Review: Samsung S20 Ultra

Samsung’s Galaxy S20 Ultra superphone is one of the most expensive handsets in SA, but is it worth it? By Nafisa Akabor

It is packed with the highest specifications available on a phone — a 6.9-inch screen with a 120Hz display, 8K video support, a 108-megapixel (MP) camera and a 100x Space Zoom feature. Its 120Hz screen refresh rate (a higher rate gives a smoother picture) and shooting of video with a resolution of 8K are world firsts for a smartphone.

But there are downsides. First, given its size, it’s not a pocket-friendly device.

The screen has an astonishingly high resolution of 3200×1400 pixels. However, you’ll have to choose between that resolution, or a 120Hz screen refresh rate paired with a 2400×1080 resolution. Samsung does not let you max out both settings at the same time, to preserve battery life. Presented with this choice, we found that a 120Hz screen is far superior for noticeably smooth scrolling, especially if used for games.

The phone is a powerhouse; it doesn’t stutter between apps or on the camera. However, the 128GB base storage is disappointingly small, given its 8K video capabilities and high-resolution images from the camera.

The camera has four lenses on the rear — a 108MP wide angle, 48MP telephoto, 12MP ultra-wide, and one for depth vision. The camera handles portrait shots, bokeh effects and wide-angle shots from between 24° and 120° fairly well, and the 40MP selfie-camera is impressive.

The S20 Ultra has an Exynos 990 processor, 12GB of RAM, 128GB of storage that is expandable up to 1TB, and a 5000mAh battery.

Top-notch specs aside, the S20 Ultra is let down by the software. Samsung may have been too quick to ship it — some of my pictures were noticeably out of focus or had poor exposure, an issue that was globally acknowledged. This is something that can be fixed with a software update. But at the time of our review, an update was not available in SA.

The S20 Ultra is a superphone that is more powerful than most PCs. It is aimed at a niche market and people who want to be seen carrying this beast around. It costs an eye-watering R26,999.

If you feel the S20 Ultra is trying to do too much, the regular S20 phones may be better suited.

Cool factor 5/5
Usability 4/5
Value for money 3/5