Samsung Galaxy S20 5G range compared

At the Samsung Unpacked event, Samsung announced three new phones as part of its Samsung Galaxy S20 range. All the phones offer various similarities such as their 5G compatibility but each offer substantially different features elsewhere, as well as very different price tags. Because of that, it can be trick to have a clue about which phone is best for you.

Don't worry - we've spent a bit of time deciphering the differences and working out what phone is best for you, whatever your situation. By the end of this guide, you'll be an expert in knowing the difference between the Samsung Galaxy S20, Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, and the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra.

Prices

If you go SIM-free with any of these phones, expect to have to pay for the privilege. The Galaxy S20 is priced at £899 with the S20 Plus starting at £999 and the S20 Ultra a rather eye-watering £1,199. As you'll see though, you do get a lot for your cash. Obviously, better deals are out there if you go for a contract.

Physical design

The Samsung Galaxy S20 is thinner than its predecessor - the S10 - yet it’s taller rather than wider. If you're able to grip the S10 with one hand, you'll be able to do the same here. Just about. It’s a similar story for the S20 Plus too although it's a little bigger again. However, when it comes to interacting, you're going to need both hands to access all corners of the display.

This is even more so the case with the S20 Ultra, and you're definitely going to need deeper pockets, both literally and figuratively.

It's also worth noting that the S20 is the only S20 range phone available in pink, as well as blue, and grey, with the S20 Plus sticking with black and grey, and the S20 Ultra solely with the professional colour choices of black or grey.

Screen sizes

Each phone offers a very different display. The Galaxy S20 has a 6.2 inch display, making it ever so slightly bigger than the S10's 6.1 inch screen, while the S20 Plus offers a 6.7 inch screen and the S20 Ultra has a 6.9 inch display.

Effectively, the more you pay, the bigger the screen. None of the phones offer 4K resolution displays, but they all have a respectable resolution of 3200 x 1440. There's also 120Hz refresh rate across the board which means your display will update the image 120 times per second which is twice as fast as typical phone screens. In theory, that means a sharper and smoother display although you will have to manually activate this via settings.

Ultimately, your big choice here is size - if you want a massive screen and don't mind your fingers needing to stretch further, the S20 Plus or Ultra will be tempting stuff.

Cameras

Everyone loves to take photos and selfies with their phones, right? Whatever Samsung S20 phone you pick, you're going to be wowed by the options here.

Both the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20 Plus offer 64MP camera sensors with the S20 providing up to 10x digital zoom and the S20 Plus up to 30x digital zoom. The Galaxy S20 has 3 camera lenses while the S20 Plus uses its extra size to throw in an extra lens which facilitates the 30x digital zoom. It's not quite as powerful as some other smartphone cameras but it's a decent upgrade over Samsung's Galaxy S10 range and is backed up with some neat software features for improving standards. That includes things like a 'time-of-flight' lens which is used for depth sensing and making a cool 'bokeh' effect more possible.

Both of the phones also offer a 10MP selfie camera with a Live Focus mode for adding background blur and colour effects. There's also the option to record 8K video footage if you want with added features thrown in here too.

So, how about the S20 Ultra's cameras? Now, they're pretty remarkable. The phone offers five different lenses with the main camera providing an astonishing 108MP sensor. There's also a 40MP selfie camera if you fancy it too. There's a lot of complex technology going on behind the scenes that means resulting photos look pretty great. And did we mention the 100x zoom? It's predictably clever stuff.

Battery sizes

The S20 uses a 4,000 mAh battery while the S20 Plus has a 4,500 mAh battery and the S20 Ultra offers a 5,000 mAh battery. What does that mean during daily use? It mostly depends on what you do with it. Samsung reckons you should get about a day's worth of use out of each phone, unless you're using it heavily. Reassuringly, you can always turn down the resolution, switch off the 120Hz refresh rate or do a couple of other tweaks to stretch out the battery life.

All three phones also offer fast charging via USB-C or wireless charging too so you can get back on the move fairly quickly. They each also offer Wireless Power Share functionality so you can charge your Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus or smartwatch via the back of your phone.

Conclusion - Which Samsung S20 phone do I buy?

Still not sure what's jumping out at you? What do you plan on using your phone for? Do you simply want a good quality high-end 5G phone? Then the Samsung Galaxy S20 will serve that purpose perfectly. It's particularly useful if you don't want something too large to fit in your pockets.

If you want the best camera out there (under a Samsung name) and money is no object then the Samsung S20 Ultra is a no-brainer option. Its 108MP camera lens is the stuff of fantastic boasts amongst friends, and you'll appreciate the photos it produces.

It's the S20 Plus that's the most interesting proposition. Ultimately, it's best for those that want a larger screen but don't want to stretch to the extra price tag of the Ultra. We're not currently sure if the extra £100 over the S20 is worth it for most, but if you're keen on a more mini-tablet size for your phone, then the S20 Plus needs to be the one for you.