SAMSUNG

Galaxy S20 vs. Galaxy S20+ vs. Galaxy S20 Ultra: Here's How to Choose 

Samsung's Galaxy S20 lineup is compelling if you're looking for a new flagship phone to jump headfirst into the 5G era with. While all three models bear the Galaxy S20 name, however, there are a few key differences between each. If you're wondering which one is right for you, you've come to the right place. Here we're going to outline what's different between each Galaxy S20 to help you decide which one to buy. The base Galaxy S20 model sells for $999.99 with 128GB of storage. The Galaxy S20+ goes for $1,199.99, and the S20 Ultra is $1,399.99 for 128GB. If you want to upgrade the Galaxy S20+ to 512GB of storage, be prepared to shell out $1,349.99. And the S20 Ultra with 512GB comes in at a punishing $1,599.99.
That said, you're probably not going to pay full price for any the phones in the Galaxy S20 lineup. Carriers and retailers are already offering discounts, and Samsung introduced a buyback program that will pay you 50 percent for any of the Galaxy S20 phones returned to Samsung in satisfactory condition within 24 months. 

Display
Each Galaxy S20 model features a Super AMOLED display with 3,200-by-1,440-pixel resolution and a variable refresh rate of 120MHz. The main difference between each is size. The Galaxy S20 has a 6.3-inch display, the Galaxy S20+ comes in at 6.7 inches, and the S20 Ultra is the biggest of the bunch at 6.9 inches. Pixel density varies a bit between models, but you almost certainly won't be able to spot the difference with the naked eye. Cameras
The S20 and S20+ have nearly identical rear camera setups. The main sensor clocks in at 12MP and has an f/1.9 aperture. It's joined by a 64MP telephoto lens with an f/2.0 aperture and a 12MP ultrawide lens with an f/2.2 aperture. The S20+ adds a time-of-flight sensor for improved depth mapping. The front-facing camera on each phone comes in at 10MP with an f/2.2 aperture.Both models have 3x Hybrid Optic Zoom and 30x super-resolution zoom. The 64MP sensor leverages tech called pixel binning for a sharper 16MP image. It also comes in handy when using the camera's Space Zoom feature, which uses software to bolster the sensors for an effective 30x zoom.
In theory, the Galaxy S20 Ultra should be the clear leader here. There's a 0.5x 12MP ultrawide sensor, as well as a 108MP lens that defaults to 12MP using nine-pixel binning. When zooming between 4x and 10x, the Ultra combines the 4x lens with a cropped shot from the 108MP camera to create a create a lossless, zoomed 12MP image. For 30x and 100x zoom, the phone uses digital zoom.
The problem, however, is that we found shots at 30x or higher just aren't very good. It's simply too hard to lock focus by hand. A tripod may yield better results, but it's not the most practical solution. Samsung recently issued a software update, but it failed to make a meaningful difference in testing. Battery
At 4,000mAh, the Galaxy S20 has the smallest battery of the bunch, but it also has the smallest screen and only supports sub-6GHz 5G (more on that in the 5G section). In our tests, battery life was significantly less than its bigger siblings, at 9 hours and 54 minutes of streaming video over Wi-Fi at 120Hz, and 11 hours, 50 minutes at 60Hz. Granted, that should be more than enough to get even heavy users through a full day between charges. The Galaxy S20+ has a 4,500mAh battery to support its 6.7-inch display and multi-band 5G. In our battery drain test, it lasted for 11 hours and 11 minutes of video streaming over Wi-Fi at 120Hz. In WQHD mode at 60Hz, the battery increased to 13 hours and 13 minutes.
The S20 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery to power its 6.9-inch display and multi-band 5G. Unsurprisingly it lasted the longest, at 12 hours, 4 minutes at 120Hz in 1080p, and about the same at 60Hz in 1440p. The Ultra comes with a 25-watt fast charger in the box and supports 45-watt USB-C PD charging with an external adapter. Don't worry about spending the extra $50 for the optional adapter, though. In our tests, differences in charging speeds between the 25W and 45W adapters were indiscernible.

Processor
Each Galaxy S20 is powered by a top-of-the-line Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor and 12GB of RAM. With the S20 Ultra, you can choose a model that bumps the RAM up to 16GB. For in-depth performance analysis, see our benchmark results for the S20 Ultra. 5G
The Galaxy S20 only supports sub-6GHz 5G, while the S20+ and S20 Ultra add millimeter-wave (mmWave) to the mix. Sub-6GHz 5G offers better coverage and can penetrate through buildings better than mmWave, but it's slower and has higher latency. That means if you want the fastest speeds in the most places, you'll want to opt for the Galaxy S20+ or the S20 Ultra. 

by Steven Winkelman