By Joanna Stern
Executive #1: We need to make a big splash with this new Galaxy
S11.
Executive #2: Idea! What if we skip over 11 through 19 and call
it the Galaxy S20?
Executive #1: Because it's, like, 2020? Perfect! But will it
really be twice as good as the S10?
Executive #2: Does that matter?
That's how I imagine Samsung's decision to leap from S10 to S20
went down. At a time when global smartphone sales have stalled and
Samsung's looking to maintain its lead, the marketing tricks are in
full force.
That's not to say Samsung won't once again be out in front,
technologically, with its newest models, announced Tuesday and
shipping March 6. The Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra have all the
features to make the competition feel inferior: a new camera
system, faster 5G connectivity across the line and improved screens
with fingerprint sensors built right in. And unlike last year, the
starting price is now $1,000, and the Ultra is a lot more.
Samsung is offering other options -- more than ever, in fact. It
is discounting last year's S10 line. The once-$750 S10e will sell
for $600.
So is the company's new flagship a reason to ditch your already
great smartphone? Probably not. I know what you're thinking: Not
even for our cellular savior, 5G? I remain unconvinced by Samsung
or the U.S. carriers that the faster wireless network will bring
significant changes to our smartphone habits. Again, marketing
tricks.
If you're overdue for an upgrade, though -- or you just want to
see the latest in smartphone evolution -- the Galaxy S20 is
actually exciting. You just have to decipher the differences
between the three models. Luckily, I spent a short time with the
Galaxy S20 fam last week.
What They Share (Hint: 5G)
No matter which Galaxy S20 you go for, you get the following: a
choice of colors, at least 128GB of storage and clean and simple
Android 10 software. They also all have beautiful, updated AMOLED
displays that are supposed to render games and movies more
smoothly. (A free Tesla to any non-gamer who can spot the
difference.)
What they all don't have? A headphone jack. The USB-C port is
your one-stop shop for charging and plugging in headphones now.
Samsung is releasing brand new $150 Galaxy Buds+ with improved
battery life and sound quality, too.
And yes, the S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra all have 5G connectivity,
making this the first mainstream phone to make use of the faster
networks. But ... it's not as simple as having 5G. May I suggest
instead of solving this week's crossword, you decipher the types of
5G and which Samsung phone supports which flavor?
The base Galaxy S20 supports 5G that runs on frequencies under
6GHz. It's referred to as "sub-6" 5G aka not-super-fast 5G. Sprint,
T-Mobile and AT&T offer this type. In my tests last summer of
Sprint's sub-6 network, I got speeds faster than 4G LTE but not as
fast as the speedier, higher-frequency 5G networks known as
millimeter wave (mmWave, if you're a huge nerd). On the other hand,
sub-6 is more reliable than mmWave, which is too weak to penetrate
most walls, and therefore doesn't work indoors.
Verizon won't have the baseline Galaxy S20 at launch, because it
doesn't have a sub-6 network yet. However, a Verizon spokesman said
Samsung will release an S20 that works on the carrier's mmWave and
forthcoming sub-6 networks closer to the summer.
The step-up Galaxy S20+ and S20 Ultra support both networks
right out of the box. These phones will be available at all four
U.S. carriers, including Verizon.
But that still doesn't mean you'll get 5G service if you buy one
of these phones. These networks are still in their early phases.
Coverage is just starting to roll out across the country. And even
when you get a true 5G signal, the speed will only be noticeable
when streaming videos, downloading large files or playing games.
Carriers are betting big on new types of apps to take advantage of
5G, but right now having a 5G phone just isn't something to brag
about.
On the upside, since 5G can be more power intensive, Samsung has
equipped all the phones with bigger batteries, promising all-day
use.
How They're Different (Hint: Cameras)
The biggest differences between the phones? Size, price and
cameras. Here's the breakdown:
Galaxy S20 (Starts at $1,000)
With a 6.2-inch display, the S20 is the "smallest" of the bunch.
It only has three cameras on the back -- a wide, ultrawide and
telephoto. Samsung completely gutted the camera system on all the
cameras, with the goal of improving the sensors, low-light
performance, night mode and video stabilization.
For some, the biggest addition will be what Samsung calls a
"hybrid optical zoom" built into the telephoto lens. On the base
S20 and S20+, that provides 3X optical zoom plus 30X digital zoom.
All capture 8K video, too. While you may roll your eyes at that,
I'm particularly excited about a new tool that allows you to
capture a high-resolution photo from your video footage.
In the short time I had with the phones, I couldn't test video
or photo quality, but I did try "Single Take," a very cool software
trick. I often struggle with the decision to take a still shot or
video -- especially with my two-year-old. Within 10 seconds, the
system captures it all so you don't have to choose. After the
cutest moment has passed, you can review a bunch of photos and
video clips that were simultaneously captured.
Galaxy S20+ (Starts at $1,200)
Moving on up, the 6.7-inch Galaxy S20+ has a quadruple camera
system on the back. There's the same wide, ultrawide and telephoto
cameras as the S20, plus an added "time of flight" camera. No, it
won't take your phone into orbit -- it won't even take pictures.
But it does capture depth information meant to enable photo tricks
and augmented reality applications.
Galaxy S20 Ultra ($1,400)
Finally, there's the whopping 6.9-inch Galaxy S20 Ultra with a
camera array the size of an Olympic pool. It has four rear cameras,
with two improvements over the S20+. The wide angle camera captures
108 megapixels, and the telephoto has some serious -- and
potentially creepy zoom: 10X optical and 100X digital.
It's pretty nuts. Standing about 13 feet away from some tiny
handwriting on a notepad, I could tap in and make out the text.
It's pretty amazing to think we can now have such a powerful camera
in our pockets -- it's also frightening. I'll let you think about
the things you might not want to have captured from afar, by a
total stranger snapping pics with this phone.
The big S20 bummer? You need a ginormous $1,400 phone to get the
best camera features. Samsung: Some of us want the best cameras
without having to buy new pants. And don't you dare try selling me
a folding phone to address that complaint!
I'm looking forward to testing the S20 camera features in my
full review, though by the time that's out in the next few weeks, I
fear the Samsung Galaxy S-One Billion may already be on its
way.
-- For more WSJ Technology analysis, reviews, advice and
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Write to Joanna Stern at joanna.stern@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 11, 2020 14:14 ET (19:14 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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