Phones Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra

[Oohara]

I'll have to pull my Pro Max back out but I'm 90% sure that sliding the shutter button starts video recording now.

I have a 11 Pro in my hands, you're probably thinking of the slide to right which starts video recording and locks it so you can remove the finger while it keeps filming. Press and hold starts video which stops when you remove the finger. Slide to left for burst.

 

[Awesomesince86]

I have a 11 Pro in my hands, you're probably thinking of the slide to right which starts video recording and locks it so you can remove the finger while it keeps filming. Press and hold starts video which stops when you remove the finger. Slide to left for burst.

Yep, you are right. I can't say I ever used burst on the Pro Max. Just wasn't needed. Shutter speed was always fast enough that I wasn't getting a lot of blur or missed shots.

 

[Oohara]

Yep, you are right. I can't say I ever used burst on the Pro Max. Just wasn't needed. Shutter speed was always fast enough that I wasn't getting a lot of blur or missed shots.

Really? I use it all the time. Especially when in a car moving fast and I suddenly see something I want to shoot, just pull up the phone and hit burst for a while. At least one of those will be well enough framed, in focus, good light and without a bunch of branches or a road sign in front or something. Same with playing dogs or kids or what have you, whatever is moving a lot basically including myself as photographer. It's not just about getting focus, it's also the angle and position of whatever you're trying to shoot.

Nowadays I usually end up with a 3 second video instead.

So what about the S20, long press or slide to take burst shots?

 

[Awesomesince86]

Really? I use it all the time. Especially when in a car moving fast and I suddenly see something I want to shoot, just pull up the phone and hit burst for a while. At least one of those will be well enough framed, in focus, good light and without a bunch of branches or a road sign in front or something. Same with playing dogs or kids or what have you, whatever is moving a lot basically including myself as photographer. It's not just about getting focus, it's also the angle and position of whatever you're trying to shoot.

Nowadays I usually end up with a 3 second video instead.

So what about the S20, long press or slide to take burst shots?

S20 uses slide to take burst shots.

 

[SteveJUAE]

I am little at odds this nitpicking based on $1400 price point there is no doubt that this phone has more expensive/newer/bigger/better items that cost more

Of course you can say you did not want these extras, but it is undeniable they are included

Its far too simplistic to say it should be better just because it costs more than X

In some respects it is better and actually may be better value if you actually monetized each better piece of hardware eg 5G costs ~$100 more over 4G

You may find in real $ terms you got a lot more than just comparing sticker prices

These camera feature on all smart phones have added a new dimension on preferences which many or us would of ignored a few year back even if we were buying a dedicated camera.

It's like we have all been pulled in to a world of subjective judgement and away from the happy snaps and memories we took for years.

I'm not convinced this is for the betterment of photography and more for nerdy commentary where the photo subject has almost become irrelevant.

 

[BlueGoldAce]

I am little at odds this nitpicking based on $1400 price point there is no doubt that this phone has more expensive/newer/bigger/better items that cost more

Of course you can say you did not want these extras, but it is undeniable they are included

Its far too simplistic to say it should be better just because it costs more than X

In some respects it is better and actually may be better value if you actually monetized each better piece of hardware eg 5G costs ~$100 more over 4G

You may find in real $ terms you got a lot more than just comparing sticker prices

These camera feature on all smart phones have added a new dimension on preferences which many or us would of ignored a few year back even if we were buying a dedicated camera.

It's like we have all been pulled in to a world of subjective judgement and away from the happy snaps and memories we took for years.

I'm not convinced this is for the betterment of photography and more for nerdy commentary where the photo subject has almost become irrelevant.

The emphasis on $1400 is a bit absurd for many participating in this thread. Why?
-Assuming you get the iphone pro max with 256gb memory (this should be the base model anyway) with Applecare you are spending roughly the same. Granted, you do get the included insurance, but if you preordered the ultra you got ~200-250 worth of extras.
- For most people, the trade in drastically reduces the price of this phone. Assuming the above iphone as a baseline, is Apple willing to give you $700 for your trade in?
-All the other reasons Northern man mentioned above. The phone is a superb piece of tech, and yes the camera needs SOME updates (which appear to be in the works), but the camera still excels in many circumstances. It depends on what you need, but for myself personally and my disposition for photographing mountains and landscapes, the zoom is unrivaled.

Essentially, we are discussing this phone without considering all the variables. It is plausible Samsung priced these phones so high because a.) the trade in offers, and b.) future sales and so forth. I'd recommend people try and enjoy their phone, whatever it may be, and not obsess on one thing....you'll never be happy.

 

[jamezr]

Honestly I never put much into those durability tests unless there are glaring issues like with the original Galaxy Fold. Glass sandwich phones can only be so durable. I'll continue to slap a minimal case on all my phones with enough protection to save my back and screen from a moderate drop.

Btw, how are you liking the Ultra? Especially compared to your Pro Max and Pixel 4 XL. Keeping all 3?

I like the Ultra...but not the overall size. It feels so top heavy to me and it makes it hard to hold and use for any length of time. I have a S20+ coming tomorrow and will probably sell the Ultra or turn it into the Flip .

The P4XL is my fav phone so far this year. But i wish it was a little bigger...wish it had the S20 hardware and display and battery life.
But love the overall user experience of the Pixel models
The 11PM is a great phone and it does everything really well and has a great user experience...but it just lacks something after using it for a while. Can't put my finger on it.....but I get bored with it really fast.

I wish there was a way to blend all the great attributes of all three together.

Things to borrow from each phone

iPhone
The overall size and button placement. All phones should have a physical mute switch! Love the rounded corners and sides.
FaceID or FaceUnlock for biometric security.

Pixel 4
The camera! IMHO there is no better post processing algorithm in the business. AOD be on the Pixel. It displays information in the best useful way possible from playing music to general notifications.
Notifications are better on the P4 with Android 10. FaceUnlock is the fastest biometric authentication unlock around. Then it has the option to take me straight to my home screen if so desired. FaceID while great does not offer that option.
Call screening feature is awesome.
Then there is nothing better than the native Google apps such as Assistant and Maps. They offer a better experience on a Pixel imho

S20 Ultra
That display! Samsung has the best displays in the business. The brightness levels and clarity are amazing. Need to have the choice of refreshes though from 60 to 120hz. Usually love Samsung cameras as well. But they need a software update for the S20 models. The zoom on the S20 is unparalleled on a smartphone.
I think shooting video on the Ultra is a little better than the 11PM...but not by much.
Then for pure specs such as ram and storage you can't go wrong. I want this hybrid phone to have 8GB ram and 128 base storage and an SD Card.
Love the customizations and themes on Samsung phones. The hardware is always great on Samsung phones.
Android in general has customizations that enhance the user experience. Such as widgets on the home screen for example.


Anyway...i digress.....sorry that was so long winded!

 

[Awesomesince86]

I like the Ultra...but not the overall size. It feels so top heavy to me and it makes it hard to hold and use for any length of time. I have a S20+ coming tomorrow and will probably sell the Ultra or turn it into the Flup .

The P4XL is my fav phone so far this year. But i wish it was a little bigger...wish it had the S20 hardware and display and battery life.
But love the overall user experience of the Pixel models
The 11PM is a great phone and it does everything really well and has a great user experience...but it just lacks something after using it for a while. Can't put my finger on it.....but I get bored with it really fast.

I wish there was a way to blend all the great attributes of all three together.

Things to borrow from each phone

iPhone
The overall size and button placement. All phones should have a physical mute switch! Love the rounded corners and sides.
FaceID or FaceUnlock for biometric security.

Pixel 4
The camera! IMHO there is no better post processing algorithm in the business. AOD be on the Pixel. It displays information in the best useful way possible from playing music to general notifications.
Notifications are better on the P4 with Android 10. FaceUnlock is the fastest biometric authentication unlock around. Then it has the option to take me straight to my home screen if so desired. FaceID while great does not offer that option.
Call screening feature is awesome.
Then there is nothing better than the native Google apps such as Assistant and Maps. They offer a better experience on a Pixel imho

S20 Ultra
That display! Samsung has the best displays in the business. The brightness levels and clarity are amazing. Need to have the choice of refreshes though from 60 to 120hz. Usually love Samsung cameras as well. But they need a software update for the S20 models. The zoom on the S20 is unparalleled on a smartphone.
I think shooting video on the Ultra is a little better than the 11PM...but not by much.
Then for pure specs such as ram and storage you can't go wrong. I want this hybrid phone to have 8GB ram and 128 base storage and an SD Card.
Love the customizations and themes on Samsung phones. The hardware is always great on Samsung phones.
Android in general has customizations that enhance the user experience. Such as widgets on the home screen for example.


Anyway...i digress.....sorry that was so long winded!

I agree with most of this especially how hard to hold the Ultra is. I'm going to decide by the end of this week whether I'm keeping the Pixel or the Ultra. Already decided to sell the Pro Max. It's not a bad phone but iOS just bores me.

 

[Oohara]

The 11PM is a great phone and it does everything really well and has a great user experience...but it just lacks something after using it for a while. Can't put my finger on it.....but I get bored with it really fast.

I wish there was a way to blend all the great attributes of all three together.

So much this. Even though iOS is awesome for me in terms of organisational and professional tasks, I also can't put my finger on what it is that makes it feel just....not so cool after a while.

Well I guess I can put the finger on some of it, as you did too for several things. The home screen is unnecessarily restricted and honestly I dread moving icons around these days, it's a frigging game on nightmare mode! Also I really miss split screen, way more often than I kind of care to admit sometimes.

For me my dream custom shop phone would be S20 Ultra chassi and screen, sans the huge camera bump (even though I think it looks cool). In a perfect perfect world that camera would come sliding up like a periscope as on the OP7 Pro (I think?) when needed, so I can have a pristine screen without any notch OR hole punch. Then iCloud Desktop & Documents sync with my Mac, iOS reading mode, and the OS otherwise kind of a mix between mostly stock Android with a few of the Samsung functions.

Oh, and let it be a Note with a S Pen, screen totally flat while we're at it (though the current curvature seems ok), and GoodNotes compatible to really make use of that awesome pen.

Done. I'd never have to buy a phone again until it got simply too old for updates.

 

[Klyster]

I hold my shutter down for burst shot, Note 10 +, hasn't it always been that way?

 

[jamezr]

The S20 models don't have burst mode. It is called Single Take now

Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra: Camera features and Tips

Samsung Galaxy S20 introduces an entirely new camera system—powered by AI and with Samsung’s biggest image sensor yet—to bring out the best in every image and every moment. With a next-level smartphone like the Galaxy S20 Ultra, you have everything you need to shoot, edit and share incredible...

www.rprna.com

EDIT: I stand corrected...see below

 

[Awesomesince86]

The S20 models don't have burst mode. It is called Single Take now

Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra: Camera features and Tips

Samsung Galaxy S20 introduces an entirely new camera system—powered by AI and with Samsung’s biggest image sensor yet—to bring out the best in every image and every moment. With a next-level smartphone like the Galaxy S20 Ultra, you have everything you need to shoot, edit and share incredible...

www.rprna.com

Thats not true. It has both. Slide shutter button to bottom or edge for burst mode. I literally just did it.

 

[BlueGoldAce]

Can confirm, you swipe down on the camera button to trigger burst capture.

 

[jamezr]

Thats not true. It has both. Slide shutter button to bottom or edge for burst mode. I literally just did it.

I stand corrected! That works!

 

[5105973]

How does burst shot work on the S20 vs. iPhone? It's been bugging the heck out of me that they changed the camera button hold to video capture on iPhone, with burst shot being assigned to a stupid slide manoeuvre that always fails at crucial moments. (Can't find a way to change that, please anyone let me know if there's a way and I'm just being dumb.) Burst shot is the perfect thing to have available on the fly, whereas I almost always find myself with plenty of time to prepare when I want to film something.

I honestly avoid burst mode. It’s something I only activate by accident and delete most of the photos. I know holding and pressing now on iPhone activates video recording but I rarely do that, either. I’m so stuck in my ways and rarely avail myself of the shortcuts, which keep changing anyway and of course are different across platforms. I don’t know how to jag to care burst mode on the S20 but it doesn’t seem to be via press and hold. I may have to dive into settings.
Edit: What the hell did I just type? What was I trying to type? I don’t even know.
Anyway Pinky is alright. If I could get iMessage on Pinky and get the FPS to work and get taps on the Galaxy Active Watch to alert me to lane changes on Google Maps I’d be able to make it my main phone. I like it a lot. But I really do like Spinach (my green 11 Pro) a lot, too. I’m very fortunate to have both, a fact I never take for granted.

 

[Healer Flame]

It is plausible Samsung priced these phones so high because a.) the trade in offers

What about the new comers & large percentage who doesn't trade in? It wouldn't be fair would it?

Final price is set after taking into account production costs, marketing, research and development, distribution, staff, packaging , etc..etc...

Its not reasonable to say Samsung or others price their phones high because of trade in offers.

Remember that only certain percentage of customers trade in, not everyone trade in their phones. Most customers sell privately or find other ways. So it wouldn't be fair to others if the price is set assuming everyone is going to trade in.

 

[BlueGoldAce]

What about the new comers & large percentage who doesn't trade in? It wouldn't be fair would it?

Final price is set after taking into account production costs, marketing, research and development, distribution, staff, packaging , etc..etc...

Its not reasonable to say Samsung or others price their phones high because of trade in offers.

Remember that only certain percentage of customers trade in, not everyone trade in their phones. Most customers sell privately or find other ways. So it wouldn't be fair to others if the price is set assuming everyone is going to trade in.

I don't meant this rudely, but who says companies are fair?

The majority of smartphone purchases are return customers upgrading their iPhone or Galaxy. In no shape or form do these companies think about "fair". It's a numbers game. Most likely, Samsung is betting that an extra $3-4 a month on a 24 or even 36 month phone loan won't stop someone, and the market will entice them to making the purchase. Samsung isn't offer $700 trade-ins because they love us. They feel market pressure and to them retaining a customer is worth a drop in profit per sale. I guarantee trade in is factored into the projected profits.

Anyway, my point was to say that many of us here took advantage of the trade in. It is ironic that some of us are stuck on a price point we didn't pay. If you traded in a s10+ , after a good year of use, and you got the new phone for $800....then you paid $800 for the new phone. That is the point I'm am trying to make.

Anyway, it is arbitrary at this point, I guess.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Yep, you are right. I can't say I ever used burst on the Pro Max. Just wasn't needed. Shutter speed was always fast enough that I wasn't getting a lot of blur or missed shots.

The holding down to start a video is new feature on the 11 series iPhones. On older phones I think holding it down still activates burst mode?
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The emphasis on $1400 is a bit absurd for many participating in this thread. Why?
-Assuming you get the iphone pro max with 256gb memory (this should be the base model anyway) with Applecare you are spending roughly the same. Granted, you do get the included insurance, but if you preordered the ultra you got ~200-250 worth of extras.
- For most people, the trade in drastically reduces the price of this phone. Assuming the above iphone as a baseline, is Apple willing to give you $700 for your trade in?
-All the other reasons Northern man mentioned above. The phone is a superb piece of tech, and yes the camera needs SOME updates (which appear to be in the works), but the camera still excels in many circumstances. It depends on what you need, but for myself personally and my disposition for photographing mountains and landscapes, the zoom is unrivaled.

Essentially, we are discussing this phone without considering all the variables. It is plausible Samsung priced these phones so high because a.) the trade in offers, and b.) future sales and so forth. I'd recommend people try and enjoy their phone, whatever it may be, and not obsess on one thing....you'll never be happy.

Yep. Don’t get the price thing either. It’s a £1,199 phone in my country and that’s still £100 less than I paid for my 256GB 11 pro max.

The focus on the camera needs some work but there is no denying the value of the zoom lens. The Beauty mode is just Samsung being Samsung lol

 

[jamezr]

I don't meant this rudely, but who says companies are fair?

The majority of smartphone purchases are return customers upgrading their iPhone or Galaxy. In no shape or form do these companies think about "fair". It's a numbers game. Most likely, Samsung is betting that an extra $3-4 a month on a 24 or even 36 month phone loan won't stop someone, and the market will entice them to making the purchase. Samsung isn't offer $700 trade-ins because they love us. They feel market pressure and to them retaining a customer is worth a drop in profit per sale. I guarantee trade in is factored into the projected profits.

Anyway, my point was to say that many of us here took advantage of the trade in. It is ironic that some of us are stuck on a price point we didn't pay. If you traded in a s10+ , after a good year of use, and you got the new phone for $800....then you paid $800 for the new phone. That is the point I'm am trying to make.

Anyway, it is arbitrary at this point, I guess.

I agree 100%..except if you pre-ordered to get the $600 trade in you also got $150 to $200 credit as well.
I got the Ultra so it brings by total purchase price down to roughly $600.

 

[BlueGoldAce]

Exactly.

In my case I traded in a note 7l10+ for $700, $300 more than I paid, plus I got $235 on credit (some pre-pre-register credit combined with the $200). Thus it dropped my cost down to ~$500.

A similar scenario would be if apple offered $700 on a trade in, and you got a pair of airpods and a leather case to go with it.

 

[swarlos]

I honestly avoid burst mode. It’s something I only activate by accident and delete most of the photos. I know holding and pressing now on iPhone activates video recording but I rarely do that, either. I’m so stuck in my ways and rarely avail myself of the shortcuts, which keep changing anyway and of course are different across platforms. I don’t know how to jag to care burst mode on the S20 but it doesn’t seem to be via press and hold. I may have to dive into settings.
Edit: What the hell did I just type? What was I trying to type? I don’t even know.
Anyway Pinky is alright. If I could get iMessage on Pinky and get the FPS to work and get taps on the Galaxy Active Watch to alert me to lane changes on Google Maps I’d be able to make it my main phone. I like it a lot. But I really do like Spinach (my green 11 Pro) a lot, too. I’m very fortunate to have both, a fact I never take for granted.

Your phone names are freaking hilarious!!

I’m hoping to get into the insights program and then I’ll purchase my ultra.

 

[SteveJUAE]

Exactly.

In my case I traded in a note 7l10+ for $700, $300 more than I paid, plus I got $235 on credit (some pre-pre-register credit combined with the $200). Thus it dropped my cost down to ~$500.

A similar scenario would be if apple offered $700 on a trade in, and you got a pair of airpods and a leather case to go with it.

I sold 3 phones last year all current models opposed to trading in.

I sold them to friends and associates at the same price as if I traded them in, with box and remainder of guarantees and including usually a case or 2

I would rather friends have them than Samsung and I get to keep the bundled freebies (buds etc) so a win win and the good trade-ins guarantee a good minimum secondhand value

I literally have people pre-booking my old phones when a new release is immanent LOL

 

[jamezr]

I am so impressed with the battery in the Ultra. I am at 6:21 SOT with 30% left. I use the display at about 60% brightness and at 60hz

 

[Healer Flame]

The majority of smartphone purchases are return customers upgrading their iPhone or Galaxy

I agree price is inflated & adjusted to offset trade in loses but its not the primary cause of the price hike.

For example i read last week each S20 ultra is costing Samsung $500+ to produce. By the time it reach its final destination imagine all the overhead costs? So , what am saying is production costs are the main reason for the inflated mobile phone prices.

 

[BlueGoldAce]

I agree price is inflated & adjusted to offset trade in loses but its not the primary cause of the price hike.

For example i read last week each S20 ultra is costing Samsung $500+ to produce. By the time it reach its final destination imagine all the overhead costs? So , what am saying is production costs are the main reason for the inflated mobile phone prices.

Touche. You are absolutely correct, and $110 of that is the camera....hence why I am hopeful in regards to updates. The shots I am able to get from it outside, particularly with zoom, are incredible. I guess my sentiment is more that several people on this forum did not pay $1400 for the phone, myself included. So complaining about the price, after getting an outstanding trade-in + pre-order credit bundle is kind of like buying at house at auction for $250,000 that normally would sale for $500,000. Then proceeding to complain non-stop that the nice deck on the back of the house should be enclosed with a hottub, and that the garage door should be quieter for $500,000. I mean....I get it, but you didn't pay $500,000 so maybe enjoy your vodka tonic on your deck and be happy you got a heck of deal.

That being said,@Healer Flame, you are absolutely correct.