WHEN I was just starting out as a researcher, I had a boss who had quite a fascination for cellphones. This was way back during the days of LCD backlights, crazy frog midi ringtones and the game Snake—and I was using a Philips Savvy.
He always had the latest (and often most expensive) phone, which he graciously let me try out. The most memorable of these was the Nokia 7110—with its “naviroller” (a clickable scroll wheel), tennis game, and The Matrix-inspired spring-loaded keypad cover. Answering the phone by sliding the keypad cover was the coolest thing I ever saw. So I saved up several month’s salary and got one myself but by that time, he had already moved on to the 8210, followed by the 9110i Communicator.
I would continue to work for him on several projects over the next few years, and asking what phone he was currently using was our way of catching up. He was actually the one who sparked my interest in tech and my own fascination for phones and other gadgets.
He, likewise, showed me how a phone could be more than a reflection of your personality and a way to make a statement.
And making a statement is exactly what the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is all about.
BEYOND PRO
THERE was a reason why Samsung called it the Galaxy S20 instead of the S11, and just as other smartphone manufacturers were busy with their “Pro,” “Plus” and “Max” naming conventions, Samsung slapped “Ultra” on its most premium flagship device to put everyone on notice.
It was clear that the world’s No. 1 smartphone maker was done playing catch-up with Apple and its Android competitors when it comes to specs and new features, and the S20 Ultra was their answer.
Samsung went all-out with the Galaxy S20 Ultra, and it’s easily the “-est” of flagship smartphones, embodying all the superlatives. You get a glorious display on the biggest and clearest screen, the fastest processor, highest-end specs and the newest camera system from Samsung.
It’s a statement phone alright, size and price be damned, but is it also the best phone Samsung’s ever made?
DEVOUR
Best display on a smartphone
Once you go 120Hz, you’ll never go back
Specs and performance are incredible
Great all-around cameras
Single take mode
One UI 2.0
Superb design and build
DISLIKE
Too big for most Pinoys
It can be quite slippery to hold
Camera hump
In-display fingerprint could be faster
Storage should have started at 256GB
LOOK WHO’S BOSS
“MASSIVE” and “imposing” are probably the best words to describe the Samsung S20 Ultra. It measures 166.9 x 76.0 x 8.8mm and weighs 222g making it bigger, thicker and heavier than Samsung’s other flagship, the Galaxy Note 10+.
It’s an elegant glass monolith that only comes in Cosmic Black and Cosmic Gray colors. Its actually refreshing to see such subdued color options amid the sea of dizzying gradient finishes, but a little shimmer would have been nice. I would also have liked a couple of other colors (Cloud White is a China and Germany exclusive), but its obvious that the S20 Ultra is targeting specific highend users.
There’s nothing flashy or terribly exciting about the design, but the feel of the phone is outstanding. The S20 Ultra 5G is an exquisite piece of hardware that exudes quality and craftsmanship. The metal and glass build feels exceptionally solid and expensive to hold. It also has this certain heft you can only sense from premium smartphones.
I’m not a fan of those curved (or waterfall) screens (makes it a pain to find a tempered glass that fits) but I do like the subtle curves on the back of the S20 Ultra that allows a more comfortable hold. It has Gorilla Glass 6 panels wrapped in a metal frame and although it doesn’t scratch easily, I still keep mine in a pouch before putting it in my pocket or bag. My only complaint is that it can get very slippery and if you’re someone who’s prone to dropping things, I suggest you get a very good protective case because while it might survive an accidental dunk in the water (it has an IP68 rating), I seriously doubt it could survive a drop on the concrete floor.
Exploring the phone a bit more, you have the volume and power keys on the right side of the frame. Up top, there is a secondary noise-canceling microphone and hybrid card tray that can accommodate either two nano-sized SIM cards or one nano SIM plus a microSD card up to 1TB. At the bottom is the main microphone, downward-firing loudspeaker and a USB-C port which supports fast charging. The smartphone supports up to 45W fast charging but you only get a 25W charger out of the box. The dedicated Bixby button is gone as well as the 3.5 mm jack (thankfully, the included AKG Type-C earphones make up for it).
On its back is the behemoth camera panel that’s proven to be quite divisive. Personally though, I prefer over-the-top camera modules as it adds character and distinctiveness to the phone. The camera module still makes it standout and identifiable as a Galaxy S20 Ultra even beneath a case.
What I didn’t like is chunky camera bump, as the protrusion makes it wobble when placed on a flat surface and it breaks the otherwise seamless feeling of the glass back—again another reason to get a protective case to even things out. The sheer size and heft will get some time getting used to, and one-handed use is quite challenging or even impossible for those with smaller hands.
BEST DISPLAY
THE display of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is fantastic. In fact, it’s the best screen I’ve seen on a smartphone—period.
The moment you turn on the phone, you’ll be amazed at the S20 Ultra’s beautiful edge-to-edge display. The only thing breaking up this otherwise all-screen aesthetic is a small hole-punch notch in the middle of the top edge which houses the front camera.
It packs a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen with a maximum resolution of WQHD+ 3200 x 1440 and a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz, twice than the usual 60hz.
For non-techies, this means the screen now refreshes twice as many times each second making everything look smoother. Movement is more fluid, swiping is quicker and less jittery, making the phone feel even faster. It’s hard to describe it in words and you really have to try it out to appreciate the improvement.
It was the first time I’ve experienced a 120Hz refresh rate and despite warnings that it’ll the drain battery faster, I’ve never switched back. After all, it’s the ECQ and I could just plug it whenever I want. Using the 120Hz on Web browsing, social media and e-mail felt so much better as objects on the screen move smoothly.
The screen size is also perfect for people who consume a lot of video content. It’s reason why I finally subscribed to Netflix, HBO Go, and even VIU. Those HDR-enabled shows on Netflix look way better than when compared to watching it on my iPhone 11 Pro Max. I’ve watched more movies on the S20 Ultra than on my 55-inch TV, which gives you an idea of just how good it is. The built-in loud speakers also sound amazing by the way.
I mentioned I’m not a big fan of curved displays, and since the S20 Ultra is “flatter” it helps cut down accidental palm touches. I hate it when the text bleeds to the edge of the screen in certain web sites.
EXEMPLARY PERFORMANCE
THE S20 Ultra we have is running the new Exynos 990, and we haven’t had any problems with it in the past couple of months. Granted that my workload is a lot less than usual since there are less events, but I still subjected it to a fair amount of app abuse.
Performance is blazing fast and as expected the S20 Ultra can handle everything I could throw at it with its chipset. The unit we have has 12GB of RAM, which is way more than what my current laptop has, and multitasking with several open apps has never been a problem.
Playing games, watching videos, multitasking, or even just scrolling through social media is a breeze. I didn’t once notice any slowdown or lag while testing it; everything was snappy, responsive and smooth, even with the most graphically intensive games like Asphalt 9, Tekken, PUBG and NBA 2K20. It did warm up a bit but not to the point of being unusable.
A minor complaint is that the S20 Ultra only has 128GB internal storage.
A 256GB would have been a lot better especially with the option to record 8K videos. But more on that when we review the S20 Ultra 108MP cameras.