Samsung Galaxy A20 (S205DL) review and analysis ranging from its design, display, performance, to its cameras. Find out if A20 could be your next smartphone.
Samsung Galaxy A20 (S205DL) is a 2019 installment of Samsung’s mid-range smartphone line. Boosting a 6.4 inches display, the phone steals attention already with its gigantic screen.
But what else A20 has to offers aside from its screen? That’s what we’re going to find out in this Samsung Galaxy A20 review article.
Galaxy A20 comes with a $229.99 price tag. We won’t say that the price given is categorized as very affordable.
But with only a little bit over $200 dollars, we can’t put this phone on the expensive side either. Especially considering the number of features buyers will get. For in-depth details, continue reading.
Key Specs
Samsung Galaxy A20 (S205DL) specifications:
- Weight: 169g
- Dimensions: 158.4 x 74.7 x 7.8mm
- OS: Android 9
- Screen size: 6.4-inch
- Resolution: 720 x 1560
- CPU: Octa-core (2×1.8 GHz Cortex-A73 & 6×1.6 GHz Cortex-A53)
- RAM: 3GB
- Storage: 32GB
- Battery: 4000mAh, Non-Removable
- Rear camera: 13MP + 5MP
- Front camera: 8MP
Design
Galaxy A20’s infinity display does steal anyone’s attention on the first impression. The screen occupies almost the entire front part of the phone. There is only a small space left for the thin bezels.
On top, a small, circular notch lies to hold the front-facing camera. Relative to the large screen, this notch looks minuscule and non-obtrusive. This is not the case on other phones with a notch but also has a smaller screen size.
The phone’s body and frame are made out of plastic. It is of average weight at 169 grams. The black color exudes some kind of elegance that makes the phone looks a lot more luxurious than its price. The edges are round for comfortable handling.
The back cover stays simple with only the fingerprint sensor and the camera. There’s also the Samsung logo on the back. It is almost invisible with the grey-ish hue on the logo’s font.
The edges host the speakers, microphones, keys, and ports. These tidbits don’t take a lot of space either. Perhaps because larger screen equals more circumference, hence there is a lot of vacant space that makes keys look smaller.
Looking from the ergonomic perspective, A20 phone is impossible to use with one hand thanks to its expansive screen.
However, after doing some digging, we were glad to find out that there’s a one-handed mode where users can shrink the display size. So, to potential buyers with small hands out there, you don’t have to worry.
Read also: Samsung Galaxy A10e (S102DL) Review
Display
Galaxy A20’s display may be big, but even better, it is also quite sharp. The phone uses Super AMOLED as the technology of the display. The resolution is 720 x 1560 pixels, which categorizes the display as an HD screen. We were excited about the AMOLED but not the pixels.
It seems the phone aims to provide the best visual experience but still is hindered by the price. We thought it’s a pity that the resolution tops at 720p.
We rate A20’s display as good but not perfect. If only Samsung decided to install a 1080p screen instead, then we would give the phone a ten out of ten ratings on the display category.
Looking at the screen size alone, A20 promises more content on one screen. It delivers what it promised in this case. The screen is so big for an ultimate viewing experience.
With multitasking features, you can stack two apps and each would still be easily readable. There is simply a lot of room on A20’s display.
The display of A20 is best for video viewing. You can set the video on full screen and enjoy every little detail.
The display offers ultra-wide 123 degrees field of vision which offers fantastic viewing experience for pictures. The viewing angles are wide enough. The screen also remains sharp under bright sunlight.
To sum up Samsung Galaxy A20 review for display, this phone doesn’t disappoint. For buyers at a budget with a quality screen as a priority, A20’s screen ticks most, if not all the boxes.
Camera
When it comes to the camera, Galaxy A20 still keeps potential buyers interested. Here, we got a dual-leans camera on the rear. One comes at a 13 MP resolution while the secondary camera has a 5 MP resolution. Meanwhile, the front-facing camera comes with an 8 MP lens.
The 13 MP camera has a small aperture of f/1.9. The 28mm focal length classifies the lens as a wide-angle one. Small aperture means more light is captured, therefore the camera can produce better and brighter results.
The wide-angle lens translates into more objects in one capture. All in all, Galaxy A20 has a good quality lens for the price.
Having two cameras on the back also opens to more possibilities. The second lens, which is an ultra-wide lens, provides additional support to the main camera.
Even better, Samsung is known for its well-developed camera app and features. You can use these features to experiment and produce creative images.
One of our favorite features is Live focus. Here, you can adjust the depth of field on the camera to create a blurred background effect.
Other features include the Pro mode, where users can adjust ISO, color tones, and exposure manually. Panorama, HDR, and burst shots are also available.
Read also: Alcatel TCL A1X Review: Pros and Cons
Storage
Samsung Galaxy A20 surprisingly doesn’t offer much in storage space. We consider the capacity provided here as nothing above average.
The phone has an internal storage space of 32 GB. It’s enough to store user data for some time, but we can see it will fill up quickly as the time progresses.
Samsung provides an SD card option in addition to the internal storage. Located at a similar tray to the SIM card, this slot can hold a microSD card with capacity as many as 512 GB. This is a big number but of course, you’ll have to buy the card yourself.
Performance
Samsung Galaxy A20 offers decent performance with an octa-core processor. The chipset installed here is Exynos 7904 with dual cortex A73 1.8 GHz and hexa cortex A53 1.6 GHz processors. RAM comes at 3 GB which is a sweet spot for a budget phone that’s on the more expensive side.
The performance allows for swift multitasking. There was no problem with opening many apps at once. Most apps were quick to launch. Navigation between screens is smooth and everything loads within seconds.
As far as basic tasks goas, the phone lets you make calls, text, and surf the internet with ease. But it doesn’t stop at just basic tasks. A20 also handles demanding operations well.
You are welcomed to play 3D games and even do some video editing. One of our favorites is the Multi-Window feature, where one screen can open two apps simultaneously.
The version of the Android installed on Galaxy A20 is Android 9.0 (Pie). It is the most recent of Android version at the time A20 was released. As of the Samsung rule, the phone uses manufacturer-designed custom UI called One UI.
One UI is not only simple and easy to use, but there’s even a simpler mode (called Easy Mode). This mode shows the essentials apps only and the phone would display larger texts / icons.
Samsung also installed many other customs features on A20. One of them is a seamless synchronization with other Samsung’s smart devices, such as Samsung tablets and wearables / smartwatch.
For example, when you make a phone call with Galaxy A20, you can continue the conversation using the tablet and vice versa.
For security features, Galaxy A20 is equipped with basically everything. Apart from the standard PIN / pattern / password, there are face recognition and fingerprint sensor.
In addition, the fingerprint sensor serves an additional purpose. You can use it to open or close the notification panel by swiping the sensor up or down.
Additional sensors worth noting include accelerometer, proximity sensor, and gyro. There’s also accessibility features such as text-to-speech, magnifier, and screen reader. The phone is also readily pre-installed with Google apps.
Read also: LG Journey LTE Review: Pros and Cons
Connectivity
Galaxy A20 provides supports for commonly used network bands from 2G to 4G LTE. Calls were clear and the phone faced no particular issue when trying to get a reception.
4G LTE support allows for fast internet browsing. It also has Wi-Fi with mobile hotspot feature and Wi-Fi calling, although the latter still depends on your carrier.
In addition, Galaxy A20 also allows users sharing their internet connection using Bluetooth. This feature is called Bluetooth tethering.
Determining the current location was quick using the GPS. For charging and data transfer, this phone has the newer USB Type-C as its port.
Lastly, Galaxy A20 also supports NFC. This is good news for people who use mobile payment often.
Battery
If you’re the kind of phone users who detest charging, Galaxy A20 could be your perfect choice. This phone comes with a battery with 4000 mAh capacity.
Considering the size of A20’s screen, 4000 mAh is nothing but necessary. A larger screen means more energy needed. And Samsung makes sure you don’t need to charge so often despite the power demand.
But if you do need to charge, there’s also another interesting feature: fast charging. Filling up the battery doesn’t take as much as time, despite the battery’s large size. The 15W fast battery charger is included in the box upon purchase.
Wrap-up
With a budget of 200 dollars, a user might consider something cheaper than Samsung Galaxy A20 (S205DL).
But we recommend to invest a bit more and get this phone at $229.99 (TracFone price). The reason being, A20 offers specifications that won’t go out of date anytime soon.
The big AMOLED screen is already above average compared to other phones nowadays. In the next couple of years, dual-camera would be something common.
And having A20 which has dual camera ensures you to be among the up-to-date for a couple of years and beyond. Not to mention other features such as Fingerprint and USB Type C, which phones under $200 rarely offer.
If there’s any drawback to consider, it’s the limited internal storage and too many preloaded apps from Samsung. For some people, 32 GB might not be enough. And if you don’t use Samsung apps, the pre-installed apps will be nothing but a waste to the already limited storage space.
But overall, this Samsung Galaxy A20 review concludes on a positive note since its pros outweigh the cons.
Pros:
- Large Super AMOLED screen
- Big battery
- Dual rear camera
- Fingerprint sensor
- Fast charging
- Has NFC
Cons:
- Too many preloaded apps
- Low internal storage capacity