Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G SM-G988B 128GB

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra review

The Galaxy S20 Ultra is the sum result of Samsung’s technological prowess crammed into a relatively compact shell. The next generation hardware on offer here is best-in-class with a 120Hz display and a camera capable of capturing 8K video though this is also one of their most expensive phones to...

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Cosmic Grey 128GB 5G SM-G988BZADNZO review

Futuremark's PCMark for Android Work 2.0 Battery test takes workloads from the benchmark itself (image and video editing, email and web browsing) and scripts them in a loop that runs until battery levels drop below 20 percent.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Cosmic Grey 128GB 5G SM-G988BZADNZO review

The Galaxy S20 Ultra is top-spec in almost every respect, but design, battery & camera flaws hold it back

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra review

The Galaxy S20 Ultra is a big, ugly brick of a phone that does its best to make up for it in sheer specs. It almost succeeds too, with best-in-class display, phenomenal performance, and a compelling camera offering that’s let down only by its inconsistency. Factor in rubbish battery life on the Exynos variants available in the UK and Europe, and the S20 Ultra is really only for the specs-obsessed.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Cosmic Grey 128GB 5G SM-G988BZADNZO review

On paper, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is a huge spec monster. But that brings with it huge expectations and a huge price, which ultimately it struggles to quite live up to. There's a lot that's impressive in the camera, but it falls short in some areas, while the battery life isn't competitive.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Cosmic Grey 128GB 5G SM-G988BZADNZO review

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra: Samsung’s Galaxy S20 Ultra is as exciting as it is outrageously expensive

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Cosmic Grey 128GB 5G SM-G988BZADNZO review

Does 108MP result in an Ultra camera?

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Cosmic Grey 128GB 5G SM-G988BZADNZO review

When Huawei launched the P30 Pro, it created a stir in the industry that a smartphone can achieve a shooting range of 50x zoom. When the Mate 30 Pro was announced, Huawei seemed to take a step back and limited to 30x zoom.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G review: Speaking the language of overkill

As far as flagships go, Samsung’s latest stands tall but it doesn’t stand alone. Even if it falls short of being the iPhone 11 Pro-inspired paradigm shift that it so obviously aspires towards, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is still a spec-beast of a phone that shows Samsung still has what it takes to be competitive in the high-end Android smartphone arena.

Galaxy S20 Ultra review: Camera is amazing but battery life and design aren't

Excellent camera features aren't quite enough to overcome an awkward design, questionable battery performance and a sky-high price. Cheaper Galaxy S20 models will have broader appeal. There's no denying that the Galaxy S20 Ultra is something bold. Something special. It exists to show off its camera features. There's the 108-megapixel sensor, capturing scenes for detailed crop-ins that invariably make you say "wow!" Then there's the 100x zoom lens that reveals lettering, faces and architectural details you can't see from afar with the naked eye. And the beautiful 40-megapixel selfie camera that won't spare your feelings when you turn off beauty mode.