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❤ Samsung Galaxy S21 5G

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Unpacking 2021 with a bang, we have the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G for you today. Samsung has rearranged its yearly release schedule to pull its high-end S-series reveal for January, and could there be a better way to kick off the year?

We did say ‘bang’, but it’s hardly the most thunderous of those – out of the trio of Galaxy S21 5G phones announced, we’ll now be presenting you the smallest, vanilla one. We also have the Ultra at the office, but you’ll need to wait a bit more for that – no event starts off with the headliner anyway.

For the second year in a row, Samsung unveils three phones as part of the spring flagship roster (even though it’s very much winter this time around, at least where we are). And, much like last time, there’s a very clear divide between the ultimate uncompromising Ultra and the two more restrained and down-to-earth ‘regular’ S phones. If anything, the gap has even widened.

The examples are plenty, some of them more significant than others. Take the displays for example. Unlike last year when all three phones had 1440p resolution panels, now only the Ultra gets the higher resolution, the ‘mainstream’ S21s stand at 1080p. All three screens were curved in 2020, now it’s just the Ultra. All three S20s had the same high-refresh rate implementation, now the Ultra gets a more advanced Adaptive mode than the other two.

How about the cameras? The S20 Ultra had a vastly superior setup than the other two, regardless of issues it might have had with realizing the full potential of all of its impressive hardware. Well, the S21 Ultra builds on top of that and comes with further improved internals in the imaging department. The S21 and S21 Plus, meanwhile, reuse last year’s bits. Hmm.

But there’s more. In the case of the small Galaxy S21 we have here, a final blow hurts the most – it’s got a plastic back. It’s hardly the end of the world, and we’ll go on to rationalize how that’s actually a good thing on the next page. But it goes to emphasize the further differentiation between the one true flagship and the others that stand below it. And then further down below it.

Some genes are shared among all in the family, after all. The chipset is the same on all three (still different from region to region, but that’s a whole other topic), all have the second-gen ultrasonic fingerprint reader from Qualcomm, as well as stereo speakers and IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. And no, none of them has a microSD slot, that one was most surprising.

Samsung Galaxy S21 5G specs at a glance:

Body: 151.7×71.2×7.9mm, 169g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins).
Display: 6.20″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 421ppi; Always-on display.
Chipset: International – Exynos 2100 (5 nm): Octa-core CPU (1×2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3×2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×2.2 GHz Cortex-A55), Mali-G78 MP14 GPU. USA/China – Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 (5 nm): Octa-core (1×2.84 GHz Kryo 680 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 680 & 4×1.80 GHz Kryo 680; Adreno 660 GPU.
Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS 3.1.
OS/Software: Android 11, One UI 3.1.
Rear camera: Wide (main): 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, 1/1.76″, 1.8µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚, 1/2.55″ 1.4µm, Super Steady video; Telephoto: 64 MP, f/2.0, 29mm, 1/1.72″, 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 1.1x optical zoom, 3x hybrid zoom.
Front camera: 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm, 1/3.24″, 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF.
Video capture: Rear camera: 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS; Front camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps.
Battery: 4000mAh; Fast charging 25W, USB Power Delivery 3.0, Fast Qi/PMA wireless charging 15W, Reverse wireless charging 4.5W.
Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, ultrasonic); NFC; FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent); Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support), Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified), ANT+, Bixby natural language commands and dictation.

Samsung Galaxy S21 5G unboxing

Here it is, the high-end Galaxies’ new and improved (read ‘smaller’) retail box. Following in the footsteps of Apple, Samsung has chosen to remove the charger and headphones from the retail bundle, resulting in a more compact box.

Yes, yes, you’re supposed to already have chargers at home, so not including one with every phone should help reduce waste, plus the decreased shipping volume will lower the carbon footprint along the logistics chain. It’s a noble concept though somehow saving the environment still doesn’t feel like the key driving factor.

Having said that, at the S21 keynote, Samsung mentioned that adapters will now be sold at a reduced price, and this seems like a step in the right direction.

Anyway, what you are getting in the box is the phone itself and a USB-C-to-C cable. That sort of means you need to have a moderately contemporary USB PowerDelivery charger lying around, or a USB-A-to-C cable if you intend to use an adapter that doesn’t have a Type C out.

As it came to light around the iPhone 12 launch days, local regulations in France specifically mandate that all phones sold in the country come with a headset. So S21s in France will indeed ship with the usual set of AKG-branded earbuds we’ve gotten used to from Galaxies in recent years. Still no charger, though.

Competition

Galaxies like to compete with iPhones but with the ever-growing Apple lineup, which is the correct counterpart? Let’s say you like the smallest S21 5G for its size in particular – then perhaps the iPhone 12 mini could be even better being a full 2cm shorter and 30+ grams lighter, not to mention actually cheaper (by $70/€50/£70 for base storage).

Too diminutive? Then the iPhone 12 proper, at virtually the same size and weight as the S21, is a bit more expensive (€50/£30, actually the same price in the US). Now, at these prices, the iPhones will come with half the storage and one rear camera short but with a more powerful chipset. For most other things, it’ll be a toss-up.

Which is where the 12 Pro comes in, adding a zoom camera and matching the Galaxy for base storage. There’s but a nominal price premium to be paid over the Galaxy, to the tune of $200/€300/£230 – nah, we didn’t think so either.

Apple iPhone 12 mini • Apple iPhone 12 • Apple iPhone 12 Pro

Galaxy S21 5G money can buy you a OnePlus 8 Pro, and that’s looking like a solid deal if you can live with the added bulk – the OP is a full-size offering. Going that way, you’ll obviously get a bigger display, but also a superior ultra-wide camera and blazing fast charging (with adapter in the box too) and you really won’t be sacrificing anything.

OnePlus 8 Pro

Normally, around this time of the year, we’d be advising that you wait for whatever P-series handset Huawei might have in store, but at the present time, it’s telephona-non-grata in the Western world, so that’s a no-go. Google practically exited the smartphone master race with the Pixel 5, which is pretty much LG’s standing too.

That’s not really the end of the list, though. We’d argue that at this point, a Galaxy S20, not S21, is the one to get. A year older chipset is still easily powerful enough, the cameras are virtually the same, and its display is, in a way, better. The S20 got the latest Android/OneUI combo too, so it’s not trailing in this respect. It’s better in other ways, too – it’s got a microSD slot and a non-plastic back. Perhaps in day-to-day use, the S21 could return marginally better battery life, but the S20 comes with a charger, doesn’t it? Ah, it also comes with a 15-20% lower price tag, maybe even cheaper depending on where you are and how lucky you get.

Samsung Galaxy S20

Verdict

S21 5G proper, the S-series Galaxy for compact phone lovers is predictably a very nice package. It’s got a display that’s hard not to love, battery life that won’t keep you tied to an outlet, and cameras that capture great images, all of it packaged in what’s Samsung‘s most daring design lately. Seemingly, however, that’s no longer enough.

It’s not that we don’t like the Galaxy S21 5G. On the contrary, we’re quite fond of its looks, and there’s proven substance beneath them. But maybe that’s the issue – it’s a little too proven. Last year’s S20 is in many ways superior, and even though the S21 launches at a lower MSRP, the year-old S20 can still be found for less while arguably offering more.

Pros

Nice color options, standout design, IP68 rating.
A fairly compact high-end device, not too many of those out there.
Bright AMOLED display with adaptive refresh rate handling.
Very good battery life.
Versatile triple camera setup (though essentially the same as last year’s).
Improved selfie camera performance.

Cons

Scant retail package – no charger or headphones.
Plastic back is at odds with the upmarket position.
Flat screen and thicker bezels lack a premium vibe, though some of you may find ergonomic benefits in them.
Benchmark numbers from the new chipset leave us wondering, we’ll need a 2021 Snapdragon for context.
No generational advancements in the camera department – lack of AF on the ultra wide stands out in particular, since the S21 Ultra has that.

❤ Samsung Galaxy S10e

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The Samsung Galaxy S10e is like a breath of fresh air in a world of behemoth smartphones with enormous displays. To be honest, we didn’t expect Samsung or any other manufacturer for that matter to release a compact flagship. Especially since even Sony dropped their compact lineup. But here it is – a small flagship phone for a little less than you’d expect from a normal flagship these days.

It’s nice to see Samsung keeping most of the high-end features in this little guy but for around €700, some corners had to be cut. For starters, you don’t get the telephoto lens, the bezels are a tad thicker and the under-display fingerprint has moved to the side frame. If you are willing to live without those, than the Galaxy S10e might be the right choice for you out of all three phones Galaxy S10s.

Samsung Galaxy S10e specs

Body: 142.2 x 69.9 x 7.9 mm, 150 grams, metal side frame, Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back.
Screen: 5.8″ Dynamic AMOLED, 1080 x 2280px resolution; 19:9 aspect ratio; ~438 ppi.
Chipset: Exynos 9820 Octa (8nm) chipset: octa-core CPU ((2×2.73 GHz Mongoose M4 & 2×2.31 GHz Cortex-A75 & 4×1.95 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G76 MP12 GPU.
Memory: 6GB RAM, 128GB built-in storage, microSD slot support.
OS: One UI based on Android 9.0 Pie.
Rear camera: 12MP f/1.5-2.4, 1.4µm, 1/2.55″, PDAF support, OIS + 16MP f/2.2, ultra-wide 104µm, LED flash; 1080p@30/60/240fps, 4K@30/60fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+ support.
Front camera: 10MP f/1.9, up to 2160p@30fps video recording.
Battery: 3,100mAh, adaptive fast charging 15W (9V/1.67A).
Connectivity: Single-SIM, Dual-SIM available in certain markets (hybrid slot); LTE-A, 7-Band carrier aggregation, Cat.20/13 (2Gbps/150Mbps); USB Type-C (v3.1); Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac/ax MU-MIMO; GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo; NFC; Bluetooth 5.0.
Misc: Stereo loudspeakers, wireless charging, reverse wireless charging, IP68 rating dust and water protection.

But don’t mistake the Galaxy S10e for an upper-mid-range device. It’s still a flagship phone with a corresponding price tag although, a lot lower than the S10 or S10+ for that matter. You still get the flawless screen experience – as long as you don’t mind the punch-hole camera – the great camera, powerful Exynos 9820 (or the Snapdragon 855 depending on your region) and tons of proprietary Samsung features.

Unboxing the Samsung Galaxy S10e

Unfortunately, we didn’t get a retail unit so the phone didn’t come in its original box. However, we did receive the proper charger supporting fast charging output of 15W. We also got the AKG-branded buds, which sound great, by the way. It seems that all three Galaxies come with those AKGs. Kudos for that.

The competition

Competition in the mid-range might be tough, but the high-end segment has its difficulties too. And the Galaxy S10e doesn’t make it easier for some as well. We can even say it’s a rare beast to some extent – it’s one of the few compact flagships and it doesn’t break the bank too. To be honest, it was quite hard for us to think of adequate competitors, aside from the iPhone XR, which is the main rival here.

However, the Galaxy S10e fills a couple of niches – it’s a decently-priced compact flagship with the essential high-end features at hand. Almost all of its competitors are more expensive but let’s start with the most obvious one.

Samsung‘s answer to the “budget” iPhone XR is definitely the Galaxy S10e. Of course, the iPhone XR is a tad more expensive than the S10e in the US but asks considerably more in Europe or other parts of the world. But if you’ve reached a point where you have to decide between the iPhone XR and the Galaxy S10e, you probably don’t have a single clue on how big your phone should be. Both handsets look similar, but once you hold them in your hand, the Galaxy S10e just feels tiny. Mostly because of the skinny bezels. It’s just way easier to handle.

Battery life on the XR is about the same and raw performance is measurably higher, but that’s all. The S10e impresses with one the best in class AMOLED displays, it has a pretty good ultra-wide camera, while the iPhone XR relies on one unit, and the Galaxy S10e still offers the option to unlock it with a fingerprint. And when you weigh in the factor of ever-declining Android prices, the gap between the Galaxy S10e and the iPhone XR will just grow bigger over time. One would argue that if the iPhone XR is in your price range, the Galaxy S10 is actually the better choice.

Apple iPhone XR • Samsung Galaxy S10

But if you are strictly in the Android camp, or more specifically, in Samsung‘s party tent, you should consider the Galaxy S10. The price difference is around €100 (or slightly more depending on your region), but you get the fancy in-display ultrasonic fingerprint reader, a third telephoto camera and a bigger and curvier display.

For a little less, Xiaomi has two offers that can go under the “affordable flagship” label – the recently released Xiaomi Mi 9 and last year’s crowd favorite – the Pocophone F1. The Mi 9, despite being bigger in size and considerably less expensive, is closer to the Galaxy S10e than you’d think – a premium build, great AMOLED screen, long battery life, heavily-customized UI and powerful up to date hardware.

Xiaomi Mi 9 • Xiaomi Pocophone F1 • Google Pixel 3

And as for the Pocophone F1, it’s the definition of “affordable flagship.” Although still rocking a Snapdragon 845, it can do almost everything the S10e can but lacks the sharp AMOLED screen and the excellent camera experience. But for the less pretentious users, the Pocophone F1 will save you a couple of hundred dollars.

If you are one of the old-school users looking for something new, and compactness is on the top of your list, you should also consider the Pixel 3 – a powerful stock Android alternative to the Galaxy S10e and depending on the current Google promotions, it can be less expensive or slightly above the Galaxy S10e. There’s also a big “if” with availability – Pixel availability is notoriously limited. But if all is good and you are willing to go with the Pixel, you should consider the bare bones Android experience and the single-camera module. That doesn’t mean it can’t do awesome shots, though.

Verdict

Surely, there are better value propositions from flagship phones, but the Galaxy S10e packs the latest and greatest and it’s easy to handle with one hand. It has one of the best screens in the industry combined with a stellar camera experience, tons of cool software and hardware features and it’s still rocking that beloved 3.5mm audio jack. It’s one of the most feature-complete flagship devices out there, but there are a couple of things you’d have to deal with.

For example, the One UI might not be to everyone’s taste – it’s heavily-customized, and the navigation has changed a lot since the last Samsung UX iterations, and the high fingerprint reader placement requires too much of a thumb stretch. Even for a phone with this size, unlocking the handset using the side-mounted scanner feels like a chore.

Speaking of displacement, the punch-hole camera is an OCD-inducing design choice. Also, we still think that the hole is better off in the left corner, like the Honor View 20. We are still unsure how screen cutouts are any better than a notch, but we guess we are a step closer to full-screen design with sensors and cameras under the display.

And what’s with the ancient fast charging Samsung? Every other phone maker offers a more advanced fast charging system, regardless of whether proprietary or not.

So this phone is not without its shortcomings. But do we recommend the Galaxy S10e? In a heartbeat. We see it becoming one of the best value high-end smartphones shortly, once the price starts to drop. As long as you don’t care about those over-the-top fancy features like the in-display fingerprint reader, the Galaxy S10e could be your trusty sidekick for years ahead.

Pros

One of the few compact flagships out there.
Impeccable build quality, premium materials, great colors.
Outstanding display.
Stellar camera experience with a few minor exceptions.
Decent battery life, better than the Galaxy S10

Cons

Fingerprint reader is placed inconveniently high.
The ultra-wide angle camera needs autofocus.
The camera Night mode is lackluster.
Samsung’s fast charging tech is not competitive in speed.

❤ Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus 5G

A recent trend we’re seeing with flagship phones is that they now come in threes. So whereas in the past a Plus model was the best of the litter, now it’s either a Max or in the case of the S20 – an Ultra. We already reviewed this one and now it’s time for the S20 Plus which is the middle option for a high-end Samsung in 2020.

Being a middle option, it misses out on the Ultra’s unique camera system and shares the same setup with the vanilla S20 – okay, the Plus adds a ToF module. Other than that small detail, the S20 Plus is essentially the same phone as the S20, only bigger.

Which isn’t a bad thing – if you’re a fan of large screens and find the S20 too small but the Ultra too expensive and camera focused, the Plus is here for you. At 6.7 inches in diagonal, it’s closer in size to the ultimate flagship than it is to what could be called the ‘compact’ 6.2-inch S20.

With the bigger display, a bump in battery capacity is another difference in the S20 Plus vs. S20 specsheets – not many of these, but the ones that are there matter.

Here’s a quick refresher on the hardware and some of the key features of the S20 Plus before we move on.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus Specs

Body: 161.9×73.7×7.8mm, 186g; curved Gorilla Glass 6 front and back, metal frame; IP68 rating; Cosmic Grey, Cloud Blue, Cloud Pink, Cloud White, Aura Red color schemes.
Screen: 6.7″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 1440x3200px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 525ppi; 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sensing; HDR10+ support.
Chipset (market dependent): Exynos 990 (7nm+): Octa-core (2×2.73 GHz Mongoose M5 & 2×2.50 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G77 MP11. Snapdragon 865 (7nm+): Octa-core CPU (1×2.84 GHz Kryo 585 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 585 & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 585); Adreno 640 GPU.
Memory: 8GB RAM, 128GB built-in UFS 3.0 storage, shared microSD slot.
OS/Software: Android 10, One UI 2.1.
Rear camera: Wide (main): 12MP, 1/1.76″ sensor, 1.8µm pixel size, 26mm equiv., f/1.8 aperture, PDAF, OIS. Telephoto: 64MP, 1/1.72″, 0.8µm, f/2.0, PDAF, OIS, 3x hybrid optical zoom. Ultra wide angle: 12MP, 1/2.6″, 1.4µm, f/2.2, fixed focus.
Front camera: 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2″, 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF.
Video recording: Rear camera: 8K 4320p@24fps, 4K 2160p@30/60fps, FullHD 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps. Front camera: 4K 2160p@30/60fps, FullHD 1080p@30/60fps.
Battery: 4,500mAh, 25W fast charging support over Power Delivery 3.0 (25W charger supplied in the box).
Misc: Fast Qi/PMA wireless charging 15W; Power bank/Reverse wireless charging 9W; Ultra-sonic under-display fingerprint reader; NFC; FM radio (USA & Canada only); Stereo loudspeakers; Samsung DeX support (desktop experience).

As is commonly the case, we’re reviewing the Exynos version of the Galaxy S20 Plus. It’s also in 4G-only spec – a 5G-capable variant is also available, but since we don’t have access to a 5G network anyway, it makes little difference to us and to the findings in this review.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus unboxing

The Galaxy S20 Plus comes in the standard Samsung flagship-grade packaging. That means a sturdy black box with not much in terms of frills. There is a bold S20, spilling over to the sides if that counts as an accent.

What certainly counts are the contents. You get a 25W charger that is USB PowerDelivery compliant and a USB-C-to-C cable to go with it. A headset is also included and it too has a USB-C port – there’s no 3.5mm jack on this Samsung.

We were pleasantly surprised when we unboxed the Galaxy S20 Ultra to find a silicone protective case. Well, that’s not the case with the S20 Plus, as it wasn’t with the S20 proper – you’ll need to provide your own protection.

Competition

In this year’s Samsung high-end trio, the Ultra is the no-compromise option with a camera system unlike any other on the market. At the same time, the other two S20s downgrade to a different setup but keep virtually everything the same. In these new circumstances where it isn’t the absolute best, the S20 Plus has little more than sheer size going for it over the S20 so your choice boils down to screen size preference.

At some €100 more than the vanilla model, the Plus’s better battery life, and the larger display may well be worth it for the right audience. The Ultra, on the other hand, would require a significant stretch of your budget compared to the S20 Plus – some €300+ extra will buy you the ultimate camera setup, and… that’s about it. And €300 can get you an extra phone – a pretty good midranger at that.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G • Samsung Galaxy S20

Looking outside of the S20 family, it’s probably the iPhone 11 Pro Max that is the S20 Plus‘s immediate competitor. Of the things you can objectively compare between the two, the Galaxy has the better display, leads in the camera department, is more compact and lighter, and is less expensive by about 20% (in Europe and most of the world, but not in the US, where prices are mostly comparable). Going into the intangibles, the iPhone’s software experience and the ability to command a certain brand loyalty can overcome all of the above.

Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max

Two important new releases are due any day, which will likely increase the S20 plus‘s competitor count. One of these is the Huawei P40 Pro (maybe even Pro Premium) – it will be missing Google support, and that’s its major drawback from a western perspective, but you’re not reliant on the Google suite for one reason or another it could be a viable alternative. The other would-be rival is the OnePlus 8 Pro, which we’re expecting to feature similar hardware to the Galaxy S20 Plus but at a lower price.

Verdict

Samsung‘s 2020 flagship roster seems easy to figure out. If you want the ultimate phone and money is no object, you go for the Galaxy S20 Ultra. If you’re looking to spend a more sensible amount of money and you can live with an excellent camera, yet knowing there’s a better one, the Galaxy S20 is your phone. The S20 Plus doesn’t appear to fit into any of these straightforward recommendations.

After a little extra consideration, the Plus can still make a compelling case for itself against the S20. The significantly larger display may be enough for the right customer, while carrier subsidies could shrink the price difference from the nominal $200/€100 to something more appealing. And as is usually the case, if you’re not in a hurry, you could wait for a month or two, and the prices are very likely to come down a little, perhaps the Plus more so than the

Pros

Excellent build quality and bill of materials. IP68 rating.
Familiar, yet modernized design and control layout.
Superb 120Hz AMOLED display.
Best battery life of the trio, speedy charging solutions, incl. a 25W charger in the box.
Very good stereo speaker setup.
Excellent flagship performance.
Versatile triple camera setup, with impressive image quality and consistency.

Cons

The fingerprint sensor performance is behind the competition.
The body gets hot under load and the CPU throttles considerably.
Zoom camera is not as sharp as the S20 Ultra’s at 4x or 10x.

❤ Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G

Last year’s Galaxy Note9 wasn’t the big upgrade everyone expected it and it was even considered as a boring upgrade over the Note8. Despite that, the phone was well-received because it went by the Note series’ mantra of zero compromises. Don’t fix if it ain’t broken, right? This year’s Galaxy Note 10 and the Note10 Plus, however, are a big departure from what we are used to seeing from Samsung’s flagships, which in turn has stirred up some controversy.

And it’s mostly because of the 3.5mm jack. Yes, that’s right, Samsung seems to be one of the last OEMs to abandon that ship and it’s going jack-less with both phones – the vanilla Note 10 and the Plus-sized version. Luckily, the Note 10 Plus retains the microSD card slot.

Aside from that, we expect the Note10 Plus to be a significant upgrade in almost every aspect – battery life, display, camera performance, charging speed and as per tradition, the S-Pen brings over a couple of new features to the table as well.

Samsung Galaxy Note10 Plus

Body: 162.3 x 77.2 x 7.9 mm, 196 grams, curved Gorilla Glass front and back, metal side frame.
Screen: 6.8″ Dynamic AMOLED, 1440 x 3040px resolution; 19:9 aspect ratio; ~498ppi; HDR10+ support.
Chipset (market dependent): Exynos 9825 (7nm) (in EMEA/LATAM): Octa-core (2×2.73 GHz Mongoose M4 & 2×2.4 GHz Cortex-A75 & 4×1.9 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G76 MP12. Snapdragon 855 (7nm): Octa-core CPU (1×2.8GHz & 3×2.4GHz Kryo Gold & 4×1.7GHz Kryo 485 Silver); Adreno 640 GPU.
Memory: 12GB RAM, 256/512GB built-in UFS 3.0 storage.
OS: One UI based on Android 9.0 Pie.
Rear camera: Wide (main): 12MP, 1/2.55″ sensor, f/1.5-2.4 aperture, 26mm equiv. focal length (77° FoV), dual pixel PDAF, OIS. Telephoto: 12MP, 1/3.6″ sensor, f/2.1 aperture, 52mm equiv. focal length (45° FoV), PDAF, OIS. Ultra-wide: 16MP, f/2.2 aperture, 12mm equiv. focal length (123° FoV), fixed focus; 3D ToF VGA camera for depth information.
Front camera: 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF; 2160p@30fps video recording.
Battery: 4,300 mAh, 45W fast charging over Power Delivery 3.0 (25W charger supplied in the box).
Misc: microSD card slot up to 1TB support; Fast Qi/PMA wireless charging 15W; Power bank/Reverse wireless charging 9W; S-Pen stylus; Ultra-sonic under-display fingerprint reader; NFC; FM radio (USA & Canada only); Stereo loudspeakers; Samsung DeX support (desktop experience).

As you can see, one of the most noticeable changes is the screen size and the camera cutout. Samsung was able to fit a fairly big screen in the body thanks to the curved edges and trimmed bezels and OCD freaks will be pleased to see the punch-hole camera centered instead of being pushed to the edges like the S10 series. It begs the question, though, is it really better than a standard notch?

And even though the Note10 Plus disappointed some die-hard Note fans (at least according to our polls), there’s no denying that the handset is an absolute powerhouse and keeps up with the 2019 trends, although not necessarily the right ones. Let’s see how it fares in our tests and day-to-day usage before we make any conclusions.

Unboxing the Samsung Galaxy Note10 Plus

The phone comes in a premium-looking black box containing almost everything you’d expect. We say almost because there’s no sight of the USB-C to audio jack dongle, meaning you will have to buy it separately.

Otherwise, you will be greeted with a USB-C to USB-C cable supporting Power Delivery 3.0 along with a 25W charger, again complying to the PD 3.0 standard. There’s also a pair of nice-sounding AKG earbuds with braided cables – a nice touch as always.

Our only complaint would be the lack of 3.5mm audio dongle. For the asking price, one would expect a $5 worth dongle inside but it is what it is. Oh, and if you want to take full advantage of the highest possible charging speeds, you will have to shell out for the faster 45W charging brick.

The competition

Right now, the Galaxy Note10 Plus is in a very favorable position. Most of its direct rivals are a month or two away from being released so it has very few big-screen alternatives out there. The new iPhone XS Max successor should be out in a month, the Pixel 4 XL and the Mate 30 Pro are expected in October and the Huawei P30 Pro isn’t in the same price range nor does it have a screen as big as the Note10 Plus‘s.

So if you are strictly looking for a Samsung device but the S-Pen isn’t of great importance, the Galaxy S10+ appears to be a pretty good alternative. Of course, the screen is smaller and has a larger off-centered cutout but you’d get pretty similar experience. The camera experience is virtually the same, the chipset’s raw performance matches the Note10 Plus‘s Exynos 9825 and if the Snapdragon versions are available in your area, there won’t be any difference at all. And you stand to gain the trusty old 3.5mm audio jack that was eliminated on the Note10 Plus. So it all boils down to screen size, the S-Pen, marginally better battery life and that sweet fast charging. Those are the main key selling points of Samsung’s newest flagship. Otherwise, you’d be spending less for the Galaxy S10+ even if memory configurations are matched.

Samsung Galaxy S10+ • Oppo Reno 10x zoom • Sony Xperia 1 • OnePlus 7 Pro

Sony’s Xperia 1 deserves a mention here despite its bizarre screen aspect ratio. Sure, the screen is smaller but makes up with higher pixel density and arguably better multimedia capabilities due to its cinematic 21:9 aspect. For the first time in generations, we can finally compare the Xperia’s camera quality to the Note10 Plus‘s. However, the former falls short in fast charging and battery life. The Xperia 1 is a very niche device, just like the Note10 Plus so it makes it harder for us to recommend one over the other universally. Each has specialty features that might swing the scales in a particular direction regardless of the overall feature mix.

Finally, the runner-up, the OnePlus 7 Pro. It’s actually the only big-screen alternative to the Note10+ right now and it makes a strong case as a competent rival. It does a lot of things as good as the Note10+ or better – it has great battery life, fast charging, an excellent screen with a 90Hz refresh rate (something the Note10+ lacks), a full-screen design without cutouts (again lacking in the Note10+) and to our surprise, the 7 Pro’s main camera takes better night shots. Daytime both cameras are pretty much neck and neck. The biggest selling point here is the almost pure Android experience and the price. The former is strongly a subjective matter but even if we match memory configurations on the two devices, the 7 Pro is considerably cheaper. Then again, you might be able to snatch a good carrier deal on the Note10+ and if you are willing to wait a couple of months, the price difference between the two devices will be negligible.

Verdict

As we’ve already pointed out, the Note10 Plus is in favorable market position as it doesn’t have to deal with a lot of direct rivals for the time being. Things are bound to change in two- or three-months time, of course.

But enough about the competition. Let’s reflect on how the Note-series has grown compared to the previous generations. Some die-hard Note fans are unhappy with some of the changes like the punch-hole camera and the lack of 3.5mm audio jack. The Note family used to be the embodiment of zero-compromise enthusiast’s phone which has everything and the kitchen sink. The new Note10-series is a departure from that and it’s introducing more than one trade-off. And after spending enough time with the handset, we have a couple of small complaints too. The ultra wide-angle camera still needs autofocus, the fingerprint scanner, although better than most under-screen solutions out there still needs some tweaking. And we think it’s mostly due to the unlocking animation Samsung is using. The small fingerprint area isn’t helping with accuracy and consistency either. Most of the issues we had with the fingerprint are software-related and Samsung could potentially tackle them with future updates.

Additionally, the ergonomics of the device aren’t stellar. The sharp edges and corners make it harder to use with one hand and had us constantly fear dropping the device. And don’t get us started on the controversial power button placement.

As you may have gathered by now, most of our complaints are of the nitpicking kind. Otherwise, the Note10 Plus introduces a handful of improvements over its predecessor – better camera experience, more camera and S-Pen features, better screen, more screen in the same size, thinner bezels for that 2019 look, better battery life, more convenient fingerprint reader placement and more importantly – fast charging that can go head-to-head with the best in the industry.

The high price makes it hard to sell, however, but if you get a good carrier-subsidized deal or wait a couple of months, you might get it at the price of a 7 Pro, for example. In the end, as always, it all boils down to the S-Pen and its unique features. If you are a fan of the stylus, that’s pretty much your only option on the market.

Pros

S-Pen is more versatile than ever.
Bright OLED screen with small hole and razor-thin bezels.
Excellent battery life.
Great-sounding stereo loudspeakers.
Fast battery charging, supports even faster speeds with another wall charger.
Nice camera experience all-around, with small exceptions.
S-Pen with tons of unique features.
Surprisingly compact and slim body given the hardware and screen size.
Retains the microSD card support and adopts fast UFS 3.0 storage.
Base model has a generous 256GB/12GB storage and memory configuration.

Cons

No 3.5mm audio jack.
Controversial power button placement.
The in-display fingerprint needs more optimization (mostly software-wise).
A high-refresh rate screen would have made it a lot more competitive.
Telephoto lacks a longer reach than 2x.
The Night mode needs more work.
The ultra-wide angle camera lacks autofocus.

❤ Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

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It’s Galaxy Note season and this year the best one is the Ultra. Samsung‘s mixed things up a bit atop the lineup and the one you want in 2020 is the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. We have it right here.

Last year, in a one-off effort, Samsung put out the Note10 and Note10 Plus – a relatively closely-specced pair where size was really the key factor for picking one over the other. Not so this time around. The Note 20 Ultra and Note20 are both big and feature parity is out the door – in a similar fashion to how the S20 Ultra is above and beyond the S20+, only even more so.

Pounding on the Note20 in absentia isn’t what we’re here for and we’ll deal with its shortcomings and limitations when one shows up at our doorstep. For now, let’s focus on the Ultra.

First appearing on the other S20 Ultra, the oversized camera hump makes a return on the Note 20 Ultra. Most of the bits inside are the same, including the main 108MP cam and the 12MP ultra wide. But the periscope telephoto that’s in part responsible for the sheer size of the assembly is now 12MP, swapping out the 48MP unit of the S-series phone – we’ll have to see about that.

Galaxy family shot: S20 Ultra • Note20 Ultra • Note10 Plus

The display is a nice marriage of Note-style geometry with some high refresh rate coming in from the S20s, now supposedly made even better with an adaptive refresh rate adjustment. Oh, and spoiler – it’s the brightest AMOLED screen we’ve seen to date.

The S Pen is here, of course, now relocated to the left side. It’s improved too, getting a 9ms latency (down more than 4 times compared to the Note10), system-wide Air actions, and a Notes app to make you forget Google Keep.

All this comes in a redesigned package featuring a stainless steel midframe where once was aluminum and the brand new Gorilla Glass 7 (aka Victus) for improved durability. For improved looks, the matte finish on the back will ward off fingerprints, though only the Mystic Bronze color option gets that treatment, sadly. The Mystic Black is all shiny.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra specs

NETWORK	Technology	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE
	2G bands	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 – SIM 1 & SIM 2 (dual-SIM model only)
		CDMA 800 / 1900
	3G bands	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
		CDMA2000 1xEV-DO
	4G bands	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66
	Speed	HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps

LAUNCH	Announced	2020, August 05
LAUNCH	Status	Available. Released 2020, August 21

BODY	Dimensions	164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm (6.49 x 3.04 x 0.32 in)
	Weight	208 g (7.34 oz)
	Build	Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), stainless steel frame
	SIM	Single SIM (Nano-SIM and/or eSIM) or Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
		IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) Stylus, 9ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro)

DISPLAY	Type	Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+
	Size	6.9 inches, 116.7 cm² (~91.7% screen-to-body ratio)
	Resolution	1440 x 3088 pixels (~496 ppi density)
	Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
		Always-on display 120Hz@FHD/60Hz@QHD refresh rate

PLATFORM	OS	Android 10, upgradable to Android 11, One UI 3.0
	Chipset	Exynos 990 (7 nm+) – Global Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865+ (7 nm+) – USA
	CPU	Octa-core (2×2.73 GHz Mongoose M5 & 2×2.50 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) – Global Octa-core (1×3.0 GHz Kryo 585 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 585 & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 585) – USA
	GPU	Mali-G77 MP11 – Global Adreno 650 – USA

MEMORY	Card slot	microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot)
	Internal	256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM
		UFS 3.0

MAIN CAMERA	Triple	108 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.33″, 0.8µm, PDAF, Laser AF, OIS 12 MP, f/3.0, 120mm (periscope telephoto), 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom, 50x hybrid zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55″, 1.4µm
	Features	LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
	Video	8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS

SELFIE CAMERA	Single	10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2″, 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF
	Features	Dual video call, Auto-HDR
	Video	4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps

SOUND	Loudspeaker	Yes, with stereo speakers
	3.5mm jack	No
		32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG

COMMS	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
	Bluetooth	5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
	NFC	Yes
	Radio	FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent)
	USB	USB Type-C 3.2, USB On-The-Go

FEATURES	Sensors	Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
		Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support

BATTERY	Type	Li-Ion 4500 mAh, non-removable
	Charging	Fast charging 25W USB Power Delivery 3.0 Fast Qi/PMA wireless charging 15W Reverse wireless charging 4.5W

MISC	Colors	Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Mystic White
	Models	SM-N985F, SM-N985F/DS
	SAR	0.57 W/kg (head) 1.02 W/kg (body)
	SAR EU	0.32 W/kg (head) 1.47 W/kg (body)
	Price	$ 1,044.99

Some other points on that list raise questions, however. Like the battery capacity that’s less than on the S20 Ultra, and the axing of the 45-watt charging support. The increasing gap between the Snapdragon and Exynos platforms is another less than ideal reality that users in half the world need to come to terms with.

Speaking of, we’ll be reviewing the Exynos version of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, in 5G spec. That’s one of few times you’ll hear 5G mentioned in the review, however, as we’ll be dropping it for the sake of brevity.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra unboxing

A rather typical Samsung presentation, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra‘s two-piece black cardboard box features the S Pen printed on the lid. A slightly glossy ‘N20’ contrasts against the matte material while the side edges of the top surface have striped patterns to allude to the curved display inside.

As part of the package, you’d be getting a 25-watt charger that adheres to USB PowerDelivery with the PPS bit of the standard supported as well. A USB-C-to-C cable is included, naturally. A pair of AKG-branded in-ear headphones are in there too, if you’re not getting a pair of Galaxy Buds Live as part of some pre-order bundle.

This being a review unit and not strictly a retail-ready package, it was missing the usual spare S Pen tips and the tool for replacing them. Different sizes of tips for the earbuds were nowhere to be found either. We can’t imagine Samsung‘s skipping either of these things and commercially available units will likely have them.

Competition

If you want the ultimate smartphone with a stylus available now, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has no competition even at its steep price of $1300/€1300, it’s simple as that. If you’re willing to compromise in one direction or another, a world of options opens up to you.

If you’re dead set on the S Pen, but the Ultra is too expensive, you have a couple of options – a plain Note 20 or a Note10 Plus. The newer model will get you a next-gen processor and camera setup as well as longer software support. It will come in at $1000/€1000, however, and you won’t be getting a high refresh rate display in the process, and we’re not yet ready to forgive it for its plastic back either.

The Note10+ is glass on both sides all right, and while it too refreshes at 60Hz, at least it’s got the 1440p resolution unlike the Note 20. The Note10 Plus is, admittedly, a generation behind in camera technology, but it still has an easily good enough tri-set. Best bit about it is the price, though that does vary wildly from region to region – a little over half the Note 20 Ultra in Europe at about €800, but a less enticing $1100 in the US. It’s actually more expensive than the Note20 in India at current rates, so that’s easily settled there.

Pick a Note: 20 Ultra or 10 Plus

If, on the other hand, the S Pen is little more than a nice-to-have to you and you’re willing to sacrifice that, but want to keep the camera system, the Galaxy S20 Ultra is just the one for you. If you’re in Europe that is – while the S20U is a good €250-300 less than the N20U there, for some reason it is $100 more in the US and about the same price as the Note in India. A minor hit in battery life is also part of the deal in the Eurozone, but it’s hardly consequential and you’ll probably live just fine with the S20 Ultra’s ‘only’ 1200nits of peak brightness instead of the Note’s 1500nits.

That’s just the Samsungs, though. Oppo will sell you a Find X2 Pro for €1100 through official channels and a case could be made it’s the better deal. It’s a different camera system on the Oppo with its own pros and cons, but it’s a very capable one nonetheless and offers similar coverage, plus the all-important (if only to select few) autofocus on the ultra wide cam. It’s mostly a tie in battery life with the Find charging twice as fast. The Find’s display is nearly as good as the Note’s too – arguably even better in a way because it can run in 1440p at 120Hz. You’ll be sacrificing memory expansion (is it an issue with 256GB of base storage on the Oppo?) and the selfie cam tops out at 1080p30 which could be limiting if you’re one to vlog.

Another entrant from China is the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro – since Xiaomi’s Ultra isn’t leaving its home market. We’re seeing deals for the Mi 10 Pro for as low as €800, and the €500 that you’ll get to keep in your pocket can justify a lot of trade-offs – not that you’d have to make a ton. The Mi’s display isn’t quite up there with the Note’s but refreshes at a sensible 90Hz and is as bright as a Galaxy from the spring. A true quad-cam setup can give the Note 20 Ultra a hard time in most conditions, but this one too is underpowered on the selfie video front. Perhaps the Mi’s biggest downside is the lack of an IP68 rating.

If you’re eyeing the Note 20 Ultra for its zoom power, maybe Huawei could interest you in a P40 Pro+ that can do 10x optically (sort of). That one has no Google services and no stereo speakers, yet is even pricier, though at this point does an extra €100 really count? It matches the Note 20 Ultra for selfie video capture, for a change, adding 3D face mapping in the process. Battery life is a toss up, the display is very good on the Huawei if not quite as good and the 990 Kirin is a bit behind the 990 Exynos. But 10x zoom, though. Okay, 8.5x, technically, but still 8.5>5.

Verdict

With the bulk of smartphones at most price points, some careful examination is needed to establish if they are a good deal or if the competition offers better bang for your buck. It’s rarely so when it comes to Galaxy Notes thanks to the lineup’s practically exclusive feature set – yes, the S Pen is a big chunk of that, but it’s about the entire full-featured package. Taking that a level up to Ultra in 2020, the concept of value-oriented deal almost becomes irrelevant.

The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is not twice as good a smartphone as the Note10+ that you can find for half its price in some parts of the world. Dropping this much money on a phone in these… unusual times is irresponsible. This phone or that phone will give you 90% of the experience at 60% of the price – or randomly cooked-up numbers of the sort. The Note 20 Ultra itself isn’t perfect, not to mention it’s even less perfect in half of the world.

Perhaps all of that is true. But the Note 20 Ultra is the most complete Galaxy and very likely the most complete smartphone you can buy right now. If your latest bank statement signs off on it, so do we.

Pros

The best display on the market.
Surprisingly good battery life for the display/battery combo.
S Pen is a joy to use, wireless DeX is a nice addition.
Incredibly versatile and well-performing camera system.

Cons

The camera bump could be unsightly depending on who you ask.
Performance divide between versions, Exynos variant isn’t up to the same standard.
Charging speed is not competitive.
Either 120Hz or 1440p, why not both? Also Adaptive refresh rate mode has a questionable effectiveness.

❤ Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G

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Ultra – that’s where you end up when you one-up your usual Plus. In other words, Samsung‘s outdone itself this year and has gone above and beyond its S20+ to give us the Galaxy S20 Ultra.

Leading the spring-time roster this year, the Ultra marks a shift compared to the 2019 lineup. Where last year we had the similar in most ways S10 and S10+, and then the S10e positioned below them, this time around there’s a model above the mainstream S20 and S20+ – the new moniker makes all the sense then.

And it’s ultra alright. Sure, it’s got an even bigger display and packs a larger battery with faster charging than the other S20s, plus you can have it with up to a ridiculous 16GB of RAM, while the non-Ultras top out at a modest 12GB. But that’s not it.

It’s the camera – likely the most extraordinarily all-out setup we’ve seen to date. The primary cam uses a sizeable 108MP sensor which combines 9 tiny pixels into one big one with processing designed to make use of the extra data being gathered – Nonacell as Samsung calls it.

Then there’s the telephoto shooter – it’s got an unmatched combination of a big 48MP imager and a periscope lens offering 4x optical zoom over the main. Samsung has ‘100X space zoom’ branding on the back of the phone and we’ll be sure to check by just how much it misses the moon, but in any case it’s a spectacularly impressive tele camera on paper.

The ultra wide isn’t quite there. While it is a new unit with a big sensor and large pixels, it’s still missing a vital part of what makes a truly good camera – autofocus.

Over on the front, there’s yet another ultra camera touch – Samsung‘s fitted a 40MP selfie module to set it apart from the so familiar 10MP units on the regular S20s. It’s going to be one lengthy camera section.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G

Body: 166.9×76.0x8.8mm, 222g (220g for the non-5G); curved Gorilla Glass 6 front and back, metal frame; IP68 rating; Cosmic Grey, Cosmic Black color schemes.
Screen: 6.9″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 1440x3200px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 511ppi; 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sensing; HDR10+ support.
Chipset (market dependent): Exynos 990 (7nm+): Octa-core (2×2.73 GHz Mongoose M5 & 2×2.50 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G77 MP11. Snapdragon 865 (7nm+): Octa-core CPU (1×2.84 GHz Kryo 585 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 585 & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 585); Adreno 650 GPU.
Memory: 12/16GB RAM, 128/256/512GB built-in UFS 3.0 storage, shared microSD slot.
OS/Software: Android 10, One UI 2.1.
Rear camera: Wide (main): 108MP, 1/1.33″ sensor, 0.8µm pixel size, 26mm equiv. focal length (79° FoV), f/1.8 aperture, PDAF, OIS. Telephoto: 48MP, 1/2.0″, 0.8µm, 103mm periscope lens (24° FoV), f/3.5, PDAF, OIS. Ultra wide angle: 12MP, 1/2.6″, 1.4µm, 12mm (123° FoV), f/2.2, fixed focus. ToF: 0.3MP, f/1.0.
Front camera: 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm, PDAF.
Video recording: Rear camera: 8K 4320p@24fps, 4K 2160p@30/60fps, FullHD 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps. Front camera: 4K 2160p@30/60fps, FullHD 1080p@30/60fps.
Battery: 5,000mAh, 45W fast charging support over Power Delivery 3.0 (25W charger supplied in the box).
Misc: Fast Qi/PMA wireless charging 15W; Power bank/Reverse wireless charging 9W; Ultra-sonic under-display fingerprint reader; NFC; FM radio (USA & Canada only); Stereo loudspeakers; Samsung DeX support (desktop experience).

Mind you, we’re reviewing the 5G version of the Galaxy S20 Ultra, while an LTE-only variant will apparently also be in existence. It’s not a hugely important distinction for the purposes of this review, as we have little along the lines of 5G networks in our neck of the woods anyway. We’ll be omitting the ‘5G’ for the remainder of the article. Another clarification due here is that we’re reviewing the Exynos version of the handset, as is typically the case.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G unboxing

The Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G ships in what’s become the standard Samsung box for high-end models – black, not very flashy at all. The visuals have changed slightly and now there’s an outline of the phone on the lid, with the ‘S20‘ so big it spills over to the sides.

Inside, there are few surprises. You get the 25W charger as opposed to the 45W one, even though the phone supports the higher wattage, and there’s a USB-C cable to complete the link. The pair of AKG branded earbuds ending in a USB-C connector are also a familiar sight from the Note10 bundle. Perhaps the only slightly unusual bit is the clear silicone case you’ll find in the paper sleeve you need to pry out of the lid of the box.

Competition

Let’s face it, if you’re considering spending $1400/€1350 on a phone, you’re probably not driven entirely by reason. Impulsive and/or compulsive buyers as we may be ourselves, the numbers in that first sentence still command some deliberation, even in a money-is-no-object context.

The way we see it, that much cash buys you a Galaxy Z Flip and the flippy Samsung will certainly catch more jealous stares than the ultra Samsung. The Flip is more fragile, it has a much less impressive camera setup and a plebeian 60Hz display (which is also kinda plastic), and not a whiff of 5G. But which one is cooler though?

Funnily enough, for S20 Ultra money you can get almost two Galaxy Note10s in Europe, though that doesn’t seem to be the case in other places. Still, if you do the sane thing and opt for a single Note, maybe even a Plus, you stand to save a lot wherever in the world you are and gain an S Pen in the process. However, Note10s only zoom half the way the Ultra can, and S20s can refresh their displays twice as many times a second as Note10s do.

Or maybe get an iPhone, that’s always an option. A sensible 256GB 11 Pro Max will leave you with $150 in the bank if you’re in the US and save you all the trouble of having to figure out when you’ll be recording with which camera on the Ultra – the iPhone can record with all of them at the same time. Of course, the Ultra’s 4x and 120Hz trump cards remain. There’s a tiny caveat that with Apple’s pricing, the iPhone will actually cost a few dozen Euros more around here, and a cool 30% more in India. So if you’re in India, get the Ultra over the iPhone, obviously.

Seriously, though, the regular Galaxy S20s that we’re still waiting to get our hands on, could end up being the best value S20. Latest chipsets, 120Hz screens too, interesting cameras in their own right, easily more pocketable than the Ultra even if you go for the Plus, and available in moderately interesting colors.

Verdict

The Galaxy S20 Ultra is not without potential. But the overenthusiastic marketing and the sheer size of that camera bump had us expecting the next big thing – instead, space zoom it isn’t and Nonacell is nona-mazing, at least for now.

Yes, the periscope telephoto is great and it’s superior in every way to that other similar periscope telephoto that came a year earlier, but we are a year later now and that’s expected. Yes, the Ultra’s got a big-sensor primary camera which could probably do great things eventually but we didn’t see magic over the past couple of weeks. Yes, it’s the best display Samsung‘s put out, but why can’t we get the refresh rate and the resolution all at the same time? Hmm…

At the Ultra’s asking price, you deserve to be spoiled, and you deserve to be getting magic. And since that’s apparently not the case, we’d advise you to check out the more affordable Galaxy S20s this spring. And, if you think you could keep your sharp fingernails away from it, might as well consider the Z Flip.

Pros

Big, bright and beautiful 120Hz AMOLED display.
The great periscope telephoto cam offers versatile zoom options.
The new gen chipset is a solid upgrade performance-wise.
Stereo speakers are nice and loud.
Charging is very fast.

Cons

Ultra expensive.
Underwhelming battery life with 120Hz refresh rate.
108MP Nonacell camera fails to live up to the hype.
‘Space zoom 100x’ is just for marketing.
Fingerprint sensor performance is way behind the competition.

❤ Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) now receiving March 2021 security update

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The Galaxy A8 (2018) might have turned three last month, but it has already started receiving next month’s Android security update. That would be the security patch level dated March 1st, 2021, which only began rolling out this week. The one for the Galaxy A8 is identified by release version A530FXXSICUC1.

To check whether a new update is already available on your Galaxy A8, go to Settings, tap the option that says Software update at the bottom, and finally select Download and install on the following screen. If you aren’t content to wait, refer to our firmware archives in order to download the latest system images containing the new update for your country.

Will the Galaxy A8 (2018) continue receiving regular patches in 2021?

The Galaxy A8 (2018) wasn’t encompassed by Samsung’s pledge to start delivering at least three generations’ worth of OS updates and four years of security updates to its mobile devices. But as far as security patches are concerned, you can expect it to continue enjoying regular support for a while longer.

Apart from the Galaxy A8, the March 2021 Android security update is currently deploying to the Galaxy Note 10, Galaxy S10, Galaxy Fold, and the Galaxy Tab S7. When it comes to monthly patches, Samsung’s most recently released flagships usually take precedence in terms of which rollouts actually get completed first. At least for the first couple of months, so that might still be the case this time around, seeing how we’re still in February. Not to mention that all instances of the March update that began rolling out this week had extremely limited deployments so far.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Model Name	Galaxy A8 2018
Model type	Bar
Colors	Black (Black) Gold (Gold) Gray (Gray) Blue (Blue)
Announced	2017, December
Released	2018, January
PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions	Bar: 149.2 x 70.6 x 8.4 mm
Weights	172g
IP rating	IP68
OPERATING SYSTEM
Operating system	Android 9.0 (Pie)
One UI version	1.0
NETWORKS
SIM	Dual SIM model
SIM card sizes	Nano-SIM (4FF)
Networks	2G 3G 4G
eSIM support	No
DISPLAY
Kind	Main Display
Technology	Super AMOLED Display
Size	5.6 inch / 142.24 mm
Resolution	FHD+ / 2220×1080 pixels
Pixel density	441 PPI
Screen to body ratio	~75.6%
PROCESSORS
Related model number(s)	SM-A530F

Chipset	Exynos 7885
Clock Speed	Dual-Core @ 2.20 GHz Hexa-Core @ 1.60 GHz
Cores	Octa-Core
GPU	Mali-G71
MEMORY
RAM/ROM sizes	4 GB RAM with 32 GB ROM 4 GB RAM with 64 GB ROM
External memory support	Yes
External memory support maximum	512 GB
SENSORS
	Yes
Accelerometer	Yes
Barometer	Yes
Fingerprint sensor	Yes
Geomagnetic sensor	Yes
Gyro sensor	Yes
Proximity sensor	Yes
VIDEO
Max. Video Recording Resolution	FHD video recording at 30 fps (1920×1080)
External memory support	Yes
External memory support maximum	512 GB
REAR CAMERA
Flash	Yes
Kind	Wide-angle Camera
Megapixels	16MP
Aperture	F1.7
Pixel size	1.12μm
Field of view	80˚
Extras	PDAF
FRONT CAMERA
Kind	Selfie Camera
Megapixels	8MP
Aperture	F1.9
Pixel size	1.12μm
CONNECTIVITY
ANT+	Yes
USB version	Type C
3.5mm Headphonejack	Yes
Location technology	GPS BeiDou Glonass
Wi-Fi	Yes
Wi-Fi Direct	Yes
NFC	Yes
Bluetooth Version	5.0
BATTERY
Standard battery capacity	3000mAh
Removable battery	No
Wired fast charging	No

❤ Samsung Galaxy A90 5G

The Galaxy A-series have grown so much in the last couple of years and Samsung is keeping the family afloat with a couple of successful models despite the fierce Chinese competition in the mid-range. Well, it appears that the Galaxy A lineup is mature enough to introduce a flagship smartphone of its own – the Galaxy A90.

What makes a flagship device flagship-worthy? Good screen, performance, cameras and features are all integral part of a true flagship device and the Galaxy A90 appears to have most of them in its checklist. So in a sense, it’s a flagship Galaxy A smartphone by mid-range standards.

Of course, Samsung isn’t trying to sell you a flagship phone with the Galaxy A90 but instead, it’s trying to bring 5G to the masses. As of now, not many SoCs support 5G and all of them are high-end chips so the best way to do it is to put one of them in a ready and somewhat successful mid-range formula – in this case the Snapdragon 855 in a Galaxy A70.

As you go across the specs sheet real quick, you will see that the Galaxy A70 is an almost identical device to the Galaxy A90 5G. The only difference is in the chipset and the main camera – the Galaxy A90 gets the popular 48MP sensor while the A70 settles for the 32MP one.

Samsung Galaxy A90 specs

Body: Gorilla Glass 6 front and back panel, aluminum side frame
Screen: 6.7″ Super AMOLED, 1080x2400px resolution, 393 ppi.
Camera: Primary: 48 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2″, 0.8µm, PDAF; Secondary: 8MP, f/2.2, 12mm ultra-wide, fixed focus; Depth camera: 5MP f/2.2; LED flash; 2160p@30fps video recording.
Selfie cam: 8MP (1/4″ sensor), f/2.0 fixed-focus.
Chipset: Snapdragon 855 chipset, octa-core processor (1×2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 485), Adreno 640 GPU.
Memory: 6/8GB RAM, 128GB built-in storage; microSD slot.
OS: Android 9.0 Pie, Samsung One UI.
Battery: 4,500mAh, 25W USB Power Delivery 2.0 charging support.
Connectivity: Dual SIM; USB-C (USB 2.0), Wi-Fi, Buetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC.; 5G support
Misc: Under-display fingerprint reader.

But we can’t shake off the feeling that the it’s a bit early for this phone. The 5G adoption is too small for now and anyone looking to be an early adopter will be aiming for the premium segment anyway. And besides, the Galaxy S10 is selling for roughly the same price, which is a true flagship phone, minus the 5G.

Design

Expectedly, there’s virtually no difference between the Galaxy A70 and A90 in terms of design. Since the screen measures 6.7″ in diagonal, it’s easy to assume that it’s unwieldy, to say the least. It’s one of the biggest Galaxies around so users will small hands will struggle.

The curved back and the thin side bezels do help with the overall handling while the top and the bottom bezels are considerably slim too. It does give the impression of a high-end smartphone when looking at it from the front.

Interestingly, the Galaxy A90 uses glass for its back instead of plastic like its cheaper sibling, the Galaxy A70. The glass panel features geometric patterns giving it a more distinct look and the available colors are Black and White. The patterns themselves do look a lot different from what we’ve seen before.

The glass back is also a home to the triple-camera setup tucked away in the upper-left corner. It’s vertically stacked but the bump isn’t as prominent as one would expect. Perhaps it’s because the Galaxy A90‘s chassis is 0.5mm thicker than the A70’s making the camera bulge less prominent.

Unfortunately, we don’t have any information regarding the device’s frame but since Samsung didn’t say anything specific about it, we’d assume it’s plastic.

Hardware and features

This is not the first smartphone we’ve seen with Snapdragon 855 so we know what to expect in terms of performance. The SoC is paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage as a base offering and you can upgrade to the 8GB/128GB configuration. Strangely, microSD card support applies only to the 6GB model. The modem inside is Qualcomm’s X50, which is also found on the range-topping Galaxy S10 5G.

The device is built around a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED panel with a U-shaped notch. An extra tall 20:9 aspect ratio (1080 x 2400px resolution) makes the phone ideal for videos, web browsing and multi-tasking. It’s just a few pixels shy of the 21:9 cinematic experience offered on some phones.

On the camera front, we’ve got a 48MP main one with a rather small f/2.0 aperture and PDAF, 8MP ultra wide-angle lens with f/2.2 and a 5MP depth sensor. The notch houses a 32MP shooter and just like the main one, it supports native quad-pixel technology and outputs 8MP images.

This is one of the few Samsung devices with the 48MP sensor and our two main complaints are the narrow f/2.0 opening of the lens – rarely can you find even a midranger with a smaller than f/2.0 aperture – and the lack of OIS. The exact same camera can be found on the Galaxy A80.

Then again, the more advanced ISP on the Snapdragon 855 chipset could mean some minor improvements here and there. Speaking of the Snapdragon 855, it brings a couple of camera-related features that are only available on the Galaxy flagship handsets. Thus, the Galaxy A90 can shoot Super Steady videos (like the S10s and the Note10s), makes use of the Scene Optimizer and Flaw Detector. Of course, 2160p video recording in 30fps is also possible.

Additionally, for the first time, Samsung is bringing DeX support for its mid-range A-series with the Galaxy A90. Most probably hardware limitations have kept the PC-like experience away from the series but with the Snapdragon 855, DeX is now available over the USB-C connector.

While on the subject of connectors, the Galaxy A90 seems to be missing the 3.5mm audio jack from the equation. Strangely, the Galaxy A70 has one.

Lastly, the whole hardware sips from a generous 4,500 mAh battery supporting 25W fast charging in compliance with the Power Delivery standard. But don’t hold your breath for that one because the Galaxy A70’s charging times were far from the ones we got when testing the Galaxy Note10+.

Battery life should be stellar, given that the Snapdragon 855 has proven to be a remarkably efficient SoC and should be in the same ballpark as the Galaxy A70. However, when 5G is involved, since the Snapdragon 855 doesn’t have an integrated modem, the X50 is expected to draw more power too.

Wrap-up

As we already pointed out, Samsung isn’t aiming at the premium-seeking users with the Galaxy A90 but instead, it tries to deliver a semi-flagship experience with 5G connectivity at a more reasonable price point, as far as 5G phones go. It’s by far the cheapest 5G option out there and it’s already out in Korea for roughly €685.

The price is surely steep and it begs the question of how bad you want to be an early 5G adopter? For the same price (even a few bucks less), you can snatch a full-fledged flagship like the Samsung Galaxy S10 or the considerably cheaper S10e. Of course, both are limited to 4G support and have considerably smaller screens. If 5G and big screen are a necessity for you, the A90 is the only option you have and that’s what Samsung is aiming for.

❤ Many Android 11 users are having trouble getting games to recognize their controllers

Galaxy Expert January 19, 2021 Android, Android OS, Android User Guide, Featured, Lifestyle, News, OnePlus, Pixel, Repair Service, Review, Samsung Display, Samsung Electronics, Samsung Galaxy, Samsung Smartphone Repairs, Smartphones, Top Stories, World Android, Android 11, Android 11 game controller issue, Android 11 game controllers issue, Android 11 issue, Anroid OS, game controller, game controller issue, game controllers, game controllers issue

Ever since Android 11 rolled out, users have been facing issues while trying to connect a gaming controller with their smartphones. According to the reports, phones running Android 11 are either not able to recognize controllers as input devices or they don’t let users map their keys properly.

As per a thread regarding the bug on the official Android Issue Tracker, several Pixel users and beta testers are facing the issue and they’re not able to use Bluetooth game controllers like the Xbox One controller, Sony’s DualShock 4, and even Google’s own Stadia controller with their devices. While a vast majority of the reports are from Google 2, Pixel 3, Pixel 3a, Pixel 4, and Pixel 4a owners, a few Samsung and OnePlus users running Android 11 builds have also reported similar behavior.

As of now, there is no confirmation as to what exactly is causing the issue. But it’s worth noting that Google had already acknowledged the issue back in August 2020, right when the initial Android 11 builds started reaching users. Currently, it seems that the development team is still trying to figure out the underlying cause and is working to bring a solid solution.

While Google hasn’t figured out a solution yet, some users have shared temporary workarounds. According to a few reports, the issue can be fixed by turning off certain accessibility options. For instance, a user suggests, “Can confirm, there’s a certain accessibility service that, if I disable it, controller immediately starts working, no reboot or anything. I can actually task switch back and forth from Stadia back to Settings, disable that one service on Accessibility, back to Stadia, and controller works; switch back to Settings, enable, back to Stadia, it’s suddenly dead just like before. That’s with no rebooting, no pairing or conn/disconnecting controllers, nothing.”

In case you’re facing the issue, you can try the workaround mentioned above. Until then, all we can do is wait for Google to address the issue and release a fix in a future update.

Android 11 has been out for over a month now and OEMs have already started working on their in-house OS updates.

However, the latest OS update brings along its own set of issues and Google Pixel devices appear to be the most affected for the time being.

It was reported recently that Pixel users were experiencing excessive battery drain and performance issues after the Android 11 update.

Now, several Pixel users and beta testers are reporting issues related to Bluetooth game controllers like Google Stadia, Nvidia GeForce Now, and more after updating their devices to Android 11.

Reports clearly indicate that users are unable to connect and use game controllers via Bluetooth and the devices are getting listed as other devices.

Multiple Pixel 2, Pixel 3, and Pixel 4 series users have reported on Google IssueTracker that such issues occurred only after the Android 11 update.

While the game controller issues have been to the developers, it is unclear how long it will take to fix these problems.

However, it is good to see that the OEM has promptly acknowledged these issues on a wider scale, hence, fixes will also arrive accordingly.

In the meantime, a Pixel user has posted a temporary workaround for the connectivity problems on Reddit which seems to have fixed the issues for them.

The user has stated that after some manual troubleshooting they simply switched off the Magnification gestures on their Android 11 powered Pixel device which fixed the game controller issues.

Also, several other users have posted similar workarounds on Google IssueTracker suggesting that tweaking the Accessibility settings seems to be doing the trick.

Nevertheless, a proper fix will still be required and Pixel users running Android 11 will have to wait till Google addresses these issues.

Meanwhile, you can check out our Google Android 11 update and bug trackers to get the latest updates on the topics.

Moreover, we have curated a consolidated Android 11 update tracker for all major OEMs and carriers so be sure to go through it as well.

It appears that Samsung and OnePlus users who have installed the Android 11 update on their devices are also facing similar issues with gaming controllers. We’ve shared some a couple of reports from users below:

I am not able to use my PS4 controller on ONEPLUS 8T. I have managed to pair the controller and phone with Bluetooth but the phone won’t recognise any input. (Source)

I updated my note20 to android 11! Since the update I can’t connect my ps4 controller to call of duty mobile anymore and all so I’m having screen trouble (Source)

Google recently rolled out the January patch for supported Pixel phones, however, there is no indication that the problem was fixed. Therefore, it seems users may have to wait a bit longer before the problem is addressed.

❤ Your Samsung phone will soon unlock an Audi, BMW, Ford or Genesis car

Galaxy Expert January 16, 2021 Android, Android OS, Android User Guide, Culture, Featured, Lifestyle, News, Repair Service, Review, Samsung Electronics, Samsung Galaxy, Samsung Smartphone Repairs, Smartphones, Top Stories, World Audi, BMW, Ford, Genesis, Samsung, Samsung Phone, Samsung phone unlock Audi, Samsung phone unlock BMW, Samsung phone unlock Ford, Samsung phone unlock Genesis, Samsung Repair, Samsung Repair Costs, Samsung Screen Replacement Costs, Samsung Sydney CBD Repairs, Samsung unlock Audi, Samsung unlock BMW, Samsung unlock Ford, Samsung unlock Genesis

How many of you don’t particularly like have to carry a key fob around for your car? Much like how you can store all of your payment cards in a digital wallet and then make payments on the go with your phone, what if it was possible to leave your car keys at home but still be able to drive off?

That’s a question that standards bodies like the Car Connectivity Consortium and the FiRa Consortium have been pondering. Samsung wants in on the action as well. It announced new partnerships today which will enable you to unlock your Audi, BMW, Ford or Genesis car with a Galaxy S21.

Samsung is harnessing the power of UWB to get rid of your key fob

Samsung announced during its Galaxy S21 launch event today that the company is working with these auto manufacturers to bring the digital key functionality to the Galaxy S21. The feature is expected to go live later this year.

Since there are industry-backed standards bodies working on the tech, the digital keys will be shareable across smartphones, regardless of the brand or platform. So you could, in theory, share the digital key for your car with a friend who uses an iPhone.

Samsung is also embracing the ultra-wideband technology (UWT) for the digital car keys that will allow cars and phones to communicate with one another.

The company’s description of the feature suggests that it will utilize UWB or Ultra Wide Band technology. The handset would recognize pulses of low-power energy from UWB-equipped cars to unlock the doors exactly when you reach it. NFC would most likely be the fall back and it would require taking the phone out of the pocket and tapping it to the car.

The AR viewfinder for UWB-equipped phones and cars.

The UWB tech will also make it easier to locate your car in a parking lot, a very useful feature for those who tend to forget where they parked. Samsung is bringing an augmented reality-powered viewfinder to its UWB-equipped devices for this purpose. Samsung’s UWB-equipped phones include the Galaxy S21+ and Galaxy S21 Ultra, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

Samsung has also expanded their SmartThings functionality to cars that allows drivers of compatible vehicles to start and stop their car as well as adjust the climate control system.

During its digitally hosted Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung announced that it has partnered with Audi, BMW, Ford and Genesis to introduce digital car key feature that allows unlocking of the car door using the Samsung mobile phone. The feature may be available as soon as August 2021.

The digital key can also be shared across mobile devices, regardless of brand of platform. One will be able to share car keys digitally when a friend or family member with just a few taps on the phone.

Near-field communication (NFC) technology used on the devices enables owners to ‘tap’ their phone near the door handle to unlock the car. The electronics company is also embracing the ultra-wideband technology (UWT) for the digital car keys that will allow cars and phones to communicate with one another. The car will unlock itself as soon as the driver reaches the door.

Samsung has also expanded their SmartThings functionality to cars that allows drivers of compatible vehicles to start and stop their car as well as adjust the climate control system. Using the car’s display, drivers can also control smart home functions such as temperature setting, vacuum cleaning and washing machine operation.

As Samsung and Google have worked closely together to improve the Android Auto experience, the in-car interface has become much more enhanced, supporting a whole lot of smart and remote functionalities.

The dream of using your phone to unlock your car door (instead of carrying around a bulging key fob) may be one step closer today: Samsung has announced partnerships with Audi, BMW, Ford, and Genesis to do just that, saying the feature may be available as soon as August 2021. And excitingly, those digital car keys should work with Apple iPhones and across other Android brands, too.

That’s because Samsung is part of multiple standards bodies that are working on the tech, including the the FiRa Consortium and the Car Connectivity Consortium, of which Apple is also a leading member. “You’ll even be able to share your digital key across smartphones, regardless of brand or platform,” Samsung’s Kevin Chung announced during the company’s Galaxy S21 event today.

Samsung says it’s trying to add additional car companies, too: “We’re actively working to expand our automobile partnerships with the goal of offering this feature across a wide variety of car makes and models,” the company added in a statement early this evening.

Unfortunately, it’s not yet clear which automakers will support the coolest, securest version of this tech: UWB. It uses small, standardized beacon-like pulses of low-power energy, preferably from multiple parts of your car at once, to figure out exactly where you are in relation to your car’s handle from a sizable distance away.

Samsung says with the new digital keys, “you’ll be able to unlock your car door when you reach it, no sooner, no later,” but I’m pretty sure it’s only referring to UWB there. The fallback is NFC, where you’d likely need to pull your phone out and tap it to your car, like you do with tap-to-pay NFC transactions today.

Samsung also showed off how the tech can let you find your car in a crowded parking lot, with an augmented reality viewfinder it says it’s bringing to Samsung phones — but the fine print says it only works with UWB-equipped cars and UWB-enabled phones.

Every iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 comes with UWB now, but Samsung says only the Galaxy Z Fold 2, the new S21 Plus and S21 Ultra (so, not the S21?), and the “Galaxy Note 20+” (presumably referring to the Note 20 Ultra, which has UWB) will support the AR viewfinder.

Apple is also waiting for carmakers to adopt UWB and had to roll out its own version of digital car keys with NFC to start, and only on the 2021 BMW 5 Series. But BMW announced earlier today that it’ll support UWB, branded as “Digital Key Plus,” with the electric BMW iX.

Samsung’s also introducing a UWB-based tracking tag for finding your lost gadgets later this year, though — like the car keys — it’s starting off with a less impressive Bluetooth version instead that won’t let you locate them as precisely.

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Samsung Galaxy

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Will the Galaxy A8 (2018) continue receiving regular patches in 2021?

Samsung Galaxy A90 specs

Design

Hardware and features

Wrap-up

Samsung is harnessing the power of UWB to get rid of your key fob

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