So you want a bigger, better and faster smartphone than the pocket gadget you already have? If you can handle turning each button to 10, then jumping to 20 (and paying the price), you could take advantage of Samsung’s latest mobile computing monster: the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, part of the new Galaxy S20 range (which includes the S20 and S20 +, and succeeds the Galaxy S10 range). Although it gives up the folding design found in the company’s other high-end smartphones, the Samsung S20 Ultra takes everything into account on conventional models today and raises the stakes. But simply adding more to an already decadent device doesn’t always work, especially when these bold new additions are faced with issues ranging from irritating to annoying.
At $ 1,400, the Galaxy S20 Ultra is in the running for the most expensive smartphone, counterbalanced only by the other experimental smartphones from Samsung and Apple’s 512GB iPhone 11 Pro Max. But it has more features than the iPhone 11 Pro, including 5G support. There is also 256 GB of storage, coupled with 12 GB of memory, wireless charging and a killer screen. This storage is ideal for storing all your photos and videos, taken in 4K or 8K. The abundant memory allows you to efficiently put applications in stasis for instant launch later. Its huge battery (5,000 mAh) allows the average user to run all day long, as long as you’re not constantly shooting 8K video or enjoying content using 5G in the few places where you can even find.
What you’ll notice first is the S20’s stunning 6.9-inch AMOLED screen, which also includes a hidden fingerprint sensor for instant biometric authentication. On its face is a 40-megapixel perforated camera facing forward, which doubles as a facial recognition tool (although it is less reliable than Apple’s FaceID technology). It improves even further thanks to its widely adopted HDR10 + format for better image quality when playing supported videos. There’s also the optional 120 Hz refresh rate that you can activate for a few hours of battery life, which creates a smoother viewing experience. Enabling it results in overall silky performance and also makes games more responsive. This is one of the most popular additions to the device, which will make it difficult to return to the slow 60 Hz refresh rate on other devices.
Samsung unfortunately removed the 3.5mm headphone jack from the S20 Ultra, forcing it to choose from Bluetooth headphones or wired USB-C models, which are rare. As the march into the future – led by manufacturers who make devices that meet their wishes rather than accommodating user preferences – points to a wireless future, the lack of options should always be seen as a thorn in the side of the road. any audiophile.
But the real selling point of the S20 Ultra is its configuration with three cameras on the back (not counting its depth sensor): an ultra-wide 12-megapixel lens, a 108-megapixel wide-angle camera and a 48-megapixel telephoto lens lens.
However, the image quality of the S20 is surprisingly random, which is a shame considering its price. The autofocus is incredibly slow, most of the time frustrating me by focusing on something in the background rather than the subject a few feet away.
The problem persisted in different camera modes, including portrait mode, which captured an entire scene in focus or erased the simulated depth of field by including elements of the background. He was slow to identify faces and often focused on something in the background rather than the subject in front of me. Switching between modes also took far too long on a device so rich in processing power.
In low light situations, the S20 Ultra can use the 108-megapixel sensor’s pixel clustering technology to attract more light, creating satisfactory 12-megapixel night shots under various conditions. But the images seem a bit too sharp and saturated compared to the softer and softer (although darker) images created by Apple’s iPhone 11 Pro.
It has fun new photo features, like the single shot, which records everything you watch in various forms, giving you still images, short video clips and loops suitable for social media. Unfortunately, the S20 Ultra’s autofocus problems mean you’ll open your camera roll to see more blurry photos than you’d expect.
This telephoto lens has an insane maximum zoom of 100X, what Samsung calls “Space Zoom”. It’s the crown jewel of the S20 Ultra, but looks more like a gadget than anything else. While the telephoto lens achieves a 4X optical zoom (unlike digital zoom, optical zoom retains image quality and clarity), a combination of digital zoom and computer vision software increases the zoom to 100. Take a recognizable image of something a mile away is undoubtedly impressive, but actual use cases are rare. In addition, your shaky hand and the targeting reticle displayed only serve to emphasize the grain of your Space Zoom shooting thanks to the simulated nature of the zoom function.
But the usefulness of a 100x zoom functionality, or even the more usable but still questionable 30X zoom functionality of the S20, is at best limited, and raises a multitude of questions about the usefulness of such an addition, as well as on the ethical dilemma around a feature like Space Zoom. There is, after all, a creep factor associated with a smartphone lens that can take photos of people or anything else from so far. Of course, cameras have been able to zoom like crazy for decades, but usually not without a revealing telephoto lens that protrudes from the body of the camera. But the S20 Ultra is discreet, with a 1X or 100X zoom. It doesn’t help that the image quality of the photos is so poor, the chances of using them for anything related to sharing or presentation are rare.
As I walked around New York, capturing construction workers on top of buildings and owners of dogs relaxing in the parks, I felt this discomfort in my gut. I captured an image of a lady on her phone in a dog park, chosen at random from a crowd, more than one block away. It was not of a quality that could be considered “IG-friendly”, nor anything that I would like to show to anyone, especially since I did not use a tripod (which helps), because your trembling hands will only make the image look even more blurred. But it still gave me a break.
The Galaxy S20 Ultra, apart from its buggy camera, questionable zoom functionality and affordable price, is a decent smartphone. Its display is fantastic and support for 5G is always welcome, even if it is an addition that could be considered premature, another attempt for the company to check all the boxes in terms of functionality. But if you still want great photos, you have options, like the iPhone 11 Pro, or the old Galaxy S10 or Galaxy Note 10 line from Samsung. And even if you have $ 1,400 burning a hole in your pocket and want the best of the best, the S20 Ultra is not. The S20 Ultra is a promise it has a hard time keeping: for an exorbitant amount, you will get a device with an incredible checklist of features, which uses hardware to beat the competition with raw power. But the question of value arises with the S20 Ultra, especially when it is so hot on the heels of other very good devices, from Samsung or otherwise.
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