30.5.2020

This review is for those who find comparing specs daunting and want to know what it will mean for them in the real world, what to expect from this phone, in jargon-free English.It is a rollercoaster; how do you choose one phone over the other when both are so similar?Do you go for the weight and size? Then you would prefer the S20+ which is slightly thinner and smaller and of course a bit lighter.Do you go for the fast charging? Then you would go for the S20+ because it finishes charging 2 minutes before the OP8 Pro. However, if you were to go for battery life, you would go for the OP8 Pro because it lasts much longer. You easily get 30 hours of uptime out of which at least 9 hours are screen usage whereas the S20+ only manages a fraction of that; however,if you set it at MEDIUM POWER SAVING and keep closing apps you can go 24 hours before needing to recharge. Both phones were tested with bluetooth, location services, mobile data off and at 60Hz screen refresh rate with lower screen definition. The OP8 Plus has a straight forward battery app that is easy to understand. The S20+ needs you to do some math before you figure out how much screen time you have had because it does not calculate from last charged but keeps calculating and you need to figure out which was the period you charged and which periods it was resting. You will understand if you study the attached pic. One thing is sure: the OP8 Pro has a thicker, longer and sturdier charging cable than the S20+ It is also orange, so easy to spot amongst a plethora of charging cables, but I guess you could use some coloured tape on the black lead of the Samsung and have instant recognition.Do you go for a pre-applied screen protector? Go for the S20+ as the OP8 Pro still ships without a pre-applied screen protector in some markets and some other markets even report not even getting the 2 free screen protectors in the package.Do you go for the protective case? Then OP8 Pro is your phone. You will need to pay extra to buy one for Samsung and of course the cost rises significantly if you go for a branded one whereas with the OP8 Pro the one you get was specifically made for it and it won't hide the beautiful colour. Please do not buy an S20+ without buying a silicone case! Two friends had their screens cracked shortly after buying their phones. Samsungs are notoriously slippery and have very fragile screens.Do you love watching films and taking videos? Go for the OP8 Pro as it has much more satisfying sound and a larger screen.But if you love taking photos, you may find the OP8 Pro a bit disappointing in the sense that it has a very narrow depth of field which means anything beyond the pinhole will be blurry. I tried to get nice pictures but it was impossible. Food pics were drab. Nature pics were on the yellow side. The focus was an issue. Macro pics were better as long as you could focus on one point. You cannot click to focus as in the phones of the old days. Selfies - ugh! You either ended up with ironed skin (very artificial post processing) or with missing hair.Fortunately, the S20+ is a bit better in photography. It still has the dreaded bokeh effect coming in and it does have a huge problem focusing on closeup items. Also when you blow up the pics, you can see blurry details in the background. (I thought the iPhone 11 Pro was much better in photography but it was also with its own faults and one has to carefully weigh all the pros and cons to decide which phone to stick with.) Something worth remembering: all modern phones with super-duper multiple cameras... they mess up. You won't get as nice photography as with older models. If you want better photography, go for a mid-range phone, not a flagship. Trust me.If you are buying a phone to play your favourite games, check with a friend that it works well. Neither of the two phones tested played Panda Pop well (they had hidden columns of balls making it impossible to win the game as how do you shoot something you cannot see?) Turns out the game is not optimised for Android 10 even though it has been out for so many months. (Plays well on iPhone though.)So to summarise, the S20+ is a good phone, maybe a bit more complicated than the OP8 Pro, maybe more intimidating to the inexperienced user. The OP8 Pro has a better, more intuitive format. None of the phones is amazing though. They are just adequate with the OP8 Pro losing out on photography (though other people have said their phones perform well). 5G is present, but there aren't many places you can get it assuming your mobile provider allows access to 5G. To get good battery life, you need to tone everything down, display, brightness, speed, this and that - all the things that make these phones unique. So you end up with a mid-range phone anyway! LOL Maybe something to mull over?PS: I forgot to mention the face recognition which is slow in both phones with Samsung's being the slowest (iPhone's amazingly fast, even with sideways views of your face.) Fingerprint reader is good on both phones and a double tap will wake your screen up. Samsung requires you to enter your pin or pattern more frequently than the OP phone.July 2020 - Greece. Update. The reception in the suburbs of Athens is abysmal! Indoors there is hardly any reception. Outdoors it comes and goes. Voice calls have a delay. Internet is patchy and dragging. Yet at the same exact spot, daughter's Oppo has perfect reception! I guess this has to do with the variety of bands each phone supports. Just thought you would like to know this, especially if your mobile is your only link with the world. I even bought a Greek SIM to facilitate things but the problems persist. So it has to be a band-related issue. Maybe some technically-minded person could explain this to us...

5.6.2020

My S20+ arrived on Monday, as I write this using the device itself it is Friday and at last, I believe that I've begun to get my head round how far ahead Samsung's flagship S20 range is compared to any of the doubtlessly perfectly competent alternative choices on the market today.The device not only satisfies in every single aspect of its incredible build quality, its ease of use and of course the amazing battery life that's beginning to settle into a routine of intense daily duty and provides a very consistent day and a half of usage from 85% down to 30% of full charge which includes its role as my sole source of Internet access which, since there is no home broadband option available here at sensible cost,is provided by the S20's hotspot, which typically finds itself being connected to at least one laptop, my Galaxy Tab S6 - itself very capable of hotspot provision to an equally solid standard - and the smart TV, network printer (a Brother device that cooperates so much more effectively with my Galaxies than it has ever done with previous gizmos used to provide WiFi from 4G) and the Kenwood in car entertainment device that now performs to its full potential when I'm out & about using Spotify or Internet radio.At no time during this labour intensive first week in my demanding life has the S20+ ever given me cause for concern. Oh, and for anyone else contemplating a completely "superfast fibre" (Aye that'll be a big fib then.. ) free life, I say the S20 is the solidly dependable way to do this as its connection is more than twice as quick as the paltry 40ish Mb/second down and 7Mb/s up that's accepted by those who pay at least the same as my unlimited data contract sim costs me each month. This is, at last, a mobile phone that can compete with standalone 4g devices that provide most round here with their domestic connectivity! I knew its radio performance would be good, but just how good and with such efficient use of battery has been a revelation. And it's a very fine camera too, which not only meets its manufacturer's claims relating to its abilities, but also counts as a very real competitor for a good bridge camera or standalone compact. This is the first phone cam about which I can say that without hesitation!So is it any good as a telephone then? Yes, but make sure that your fingers aren't obscuring the microphones, which obviously impacts negatively upon its sound quality as heard by the other party in a call. Learn to be careful about this and clarity, reception quality and consistency are superb, as should be expected in a device at this end of the market. That might appear to be an obvious point, but I have chubby fingers and managed to muffle my voice during my first call using the S20+.?Can I recommend that others should choose an S20+ over a oneplus 8 pro, for example? That was the only other handset that was on my list at the "coin toss" stage of the decision making process, but having chosen Samsung, I've definitely made the right choice for myself. Even if they don't offer a pretty shade of sparkly green on the S20 range! It really was that close, but the fact that I chose an S20+ in spite of its being more costly should speak for itself. I'm not fond of spending more than is necessary but in this case and given how much work my handset must do, yes, I recommend one of these wholeheartedly..One final point relates to the handset's dual sim abilities. I use my EE contract sim in slot one and had placed my O2 pay as you go sim in slot two, which worked just fine but it gets better.. By setting the O2 sim up as an e-sim, the handset can then be equipped with a micro SD card in slot 2 and in this configuration can have much more storage space. I added 512GB but more might work just as seamlessly.Perfect! Now go and buy one. For those, like me, who are new to Samsung, it's worth mentioning that Samsung's customer care team is made up of the loveliest people and even at this challenging time, they're endlessly patient when being bombarded with questions, as well as being genuinely knowledgeable about their product. Many of my questions were answered by people who didn't even need to take their eyes off the camera to look up the answers in a manual so owning one of these exceptional handsets is in fact stress free.That's me, thanks for ploughing through the words.Stay Safe,J. xxThis review is written by a satisfied purchaser, I am not related to or otherwise in any way involved personally with Samsung, its staff or its retail outlets.

21.4.2020

I bought the Samsung Galaxy S20+ two weeks ago, upgrading from a Samsung Galaxy S9. I did a lot of research prior to purchasing this phone, taking into account camera quality vs. the Ultra, battery life, performance, and more, which are all important features for me. So far, I have been very impressed!Firstly, a lot of reviews on here are complaining about auto-focus issues, high battery-drain, especially relating to the UK model, as well as the fingerprint sensor being troublesome. I can honestly say I have hardly experienced any of these problems. I am a moderate to heavy user, checking social media regularly, using many apps, playing games, etc. and my battery life has been exceptional.It has lasted me 2 days easily, whereas my S9 was needing a top-up with the same usage by the end of the day at least, and in some cases even earlier. Granted, due to the lockdown measures, I have been on Wi-Fi the whole time and haven't been on a huge amount of walks or adventures, but even when using my phone for GPS during walks and runs and using mobile data, the battery drain has been minimal. There is also no 5G in my area, so have been on 4G. I expect 5G would drain the battery a bit more. The camera is slick, responsive and takes great pictures. It is worth noting the 64MP mode is not the default option - this needs to be selected from the top of the camera menu, which was not immediately obvious. The images this camera produces are very crisp and clear, even in low-light. You really can keep pinching in to look at the detail! The default camera mode is also pretty good, but the images are not as crisp as it doesn't necessarily use the 64MP sensor. I chose this phone over the Ultra purely based on the 100x zoom on the Ultra looking like a bit of a gimmick, and it is fair to say the 30x zoom on the S20+ seems pretty unusable unless you have a super steady hand or a tripod. However, it is very impressive how far you can zoom, and I expect if you were photographing something far away, the drop in quality would not be that noticeable.The display is incredible. I was very surprised with the 120Hz refresh rate - this makes the whole navigation and scrolling experience even better. It does drain the battery a bit quicker though. I really like how the display is flatter - the edges seem a lot sharper, and there have been fewer accidental touches when compared to the waterfall edges on the S9. I can also say the performance has been incredible!There are only a few slightly negative comments I can make about this phone. The first is the fingerprint sensor. I read many reviews saying it was troublesome, and the first few days, I had no problems. However, after getting used to the phone now, I can say the phone unlocks about 70% of the time with the fingerprint (on the first attempt). Some of this is down to getting to know where to place your finger, as the S9 has a very clear, dedicated area for placing your finger, whereas it is hard to see where on the screen this is without the display helping point you in the right zone. I am sure this will improve with time, but was surprised how fiddly it was to setup well, considering the price. Also, I think it depends how well you program your fingerprint - make sure to roll your finger or thumb around to get the best out of it! The other slightly negative comment is regarding the proximity sensor. On the S9, this was a dedicated sensor, whereas on the S20+, it seems to be in the screen. There is a little blinking pixel near the top of the phone which scared me at first, but it turns out this is the proximity sensor! The reaction to light level for the S20+ is slower and less accurate than the S9, but I'm really clutching at straws here to find some negative comments.Overall, I am super happy with this phone, and got it at a great price with student discount and trading my S9 in. I hope this review helps you make your all important decision!

23.7.2020

I'll try to keep this short and to the point, for the simple reason that my phone came with the following defects:• Permanent Overheating (even with all applications closed and a minimum number of active processes - it heats up to the point where you cannot even hold it)• Bootloop• Stuck on boot screen• Autofocus problemsSo, this device will be returned in the next few days.However, I had the opportunity to test an S20 Ultra 5G (kindly offered by a local store) and I can say that I was impressed by the:? DisplayApart from the fact that the quality of the display is excellent: Do I really need to say the 120Hz is fantastic?!YES! The animations and transition from one page to the other is buttery smooth - and I suspect that after this experience,

23.6.2020

So I've had the S20 plus for a few weeks now. Although I've not pushed it to anywhere near its max I've found that it does need a charge boost towards the end of the day. Thankfully with super fast charging a few minutes is enough to see me through to the end of the day, I do run the phone at 120hz so that will impact the battery.I upgraded from an S9 plus, a phone I loved & was dubious about upgrading. I'm really happy with this phone with the exception of the fingerprint scanner. For me it's very hit & miss. Face recognition is pretty good but I found the S9+ was ahead in this area. Screen is fantastic, although it isn't as bright as the S9+,

26.5.2020

I've been with Samsung since the galaxy Samsung S5 then had the S6,8,10+ and I loved my S10+ but when I seen the spec of the S20 ULTRA I wanted one.Unfortunately I was very unimpressed with the ultra, the camera was awesome on paper but in reality the camera was woeful and unusable.It wouldn't focus, images were very grainy either close up or far away.It was also like holding a brick!So I returned and instead ordered the S20+ which is now the middle phone in the series and I believe was supposed to be the top model before they rushed out through the ultra.I am now back to being a Samsung fan with the plus model.It feels like an improved S10+ plus with an even smoother screen, super fast browsing,

30.5.2020

I'm using Samsung smart phones for years. I had Galaxy 2, 4, 6, 9 and finally 20+. So far this is definitely the best one. Screen is amazing, very sharp and responsive. Battery life is surprising. I'm not one of those who plays with the phone all day long but I check my phone fairly often. It takes me two full days to drain the battery. My previous phone (S9) was always below 25% by 8pm everyday. S20+ looks massive when you check it online but it's not ridiculous. Still fits in the pocket and not awkward to use. Performance is also really good. Never slows down or struggle. There are minor issues I should mention. Fingerprint scanner isn't as responsive as S9, but it's not bad.

29.7.2020

Screen and camera are exceptional, however after having a OnePlus 5 for 3 years I expected a little extra battery life and superior performance...it's not really either. I'd class myself a very heavy user and the battery doesnt last as long or charge as quixk as my three year old OnePlus 5.Another major let down is the fingerprint sensor, how did they get it so wrong ? it feels like it takes an age to unlock (when it reads) and you really have to push hard in the screen to make it work right, again comparing to my old OnePlus 5, the fingerprint reader was a physical button and is still the fastest and most user friendly I've seen, with a physical button there is never any guessing am I on the right spot,

3.8.2020

Bought this as a present for my son so the following words are his :-)"The Samsung Galaxy s20 plus is a truly remarkable mobile phone. It should be viewed as a comprehensive entertainment platform rather than just a smart phone. Moving up from the s8 to the s20 highlights some major differences from the start. The first being processor speed, which gives seamless switching from app to app, much like a round at the pub after four months of lockdown. The second is the picture quality when watching video's, which I do a lot, clearer than a Haynes manual. The third is the battery life, I think Samsung has created something that will finally leave the Duracell bunny in the dust.

14.5.2020

I upgraded from an iPhone SE and love my S20+. The phone is feature rich, with a slick OS (OneUI 2) and a gorgeous screen. After experiencing 120Hz there's no way to go back, however it would be even better if samsung made it easy to switch between high resolution and high refresh rate quickly. This is because I would prefer to use the YouTube app at 1440p 60Hz as the frame cap on YouTube is 60fps, and I can notice the difference between 2K and FHD whilst watching media on my phone.The camera is A Class and is a good rival for the iPhone 11 Pro and Google Pixel 4, outdoing them with it's 30x zoom. The phone is of a great build quality,

24.2.2021

Are these phones good value? Who knows. What would constitute good value in a piece of equipment which is basically a sophisticated micro computer? Thirty years ago the computers we had could do nothing in comparison, so yes, maybe it is good value. I certainly think Samsung phones are far preferable to any of the other Android phones - two years ago I bought one of the Chinese offerings and sstruggled with it for a couple of months. Then, fortunately, someone stole it, and I bought a Samsung Galaxy S8+ as a replacement. Suddenly, all the things I had struggled with on the Chinese phone, were easy.As for the S20 plus. It's a beautiful piece of kit (I hated all the Samsung screens,

9.5.2020

I have had my s20+ 3 days now and upgraded from the s9+ I have always found the camera quality with Samsung exceptional, but the s20+ just takes it to a whole new level. I did do a lot of research before my purchase and I'm so glad I did, I have definitely made the right choice for me. I was going to go with the Ultra but decided against it when the only difference was the 100× zoom and the size. I am by no means a photographer, or claim to have ever been one, but with the quality of the camera on the s20+ I have managed to take some images that are out of this world, at least for my standard of photography anyway. But even if you're a professional photographer,

14.12.2020

The actual phone itself is a great upgrade to my S9 and has all the same features my old phone did and a load more. I really like the extra smooth display setting as it looks really nice and highly compliments the device screen. One thing I wasn't very fond of though was the fact that it didn't have a headphone jack, however, it did come with free headphones that are compatible with the charging port of the device.Buying this phone from Amazon was just as good as buying it from any other place like Currys. But unlike other retailers Amazon was selling the item for significantly less. I have a lot of faith in Amazon customer services so I decided to buy the phone from Amazon which was a first for me as I normally buy my phones at Currys or Carphone Warehouse.

7.6.2020

I have received, it is definitely one of the best phones that I have bought. I have upgraded from s9plus, so I was fairly familiar with the system.Its a great design, its fast, great for gaming, also due to my job being surrounded by computer work, I tend to use the S20 Ultra when I am outside work to update some files, or even connect it to a external screen and use Samsug Dex, which is a fast system, and its just great as you can have a desktop experience with just the phone.Using this phone could easily replace a camera, it has some fantastic quality for both photography and video recording. With this phone you can take some stunning pictures,

26.5.2020

S20+ is a great all rounder with excellent screen, battery life, camera, and super slick interface. It is much larger than any phone I have owned previously, but feels much smaller than it is and feels thinner, lighter, and easier to use than I expected.I upgraded from an S7 and the difference is huge. The fingerprint scanner works far better than I expected and the facial recognition generally unlocks the phone before I have a chance to use the fingerprint scanner.The battery lasts easily a day and a half, charges very quickly even with standard fast charger, and I find I don't now have to either charge overnight or switch to maximum power saving mode in the afternoon to get through the day.One of my main reasons for upgrading my phone was to have a better camera,

Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus 5G - Reviews

Info

Analysis

Detail