Samsung’s Unpacked event featured a lot of firsts. It gave us the first detailed look at the new Galaxy Z Flip folding smartphone. Samsung broke with their old naming system for their flagship smartphone and jumped from Galaxy S10 to Galaxy S20. The event also launched Canada’s first 5G-enabled smartphones for the Rogers 5G network. It was also the first time WhistleOut was at the event bringing you exclusive footage. Here’s what we saw about the incredible new devices that set the bar for all other smartphones in 2020.
Samsung's annual Unpacked event launched Canada’s first 5G-enabled devices with the Galaxy S20 5G family. There were three variations of the new flagship smartphone.
The Galaxy S20 was instantly one of the most powerful Android smartphones on the market, while the Galaxy S20+ added a larger screen and bigger battery. Content creators and Influencers loved the top-tier Galaxy S20 Ultra which offers a 108MP camera and more storage. However, prices reached $2,500 CAD for the maxed out model.
Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+, S20 Ultra 5G Hardware
In 2019, Samsung released an economy "Galaxy S10e" model that reduced hardware specs in order to bring Canadians a lower price. In 2020, the base model Galaxy S20 was nicely loaded with premium hardware. The entire Galaxy S20 family uses the newest SnapDragon 865 CPU, start at 128GB of expandable storage, and offer IP68 dust and water resistance. Under the hood, there's 12GB RAM unless you spring for the Galaxy S20 Ultra with up to 16GB of RAM.
Galaxy S20 5G Cameras
Camera specs vary from model to model, but all three showed improved technology for nighttime and low-light photos, and can shoot video up to 8K, offer HDR10+ colour fidelity, realtime effects and dual-camera recording. No matter which model you get, your photos and videos will be some of the best quality shots you've ever seen.
Galaxy S20 5G Displays
The screens range in size from 6.2" to 6.9", and they all have QuadHD+ (3200x1440) resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ AMOLED displays. The Samsung Galaxy S20 family has probably the best looking screens on any smartphone ever. All three models also feature an invisible fingerprint reader built right into the display.
Galaxy S20 5G Sound
The headphone jack is officially gone from all new models. However, all three S20 models features stereo speakers, 32-bit processing tuned by AKG, and Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless headsets and speakers.
Galaxy S20 Brings 5G to Canada
The Samsung Galaxy S20 5G family was the first 5G-enabled cell phone sold in Canada, and they were compatible with the Rogers 5G network. Over time, the Galaxy S20 5G, Galaxy S20+ 5G and Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G moved to work on other Canadian networks, including Bell and Telus, as those carriers rolled out 5G networks over the course of 2020.
Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra Differences
Samsung Galaxy S20 5G (Base Model) Specs
The Samsung Galaxy S20 screen is even bigger than last year's S10. The 2020 flagship features a 6.3" screen and taller 1440x3200 pixel display with 20:9 ratio. The hole-punch for the selfie camera is visible, but it allows the display to take up nearly every square millimetre of the front.
Just like last year, there are three cameras on the back and one facing forward for selfies. The hardware is impressive and sets a high baseline for the larger models.
- 12MP dual-pixel f/1.8 primary lens with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)
- 64MP f/2.0 telephoto lens with 3x hybrid zoom and OIS
- 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide lens
- 10MP dual-pixel f/2.2 selfie camera
Hybrid zoom is a bit different from optical or digital zoom since it uses software to create an even greater enlargement than would be possible with just the lens. Many smartphones use this method of zoom to reduce the need for expensive hardware. The S20 already has multiple premium cameras, so Samsung's hybrid zoom leverages that hardware to create impressive enlarged photos.
The dual-pixel chips and software used for the primary lens on the back and the selfie camera will help with low-light environments; getting good night photos is a feature that Samsung has struggled with while Google and Apple have led the pack. These new high-quality cameras on the Galaxy S20 model should help improve Samsung's standing in low-light shots.
Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G Specs
The Galaxy S20+ is a larger version of the base model smartphone featuring much of the same hardware. The main difference larger physical dimensions that allow a bigger display and battery size.
The Samsung Galaxy S20+ has a much larger 6.7" screen. The resolution is still 1440x3200 pixels with a 20:9 ratio, just like the smaller Galaxy S20. There's just a single selfie camera visible in the hole-punch at the top of the display, and it's the same impressive 10MP dual-pixel hardware. You can seen an extra lens on the back for the low-resolution 3D camera which assists depth sensing for faster focus and more accurate realtime effects.
The battery is also bigger; 4500 mAh (up from 4000 mAh), giving you even more time to play with your new smartphone before having to run for the charger.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G Specs
Just like the Galaxy S20+, this screen is bigger; 6.9" to be exact. With an 89.9% screen-to-body ratio, it's big enough (and bright enough) to light up any room you're in. Expect a lot of turned heads whenever you hold this up. That's when you open the camera app and impress everyone.
The primary camera has a 108MP chip to take unparalleled, high resolution photos. Altogether, the Galaxy S20 Ultra offers:
- 108MP f/1.8 dual-pixel main camera
- 48MP telephoto featuring 100x hybrid zoom
- 12MP ultrawide lens
- 3D sensor
- 40MP selfie camera
For any Content Creators and Social Media Influencers, this is the smartphone you want. Everything you shoot will come out sharp and look beautiful. The S20 Ultra with 128GB of storage includes 12GB of RAM, but an upgrade to the 512GB model also bumps the RAM up to 16GB. That's more memory than many people have in their desktop computer. The onboard battery also gets a bump to 5000 mAh offering incredible battery life, even when shooting 8K video.
Release Date and Pre-order Offers
The newest Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra will released in March 2020. The new Samsung Galaxy Buds+ were also announced at the Samsung Unpacked event. The AKG-designed wireless earbuds each feature separate tweeter and subwoofer, and use three microphones to record clear sound in any environment. They're priced in Canada at $199 CAD, but they are available as a pre-order bonus through every major carrier. Pre-order a Samsung Galaxy S20 5G, Galaxy S20+ 5G or Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G on a two-year term by March 5 and you’ll get the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ earbuds for free from these carriers.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
The big news at the 2020 Unpacked event wasn't even about Samsung's flagship series; it was about the new folding smartphone, the Galaxy Z Flip. Even though this wasn't Samsung's first folding screen (that was revealed at last year's Unpacked event), and this wasn't the first "clamshell" style folding phone on the market (that’s the Motorola razr), it was the one people loved the most.
While the Galaxy Fold featured a tablet-sized screen inside a smartphone profile, the Galaxy Z Flip hides a smartphone-sized screen inside compact dimensions that will fit in your front pocket. Only the Motorola razr announced late last year offers the same clamshell folding feature. Both feature a low-resolution display on the outside for basic notifications and interaction. While they are both priced for the premium market, the Motorola razr uses midrange hardware.
The Galaxy Z Flip isn't as powerful as the new Galaxy S20 lineup, but it does feature better hardware than most smartphones. It’s available in the US market starting February 14, but will release in Canada on February 21. No word yet as to carrier availability, but it's possible it will only be available in limited quantities at Samsung Experience stores just like last year's Samsung Fold.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Hardware Specs
The hardware in 2019's Galaxy fold nearly matched the Galaxy S10 while Motorola chose slightly downgraded for the Razr while keeping a premium price. Both foldable phones are speedy and rich with features, but as beautiful as the screens are they have a plastic layer that feels "cheap" in spite of the $1,500+ price tag.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, on the other hand, spares no expense. Most of the hardware matches or exceeds that of last year's Galaxy S10 lineup:
- 6.7" AMOLED display with Ultra Thin Glass that folds
- 1.06" low-resolution display on the outside for notifications, interactivity and selfies
- 3300 mAh battery which is on the low end, but still a full day of charge
- 12MP wide and 12MP ultrawide rear cameras
- 10MP selfie camera for video conferencing
- Snapdragon 855+ CPU, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of (non-expandable) storage
With a profile this small it can fit in your front pants pocket. Some features including an audio jack and expandable storage had to be sacrificed. Sadly, it's not one of the new Samsung devices bringing 5G to Canada this year.
Find a better phone plan
Thousands of cell phone plans unpacked. All the facts. No surprises.
Related Articles
Find Better Phones and Plans
Hundreds of cell phone plans unpacked. All the facts. No surprises.
