**Battery Life: A Mixed Bag**

One of my main concerns with the Samsung S20 and S20 Plus was battery life, particularly after hearing about the ultra model draining quickly due to its large screen. I was relieved to find that both phones perform much better in this regard. On both devices, I've been able to use them throughout the night without any issues, thanks to the high milliamp hour (mAh) batteries installed. The S20 comes equipped with a 4000 mAh battery, while the S20 Plus boasts a 4500 mAh battery - significantly more than their smaller counterparts.

However, there is one aspect that might affect battery life: refresh rate. By default, both phones come with a 60Hz refresh rate, which means the screen refreshes all pixels 60 times per second. However, users can opt for a 120Hz refresh rate, which makes everything on the screen smoother when scrolling, navigating, or playing games. While this feature is particularly appealing to gamers and those who enjoy smooth visuals, it does come at the cost of battery life. Using the higher refresh rate will indeed sacrifice some battery life, so users should be prepared to top up their phones more frequently.

**5G Capabilities: A Complicated Picture**

All Samsung Galaxy S20 models are 5G capable, but I wasn't able to test this feature thoroughly due to my location not having a 5G network. The S20 Plus is compatible with millimeter wave technology, which is the fastest type of 5G and offers faster speeds than sub-6GHz networks. On the other hand, the standard S20 model only works with sub-6GHz technology, meaning its peak speeds won't be as high as those achieved on a device using millimeter wave.

This difference in 5G capabilities might matter to users who plan to hold onto their phones for an extended period or live in areas with fast 5G networks. For example, if you're planning to use your phone for two or three years, having the faster version of 5G technology could make a significant difference. However, without knowing the specific capabilities of the network you'll be using, it's difficult to say whether this feature is worth paying more for.

**The Verdict: Worth Every Penny?**

After spending time with both phones, I can confidently say that they offer top-notch features and performance. The S20 Plus starts at $1200 for the 128GB model, which seems steep considering its larger size compared to the standard S20. For me, a smaller phone is more portable and comfortable to hold, especially for those with smaller hands like mine.

While the S20 Plus offers a larger screen, which can be beneficial for reading or watching videos, I think a 6.2-inch screen is sufficient. Samsung designed the S20 Plus with users who prefer a bigger screen in mind, and there is an audience for this type of device. That being said, I wouldn't recommend buying these phones at full price unless you're willing to wait for discounts or take advantage of buy one get one deals.

Ultimately, if you want future-proofing capabilities and the faster 5G technology offered by the S20 Plus, it might be worth considering waiting until prices drop. The standard S20 model still offers plenty of power and features, making it an excellent alternative to those who don't need the extra screen size or 5G capabilities.

**Conclusion**

In conclusion, both the Samsung S20 and S20 Plus offer high-end features that compete with other premium phones on the market. While battery life is a mixed bag between the two devices, they generally perform well in this regard. The 5G capabilities of these phones are complicated to navigate due to varying network speeds, but users who plan to hold onto their phones for an extended period or live in areas with fast 5G networks might appreciate the faster technology.

Ultimately, whether or not these phones are worth every penny depends on individual preferences and needs. For those who value portability and a smaller screen, I wouldn't recommend paying full price for either device. However, if you're willing to wait for discounts or take advantage of buy one get one deals, then the S20 Plus might be an excellent option for future-proofing capabilities and faster 5G technology.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enSamsung Galaxy S 20 and the S 20 plus you're trying to decide which one to buy and I'm gonna help you make that decision we've got to mention that elephant in the room the galaxy s 20 ultra this is a literal elephant I say forget about it yeah it's in the mix technically but it's too expensive too big too heavy too unwieldy the battery life drains too quickly and the camera features are negligible over the s20 and s 20 plus for everyday use yes you have 100 8 megapixel photography and 100 X zoom but I think that the times that you're really gonna be able to benefit from those are so few and far between that you're gonna mostly get the shots that you need out of the s20 and the s20 Plus whose cameras are basically identical you can get all the information you want about the ultras cameras in my full video review so now that we're agreed no ultra it's back to the good stuff the s20 and the s20 plus now these two phones share the same core features they have truly brilliant displays they also have Android 10 and Samsung's 1 UI 2 software running on top same processors as well since these two phones are so similar your decision is really going to come down to the intersection of size cameras battery life 5g and price you ready let's go the s20 has a 6.2 inch screen and the plus has a six point seven inch screen now remember screen size is measured on the diagonal on paper may not seem like a big difference but in the hand it actually is and the s20 plus is much bigger so there are some trade-offs with that with the s20 it's much more portable it's relatively lighter easy to use easy to use one-handed the trade-off is that you have less screen here so when you go to watch a video if I've got both of these phones side-by-side I'm going to lean towards the plus every time just because the screen is larger and it gives me more viewing space when it comes to typing I do notice that the keyboard on the s20 is smaller but I could still type very accurately if you're the kind of person who misses the days of small phones then the s20 is undoubtedly the one for you if you like a larger phone that isn't too ridiculous and you want more of that viewing space and a more ample virtual keyboard than the s20 plus is going to win it for you on this round now you might be wondering what is the difference between these two cameras well this one has a larger module and an extra lens this one is smaller but the real secret is they're almost completely identical that's right Samsung has given the s 20 and the s 20 plus the exact same cameras on the front and on the back these are really good cameras too the one difference is that you have a time-of-flight sensor on the + now this is something that's supposed to help make low-light photography better but to be honest and most of my photos I didn't even notice now these cameras do lack the ability to take 108 megapixel photos that you get on the ultra and they also zoom in 30 X instead of 100x this is actually okay because you can still take a 64 megapixel photo and crop into it which is what the benefit of 108 photography is and you can still zoom up to 30x to be honest when you get up to 100 X zoom the photos really grainy you don't really want to use in any way and the vast majority of instances I found that I was mostly using for 10 and 30 X when I took photos beyond that it's just a little meaningless the bottom line is that all of these galaxies as 20 phones take very beautiful photos they're bright they're detailed they're saturated with color maybe a little too saturated for some of your tastes and I think that night mode is really improved you also have low-light photography which is really beautiful some other phones on the market might do a little bit of a better job in specific circumstances but I think you're always going to be happy with what you have we've got a four thousand milliamp hour battery on the s20 and a 4500 milliamp hour battery on the s20 plus now first I was a little concerned about the battery life for these s20 phones because the ultra just drained so quickly it had an extra large screen that also seemed to be extra hungry for battery resources but that just doesn't so with the s20 in the s20 plus I've been able on both phones to pick them up in the morning 6 a.m. and use them all throughout the night but there is a little bit of a wrinkle because of something called a refresh rate now this represents the number of times that your screen refreshes all of the pixels in a second default out of the box is 60 Hertz but you can also go into the settings and select 120 Hertz why do people want to do this because it makes everything that's happening on the screen so much smoother like scrolling navigating and playing games while they do appreciate this setting especially during gaming know that using it will sacrifice for your battery life if that's something that you're ok with and you want to just make sure that you have a charger handy to top up your phone and by the way with fast charging it does hop up really quickly then that's just a decision that you need to make all of Samsung's Galaxy s 20 phones are 5g capable but I wasn't able to actually test 5g on them and this was incredibly frustrating to me my review phones were all equipped with 5g capable SIM cards but I just wasn't in the right place to take advantage of those 5g networks but I still have some guidance for you the S 20 plus is compatible with millimeter wave which is the fastest flavor of 5g that means that if you're in an area with a 5g network you're going to be able to get faster speeds than you would on a different phone the s 20 on the other hand only works with the type of 5g technology called sub 6 and that means that the peak speeds won't be quite as high as millimeter wave well this matter to you in the real world maybe it depends on where you are and what your network can do the one exception to this rule is that the Verizon version of the S 25 G will support millimeter wave but that's not out yet and we don't know when it's going to be if you don't have 5g in your neighborhood this entire discussion is a little bit academic but it is important for future proofing if you're gonna hold on to this phone for two or three years down the line then it might make a difference to you if you have the faster version of 5g or the slower version the only problem is you don't really know because you can't control it that's something that your network controls the s20 is $1,000 the S 20 plus starts at $1,200 for the 128 gigabyte variety you can also pay more and get 512 gigabytes of storage the question is is the larger phone worth at least $200 more for me the answer is no I think that $1,000 is plenty to pay for a premium device especially when that does essentially the same as the larger model I have smaller hands so I care about a smaller phone I like one that's more portable typing doesn't bother me the only benefit to me for the S 20 plus is that the screen is larger which makes it a little bit more comfortable when I am reading an article or watching videos but if you don't have the two phones side-by-side then you'll never know I think a 6.2 inch screen is enough however Samsung made the S 20 plus for people who do prefer a larger screen and who want to have a bigger phone because there is an audience for this market at the end the day both of these phones are gonna bring you high-end features that will compete with all of the other premium phones out there that said I do think that the wise shopper will pay attention to discounts and deals throughout the year I personally wouldn't run out and buy them I'm not as excited about them as I was when the Galaxy Note 10 films I would still choose these above the note 10 for future proofing especially with 5g capabilities my suggestion is to wait until the price is right see if you can find a buy one get one deal or get a really good trade-in I don't know if I recommend going out and buying these phones at full price but if you do get an S 20 for an S 20 plus you will definitely appreciate all the power that you get across the board make sure that you read my full reviews of both of these phones subscribe and also check out my video of the s20 ultraSamsung Galaxy S 20 and the S 20 plus you're trying to decide which one to buy and I'm gonna help you make that decision we've got to mention that elephant in the room the galaxy s 20 ultra this is a literal elephant I say forget about it yeah it's in the mix technically but it's too expensive too big too heavy too unwieldy the battery life drains too quickly and the camera features are negligible over the s20 and s 20 plus for everyday use yes you have 100 8 megapixel photography and 100 X zoom but I think that the times that you're really gonna be able to benefit from those are so few and far between that you're gonna mostly get the shots that you need out of the s20 and the s20 Plus whose cameras are basically identical you can get all the information you want about the ultras cameras in my full video review so now that we're agreed no ultra it's back to the good stuff the s20 and the s20 plus now these two phones share the same core features they have truly brilliant displays they also have Android 10 and Samsung's 1 UI 2 software running on top same processors as well since these two phones are so similar your decision is really going to come down to the intersection of size cameras battery life 5g and price you ready let's go the s20 has a 6.2 inch screen and the plus has a six point seven inch screen now remember screen size is measured on the diagonal on paper may not seem like a big difference but in the hand it actually is and the s20 plus is much bigger so there are some trade-offs with that with the s20 it's much more portable it's relatively lighter easy to use easy to use one-handed the trade-off is that you have less screen here so when you go to watch a video if I've got both of these phones side-by-side I'm going to lean towards the plus every time just because the screen is larger and it gives me more viewing space when it comes to typing I do notice that the keyboard on the s20 is smaller but I could still type very accurately if you're the kind of person who misses the days of small phones then the s20 is undoubtedly the one for you if you like a larger phone that isn't too ridiculous and you want more of that viewing space and a more ample virtual keyboard than the s20 plus is going to win it for you on this round now you might be wondering what is the difference between these two cameras well this one has a larger module and an extra lens this one is smaller but the real secret is they're almost completely identical that's right Samsung has given the s 20 and the s 20 plus the exact same cameras on the front and on the back these are really good cameras too the one difference is that you have a time-of-flight sensor on the + now this is something that's supposed to help make low-light photography better but to be honest and most of my photos I didn't even notice now these cameras do lack the ability to take 108 megapixel photos that you get on the ultra and they also zoom in 30 X instead of 100x this is actually okay because you can still take a 64 megapixel photo and crop into it which is what the benefit of 108 photography is and you can still zoom up to 30x to be honest when you get up to 100 X zoom the photos really grainy you don't really want to use in any way and the vast majority of instances I found that I was mostly using for 10 and 30 X when I took photos beyond that it's just a little meaningless the bottom line is that all of these galaxies as 20 phones take very beautiful photos they're bright they're detailed they're saturated with color maybe a little too saturated for some of your tastes and I think that night mode is really improved you also have low-light photography which is really beautiful some other phones on the market might do a little bit of a better job in specific circumstances but I think you're always going to be happy with what you have we've got a four thousand milliamp hour battery on the s20 and a 4500 milliamp hour battery on the s20 plus now first I was a little concerned about the battery life for these s20 phones because the ultra just drained so quickly it had an extra large screen that also seemed to be extra hungry for battery resources but that just doesn't so with the s20 in the s20 plus I've been able on both phones to pick them up in the morning 6 a.m. and use them all throughout the night but there is a little bit of a wrinkle because of something called a refresh rate now this represents the number of times that your screen refreshes all of the pixels in a second default out of the box is 60 Hertz but you can also go into the settings and select 120 Hertz why do people want to do this because it makes everything that's happening on the screen so much smoother like scrolling navigating and playing games while they do appreciate this setting especially during gaming know that using it will sacrifice for your battery life if that's something that you're ok with and you want to just make sure that you have a charger handy to top up your phone and by the way with fast charging it does hop up really quickly then that's just a decision that you need to make all of Samsung's Galaxy s 20 phones are 5g capable but I wasn't able to actually test 5g on them and this was incredibly frustrating to me my review phones were all equipped with 5g capable SIM cards but I just wasn't in the right place to take advantage of those 5g networks but I still have some guidance for you the S 20 plus is compatible with millimeter wave which is the fastest flavor of 5g that means that if you're in an area with a 5g network you're going to be able to get faster speeds than you would on a different phone the s 20 on the other hand only works with the type of 5g technology called sub 6 and that means that the peak speeds won't be quite as high as millimeter wave well this matter to you in the real world maybe it depends on where you are and what your network can do the one exception to this rule is that the Verizon version of the S 25 G will support millimeter wave but that's not out yet and we don't know when it's going to be if you don't have 5g in your neighborhood this entire discussion is a little bit academic but it is important for future proofing if you're gonna hold on to this phone for two or three years down the line then it might make a difference to you if you have the faster version of 5g or the slower version the only problem is you don't really know because you can't control it that's something that your network controls the s20 is $1,000 the S 20 plus starts at $1,200 for the 128 gigabyte variety you can also pay more and get 512 gigabytes of storage the question is is the larger phone worth at least $200 more for me the answer is no I think that $1,000 is plenty to pay for a premium device especially when that does essentially the same as the larger model I have smaller hands so I care about a smaller phone I like one that's more portable typing doesn't bother me the only benefit to me for the S 20 plus is that the screen is larger which makes it a little bit more comfortable when I am reading an article or watching videos but if you don't have the two phones side-by-side then you'll never know I think a 6.2 inch screen is enough however Samsung made the S 20 plus for people who do prefer a larger screen and who want to have a bigger phone because there is an audience for this market at the end the day both of these phones are gonna bring you high-end features that will compete with all of the other premium phones out there that said I do think that the wise shopper will pay attention to discounts and deals throughout the year I personally wouldn't run out and buy them I'm not as excited about them as I was when the Galaxy Note 10 films I would still choose these above the note 10 for future proofing especially with 5g capabilities my suggestion is to wait until the price is right see if you can find a buy one get one deal or get a really good trade-in I don't know if I recommend going out and buying these phones at full price but if you do get an S 20 for an S 20 plus you will definitely appreciate all the power that you get across the board make sure that you read my full reviews of both of these phones subscribe and also check out my video of the s20 ultra\n"