an excellent smartphone that prefers mastery to innovation

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For the first time in several years, the "+" model of the Galaxy S family is not Samsung's flagship. The Korean brand preferred a Galaxy S20 Ultra to it, more impressive by its size and its photographic capacities.

Marketed from 1009 euros (or 1109 euros if you want a 5G compatible model), the Galaxy S20 + differs from its predecessor by a few new features such as a screen with a refresh rate of 120 Hz and a slightly more efficient camera. Is this enough to make it the new benchmark for high-end smartphones? We tested the Samsung Galaxy S20 +.

Finally a design that makes everyone agree

In recent times, Samsung has had the unfortunate tendency to release oversized smartphones. For example, we have had a bad memory of the Galaxy Note 10+ which, unfortunately for our hands, was quite delicate to hold. The Galaxy S20 Ultra, which we just tested, is easier to use but remains too heavy and thick for many users.

The good news is, that with the Galaxy S20 +, Samsung finally offers an option likely to suit all lovers of large smartphones.

The Galaxy S20 + is the perfect compromise. Like the Galaxy Note 10+, it has a 6.7-inch diagonal screen … but it is much easier to use. Indeed, the Korean brand had the good idea to move from the format 19: 9 to 20: 9, which extends the smartphone in height while making it narrower. So, in hand, the device is much more manageable. It’s been a long time since we’ve enjoyed a device as much. Its 186 grams and its thickness of 7.8 mm are also very appreciable after two weeks with a Galaxy S20 Ultra.

Over the days we have spent with this smartphone, we have had the impression that Samsung had designed it to measure … to suit as many people as possible. For example, the iconic curved screen of Samsung mobiles is no longer relevant. Instead, the brand opted for a slightly rounded 2.5D panel on the left and on the right, but which no longer extended beyond the edges of the device. Admittedly, this is less futuristic, but it is above all more practical. The number of accidental presses is greatly reduced.

Finally, the Galaxy S20 + has only one front camera hidden in a tiny round punch now centered at the top of the screen. This choice of design appeals to us much more than the double punch with front camera and depth sensor of the Galaxy S10 +, which was located on the right. Samsung has listened to the reviews, and we applaud them.

Screen: excellence goes to 120 Hz

If you are a fan of the news of new technologies, you will certainly know that Samsung, through its branch Display, is one of the best screen manufacturers in the world. Each year, the laboratory of artbzen.com therefore eagerly awaits the new Galaxy S, which usually break all records. This year again, the S20 range managed to impress us.

Unsurprisingly, this is the screen of the Galaxy S20 Ultra (938 cd / m2) who is doing the best this year. The Galaxy S20 + is however not outdone with a maximum brightness of 840 cd / m2 according to our measurements, which places it in front of the iPhone 11 Pro Max (798 cd / m2) and its predecessor, the Galaxy S10 + (733 cd / m2). Reading the press or watching videos on this smartphone is pure happiness. Even under the reflections of the sun, it is possible to consult your S20 + without squinting. Samsung is once again very strong.

The other new and more welcome feature of this new generation is the possibility of configuring the OLED screen of its S20 + for a refresh rate of 120 Hz. Compared to the 60 Hz selected by default, this option allows the screen of the smartphone to display twice as many images per second, which improves the fluidity of the device.Truth be told, scrolling a Twitter feed in 120 Hz mode is really very satisfying. Your gaze never seems to leave the text, while it is jerking somewhat at full speed on a classic smartphone. We greatly appreciate this option even if, as you will see in a few paragraphs, its influence on autonomy is more than regrettable, if not surprising.

Finally, let’s mention the color fidelity of the Galaxy S20 + screen. Last year, Samsung had the good idea to configure its smartphones by default in a so-called natural display mode, which allowed it to offer one of the best calibrated panels on the market.This year, the Korean is overtaken by his old demons. The vivid display configured by default shows colors … too vivid, which our laboratory unfortunately observed (Delta E of 4.84). If you acquire an S20 +, we strongly recommend that you choose natural display in the settings. With the latter, we get a Delta E of 1.84 which, for once, is excellent.

Few changes compared to the S10

Last year, we saluted the efforts of Samsung which, after a Galaxy S9 which was only a small evolution of the S8, was really trying to innovate with its Galaxy S10. A year later, we cannot say the same thing. The Galaxy S20 + looks like Galaxy S10 ++.

Let's take an example that we would have liked Samsung to make an effort on. Last year, the Korean brand was the first to use Qualcomm's new ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, just a few days after its announcement. In December 2019, Qualcomm announced a new ultra-sophisticated sensor capable of recognizing two fingers simultaneously or identifying its user over a wider area. We logically imagined testing it with the future S20.

Unfortunately, Samsung is content to recycle the fingerprint sensor of its S10 with its S20. The technology, admittedly fast, is strictly identical between the two versions. We hoped better from the Korean, used to surpassing himself every year.

Another point that we regret, Samsung decided to make 5G a paid option. The Galaxy S20 + sold for 1009 euros is not compatible with the new mobile network standard, an additional 100 euros must be added. This works on the plug of a high-end smartphone.

Of course, it would be wrong to say that this lack of innovations penalizes the Galaxy S20 +. This smartphone is equipped with the best components on the market, still offers a Micro SD extension port to expand its memory and is one of the few Wi-Fi 6 compatible, which is an advantage. We just express our frustration at not seeing Samsung do more. The lack of a jack will also be regretted by some, especially since the Korean does not provide an adapter in the box.

Finally, let's mention the performance of the Galaxy S20 +. If this mobile is extremely powerful and runs all types of applications without any difficulty, we would have liked it to use the Snapdragon 865 processor from Qualcomm rather than the Exynos 990. Especially since only the European versions of the Galaxy S20 + use this Samsung chip, deemed to be more energy-consuming… Next year, we would really like to see Samsung stop offering different models depending on the country.

Less autonomy than the competition

To tell the truth, if we want so much to see Samsung using a Snapdragon processor, it is because of our American colleagues (yes, still them). In their reviews of the new Galaxy S20, everyone praises the "excellent autonomy" of Samsung mobiles. With us, this impression is not at all the same. We therefore hypothesize that the Exynos 990 processor is responsible for this difference.

Despite the use of a high capacity 4500 mAh battery, the Galaxy S20 + is indeed not an extremely enduring smartphone. Its versatile autonomy of 11.40 a.m. indeed corresponds to that of a good mid-range smartphone and is not at all worthy of an ultra high-end mobile (the best go until 7pm!). The observation is identical in communication where, after 5:11 p.m. Galaxy S20 + crashes. Fortunately, the Samsung One UI overlay has excellent ehealth playback autonomy management. In streaming, the Galaxy S20 + resisted 12.59 p.m. during our laboratory Review. It’s satisfying.

If these results are therefore not catastrophic, it should be noted that they were achieved with the screen configured on a refresh rate of 60 Hz (we are still staying at the default settings). In 120 Hz, it’s even worse… We have enough battery life to last a whole day, which means that it’s better not to go on weekends without a charger.

Delivered with a 25W power adapter, the Galaxy S20 + can go from 0% to 100% autonomy in just 1h11. This is a very good result, without being enough to integrate our top 10.

A funny camera module

The Galaxy S20 + 's camera is … amazing. Truth be told, we get the impression that Samsung's engineers faced a dilemma during its development. Should we bet on a technology that works every time but is not new (like the module Dual Pixel previous Galaxy S) or something more innovative (like an ultra high definition sensor based on pixel binning, as on the S20 Ultra). Unable to answer this question, they decided … to integrate the two sensors.

On the back of the Galaxy S20 +, there are two cameras that offer the same field of vision. First there is a 12 Mpix sensor (whose module opens at f / 1.8) without adaptive aperture and equivalent 26 mm. The second 64 Mpix sensor (module opening at f / 2.0), similar to that of 108 Mpix of the S20 Ultra, is a 27 mm equivalent. This choice is very surprising, we have never before seen a manufacturer keep a conventional sensor on a smartphone equipped with an ultra high definition sensor.

When taking photos in classic mode, the Galaxy S20 + uses its 12 Mpix sensor. The differences with the Galaxy S10 are therefore more minimal but hey, this smartphone was already excellent. On the other hand, you have the possibility in the settings to opt manually for the 64 Mpix sensor. Each photo then weighs around twenty megabytes and can be enlarged with more flexibility. Only downside, at night, the 64 Mpix sensor becomes practically unusable.

With this schizophrenic choice, Samsung erases certain faults in its S20 Ultra. Since the 12 Mpix sensor is nothing new, it is perfectly mastered and therefore does not have the youthful flaws of the main 108 Mpix sensor of the ultimate model. So we notice that the S20 + smooths less and manages light better even if its night mode remains somewhat lower than that of Huawei, Google and Apple. This does not prevent it from being one of the best photo smartphones.

Therefore ? What is the 64 Mpix sensor for? In fact, the only plausible explanation concerns the zoom of the smartphone. Indeed, the Galaxy S20 + does not have a telephoto lens. Instead, Samsung digitally resizes images taken in 64 Mpix and guarantees x3 enlargement without loss of quality. It must be recognized that the results are quite pleasant even if this funny experiment remains very strange for a high-end smartphone. Another use of the 64 MP sensor is that which allows you to record 8K videos.

Finally, the Galaxy S20 + has two other cameras. It’s an ultra wide angle lens attached to a 12 Mpix sensor and a ToF dedicated to augmented reality and 3D object modeling. The first works well while the second is, let's face it, anecdotal right now.

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