Smartphone Review Archives

Samsung did begin the year 2020 with the launch of their flagship Galaxy S20 series, but with the ongoing global pandemic of COVID-19, it seems likely that a lot of launches will have to wait until the dust settles everywhere.

Build and Design

The Galaxy S20+ has a refined design when compared to its predecessor. The smartphone now comes with thinner bezels and the glass curves onto the edges of the display. The phone has a glass back held together with an aluminium frame.

The glossy finish on the phone means it does feel slippery in the hands and also attracts a lot of fingerprints and smudges. It weighs around 186 grams but does not feel heavy in the hands.

The display on the S20+ is a 6.7-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel which also supports HDR 10+ and a refresh rate of 120Hz. You can choose between QHD+ resolution which will bring down the refresh rate to 60Hz. The 120Hz refresh works only at Full HD resolution.

The display has a centre-mounted punch-hole for the selfie camera which does not really bother you. On the right, you have the volume and power buttons and the left has the dedicated Bixby button.

The sim-tray is at the top while at the bottom you have the USB-C type charging port and the speaker. You can also choose to expand the memory on the device with a micro-sd card. The main camera setup at the back looks very similar to Samsung’s A-series smartphones.

Having said that, the Galaxy S20+ feels very premium when you are holding it. In the box, you get a 25W fast charger, Type-C to Type-C charging cable, protective case and an AKG-branded headset

Performance

The Samsung S 20 Plus sold here in India only comes with 4G support and only one configuration. It is powered by an Exynos 990 processor paired with 8Gb of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. Samsung has used LPDDR5 memory on the S20+ which promises higher data rates and low power consumption.

Performance of the Galaxy S20+ is rock solid. The 120 Hz refresh rate makes it really smooth and fluid to scroll around. There is no lag or stutter when running heavy applications and also while gaming.

Heavy titles like PUBG, Call Of Duty and Asphalts 9 Legends could be run at maximum settings without any hiccups. The phone does get hot during the extreme gaming sessions but is nothing that one cannot handle.

The display is top-notch and the colours are rich and saturated while the screen brightness is adequate. With the slimmer bezels, watching content is a delight on this display.

Samsung has given the S20+ an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner which is surprisingly fast. You also have the option of choosing face recognition for unlocking the device.

Battery life on the S20+ is pretty solid and the 4500mAh battery means it will deliver a full day of usage. The 25W charger will charge the device to 100% in about an hour. It also supports Wireless PowerShare or reverse wireless charging, which can be used to charge accessories such as the Galaxy Buds+.

Finally, the Samsung S 20 Plus has a new camera setup with two of the highlight features being 8K video recording and up to 30x hybrid zoom. The primary sensor has a 12-megapixel resolution with Dual Pixel autofocus, an f/1.8 aperture, and OIS, but the pixel size is now 1.8 microns. The ultra-wide-angle camera also uses a 12-megapixel sensor and f/2.2 aperture, and no autofocus.

The telephoto camera is a 64-megapixel sensor without OIS. The selfie camera is a 10-megapixel with Dual Pixel AF and f/2.2 aperture. Images from the S20+ have been no less than amazing with sharpness, contrast and true to scene colours while the front camera does a good job of taking selfies.

Verdict

For a price of Rs. 73,999, you get a lot of capable hardware. While the price clearly indicates its premium segment. With great performance, great cameras and good battery life, money spent on the Galaxy S20+ is money well spent.

Specifications:

Exynos 990 processor
8GB RAM
128GB Storage
64-megapixel quad-camera setup

IQOO is a new brand in India and the company has already launched its IQOO 3 smartphone which also comes in a 5G variant. But is the performance worth the money? We find out.

Build and Design

The IQOO 3 is a premium offering from the brand and it is evident as soon as you pick the device up. Smooth finished front and back held together by a metal frame. It comes in three different colours Volcano Orange, Tornado Black, and Quantum Silver.

The one we tested is the Tornado Black colour option which has a pattern to it on the back when you try viewing it from an angle. On the right, you have the volume rocker and the power button which comes in orange and bears a texture on it while the left side gets a button which can directly summon the Google assistant.

Not only this, but two pressure-sensitive shoulder buttons are also present on the right side which you can use for gaming. The bottom features the speaker grille and USB-C type charging port along with the microphone and the top has the headphone jack and a microphone.

Coming to the display, it is a 6.44-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with support for HDR10+ and 2.5D curved glass. There is no notch on the display and the front-facing camera peeps through a hole which is punched on the display.

The display is bright and IQOO 3 claims an average brightness of 800 nits and up to 1200 nits when the brightness is at the maximum setting. The only downer is the 60Hz refresh rate of the display which could have been better. The phone is slightly thicker and heavier when compared to other flagship models but it boasts a good overall design and build quality that we look for when buying a phone.

Performance of IQOO 3

Now coming to the hardware, it is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Octa-core processor paired with 12GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage in the 5G variant of the phone. The processor is clocked at 2.84 GHz and an Adreno 650 GPU which handles intensive graphics. Moreover, the UFS 3.1 storage provides with fast loading times for applications and games.

The IQOO 3 also comes with an Ultra Game Mode which offers a game space which allows users to block calls and notifications and allowing higher resource allocation when gaming.

For cooling, the IQOO 3 features a Carbon Fibre VC Liquid Cooling system to keep the temperatures in check. With all that hardware, the phone draws power from a 4440 mAH battery. To keep things fast, the IQOO 3 is supplied with a 55 W charger out of the box which charges the phone from zero to hundred percent in under 40 minutes.

In the camera department, the IQOO 3 gets an AI quad-camera setup with a 48-megapixel main sensor, 13-megapixel super-wide-angle, 13-megapixel telephoto and a 2-megapixel depth camera.

The front gets a 16-megapixel selfie snapper. Image quality from the cameras is quite commendable with punchy colours, sharpness and details. However, low-light performance could have been better. Images from the front camera also exhibit a great level of detail.

Verdict

Performance of the device is pretty amazing with fast loading time, no lags, hang or stutters even during heavy multitasking or long gaming sessions. While we still cannot comment on the 5G speeds, internet connectivity and speeds have never been a problem. The IQOO 3 comes with a great display, great hardware and promised good battery life. Price – Rs, 44,990/-

Specifications:

6.44-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED Display
Snapdragon 865 Processor
8/128GB, 12/256 GB 5G variant
4440 mAh Battery