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MagyarSamsung Galaxy A20s Smartphone Review - With Snapdragon SoC better than the Galaxy A21s?
The Galaxy-A-series of the Korean company addresses the price-conscious customer stratum. Not surprisingly, the Galaxy A20s, which has been available since August in Germany, settles in the lower price segment (UVP: 199 Euros, ~$237). Contrary to the sister model A21s, the Galaxy A20s does not come with an Exynos SoC but sports a chipset from Qualcomm.
The "heart" of the affordable mid-range smartphone is the Snapdragon 450, which is equipped with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB internal memory. Despite its low price, the Galaxy-A-model has a triple camera solution, and the 6.5-inch IPS display comes like its predecessor but only with HD+ resolution.
Comparison devices
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75.4 % | 11/2020 | Samsung Galaxy A20s SD 450, Adreno 506 | 183 g | 32 GB eMMC Flash | 6.50" | 1560x720 | |
| 79.9 % | 09/2020 | Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2 | 199 g | 64 GB eMMC Flash | 6.53" | 2340x1080 | |
| 76.4 % | 08/2020 | Samsung Galaxy A21s Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1 | 192 g | 32 GB eMMC Flash | 6.50" | 1600x720 | |
| 78.2 % | 06/2020 | Realme 6i Helio G80, Mali-G52 MP2 | 199 g | 128 GB eMMC Flash | 6.50" | 1600x720 | |
| 74.5 % | 10/2020 | Nokia 2.4 Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320 | 195 g | 32 GB eMMC Flash | 6.50" | 1600x720 | |
| 76 % | 11/2020 | Wiko View5 Helio A25, PowerVR GE8320 | 201 g | 64 GB eMMC Flash | 6.55" | 1600x720 |
Case - Samsung Smartphone with notch
The front of the Galaxy phone is characterized by the waterdrop notch design of the front camera. Despite the indentation of the 6.5-inch Infinity V display, the edges around the IPS panel of the Galaxy A20s are kept relatively wide, so that the ratio of the screen to the overall front is only 81.9%. Especially the "chin" of the inexpensive Samsung smartphone is quite expansive.
The workmanship is on a satisfactory level and the stability of the case also makes a good impression. However, Samsung only uses plastic materials, which are noticeable as such. Moreover, the back can be pushed in a bit. The keys are also made of plastic, but they fit nicely and are easy to operate.
The Galaxy smartphone does not offer protection against water or dust by means of IP certification, nor does it have a water-repellent nanocoating.
Features - Galaxy A20s with 3.5 mm jack
The Galaxy A20s is equipped with a dual SIM function and a 3.5 mm jack connector. The wireless transmission of display contents to an external monitor via Miracast also works in the test.
A manageable 32 GB of storage space is available, over 11 GB of which is already taken up by the Android operating system including preinstalled apps and the One UI cover. The Samsung smartphone's memory can be expanded by up to 512 GB using micro-SD cards, without having to remove one of the two nano-SIM cards.
The 4,000-mAh battery is charged via a USB-C port on the bottom of the smartphone. The port allows USB-OTG, so that for example USB sticks can be easily connected to the A20s.
Software - Samsung Smartphone with OneUI
The user interface of the Galaxy A20s is based on Android 10 with the security updates from August 2020. However, users of the inexpensive mid-range smartphone cannot look forward to the latest Android versions and security patches, because Samsung's update promise will not work here.
The Android system combines with Samsung's own user interface One UI (Core) in version 2.0, which also includes the smart assistant Bixby. However, Samsung DeX is not supported by the A20s. Buyers of Samsung phones have to come to terms with some preinstalled third-party apps, but these can be easily uninstalled.
Video content on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and other video-streaming services can be viewed in HD quality as the phone has gone through the certification process for Widevine L1.
Communication and GPS - Galaxy A20s without NFC
The Galaxy smartphone connects to the mobile Internet with both card slots via the LTE standard; access to the fast 5G network is not available with Samsung's entry-level model. However, all 4G frequencies relevant in Germany are supported, even the LTE band 28. However, the A20s with 13 supported bands is not a "travel" phone, so if in doubt, it is advisable to find out in advance before going abroad whether it is possible to use the mobile Internet. Bluetooth version 4.2 is available for wireless communication; a chip for Near Field Communication (NFC) is not available.
The WLAN module only masters the IEEE 802.11 standards according to b/g/n and therefore only operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, which in our WLAN test results in low transmission rates of 42 Mb/s and 29 Mb/s. However, the values measured with the reference router Netgear Nighthawk AX12 are constant.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (16.9 - 1368, n=64, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 | |
| Wiko View5 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s | |
| Realme 6i | |
| Nokia 2.4 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (32.7 - 953, n=65, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 | |
| Wiko View5 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s | |
| Nokia 2.4 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s | |
| Realme 6i | |
In order to be able to estimate the positioning accuracy in practice, we record a route in parallel for comparison purposes with the GPS bicycle computer Garmin Edge 520. The satellite signal is quickly determined and at the end of the 4 km long test track the determined deviations of the GPS modules amount to 180 meters, which is quite a lot but is okay for the price range. The detailed course reveals that the paths used and the signal of the Galaxy smartphone often do not fit exactly. Nevertheless, nothing should stand in the way of car navigation with the A20s.
Phone features and voice quality - Samsung smartphone with Wi-Fi calling
The Samsung Galaxy A20s supports Voice over LTE (VoLTE) and Voice over Wi-Fi (WLAN calling).
The voice quality of the affordable mid-range smartphone is unobtrusive. Voices are reproduced understandably and are also characterized by our interlocutor as clear. Video calls via Skype using the built-in front camera also work without problems.
Cameras - Samsung cell phone with triple-cam system
Measured against the price level in which the A20s operates, the 8 MP front camera is convincing with its high-quality selfie shots. The photos are well lit, the colors look realistic but not too pale and the sharpness is also on a decent level, although the soft focus should have been a little less. With f/2.0, the open aperture is less light-intense than the main camera of the A20, which is a negative factor in low-light conditions.
The rear camera module of the Samsung phone has three lenses. The main camera module resolves at 13 MP with a relatively fast open aperture of f/1.8. The main camera module has a resolution of 13 MP with a relatively fast f/1.8 aperture, and there is an ultra-wide-angle camera with f/2.2 aperture. The live focus function of the Galaxy A20s allows the background of the subject to blur. The intensity of the background blur can be adjusted both before the shot and afterwards. The resulting blur transitions are mostly well-cut for simple subjects, such as people, but problems occur with complex objects, such as flowers.
The captured subjects with the 13 MP main camera can convince in daylight with a solid level of detail and good color reproduction, but dynamics and image sharpness are on a low level. Especially the latter is problematic for backlit subjects. In low light, the images become very dark, blurriness increases and details are no longer visible.
The wide-angle lens has the typical curvatures of ultra-wide angle cameras outside the center of the image. The images are visibly fainter, less detailed and already in daylight a bit grainy.
The front camera records videos in FHD resolution at up to 30 frames per second. The rear cameras also record moving images with a maximum of 1920x1080 pixels at 30 fps. It is not possible to switch between the camera lenses during recording.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Main cameraLow LightMain cameraWide angle
Under controlled lighting conditions we investigate the color rendering of the Galaxy-A-smartphone. Compared to the actual reference tones, the colors of the mid-range phone are slightly brighter, but well met for this price range. The X-Rite ColorChecker Passport images (without any post-processing, such as manual white balance) show satisfactory color accuracy with the 13-MP main camera.
In order to be able to judge the sharpness of the photos better, we photograph our test chart under defined artificial light. The sharpness of the images is low, and especially in the edges the blurriness is quite clear.
Accessories and warranty - Samsung Galaxy A20s charges with 15 watt
The Galaxy A20s comes with a modular 15-watt power supply and a USB cable. A protective cover is not included with the Samsung phone. Samsung does not offer any special accessories for its mid-range smartphone (at the moment).
The warranty period is 24 months from the date of purchase.
Input Devices and Operation - Galaxy A20s with fingerprint sensor
The capacitive touch screen of the A20s is very sensitive, and it can be operated precisely right into the corners and has a smooth surface.
An active fingerprint sensor is placed on the back. This is not one of the fastest sensors on the market - on the contrary - it unlocks the Korean manufacturer's affordable mid-range smartphone relatively reliably.
Biometric identification by face is also offered. The face unlock function by the front camera works rather unreliably in low-light conditions and also not really fast in optimal lighting conditions.
Display - Samsung smartphone with IPS panel
The display of the Galaxy A20s, like the A21s or A20e, has HD+ resolution. However, this is not an AMOLED panel but a "classic" LC display. The refresh rate of the 6.5-inch display is 60 Hz.
Besides the deficits in sharpness, our brightness measurement also reveals visible weaknesses of the Samsung smartphone. In automatic mode, with the ambient light sensor turned on, we only measure a maximum of 384 cd/m² on a pure white background. In the more realistic APL50 measurement, which simulates an even distribution of light and dark areas on the panel, the luminance does not change.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 384 cd/m²
Contrast: 914:1 (Black: 0.42 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.43 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.1
ΔE Greyscale 4.9 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
94.5% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.308
| Samsung Galaxy A20s IPS, 1560x720, 6.50 | Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 IPS LCD, 2340x1080, 6.53 | Samsung Galaxy A21s PLS, 1600x720, 6.50 | Realme 6i IPS, 1600x720, 6.50 | Nokia 2.4 IPS, 1600x720, 6.50 | Wiko View5 LCD IPS, 1600x720, 6.55 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 77% | 3% | 12% | 17% | 38% | |
| Brightness middle | 384 | 553 44% | 540 41% | 518 35% | 445 16% | 495 29% |
| Brightness | 367 | 527 44% | 509 39% | 484 32% | 405 10% | 461 26% |
| Brightness Distribution | 87 | 89 2% | 91 5% | 89 2% | 85 -2% | 88 1% |
| Black Level * | 0.42 | 0.12 71% | 0.36 14% | 0.26 38% | 0.26 38% | 0.14 67% |
| Contrast | 914 | 4608 404% | 1500 64% | 1992 118% | 1712 87% | 3536 287% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 4.43 | 3.8 14% | 6.58 -49% | 5.8 -31% | 4.73 -7% | 6.5 -47% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 7.34 | 8.7 -19% | 11.55 -57% | 11 -50% | 8.83 -20% | 10 -36% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4.9 | 2.2 55% | 6.4 -31% | 7.3 -49% | 4.2 14% | 6.2 -27% |
| Gamma | 2.308 95% | 2.3 96% | 2.206 100% | 2.23 99% | 2.292 96% | 2.22 99% |
| CCT | 7671 85% | 6727 97% | 8482 77% | 8037 81% | 7378 88% | 8157 80% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 19035 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
Compared to the IPS competition, the Galaxy A20s has a below average contrast. The analysis of the photo spectrometer and the CalMAN software shows no small average delta E deviations from the sRGB color space for the mid-range smartphone from Samsung with 4.4 (colors) and 4.9 (grayscales) respectively - but measured against the price level the results are acceptable.
The same applies to the color temperature, which at about 7,700 K is lower than the ideal value of 6,500 K ex works, but the panel does not exhibit a color cast. Different color profiles cannot be selected on the A20s.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 28 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 15 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 13 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 65 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (22.2 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 44 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 21 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 23 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 68 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (35.1 ms). | ||
Without the influence of the sun, the Samsung smartphone can be used outdoors without restrictions. If sunlight is added, the A20's luminosity is no longer sufficient enough to read the contents easily.
The viewing-angle stability of the LCD panel is at a decent level. The content is displayed without color inversions even at flat viewing angles. However, the display darkens slightly when greatly tilted.
Performance - Galaxy A20s with Snapdragon SoC
The mid-range Samsung model gets its power from a Snapdragon 450. The Qualcomm SoC is manufactured in the 14nm process and offers eight ARM Cortex-A53 processor cores that clock at up to 1.8 GHz. An Adreno 506 is used as the graphics unit.
In everyday use, the processor, which has now become outdated, and the 3 GB RAM installed do not deliver convincing system performance. Performance drops have to be tolerated again and again at one point or another. Also, the loading times of applications are relatively long thanks to the eMMC memory.
In our benchmark suite, the A20s is more oriented towards the rear of the comparison and even the Samsung Exynos 850 in the A21s is a bit more potent. The GPU graphics benchmarks also look no different. Here, the Mali G52 MP2 can record a significant performance leap over the Adreno 506.
| Geekbench 5.4 | |
| Single-Core (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s | |
| Realme 6i | |
| Nokia 2.4 | |
| Wiko View5 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (131 - 159, n=3) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (119 - 1885, n=236, last 2 years) | |
| Multi-Core (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s | |
| Realme 6i | |
| Nokia 2.4 | |
| Wiko View5 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (493 - 902, n=3) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (473 - 5538, n=236, last 2 years) | |
| OpenCL Score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s | |
| Wiko View5 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (259 - 274, n=3) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (368 - 10711, n=161, last 2 years) | |
| Geekbench 4.1 - 4.4 | |
| 64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s | |
| Realme 6i | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (741 - 787, n=13) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (783 - 8424, n=78, last 2 years) | |
| 64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s | |
| Realme 6i | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (3272 - 4022, n=13) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2630 - 21505, n=78, last 2 years) | |
| Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s | |
| Realme 6i | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (2777 - 3374, n=10) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2053 - 14785, n=64, last 2 years) | |
| PCMark for Android | |
| Work performance score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s | |
| Realme 6i | |
| Nokia 2.4 | |
| Wiko View5 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (4836 - 6062, n=14) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (9875 - 19297, n=4, last 2 years) | |
| Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s | |
| Realme 6i | |
| Nokia 2.4 | |
| Wiko View5 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (4171 - 4759, n=14) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (5279 - 13282, n=26, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
| T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s | |
| Realme 6i | |
| Wiko View5 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (20 - 34, n=13) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=186, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s | |
| Realme 6i | |
| Wiko View5 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (21 - 23, n=13) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (19 - 497, n=186, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s | |
| Realme 6i | |
| Wiko View5 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (8.7 - 18, n=13) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 161, n=187, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s | |
| Realme 6i | |
| Wiko View5 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (9.2 - 9.4, n=13) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 331, n=188, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.1 | |
| on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s | |
| Realme 6i | |
| Wiko View5 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (5.7 - 13, n=13) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 143, n=188, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s | |
| Realme 6i | |
| Wiko View5 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (6 - 6.9, n=13) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 223, n=188, last 2 years) | |
| AnTuTu v8 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s | |
| Realme 6i | |
| Wiko View5 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (89022 - 97624, n=3) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (101336 - 725649, n=39, last 2 years) | |
| Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (17.3 - 282, n=164, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 (Chrome 85) | |
| Realme 6i (Chrome 81) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s (Chrome 84) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s (Chrome86) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (14.6 - 16.5, n=4) | |
| Wiko View5 (Chrome 86) | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (27.5 - 414, n=77, last 2 years) | |
| Realme 6i (Chrome 81) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 (Chrome 85) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s (Chrome 84) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s (Chrome86) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (22 - 22.7, n=13) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Average of class Smartphone (13.3 - 375, n=154, last 2 years) | |
| Realme 6i (Chrome 81) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 (Chrome 85) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s (Chome 84) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (12.4 - 14.6, n=4) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s | |
| WebXPRT 3 - --- | |
| Average of class Smartphone (34 - 292, n=145, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 (Chrome 85) | |
| Realme 6i (Chrome 81) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s (Chrome 84) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (28 - 34, n=8) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s (Chrome86) | |
| Wiko View5 (Chrome 86) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 74261, n=193, last 2 years) | |
| Realme 6i (Chrome 81) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 (Chrome 85) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s (Chrome 84) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s (Chrome86) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (3470 - 4115, n=14) | |
| Wiko View5 (Chrome 86) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Wiko View5 (Chrome 86) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s (Chrome86) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (11012 - 11863, n=14) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A21s (Chrome 84) | |
| Realme 6i (Chrome 81) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 (Chrome 85) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (414 - 10031, n=167, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
| Samsung Galaxy A20s | Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 | Samsung Galaxy A21s | Realme 6i | Nokia 2.4 | Wiko View5 | Average 32 GB eMMC Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 200% | 102% | 208% | 8% | 21% | -3% | 698% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 298.2 | 306.6 3% | 307 3% | 309.5 4% | 245.7 -18% | 268.4 -10% | 242 ? -19% | 1189 ? 299% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 90.6 | 248.1 174% | 104.3 15% | 256.4 183% | 119.5 32% | 223.4 147% | 100 ? 10% | 756 ? 734% |
| Random Read 4KB | 75.9 | 65.1 -14% | 77.2 2% | 73.5 -3% | 46 -39% | 49.56 -35% | 42.9 ? -43% | 209 ? 175% |
| Random Write 4KB | 12.95 | 146.9 1034% | 89.5 591% | 150.9 1065% | 22.5 74% | 16.29 26% | 21.8 ? 68% | 218 ? 1583% |
| Sequential Read 256KB SDCard | 82.6 ? | 84.4 ? 2% | 80 ? -3% | 84.6 ? 2% | 82.6 ? 0% | 82 ? -1% | 71.8 ? -13% | |
| Sequential Write 256KB SDCard | 65.1 ? | 63.5 ? -2% | 66.4 ? 2% | 64.5 ? -1% | 63 ? -3% | 62.7 ? -4% | 52.9 ? -19% |
Games - Gaming with the Galaxy A20s?
The relatively low-performance Adreno 506 graphics card makes it possible to play even the most elaborate games from the Android Play Store smoothly - at least with the lowest graphics settings. With the app from GameBench we take a closer look at a few sophisticated games in order to better estimate the 3D performance of the Galaxy A20s.
Current game titles, like the racing game Asphalt 9 Legends, are hardly playable in high details. The shooter PUBG Mobile is played at a relatively constant 29 fps in lowest graphics. Occasional drops in the frame rate (10 fps) are still present from time to time.
Both the touchscreen control and the position sensor system react without problems in the test.
PUBG mobile
Asphalt 9 Legends
Emissions - Samsung smartphone with little waste heat
Temperature
The case as well as the display of the Galaxy smartphone hardly warm up in everyday life. We measure a maximum temperature of almost 40 °C under load conditions.
More interesting is the heat development inside the A20s. In order to check the Samsung smartphone's waste heat behavior under sustained load, we use the battery test of the GFXBench app. The Manhattan 3.1 test shows that the frame count remains stable with increasing load, so performance drops under load are unlikely.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.6 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 34.9 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 54.6 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 39.7 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 33.7 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.8 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 32.6 °C / 91 F.
Speakers
The mid-range smartphone from Samsung only has a speaker on the bottom. The sound quality is sufficient enough for the price but nothing more than that. The music playback seems a bit flat and the maximum volume is rather quiet at a good 81 dB. As expected, there is hardly any bass in the sound image and the lower mids are also hardly represented. The sound of the A20s tends to be dominated by high mids and highs, which are not very linear.
Users of the Galaxy smartphone do not have to do without a 3.5 mm audio jack. The output is unobtrusive. Those who prefer a wireless solution can do this via Bluetooth 4.2. Beside SBC the following codecs are supported: AAC, aptX and LDAC.
Samsung Galaxy A20s audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 30.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 7% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (26.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 77% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 16% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 85% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 10% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (92.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 23% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (4.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.2% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.9% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 91% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 28% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 66% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%
Battery life - Galaxy A20s with 4,000-mAh battery
Energy consumption
The Galaxy smartphone possesses a 4,000-mAh strong battery, which can be charged with the enclosed 15-W power pack in approximately four hours. Considering the size of the battery and the nominal power of the charger, this is surprisingly slow.
The power consumption of the A20s is mostly unobtrusive. Under load, however, the consumption could still use a little optimization.
| Off / Standby |   0 / 0.1 Watt |
| Idle |  0.9 / 1.8 / 2.7 Watt |
| Load |
5.2 / 7.1 Watt |
    
| |
| Samsung Galaxy A20s 4000 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 5020 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A21s 5000 mAh | Realme 6i 5000 mAh | Wiko View5 5000 mAh | Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 10% | -14% | 31% | 28% | 8% | 15% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 0.9 | 0.74 18% | 1.5 -67% | 0.37 59% | 0.68 24% | 0.794 ? 12% | 0.882 ? 2% |
| Idle Average * | 1.8 | 2.17 -21% | 2.1 -17% | 1.62 10% | 1.94 -8% | 2.27 ? -26% | 1.478 ? 18% |
| Idle Maximum * | 2.7 | 2.2 19% | 2.9 -7% | 1.69 37% | 1.96 27% | 2.48 ? 8% | 1.694 ? 37% |
| Load Average * | 5.2 | 4.17 20% | 4.6 12% | 3.61 31% | 2.62 50% | 3.95 ? 24% | 4.28 ? 18% |
| Load Maximum * | 7.1 | 6.11 14% | 6.6 7% | 5.9 17% | 3.81 46% | 5.38 ? 24% | 7.11 ? -0% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery life
The reasonable energy management is also reflected in the running times. Here, the A20s stands out from the crowd neither positively nor negatively. Our battery tests with adjusted panel brightness (150 cd/m²) reveal solid runtimes of 13.5 hours and 16 hours when surfing over the WLAN and playing video content endlessly.
Under load conditions the Galaxy A20s reaches about 4.5 hours - considering the similar runtimes of an A21s with 1,000 mAh more battery capacity this is not bad.
| Samsung Galaxy A20s 4000 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 5020 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A21s 5000 mAh | Realme 6i 5000 mAh | Nokia 2.4 4500 mAh | Wiko View5 5000 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 11% | 7% | 62% | 2% | 39% | |
| Reader / Idle | 2145 | 2294 7% | 2009 -6% | |||
| H.264 | 954 | 1116 17% | 1087 14% | |||
| WiFi v1.3 | 812 | 867 7% | 943 16% | 1318 62% | 826 2% | 1132 39% |
| Load | 278 | 314 13% | 287 3% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict on the Samsung Galaxy A20s - Solid. Unobtrusive. Unnecessary?
With the market launch of the Galaxy A20s in Germany, Samsung creates itself its own competition to the Galaxy A21s, which is actually not one. In our test, the A20s is too weak and inconspicuous for that - symbolized by the local color selection of the plastic housing.
Admittedly, we find it difficult to identify the real strengths of the A20s. The Samsung smartphone's successful workmanship and solid tracking capabilities speak for themselves, even if our test device has some minor weaknesses. Moreover, the battery runtimes are okay, whereby an extensive staying power due to the weak hardware is the rule in this smartphone segment.
What is often a strength of the Korean manufacturer - at least in the case of AMOLED panels - must however be pointed out as a weakness in the offspring of the Galaxy-A series: the display. In terms of brightness, the Galaxy A20s plays in a dark league and the contrast of the IPS panel is also in need of improvement for this price range. In addition, the performance of the Snapdragon 450, a 2017 SoC, is anything but beyond reproach - even in a cheap mid-range smartphone.
Please do not fall into old virtues, Samsung. The Korean manufacturer could have saved at least one model from the trio A20e, A20s and A21s for the German market.
The Samsung Galaxy A20s is a solid smartphone in the medium entry level segment. However, only a few points speak for the inexpensive mid-range smartphone from Samsung in direct comparison to its sister model A21s, which is currently also available for around 140 to 150 Euros (~$167-$179). The latter offers the more powerful SoC and a faster WLAN module.
Also the total package of the Redmi Note 9 is clearly stronger than that of the Galaxy A20s. The former is at present available for a price of approximately 150 Euros (~$179) and is therefore a very good alternative to the Samsung smartphone.
Samsung Galaxy A20s
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11/14/2020 v7
Marcus Herbrich
Pricecompare
