If you’ve been umming and ahhing about which Galaxy S20 to buy because you just couldn’t decide between the S20 Plus or S20 Ultra, prepare yourself, as we’re about to make your decision that little bit easier. These two smartphones are very similar, but when we dig a little deeper into the spec sheet we find that there are a few differences worth noting. Having already compared the S20 and S20 Plus, now it’s time to see how the S20 Plus and S20 Ultra measure up.
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Specs
Galaxy S20 Plus
Galaxy S20 Ultra
Size
161.9 × 73.7 × 7.8mm (6.37 × 2.9 × 0.3 inches)
166.9 × 76 × 8.8mm (6.57 × 2.99 × 0.34 inches)
Weight
186 grams (6.56 ounces)
220 grams (7.76 ounces)
Screen size
6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED
6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED
Screen resolution
3,200 × 1,440 pixels (525 pixels-per-inch)
3,200 × 1,440 pixels (511 ppi)
Operating system
Android 10
Android 10
Storage
128, 512GB
128, 512GB
MicroSD card slot
Yes
Yes
Tap-to-pay services
Samsung Pay, Google Pay
Samsung Pay, Google Pay
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
RAM
12GB
12, 16GB
Camera
12-megapixel, 64MP telephoto, 12MP ultrawide, and ToF sensor rear, 10MP front
108-megapixel, 48MP telephoto, 12MP ultrawide, and ToF sensor rear, 40MP front
Video
8K at 30 fps, 4K at 60 frames per second, 1080p at 240 fps, 720p at 960 fps
8K at 30 fps, 4K at 60 fps, 1080p at 240 fps, 720p at 960 fps
Bluetooth version
5.0
5.0
Ports
USB-C
USB-C
Fingerprint sensor
Yes, in-display
Yes, in-display
Water resistance
IP68
IP68
Battery
4,500mAh
Fast charging (25W)
Qi wireless charging
5,000mAh
Fast charging (45W)
Qi wireless charging
App marketplace
Google Play Store
Google Play Store
Network support
All major carriers
All major carriers
Colors
Cosmic Gray, Cloud Blue, Cosmic Black, Cloud White, Aura Red, Aura Blue
Cosmic Gray, Cosmic Black, Cloud White
Prices
$1,200
$1,400
Buy from
Samsung, AT&T
Samsung, AT&T
Review score
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Design, display, and durability
John Velasco / Digital Trends
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus and the S20 Ultra are large phones with very similar designs. The most immediately apparent difference is that the S20 Ultra is bigger in every dimension and considerably heavier. The glass back is curved on both, but the camera module at the top left looks different on the Ultra — it’s wider and has “Space Zoom 100X” written on it. The S20 Ultra has a slightly bigger 6.9-inch AMOLED screen while the S20 Plus has a 6.7-inch AMOLED screen.
Both screens are top quality; they’re HDR10+ certified and they boast a 120Hz refresh rate which makes for a silky smooth feel and will delight gamers in particular. Because the S20 Plus screen is slightly smaller it’s a touch sharper, but the difference is so slight that it’s not going to be noticeable. There’s an IP68 rating for both phones, which means they can be submerged in fresh water to a depth of up to 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes without any damage. There’s little to separate them here, some people will prefer the extra screen real estate of the S20 Ultra, but others may find that the S20 Plus is easier to handle.
Winner: Tie
Performance, battery life, and charging
John Velasco / Digital Trends
You’ll find the very capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor in the S20 Plus and the S20 Ultra, though in some markets it will be Samsung’s Exynos 990 chipset instead. There’s an ample 12GB of RAM as standard and 128GB of storage with space to expand that with a MicroSD card. While both phones are offered in a 512GB of storage variant, only the S20 Ultra has extra RAM — there’s 16GB in the more expensive model. Performance with either phone is going to be lightning-fast and smooth. These phones are ready for the most demanding apps and games. They can also store a lot of different games and apps in RAM, meaning you can jump out to do something else and then jump back in again precisely where you left off.
The larger S20 Ultra has an extra 500mAh of battery capacity and that’s likely to enable it to go longer than the S20 Plus between charges, even though it has a bigger screen to power. Both phones come with a 25W charger in the box, but the S20 Ultra can also support 45W wired charging if you buy a compatible fast charger separately. Both support Samsung’s Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 which offers up to 15W with the right charging pad. They can also wirelessly charge other devices in a pinch thanks to Samsung’s Wireless PowerShare feature.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
Further reading
- How to use Samsung Pay
- Common Samsung Galaxy S20 problems and how to fix them
- How to sell your old Samsung Galaxy
Cameras
John Velasco / Digital Trends
This category brings the clearest win for the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra because, while both have impressive and versatile camera suites, the Ultra’s is clearly superior. The S20 Ultra boasts a 108-megapixel main lens, 48-megapixel telephoto lens, and a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens in its main rear-facing camera. The S20 Plus makes do with a 12-megapixel main lens, 64-megapixel telephoto lens, and a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens.
The main difference here in terms of capabilities is that the Ultra’s camera has a 10x optical zoom and a 100x digital zoom, compared to 3x and 30x, respectively, for the S20 Plus. Whether you need that extra zoom capability is highly debatable. However, selfie fans will definitely benefit from the Ultra’s 40-megapixel front-facing camera, which should offer greater detail compared to the 10-megapixel front-facing camera in the S20 Plus. Both phones are capable of capturing video in up to 8K quality.
Samsung also promises smarter artificial intelligence to help you capture the best photos in each situation and larger sensors than previous Samsung phones enable these cameras to capture more light for better performance at night and indoors when lighting may be limited.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
Software and updates
John Velasco / Digital Trends
The S20 Plus and the S20 Ultra both run Android 10 with Samsung’s One UI 2.0 over the top, which is simpler and cleaner than previous versions, and, importantly for phones this size, easier to use one-handed. The software update schedule for these phones will likely be much the same, so there’s no obvious advantage for either here.
Winner: Tie
Special features
John Velasco / Digital Trends
While it doesn’t set these phones apart, it’s worth noting that they both support 5G connectivity. Samsung’s smaller S20 only supports sub-6 5G networks, but both the S20 Plus and S20 Ultra have support for sub-6 and mmWave technologies.
Winner: Tie
Price and availability
Both the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus and the S20 Ultra are available from a wide range of retailers and carriers. The S20 Plus starts from $1,200, and the S20 Ultra starts at $1,400.
You can knock up to $500 off the price of either handset by trading in an eligible device with Samsung.
Overall winner: Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
As you might expect, the S20 Ultra has won this showdown. We’ve discussed the differences in these exceptional cameras, the larger screen in the S20 Ultra, the bigger battery, and the potential for faster wired charging. On the other hand, the S20 Ultra will likely be a bit too big for some people, and it is significantly more expensive. The S20 Plus is still an impressive phone by any measure, so it may be a better choice for some people, but if you crave maximum power, the Ultra is for you.