but with so many different renders leaked into the wild, we have no serious idea what the rear array will look like.
We have seen an incredibly detailed spec dump – which would be more suspect if three sources who simultaneously revealed information on the cameras.
| Camera | Samsung Galaxy S20 | Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus | Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main | 12MP | 12MP | 108MP |
| Telephoto | 64MP | 64MP | 48MP |
| Wide-angle | 12MP | 12MP | 12MP |
| Extras | ToF | ToF |
If accurate, those would be some impressive specs, although it's suspect that the telephoto lenses have more megapixels on the smaller handsets.
This does however match the complete specs leak further up in this article, which adds that there's likely to be a 10MP front camera, 3x optical zoom and 30x digital zoom.
Indeed, we've heard a range of zooms cited for the telephoto lenses, but the general consensus seems to be 3x optical / 30x digital for the Galaxy S20 and S20 Plus, and a whopping 10x optical / 100x digital for the S20 Ultra, although that seems too good to be true.
We’ve also heard of plenty of neat features that Samsung trademarked which may end up in the S11 series, from a ‘Space Zoom’ astrophotography mode to a 'Bright Night Sensor'. The latter sounds a lot like a 'low light' mode but bolstered by dedicated hardware.
Elsewhere, hints toward several new camera features have been unearthed in official Samsung software code. There's Single Take Photo, which could use AI to automatically shoot photos at the prime moment; a Director's View mode for tracking a subject; the return of Samsung's Pro Video mode, allowing you to adjust the ISO, exposure and the like when shooting video; and a selection of new Live Focus bokeh and depth effects.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus specs and features
We’re almost positive the Samsung Galaxy S11 Plus will come with the Snapdragon 865 chipset unveiled in late 2019, which has been benchmarked with scores that beat any other phone. At least in the US, as has been tradition; everywhere else will very likely get an upgraded Exynos processor, likely dubbed the 9830 or Exynos 990.
We've also heard that the Samsung Galaxy S11 range will all come with a base 12GB of RAM, although that may spike up to 16GB or potentially beyond at the top end. What you could need this much RAM for in a smartphone is beyond us, but it shows just how high-end this range is set to be. Storage meanwhile is rumored to be 128GB, along with a microSD card slot.
As for battery size, one leak suggests that one of the Galaxy S11 models will have a 4,500mAh battery with another set to get a 5,000mAh one. The latter size is probably for the Samsung Galaxy S11 Ultra, but we'd expect at least 4,500mAh in the S11 Plus.
We've heard another rumor that the Samsung S20 Plus will debut an AirDrop-like service called Quick Share to, you guessed it, quickly share files. It seemingly only works between Galaxy phones, so it's unclear if it will eventually become as versatile as Apple's multi-platform service.
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