Samsung has announced its new generation of flagship smartphones, with the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 Plus and Galaxy S20 Ultra revealed during the firm's February 11 Unpacked event in San Francisco.
There's no cheaper “e” variant this time around (after we got the Galaxy S10e in 2019), with the base handset in the new range – the Samsung Galaxy S20 – a fully fledged flagship in its own right.
We've already spent time with the new Galaxy S20 smartphones, and you can read our first impressions in our hands on reviews.
- Hands on: Samsung Galaxy S20 review
- Hands on: Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus review
- Hands on: Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra review
The Samsung Galaxy S20 is the entry-level flagship smartphone in the new trio of devices, offering the smallest form factor, screen size and battery, as well as missing a rear camera versus the S20 Plus and S20 Ultra.
That said, it still packs plenty of power and storage, and with three rear cameras it's hardly lacking in the photography department.
In the US the Galaxy S20 will be a 5G phone only, while in the UK it will be available in 4G and 5G variants, while in some European countries (e.g the Netherlands) it will only be available as a 4G phone, and in others 5G only (e.g. Finland). Got that? Good.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus is the awkward middle child. Slightly bigger and pricier than the Galaxy S20, but without the most premium features afforded to the Galaxy S20 Ultra.
In the US, UK and some other regions, the Galaxy S20 Plus will be available as a 5G phone, but in some European countries it'll be a 4G phone instead.
Finally you've the Samsung Galaxy Ultra, the premium 5G-only (worldwide) jewel in Samsung's new S20 line-up. It has a huge screen, large battery and four powerful cameras on its rear. It won't be cheap, but if you're looking for Samsung's ultimate offering this will be the phone you'll be checking out.
The Samsung Galaxy S20
Samsung Galaxy S20 release date
- Samsung Galaxy S20 US release date: March 6
- Samsung Galaxy S20 UK release date: March 13
The Samsung Galaxy S20 release date is set for March 6 in the US, while those in the UK and Europe will have to wait an additional week with a S20 release date of March 13. We're still waiting to hear when it'll be available in other countries.
It's the same release date for all three handsets, so the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 Plus and Galaxy S20 Ultra will all hit stores together. It's a proper family outing.
Samsung Galaxy S20 price
So how much do Samsung's new flagship trio cost? In the US the 5G Samsung Galaxy S20 price is confirmed as $999 (around £880 / AU$1,490).
That makes the Galaxy S20 pricier than the Galaxy S10 last year, with the new handset inheriting the Galaxy S10 Plus' price tag.
It also means the Galaxy S20 price matches the iPhone 11 Pro, although Apple's phone has a smaller 5.8-inch display and at that price gets you just 64GB of storage.
However, there's a 4G variant of the Galaxy S20 as well, which will be available in some markets, including the UK. We don't have a 4G Galaxy S20 price for the UK yet, but in Europe it will retail at €899 (around £760 / AU$1,460).
Moving onto the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus price, and the 5G variant of the phone costs $1,199 (roughly £970 / AU$1,870), while the 4G variant (which won't be in the US or UK) will set you back €999 (around AU$1,620).
Finally, and this is the one that will worry your wallet, is the Ultra. The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra price starts at $1,399 (around £1,140 / AU$2,190) for the 12GB of RAM/128GB of storage model.
However, if you fancy getting your hands on the 16GB of RAM/512GB model, you'll be looking at an eye-watering $1,699 (around £1,300 / AU$2,520).
| Which phone? | US | UK estimates | Euros | AU estimates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S20 4G | N/A | ~£760 | €899 | ~AU$1,460 |
| Galaxy S20 5G | $999 | ~£880 | €1,049 | ~AU$1,700 |
| Galaxy S20 Plus 4G | N/A | N/A | €999 | ~AU$1,620 |
| Galaxy S20 Plus 5G | $1,199 | ~£970 | €1,149 | ~AU$1,870 |
| Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G | $1,399-1,699 | ~£1,140-1,300 | €1,349-1,549 | ~AU$2,190-2,520 |
Samsung Galaxy S20 design and display
- No headphone jack
- Large camera bumps on rear
- Big, QHD+, 120Hz, HDR10+ displays
All three of the new Samsung Galaxy S20 handsets share the same general design. They all boast screen-dominating fronts, with a single selfie camera located in a punch-hole in the center top of the display – rather than being housed in a notch.
Round the back, they have large camera bumps house three (in the S20's case) or four cameras (on the S20 Plus and S20 Ultra). It's certainly a distinctive design feature.
As has been the case for several years now, the new Galaxy S20 handsets come with glass front and rears which sandwich a metal frame.
And note this one down, the S20 series is the first S range from Samsung to not have a headphone jack. You'll need an adapter or wireless set of cans instead. The only port on the handsets is a USB-C one.
When it comes to the displays, all three S20 devices pack an AMOLED panel with a WQHD+ resolution, HDR10+ support and 120Hz refresh rate for super-smooth scrolling and graphics.
The only differences are screen size and pixel density. The Galaxy S20 has a 6.2-inch display and a pixel density of 563ppi, the Galaxy S20 Plus is 6.7 inches with 525ppi and the Galaxy S20 Ultra is 6.9 inches at 511ppi.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S20 battery and charging
- Big batteries all-round
- Fast and wireless charging support
- Wireless Powershare included
All three new Samsung Galaxy S20 handsets come with sizable batteries. The Galaxy S20 has a 4,000mAh power pack, the Galaxy S20 Plus offers up a 4,500mAh unit and the Galaxy S20 Ultra manages to squeeze in a huge 5,000mAh battery.
There's support for fast charging, and you'll be able to wirelessly charge the Galaxy S20 trio as well. Wireless Powershare returns here too, after debuting on the Galaxy S10 range, which allows you to charge another device (which supports wireless charging) by placing it on the back of your Galaxy S20.
It means you can top up your Galaxy Buds headphones, or a friend's phone if they're running low.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S20 cameras
- Galaxy S20 has three rear cameras
- Galaxy S20 Plus and Galaxy S20 Ultra have four rear cameras
Samsung has stepped up its photography game again with its latest generation of flagship devices.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 comes with three rear cameras. There's a 64MP telephoto sensor (76 degree field of view , f/2.0), a 12MP wide-angle sensor (79 degree FOV , f/1.8) and a 12MP ultra-wide sensor (120 degree FOV, f/2.2).
It also features a 3x hybrid optical zoom and 30x 'Super Resolution Zoom' to get you closer to the action.
With the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus you get an additional fourth camera on the rear in the form of a depth sensor. The other three cameras match those on the Galaxy S20, and it boasts the same hybrid optical and Super Resolution zooms.
It's with the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra where the cameras get really serious though. Once again there are four rear cameras, with the depth sensor making up the fourth option. The 12MP ultra-wide camera also remains the same.
However, there are two key upgrades. First, the telephoto sensor has been upgraded to 48MP (24 degree FOV, f/3.5), and secondly the wide-angle sensor is a whopping 108MP (79 degree FOV, f/1.8).
As a result, the Galaxy S20 Ultra offers up a 10x hybrid optical zoom and a huge 100x 'Super Resolution Zoom'.
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