Galaxy S20 Thread

That happens on almost all phones too though. If you follow many tech/phone blogs, you see that probably 1/4 of the Pixel's updates come with some kind of feature or performance impacting bug on at least one of their supported model phones. I have been bit by it a few times on my 2 XL as well.
Well damn that’s no good. But in my experience Samsung is quite good at botching updates. I’d hope though that google does better with testing in the future.
 
Blame Tmobile. It wasn't Samsung. We got ours 2 months ago from AT&T.
last I checked, February 4, 2020 is NOT 2 months ago. It’s mathematically 30 days as of today 2020-03-05. But let’s talk about facts... easy for you to dismiss anything that goes against your beliefs. I miss the days when I was accused of being a Samsung fanboy with my personal GS2, 3, and 4 and a Focus and Focus S, and a Note 3 and Note 8 under the household.
 
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Got my Ultra today, using Verizon. No problems at all. Took about two hours to restore it from my S10+. Working fine and everything as it was on my S10+.
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Curious if anyone else has picked up the S20 and has initial impressions. Even as someone who's happy on the iPhone side of the fence I can't help but be interested in knowing what it's like.
 
My S20+ showed up on Tuesday and I really like it. It's walking the line between just right and slightly too big, which is kinda what I wanted. I'd like to think my next phone will be foldable, so this should hopefully last me until that form factor is ready for prime time.
Battery life and the camera are terrific. With heavy use each day so far I'm ending the day around 40%. That's at the max resolution and 60hz. 120hz looks amazing, but is apparently a battery killer. I'd rather have the longer battery life in this instance. I'll be curious how the new "dynamic" option works. Supposedly that will change the refresh rate automatically depending on what you're doing to save battery.
The Samsung camera and gallery apps are actually pretty good now. So much so that I didn't bother to load up any alternative options.
In fact, I'm satisfied with several of the Sammy programs this time around. The dialer and contacts apps are pretty solid, too. Others like the calendar, clock, and most of the widgets still suck horribly, though. I don't really care for the pull-down menu either. No matter how I customize it, it feels either cluttered or missing things I want.
The launcher is still trash. I tried a few different configuration options and wasn't happy with any of them.
NovaLauncher luckily allows me to mimic the Pixel UI. Especially once I install Google's own clock and calendar. I *really* wish I could just straight-up replace the Sammy native apps with those. Instead it's a constant battle of disabling all of their notifications and such and hoping they stay hidden instead of fighting for my attention. You cant disable any Sammy system apps (n) Somewhat related, Gmail's notifications are spotty again. Feels like that's a constant struggle across lots of devices for some reason. I've been able to partially fix it by tinkering with individual settings, but it's kinda clumsy.
The Samsung wireless earbuds are great. I got those with my pre-order credit. They're easy to use, they charge quickly, last forever, and they sound great too. The (optional) app for them is well done, too. I really have no complaints about those at all.
On the case front, I tried out a couple options and this was the winner: https://www.amazon.com/Redpepper-Designed-Samsung-Protector-Shockproof/dp/B083DL8K99
It's one of the only options that has a lip to slightly protect your screen and it doesn't add much to the size of the phone.

Overally I still feel like Samsung makes killer hardware but trash software. It's getting better, but it's still lesser compared to Google's own apps 9 out of 10 times. Especially with the widgets. NovaLauncher alleviates some of that, but not entirely. It still feels like a constant battle to de-Samsung the phone, which is a shame.

EDIT: Oh yeah, one other issue. Unlocking this thing is a pain. That's with literally ALL the options. I have 4 different fingerprints allowed, facial recognition, and a passcode. Yet none of them work particularly well. The facial recognition requires you to hold the phone up too high to be practical most of the time. The fingerprints simply don't work 1/2 the time and require you to apply quite a bit of pressure for 2-3 seconds. The passcode screen simply doesn't always show up. I'm getting to the point where I might disable all of that stuff and go back to a pattern like the old days.
 
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I've had my S20 Ultra for about a week now and really like it. The camera is ridiculously good and so far I like the feature set.

It's a pretty drastic update from a S7 Edge.


The key to facial recognition is to set it up looking at like you would "normally". I.e. If you are looking down at it, like its resting on a table or in your hand during normal use. If you hold out at face level during set up, then that is the face it expects to see. Mine only has issues if the lighting is crap.
 
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I've read a lot of complaints about the fingerprint scanner. It's the main reason I haven't picked up an S+. :banghead:
 
I've read a lot of complaints about the fingerprint scanner. It's the main reason I haven't picked up an S+. :banghead:

It's basically my only complaint. The lock screen function in general. In my case, fingerprints are like plugging in a USB device - I guarantee it'll work on the 3rd try! That's with multiple mappings of the same finger, different fingers, etc. My right thumb has the best results. Index fingers seem have the worst. I never had any issues with the Pixel print scanner for any fingers and it was nearly instantaneous. I can make it work nearly every time by pressing hard with my thumb for 4-5 seconds, but I don't think that's how it's supposed to work.
The facial thing only seems to allow 2 looks and neither seem to work consistently.
The thing is, I find the whole lockscreen experience to be inconsistent. I have mine set to unlock automatically on my person and when I'm at work and home. Yet sometimes it still wants a fingerprint/face anyway. Roughly 1/3 of the time. It's just weird.
 
Samsung just rolled out the first update to the phone this morning. That's quicker than even Google who tends to wait for the first of the month.
Supposedly this fixes some issues with battery management, GPS functions getting stuck, and a pile of camera issues.

I wasn't sure what it would affect, but it didn't make any changes to my NovaLauncher settings at all. That's a relief.
 
all i know is i can take pics of the surface of the moon now on a nice clear night, my s9+ on other hand was basicly a yellow blob,
 
I got the s20 regular. I had a Note 10 and they offered me 700 trade in so it was a no brainer. Love the 120hz screen. Camera is improved and I enjoy the speed increase. So far no major problems over my old note 10 but for me it was in incremental update.
 
I'm experimenting with the 120Hz mode on my S20+. I changed the resolution down to 1600x720 and I honestly can't tell a damn bit of difference. I don't play games, so maybe that's where I'm missing out, but nothing else seems to be any different. However 120Hz is night and day better and looks terrific. Being able to read text while it's scrolling is life changing :p

In terms of battery life, it seems like 1600x720@120Hz isn't much different from 3200x1440@60Hz. At the end of the day I have between 45% and 60% of my battery left after pretty heavy use. That's way better than my Pixel 2.

EDIT: After 4 days of using 120Hz, I think it does end up using more juice even at the lower resolution. It isn't night and day, but I'm starting to see a little bit of a difference. That said, I don't think I plan to go back. For circumstances when I need tons of battery, I'll probably just stick with 1600x720 and turn the refresh down. I still don't think the higher resolution is noticeably better looking on this device.
 
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It has now been nearly a month and I'm happy to report that I'm totally satisfied with this purchase. The unlock functionality is my only complaint. At least beyond needing to use something like NovaLauncher in the first place. I've had no issues with Bluetooth, GPS, making calls, different settings, notifications, or even side-loading pile of Google native apps to replace Samsung's. Even with 120Hz, I'm finishing most evenings with around 1/2 my battery left. With more OEMs targeting the mid-range, seems like this should be a purchase that holds up pretty well. At least assuming the battery doesn't fall off a cliff like my Pixel 2's did.

Out of curiosity, anyone use some of those command-line functions to straight up remove Samsung software? Does it cause complications? While I've hidden things away, I'd love to completely purge everything except the Camera and Gallery.
 
The second update for the S20 line (at least in the US) rolled out this morning. It includes the April Android security update and some additional fixes for the camera. That's not bad at all. My previous non-Google devices only got updates once a quarter if I was lucky. This is the 2nd update in a month.
 
The second update for the S20 line (at least in the US) rolled out this morning. It includes the April Android security update and some additional fixes for the camera. That's not bad at all. My previous non-Google devices only got updates once a quarter if I was lucky. This is the 2nd update in a month.

There's a certain horrible irony to getting fixes for cameras you mostly can't use during a lockdown... well, unless you want to take 100X zoom photos of all the places you're not allowed to go to.
 
There's a certain horrible irony to getting fixes for cameras you mostly can't use during a lockdown... well, unless you want to take 100X zoom photos of all the places you're not allowed to go to.

This is true, although I'm looking at it like "by the time this is over, all camera issues will be fixed and my vacation shots will be great" :)
 
This is true, although I'm looking at it like "by the time this is over, all camera issues will be fixed and my vacation shots will be great" :)

That's a good glass-half-full way of looking at it!
 
Have you tried the DeX Mode with your phone yet?

Nah, I don't really think I have a use for it. You can still drag and drop files normally via the USB, so I dunno what else I'd do with it. Ditto with the "Your Phone" app. I don't really want to get caught up in the syncing nonsense that used to bug me when I was on team Apple.
If there's something I'm missing out on I'm game to learn, though. Seems like it might be good for people that need to toggle between a work PC and their phone a lot.
 
Dex mode is one of those things that are neat sounding but in practice not really worth the hassle (I'm not saying it's useless).

Everything important can be synced to my desktop these days easily and it's frankly more valuable for my phone to be independent of what I'm doing on the desktop (as long as I can access chats, texts, browser tabs, etc. via sync on my desktop).
 
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Just encountered an interesting fingerprint sensor tweak that DOES work on the S20 devices. Well, at least my U.S. S20+...
https://www.sammobile.com/news/alleged-fingerprint-speed-hack-galaxy-phone-unlock-faster/

I did this and it makes the fingerprint sensor work immediately and with the same accuracy as my old Pixel. For all of my registered fingers, too.

No idea if it affects battery life in a major way, but I'm going to roll with it for a few days.
 
When I started looking through my photos I noticed there definitely seemed to be a smudgy look to them. Almost like Samsung is using FXAA in their camera software :p This is the S20+, not the Ultra, which had even more issues.
After trying lots of different settings, I've installed a GCam mod and started using it instead. The telephoto lens option doesn't work, but it otherwise seems fine. I did some comparison shots and details simply show up better. With the Samsung camera app, pictures of text are barely readable and depth is difficult to see. With GCam, the same exact shots and zooms look great.

At this point I have literally replaced every single Samsung app with one of Google's. At least other than the proprietary Galaxy Wearables app. It's both amusing and annoying that I've had to do this.
 
When I started looking through my photos I noticed there definitely seemed to be a smudgy look to them. Almost like Samsung is using FXAA in their camera software :p This is the S20+, not the Ultra, which had even more issues.
After trying lots of different settings, I've installed a GCam mod and started using it instead. The telephoto lens option doesn't work, but it otherwise seems fine. I did some comparison shots and details simply show up better. With the Samsung camera app, pictures of text are barely readable and depth is difficult to see. With GCam, the same exact shots and zooms look great.

At this point I have literally replaced every single Samsung app with one of Google's. At least other than the proprietary Galaxy Wearables app. It's both amusing and annoying that I've had to do this.
I remember back in the day the Samsung Apps were a reason to get their phones. But it soon turned into “wait for a root” before you got the phone so you can get rid of them!

their default browser during the Note2/3 era was the very best on Android. Until Chrome stopped being a resource hog that is.
 
I remember back in the day the Samsung Apps were a reason to get their phones. But it soon turned into “wait for a root” before you got the phone so you can get rid of them!

their default browser during the Note2/3 era was the very best on Android. Until Chrome stopped being a resource hog that is.

Most of them don't full-on suck, but I can't think of any of them that are as good as Google's version. Dialer, Messages, Contacts, Browser, Camera, Calendar, Clock, etc. They're all clearly being maintained by different groups since they have different UI's and they don't talk to one other well. The One UI launcher is in the same boat. Nova beats it at everything. I guess the pull down shade has 4 rows instead of 3 from Google, so there's that.
The fact that the camera software is holding it back is frustrating though. That seems like something that's VERY easy to fix and has been a pretty major gripe in reviews thus far. If someone can get the other lens working (and fix the occasional crash) in GCam I'll probably hide the Sammy cam and never touch it again. Hell, I might look into one of those paid camera apps, too.
 
Recent updates have finally made the Samsung Camera app decent. Lamps and lights cause less streaks and blurs than they did. Details look a little better, too.
It's still not as good as GCam overall, but at least it's getting better.
 
I have the s20 regular - it cannot take the same pics my oneplus 6t can close up. I may just sell it
 
Have you tried using GCam? For normal point+shoot photos I think it's head and shoulders better than the Sammy camera app.
 
I have the s20 regular - it cannot take the same pics my oneplus 6t can close up. I may just sell it

You mean macro shots? Just zoom in a little to get macro shots instead of trying to get the lens/phone too close to focus. That's how I get good macro shots with my current and previous phones at least.
 
The S20 and 20+ are expected to come with at least 12GB of RAM, whereas the S20 Ultra will have a whopping 16GB RAM option. The Galaxy S20 and S20+ with have a solitary128GB base storage option and SD card support up to 1TB. The good news is that this will be superfast UFS 3.0 storage.

These specs are more than enough for me to select them as my primary devices.
 
As an owner of the S20+, the specs definitely aren't everything. It's still burdened by Samsung's clumsy-ass software and modified version of Android.
It's actually quite a bit of work to hide all of that trash and/or replace them with better versions from Google (or someone else).
The camera might sound amazing on paper, but it's slow to focus and the lens gets smudged way too easily. Whatever coating is on the camera lens array attracts oils or something. The S20U camera has had even bigger problems and frankly it's unwieldy to actually use. It's too big as a phone and too small as a tablet.
The S20 and S20+ aren't bad phones and they can be pretty solid if you put a lot of work into customizing 'em...but for a grand you shouldn't have to.
 
Was looking at these S-20s at work today are would this be a good upgrade from my S9 or won't I miss anything?
 
Was looking at these S-20s at work today are would this be a good upgrade from my S9 or won't I miss anything?

From a day-to-day perspective it's bigger/better/faster more on the horsepower front. If you stick with Samsung's OneUI, it has improved a bit over the older version on the S9. Not so much that I'd keep it, but if you do.
Battery life is better, 120Hz looks great (and you can go back to 60 if you need the battery to last longer), and the phone supports 5G if your plan/provider has it.
If your S9 is still doing the job, I probably wouldn't get one. My Pixel 2's battery life was falling off a cliff and I never really liked the form factor. Otherwise, I wouldn't have gotten one.
 
As an owner of the S20+, the specs definitely aren't everything. It's still burdened by Samsung's clumsy-ass software and modified version of Android.
It's actually quite a bit of work to hide all of that trash and/or replace them with better versions from Google (or someone else).
The camera might sound amazing on paper, but it's slow to focus and the lens gets smudged way too easily. Whatever coating is on the camera lens array attracts oils or something. The S20U camera has had even bigger problems and frankly it's unwieldy to actually use. It's too big as a phone and too small as a tablet.
The S20 and S20+ aren't bad phones and they can be pretty solid if you put a lot of work into customizing 'em...but for a grand you shouldn't have to.
I was seriously thinking about trying the Note 20 Ultra, but it's rumored to be priced at $1400. That's just insane.
 
I was seriously thinking about trying the Note 20 Ultra, but it's rumored to be priced at $1400. That's just insane.

Samsung stuff is needlessly expensive. You're paying the "Apple Premium" but at least IMO you aren't getting Apple's polish on things. Especially out of the box. You still have Android battling OneUI at every turn for a consistent user experience. Icons don't match, user interfaces don't match, and the overall look doesn't match. It's clumsy at best and ugly as hell at worst. A lot of Samsung stuff still has Android 4 era flat/hard-color icons, which look horrible IMO.
Plus, I don't know if I'd recommend this camera to anyone who is used to an iPhone or Pixel. It's slow to focus and it attracts smudges unlike anything I've ever owned. You have to wipe off the camera array before taking any shot or any light source is going to streak and bleed all over your photos. It's 2020 - my iPhone 3G didn't even need that. Just point and shoot.
I won't buy another Samsung if I can help it. This is the 2nd one I've owned and nearly everything good about both of them has had an asterisk. Although both have had pretty amazing displays and batteries. No issues at all there.
 
Samsung stuff is needlessly expensive. You're paying the "Apple Premium" but at least IMO you aren't getting Apple's polish on things.

More importantly IMO is at least Apple hardware holds a lot more of its value for when it's time to upgrade if you do so within a couple years or so. Plus Samsung (or any Android OEM really) phones go on sale so quickly after launch, you can usually get one for $200+ off within 2-3 months at least, if not more off through carrier finance deals as well.
 
I'm in for an upgrade what seems to be the goto phone? I'm coming from an s5 lol been eyeing the note 10+ but dunno what else is out there. Might wait to see how the note 20 turns out but seems like it'll only get camera upgrades which might not be needed since the note 10+camera is great
 
I'm in for an upgrade what seems to be the goto phone? I'm coming from an s5 lol been eyeing the note 10+ but dunno what else is out there. Might wait to see how the note 20 turns out but seems like it'll only get camera upgrades which might not be needed since the note 10+camera is great

Samsung is still pretty much the "goto" Android phone with the S/Note line. My wife's Note 9 is still solid and she hasn't had any issues since it first launched and it still gets updates every other month or so, which is as good or better than any other non-Pixel phone.

I'm hoping Google can deliver something competent with the Pixel 5, as I'll have to replace my 2 XL after it goes EOL at the end of the year, if not I'll probably fall back to Samsung. I would consider a OnePlus phone if they could get their cameras to be as good as Samsung's or Google's phones, otherwise they're pretty good phones too. I used to not care about camera at all, but since I've moved to Europe for a few years, I want as good of a camera as possible for all of our trips here.
 
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