Disappointed (S20 ultra)

[UseAndroid86]

This is only my opinion. Phone is definitely not an improvement from the S10 plus. Couple of big things I've noticed so far is first (the big one) the camera is not very good. It has the same Samsung over softening look to the pictures. Focusing isn't great either. I'll say with my S10 plus that it's camera wasn't great either out of the box but I downloaded the Google camera apk and it made the camera awesome. Very crisp images. Obviously Samsung prefers the over softening because it can't be a mistake on every phone they make. They are too big and have too many resources to not know how to fix it. I feel I should not have to download Google camera apk for this brand new phone since the whole big thing about this phone was it's camera. Next, is I feel like I've went back to the Evo with how thick this phone is. Put a case on it and holy cow. It's a brick. It's not much heavier than my S10 plus ceramic edition. Other than those Two items it's all basically the same as the S10 plus. This has 16 gb of ram compared to my S10 plus 12 gb of ram. I don't notice it to be any more fast. Screen is bigger which is nice. Still playing with it but thought I'd give my thought and see if anyone else was disappointed with the camera too or the phone overall.

 

[dov1978]

This is only my opinion. Phone is definitely not an improvement from the S10 plus. Couple of big things I've noticed so far is first (the big one) the camera is not very good. It has the same Samsung over softening look to the pictures. Focusing isn't great either. I'll say with my S10 plus that it's camera wasn't great either out of the box but I downloaded the Google camera apk and it made the camera awesome. Very crisp images. Obviously Samsung prefers the over softening because it can't be a mistake on every phone they make. They are too big and have too many resources to not know how to fix it. I feel I should not have to download Google camera apk for this brand new phone since the whole big thing about this phone was it's camera. Next, is I feel like I've went back to the Evo with how thick this phone is. Put a case on it and holy cow. It's a brick. It's not much heavier than my S10 plus ceramic edition. Other than those Two items it's all basically the same as the S10 plus. This has 16 gb of ram compared to my S10 plus 12 gb of ram. I don't notice it to be any more fast. Screen is bigger which is nice. Still playing with it but thought I'd give my thought and see if anyone else was disappointed with the camera too or the phone overall.

From what I've read the autofocus issue and the skin softening in portrait photos are 2 of the main things being addressed in the coming updates

 

[jimjonesG7]

So your saying there's nothing positive about 20 ultra? Can you not return the phone, it won't be too late.

 

[UseAndroid86]

So your saying there's nothing positive about 20 ultra? Can you not return the phone, it won't be too late.

Still playing with it. I may return it. I think if someone was coming from the s8, this would be a good upgrade but I have to decide if it's enough of an upgrade for me to stay with it. I'm sure others will love the phone's features but I guess I was just expecting more. I just have a really hard time believing they'll fix the camera with a software update since they have not done that yet for any other device. I swear someone high up at Samsung prefers the over smoothing look and that's why they keep it. Just like the glass backs. It's a Samsung thing.

 

[BlackZeppelin]

From what I've read the autofocus issue and the skin softening in portrait photos are 2 of the main things being addressed in the coming updates

The over softening of facial features can easily be fixed over a software update. The autofocus can't because the S20 Ultra, unlike the other 2 S20 models for some weird and unknown reason, uses the inferior phase detect autofocus instead of the superior dual pixel autofocus. Which is a bit disappointing considering the S20 Ultra is being promoted as the camera bomb.

Reading all these comments about people who have just gotten the S20 Ultra, I'm looking forward to Samsung ironing out all these problems and improving the camera experience in the S21. And hopefully matching Huawei with 10x optical zoom as well.

 

[bhatech]

Never ever trust something gets fixed in a software update. Buy for what it currently is.

The selfie camera is pretty awesome and I haven't had a chance to test the rear camera that much since I got the phone today. But I wouldn't buy something based on we will improve in software update promise. For me I have other phones and dont care that much about camera being the best or whatever. But if someone is buying this as primary device and hoping whatever issue they think the device has will get fixed in software issue? Wait and let the software update come first, and see what reviews and others in forum say. Personally I don't trust any company that says, don't worry whatever issue you see we will fix in software update.

 

[Emig5m]

I would be ok with using a third party camera app but they lock out features and GCam doesn't use the zoom lens. Right there you're throwing out one of the main hardware features.

Everyone has been commenting on still images but what about video recording? Is the sound quality of the MICs better, etc.?

 

[JD Moogan]

Don’t feel bad. I bought the s20 ultra and I feel the same way. I value camera over everything and still shots are not great at all. I’m going to give it a few day’s before I decide if I’m going to keep it.

 

[anon(661246)]

same Samsung threw a bunch of tech but didn't improve the camera software. disappointing

 

[strikeIII]

The over softening of facial features can easily be fixed over a software update. The autofocus can't because the S20 Ultra, unlike the other 2 S20 models for some weird and unknown reason, uses the inferior phase detect autofocus instead of the superior dual pixel autofocus. Which is a bit disappointing considering the S20 Ultra is being promoted as the camera bomb.

Reading all these comments about people who have just gotten the S20 Ultra, I'm looking forward to Samsung ironing out all these problems and improving the camera experience in the S21. And hopefully matching Huawei with 10x optical zoom as well.

Over softening has been an issue since around the S8 and Samsung is just now going to address it, supposedly, which is ridiculous.

As far as the autofocus it can still be tweaked via software because Samsung didn't do a good job with handling the bigger sensor so since it has a shallower depth of field it can't properly judge what to focus on. I really hope they get all ironed out quickly.

 

[neil74]

They have not said they are going to address it specifically. I suspect the incoming update will be aimed at the Autofocus issues.

The softening and blurred images issue would require them to totally change their image processing.

 

[JD Moogan]

I can understand your criticism because I just got my device yesterday and I think I’m going to return it and go back to my Pixel 4 Xl. As I’m playing with the phone I find I like it, but I don’t love it. For $1400 I wanna love it. The camera issues along with a few software quirks make it a no go for me.

 

[Jeremy8000]

Everyone has been commenting on still images but what about video recording? Is the sound quality of the MICs better, etc.?

I can't speak to how it compares to prior Samsung devices, but YouTuber Supersaf does what are, imo, the best camera comparisons out there - his latest pits the S20 Ultra vs the iPhone 11 Pro Max. Opens with comparisons of video performance (each has their strengths), but to me Samsung obliterated Apple in terms of audio quality and wind noise suppression.

 

[Mr Segundus]

I can't speak to how it compares to prior Samsung devices, but YouTuber Supersaf does what are, imo, the best camera comparisons out there - his latest pits the S20 Ultra vs the iPhone 11 Pro Max. Opens with comparisons of video performance (each has their strengths), but to me Samsung obliterated Apple in terms of audio quality and wind noise suppression.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jzsZrwIOFE

It should have been able to obliterate the 11 Pro Max in all categories. It didn't. That's really disappointing considering Samsung is selling this phone based on the cameras.

 

[Jeremy8000]

It should have been able to obliterate the 11 Pro Max in all categories. It didn't. That's really disappointing considering Samsung is selling this phone based on the cameras.

I posted that in response to the question as to audio, where it is pretty clearly already ahead. As to any category where it falls behind, it may be prudent to wait until the actual final software is available (with there likely being newer updates available on the actual release date).

I wouldn't expect to see massive changes, but its entirely possible some of those gaps in performance may change.


The only things I'm certainly disappointed with so far that cannot be resolved by software are Samsung's decision to utilize inferior auto-focus technologies vs past models, and the inferior optical zoom on the non-ultra models vs their predecessors.

 

[racedog]

So you're asking people to fork over $1000 to $1400 and then "hope" that Samsung fixes these major issues? I don't think so, it was their job to deliver a product worth what they are charging for it.

I posted that in response to the question as to audio, where it is pretty clearly already ahead. As to any category where it falls behind, it may be prudent to wait until the actual final software is available (with there likely being newer updates available on the actual release date).

I wouldn't expect to see massive changes, but its entirely possible some of those gaps in performance may change.


The only things I'm certainly disappointed with so far that cannot be resolved by software are Samsung's decision to utilize inferior auto-focus technologies vs past models, and the inferior optical zoom on the non-ultra models vs their predecessors.

 

[Jeremy8000]

So you're asking people to fork over $1000 to $1400 and then "hope" that Samsung fixes these major issues? I don't think so, it was their job to deliver a product worth what they are charging for it.

I'm not asking anyone to do anything, and I'm not intending to buy one — I'm simply pointing out it's not necessarily wise to hold them accountable for what is in effect beta software until the device is actually released and any date-of-release updates are installed.

As to value, that's always a subjective thing, both in terms of which features are important to someone as well as the performance:cost ratio.

It's practically a given with pretty much every phone launched these days that there are initial bugs and performance issues evident in pre-release, and frequently at-release models that are often resolved in a short timeframe, so yes, to a degree you are gambling on the OEM to improve on the at-release quality almost no matter what model you buy.

 

[Joe the Insider]

I’m dissatisfied, Returning the device Friday. Very good phone, Very good camera, Very good Battery and Best Display, But at $1400, Very good isn’t good enough.

Didn’t beat my Pixel 4 XL or Pro Max in terms of speed or canera quality. Samsung cameras are slow when it comes to AF and moving subjects. The Zoom is garbage after 10x and the phone design is just bad.

I should be blown away at $1400, not content...

 

[JD Moogan]

I’m dissatisfied, Returning the device Friday. Very good phone, Very good camera, Very good Battery and Best Display, But at $1400, Very good isn’t good enough.

Didn’t beat my Pixel 4 XL or Pro Max in terms of speed or canera quality. Samsung cameras are slow when it comes to AF and moving subjects. The Zoom is garbage after 10x and the phone design is just bad.

I should be blown away at $1400, not content...

I agree 99.9% I do like the phone design, but everything else fell short.

 

[milehigherik]

Over softening has been an issue since around the S8 and Samsung is just now going to address it, supposedly, which is ridiculous.

Yeah... exactly... I've mentioned this before also. Why now would they fix it?