Hands on: Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus review

However in some other ways it just seems like an obligatory yearly upgrade.The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus was TechRadar’s top phone of 2019, and its successor, the Galaxy S20 Plus, stands on the shoulders of that giant, adding a range tweaks and improvements to incorporate the cutting edge tech innovations we’ll see in 2020’s flagships.Arguably the headline feature of the Galaxy S20 Plus is its screen, as there’s an assortment of features here that should combine to create a great viewing experience – between the 120Hz refresh rate, WQHD+ screen tech and the high resolution, there’s a lot to like regardless of what you use your phone for.The Galaxy S20 Plus cameras see a modest upgrade from the S10 Plus, with the cameras packing larger sensors to hopefully take slightly better pictures. The Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus has a 6.7-inch screen, which is quite a jump from its predecessor’s 6.4 inches, though not quite as palm-stretching as the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s 6.9-inch display.It’s an AMOLED screen, with a punch-hole camera aperture in the top-center of the display – according to Samsung this is 55% smaller than the punch-hole on the S10 series of phones, and we can attest to the fact that it’s barely noticeable when you’re using the phone, although it’s still more intrusive than a pop-up camera would be.The resolution here is 3200 x 1440, Wide Quad High-Definition Plus (WQHD+), which is a step up from 2K but not quite the 4K resolution of one or two other smartphone screens. Since high refresh rates and crisp resolutions are both all the rage in smartphone displays, it’s odd that Samsung is making phone fans choose one or the other, especially given other phones with high refresh rates don’t.The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus wasn’t the most breathtaking of phones, but it was at least distinctive, with its horizontal camera block and chic metal frame, while the curved display meant it felt great in the hand. The glass back (instead of ceramic) doesn’t feel as great to hold, and the particular placement of the front-facing camera ends up blocking just as much screen content as a notch would.There are likely reasons for the camera bump and build material changes, like optimal use of space inside the device and better protection respectively, but the result is that the Galaxy S20 feels less like a ‘Samsung phone’ than we’d like.The phone is big but not huge, with a 161.9 x 73.7 x 7.8mm body, and it’s not too heavy at 186g (a touch up from the relatively rare glass-backed S10 Plus, but lighter than the ceramic model).The phone is available in Cloud Blue, Cosmic Gray or Cosmic Black color options, meaning the Cloud Pink colors will be limited to the smaller S20 model.You’re getting four rear cameras on the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus. The big highlight here is that 8K video capture is now available, so if you’re one of the lucky few people to have any way of viewing this resolution you can use your phone to capture ultra-high-res footage.Samsung hasn’t revealed whether the 8K footage is native 8K or created using digital upscaling technology, but because the main sensor is 12MP, a lower resolution than 8K requires, we’re assuming it’s digital 8K.There are a few new video capture modes too, including Pro Video, which is similar to Pro Photo mode, and lets you adjust settings such as aperture, ISO and white balance while shooting clips; an improved image stabilizer; and hyperlapse modes for capturing videos over a long period of time.Depending on where you live in the world, the Samsung Galaxy S20 either comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 or Samsung’s own Exynos 990 processor.