Samsung unveiled its most powerful Galaxy S smartphone lineup (consisting of S20, S20+, & S20 Ultra) at the latest Unpacked 2020 live event. All of these devices boast 5G support, latest processors and exceptional camera optics. But the flagship “Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G” takes the smartphone industry to a whole new level featuring folded lens mechanism, 3x bigger image sensor than Galaxy S10, up to 108MP resolution, 100x zoom, and so much more.
As of now, it is safe to say that Galaxy S20 Ultra is the best camera smartphone for photography and videography. With a massive jump from 4k to 8k, this new lineup strongly attracts directors who are on a budget but still want to shoot in 8k.
Gamers would also love the new Galaxy S20 lineup due to the 120Hz display and giant battery life.
Now, let’s compare the differences between the latest Galaxy S20 models in terms of optics.
Camera Setup Difference between Samsung Galaxy S20 vs S20+ vs S20 Ultra
S20 | S20+ | S20 Ultra | |
---|---|---|---|
Rear Cameras | 3 | 3 | 4 |
Wide-Angle | 12MP f/1.8 79˚ 1.8μm | 12MP f/1.8 79˚ 1.8μm | 108MP f/1.8 79˚ 0.8μm (12MP 2.4μm) |
Ultra-Wide | 12MP f/2.2 120˚ 1.4μm | 12MP f/2.2 120˚ 1.4μm | 12MP f/2.2 120˚ 1.4μm |
Telephoto | 64 MP f/2.0 76˚ 0.8μm | 64 MP, f/2.0 76˚ 0.8μm | 48MP, f/3.5 24˚ 0.8μm (12MP 1.6μm) |
DepthVision | N/A | Present | Present |
Folded Lens | N/A | N/A | Present |
Front Camera | 10MP f/2.2 80˚ 1.22μm | 10MP f/2.2 80˚ 1.22μm | 40MP f/2.2 80˚ 1.22μm |
The rear panel of Samsung Galaxy S20 consists of three cameras whereas S20+ and S20 Ultra come with a 4 camera setup that includes a Depth Vision camera. Except for DepthVision, both S20 and S20+ utilize the same camera setup with a 12MP wide and ultra-wide-angle lens along with a 64MP telephoto lens. But the Ultra model takes a different approach in the camera setup.
Unlike S20 and S20+, Galaxy S20 Ultra incorporates a whopping 108MP wide-angle camera with an f/1.8 aperture. While it maintains the same ultra-wide camera with a 120-degree field of view as other models, the telephoto lens in S20 Ultra is a game-changer.
The telephoto camera in Galaxy S20 Ultra uses folded lens optics just like a periscope camera. A great advantage of having a folded lens mechanism is that it helps to pack more lens elements in a camera without requiring the lens to protrude out. So in case of drops, the lens stays protected.
Image Sensor Size Difference
S20 | S20+ | S20 Ultra | |
---|---|---|---|
Image Sensor Size | 1/1.76″ | 1/1.76″ | 1/1.33″ |
Difference from S10 | 1.65x larger | 1.65x larger | 2.9x larger |
All of the S20 models feature larger image sensors than ever. While the Galaxy S20 and S20+ support the same new 1/1.76″ image sensor, the Galaxy S20 Ultra shows off even bigger 1/1.33″ sensor which is almost 3 times bigger than Galaxy S10. In fact, this is the largest image sensor size ever produced for a smartphone as of now.
Due to large image sensors, the camera is able to gather more light which helps the new Galaxy S20 models to perform brilliantly under low light situations.
One of the outstanding features which is specific to the Galaxy S20 Ultra model is the ability to shift dynamically from 108MP to a 12MP mode. Via nona-binning technology, the image sensor combines 9 pixels into 1 resulting in minimal noise even during extreme low light shooting.
Hybrid Optic and Space Zoom Difference between S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra
S20 | S20+ | S20 Ultra | |
---|---|---|---|
Hybrid Optic Zoom | 3x | 3x | 10x |
Space Zoom | 30x | 30x | 100x |
As you can see, Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra beats both S20 and S20+ in terms of hybrid optic zoom and space zoom. Basically, Samsung Space Zoom is an AI powered feature that allows you to go way beyond optical zoom without losing much image quality.
While the S20 and S20+, allows up to 30x zoom, the S20 Ultra allows for a massive 100x zoom via Space Zoom technology. Similarly, in case of Hybrid Optic zoom, the Ultra model features 30x zoom compared to 3x zoom in S20 and S20+. Thanks to the folded lens mechanism that lets the Ultra model achieve an incomparable level of high-quality zoom.
Video and Autofocus
All of the Galaxy S20 models are capable of shooting video in 8k (7680×4320) at a frame rate of up to 24 fps. To shoot slow-motion videos, these models again support a 960 fps frame rate. However, Galaxy S20 Ultra won’t shoot in 960 fps and rather digitally enhance the 480 fps footage to 960 fps. Sadly, Super Slo-mo still only supports up to 720p resolution, not even Full HD which makes the footage barely usable with the high-resolution video.
The HDR10+ recording mode is currently in beta and will only work with the rear camera. In terms of image stabilization, all of the variants support OIS on their rear wide-angle camera. A Super Steady mode is also available that reduces the effect of camera shakes significantly via AI motion analysis.
All of the Galaxy S20 models also support amazing tracking autofocus performance. Below, you can find the type of AF each model has to offer.
S20 | S20+ | S20 Ultra | |
---|---|---|---|
Front Camera | Dual Pixel AF | Dual Pixel AF | PDAF |
Rear Camera (Wide Angle) | Super Speed Dual Pixel AF, OIS | Super Speed Dual Pixel AF, OIS | PDAF |
Due to the latest Exynos 990 / Snapdragon 865 processor, Galaxy S20 models are able to achieve such photo and video capabilities. And yes, at maximum, you can select a Galaxy S20 Ultra model with up to 16GB LPDDR5 RAM with 512GB internal storage. This will definitely enable you to enhance your workflow and offer better performance.
There is probably so much more to discover about the camera performance of these models but we will wrap up this post here.
Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+, S20 Ultra 5G Price and Availability
Among all the models, Samsung Galaxy S20 is the cheapest one starting at a price of $999.99 whereas the S20+ and S20 Ultra cost $1,199.99 and $1,399.99 USD respectively. In terms of availability, the release date for the Galaxy S20 lineup is scheduled for March 6, 2020. However, preorder will begin from February 21, 2020. Color choices include Cosmic Gray, Cloud Blue, and Cloud Pink.
- Did you check the latest Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Smartphone?
- You may also like this post on the new LG V60 ThinQ 5G smartphone that features an 8k camera as well.
- Check out the latest Huawei P40, Huawei P40 Pro, and Huawei P40 Pro+ smartphones.