S20+ 3 weeks in and disappointed

[neil74]

3 weeks or so in and right now I am disappointed with my S20+. Initially I really liked it but as the weeks have gone on my view has changed. The screen is terrific and I do still love the feel of the phone but some of the annoyances have just eaten away over time.

I really like using gestures on a phone, iPhones are best but the stock android are pretty good and they just do not work on the S20. They do technically work if you stick with OneUI but I find them to be not as smooth as I would like plus with OneUI I cannot get the google feed to the left of home. I ended up using Nova and suplementing the Samsung gestures with One handed operation plus, it works pretty well but the whole thing does feel a little disjointed.

I am no fan of the biometrics, the FPS is reliable enough actually but it is slow and just feels like you are unlocking through treacle every time which given how many times you unlock a day does start to grate. Face unlock is quick enough but is obviously not secure. 2019 Biometrics on a £1000 2020 flagship is just not good enough IMO.

Lastly and this is the biggy for me the camera continues to be disappointing, maybe an update is coming but right now it's performance indoors is just lack-lustre. Being on lock-down is a torture test for sure and I am not using it as much but every time I do the results disappoint. My poor kids and cats have been my test subjects and when I looked back not one of them was close to what I would consider sharp, I switched back to my Pixel 4 XL on Friday and immediately the difference was apparent. I just cannot trust the camera on the S20+ at the moment.

The good news is that most of my beefs can be fixed through software and I am hoping this happens, for now though I am back on the Pixel

 

[dov1978]

Echos quite a lot of how I feel about the Ultra. Overall I do love it but there's definitely a few annoyances that are really beginning to grate. I too miss the Google feed to the left of home and being able to change icons on the desktop but OneUi launcher let's you do neither and I can't switch back to Nova because Samsung have gimped the Google gesture support that I simply can't go back from now I've gotten so used to it. The FPS scanner is far more reliable than Mate 20 Pro I had but also far far slower. Not really an issue there tbh as I use Smart Lock with my Garmin Fenix watch as the trusted device so just Double Tap to Wake then swipe and use the FPS for banking login or Samsung Pass. The camera is really hit or miss. I've 3 kids and a dog and unless they're sitting perfectly still then most photos are blurry and even if they are still their faces look like clay. My Pixel 3xl or the Mate 20 would get most shots in focus the bulk of the time especially the Pixel. Oh and the front camera on the Pixel was light years ahead for detail.
The camera is the biggest issue for me really especially as it was supposed to be such a big bump in quality from the past few Samsung flagships. I've just no confidence in firing up the camera and getting a good photo when the opportunity arises.

 

[Mike Dee]

3 weeks or so in and right now I am disappointed with my S20+. Initially I really liked it but as the weeks have gone on my view has changed. The screen is terrific and I do still love the feel of the phone but some of the annoyances have just eaten away over time.

I really like using gestures on a phone, iPhones are best but the stock android are pretty good and they just do not work on the S20. They do technically work if you stick with OneUI but I find them to be not as smooth as I would like plus with OneUI I cannot get the google feed to the left of home. I ended up using Nova and suplementing the Samsung gestures with One handed operation plus, it works pretty well but the whole thing does feel a little disjointed.

I am no fan of the biometrics, the FPS is reliable enough actually but it is slow and just feels like you are unlocking through treacle every time which given how many times you unlock a day does start to grate. Face unlock is quick enough but is obviously not secure. 2019 Biometrics on a £1000 2020 flagship is just not good enough IMO.

Lastly and this is the biggy for me the camera continues to be disappointing, maybe an update is coming but right now it's performance indoors is just lack-lustre. Being on lock-down is a torture test for sure and I am not using it as much but every time I do the results disappoint. My poor kids and cats have been my test subjects and when I looked back not one of them was close to what I would consider sharp, I switched back to my Pixel 4 XL on Friday and immediately the difference was apparent. I just cannot trust the camera on the S20+ at the moment.

The good news is that most of my beefs can be fixed through software and I am hoping this happens, for now though I am back on the Pixel

3 weeks or so in and right now I am disappointed with my S20+. Initially I really liked it but as the weeks have gone on my view has changed. The screen is terrific and I do still love the feel of the phone but some of the annoyances have just eaten away over time.

I really like using gestures on a phone, iPhones are best but the stock android are pretty good and they just do not work on the S20. They do technically work if you stick with OneUI but I find them to be not as smooth as I would like plus with OneUI I cannot get the google feed to the left of home. I ended up using Nova and suplementing the Samsung gestures with One handed operation plus, it works pretty well but the whole thing does feel a little disjointed.

I am no fan of the biometrics, the FPS is reliable enough actually but it is slow and just feels like you are unlocking through treacle every time which given how many times you unlock a day does start to grate. Face unlock is quick enough but is obviously not secure. 2019 Biometrics on a £1000 2020 flagship is just not good enough IMO.

Lastly and this is the biggy for me the camera continues to be disappointing, maybe an update is coming but right now it's performance indoors is just lack-lustre. Being on lock-down is a torture test for sure and I am not using it as much but every time I do the results disappoint. My poor kids and cats have been my test subjects and when I looked back not one of them was close to what I would consider sharp, I switched back to my Pixel 4 XL on Friday and immediately the difference was apparent. I just cannot trust the camera on the S20+ at the moment.

The good news is that most of my beefs can be fixed through software and I am hoping this happens, for now though I am back on the Pixel

A lot of what you mention is not unique to the S20+. It's OneUI and Samsung features or camera in general since the S10 series came out.

 

[neil74]

The camera is the biggest issue for me really especially as it was supposed to be such a big bump in quality from the past few Samsung flagships. I've just no confidence in firing up the camera and getting a good photo when the opportunity arises.

The camera is the biggest issue for me too, I expected better. The pre-release info was all Ultra focussed so it was a risk but I did hope it would be better than it is, throw in the fact that the zoom isn't really a zoom at all and it is all very disappointing.

The rest I should have known/expected having used Samsung devices before, I guess I was hoping the gesture thing would have been solved by now. There is more to this than just blaming google though as Nova have done as it all works just fine for example on the OnePlus 7 Pro, there has to be a Samsung factor at play here. If you have not done so it is worth trying One Handed Operation Plus, it does work pretty well and whilst not as good as stock android is better IMO than the Sansung gestures.

 

[donm527]

Forward to the 19 minute mark and listen to the 23 min mark and you hear Tim and Kellen give their view on the S20 and S20 Ultra phones and their thought on cameras too.

Top spec phone. No one seems to be arguing it's not a top spec phone and performs well. Both Tim and Kellen like the phone. But they do have their view on the camera. Everywhere you hear... good camera. Great camera?? Especially at the price point?? That's the argument. At $1400, the Ultra is "priced for perfection" and whether you believe or not the system is the best, one thing for sure, they released it with bugs that made it not perfect at release and I think they are paying the price for it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUzXEOQTKEU

 

[techdad8320]

I was looking to get the S20 or S20+. Coming from an iPhone so photos and video are crucial. Would you not recommend it? I saw you went back to the pixel 4XL. I heard that has great photos but sucks at video?

3 weeks or so in and right now I am disappointed with my S20+. Initially I really liked it but as the weeks have gone on my view has changed. The screen is terrific and I do still love the feel of the phone but some of the annoyances have just eaten away over time.

I really like using gestures on a phone, iPhones are best but the stock android are pretty good and they just do not work on the S20. They do technically work if you stick with OneUI but I find them to be not as smooth as I would like plus with OneUI I cannot get the google feed to the left of home. I ended up using Nova and suplementing the Samsung gestures with One handed operation plus, it works pretty well but the whole thing does feel a little disjointed.

I am no fan of the biometrics, the FPS is reliable enough actually but it is slow and just feels like you are unlocking through treacle every time which given how many times you unlock a day does start to grate. Face unlock is quick enough but is obviously not secure. 2019 Biometrics on a £1000 2020 flagship is just not good enough IMO.

Lastly and this is the biggy for me the camera continues to be disappointing, maybe an update is coming but right now it's performance indoors is just lack-lustre. Being on lock-down is a torture test for sure and I am not using it as much but every time I do the results disappoint. My poor kids and cats have been my test subjects and when I looked back not one of them was close to what I would consider sharp, I switched back to my Pixel 4 XL on Friday and immediately the difference was apparent. I just cannot trust the camera on the S20+ at the moment.

The good news is that most of my beefs can be fixed through software and I am hoping this happens, for now though I am back on the Pixel

 

[Mike Dee]

I was looking to get the S20 or S20+. Coming from an iPhone so photos and video are crucial. Would you not recommend it? I saw you went back to the pixel 4XL. I heard that has great photos but sucks at video?

The video is mediocre but the audio for the video is really lacking. When they say it's the best camera they are disregarding the video. It's just about the best auto shooter. My personal complaint is that are no manual settings, but many are not concerned with that.

 

[neil74]

The video is mediocre but the audio for the video is really lacking. When they say it's the best camera they are disregarding the video. It's just about the best auto shooter. My personal complaint is that are no manual settings, but many are not concerned with that.

Unless I am on holiday (unlikely right now) then I rarely use video, more of a stills guy. I'd say too that the restrictive storage would probably make me think twice about taking it on holiday anyway as I'd likely fill it up and have no useable internet to free up storage!

On the surface you'd think that the hardware on the S20 should be good enough so a software update is possible, the only thing that worries me is that the S10 still has these issues over a year on.

If Huawei and Trump had not fallen out I'd have passed on the S20 and ordered the P40, actually I'd argue that the 1 year old P30 pro has a better camera than the S20. I used to take photos for a living so cannot get my head around using a phone manually (like my buttons and dials!!) and for an auto point and shoot stills camera the 4/4XL is the best droid out there and the iPhone 11/11 Pro are almost as good in some ways and maybe better in others. Just IMO

 

[strikeIII]

I don't get what people are doing with the gestures. I have it set the same exact way as my Pixel 4 and to me it's smoother with the 120hz display but not by much. But yeah I also do wish we can add the Google home to the left of the screen but to me that's minor.

Agree on the camera as well. Being quarantined at home has me playing with the camera more indoors with the kids and it's just a mess. I've been using my Pixel 4 but more so the iPhone 11 Pro as it's the most consistent and best video. Hopefully this April update with improve it more.

 

[techdad8320]

So the s20 would be better for both audio and video?

 

[neil74]

Agree on the camera as well. Being quarantined at home has me playing with the camera more indoors with the kids and it's just a mess. I've been using my Pixel 4 but more so the iPhone 11 Pro as it's the most consistent and best video. Hopefully this April update with improve it more.

Lockdown really is a torture test for the S20 given Samsung's choices with processing and I fear the April update will not solve these as they have not even been acknowledged yet. The AF issues have but the processing that leads to camera shake or blurring in medium to low light have not, so I am not expecting these to be fixed?

It is a tricky one as I find the Pixel a frustrating phone too, Google just keep messing stuff up and creating for me 'if-only' phones. Huawei are out of the Google game and OnePlus have to date had key ommissions vs. true flagships. Right now for me it is a case of picking my compromise.

 

[DSMpowerhousegroup]

Samsung isn't for everyone. We own the S10+, Note 10+; and S20+. We all love ours. Best out there to us. Just buy what's best for you.

 

[ThrottleJohnny]

Lockdown really is a torture test for the S20 given Samsung's choices with processing and I fear the April update will not solve these as they have not even been acknowledged yet. The AF issues have but the processing that leads to camera shake or blurring in medium to low light have not, so I am not expecting these to be fixed?

It is a tricky one as I find the Pixel a frustrating phone too, Google just keep messing stuff up and creating for me 'if-only' phones. Huawei are out of the Google game and OnePlus have to date had key ommissions vs. true flagships. Right now for me it is a case of picking my compromise.

Sounds like you'd find something wrong with the Huawei too. Or any phone for that matter.

 

[neil74]

Sounds like you'd find something wrong with the Huawei too. Or any phone for that matter.

Yep, still waiting

 

[neil74]

I did some digging yesterday on the April update and it actually looks promising on the camera updates which may be wider reaching than just an AF fix. If the camera was to improve that would be a game changer for the S20 IMO.

 

[donm527]

Really too bad Huawei got declawed unable to run Google App Store and I guess services with their latest phones. And too bad they the carriers that were going to start selling their phones got pressured to drop them a year or so ago. Too bad for us as consumers The last couple of Huawei phones sounded like great phones.

Sounds like you'd find something wrong with the Huawei too. Or any phone for that matter.