Galaxy S 20 - Do we care?

Dannar26

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Mar 13, 2012
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Has anyone looked over the Galaxy S 20 phone line up this year? I feel as though there's nothing to be excited about, but maybe that's just the iterative nature of the phone space these days?

I'm a bit annoyed at the pricing. I've been taking Samsung up on their trade in deals for the past few years, but this time doesn't seem worth it. Even more so since I went with a S 10e the last go around...which is worth half the trade price as a standard S 10.

What does AT think? Anybody upgrading?
 

killster1

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Mar 15, 2007
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Has anyone looked over the Galaxy S 20 phone line up this year? I feel as though there's nothing to be excited about, but maybe that's just the iterative nature of the phone space these days?

I'm a bit annoyed at the pricing. I've been taking Samsung up on their trade in deals for the past few years, but this time doesn't seem worth it. Even more so since I went with a S 10e the last go around...which is worth half the trade price as a standard S 10.

What does AT think? Anybody upgrading?
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS but ill wait for october i think. i bought my s10+ 512gb with a tiny crack for 320$ last year in september, prob go for a s20 plus, looks great 8k30fps video wow, 108mp and 4x zoom camera sound good also. i dont carry a dslr so my memories are captured with the cellphone, i guess if you dont do anything fun then you dont care about the camera quality but i do!
 

Dannar26

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Mar 13, 2012
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I'm with you on the camera. They keep on hyping these things up, but I personally just don't care. I kids have been around for a decade, and almost every photo I have of them came from a phone. And I'm sure that's how things will continue. They've been "good enough" for my purposes for a long time now. I don't see any reason to be more excited about the incremental improvements there vs the incremental improvements in the SoC or screen.

I'm also chafing at the segmentation. Last year the S10e seemed to be the clear winner to me. Same screen but flat. A small manageable design. Same SoC. It had one or a few less camera arrays (oh crap, now I can't take thermal photos underwater in 3-D!!11). Better finger print sensor. Cheaper.

But now the base model is essentially not worth it. No millimeter weave high band 5G...no micro SD slot. And the trade-in deals are nerfed, especially if you went with the S10e last year. $300 for the S10e vs $600 for the S10. Like, what?!

If we could go back to removable batteries and SD card slots...that'd be great. I miss the the 2012 days. Rooting, Custom ROMs....that was where it was at. Is there even a point for XDA anymore?
 

killster1

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I'm with you on the camera. They keep on hyping these things up, but I personally just don't care. I kids have been around for a decade, and almost every photo I have of them came from a phone. And I'm sure that's how things will continue. They've been "good enough" for my purposes for a long time now. I don't see any reason to be more excited about the incremental improvements there vs the incremental improvements in the SoC or screen.

I'm also chafing at the segmentation. Last year the S10e seemed to be the clear winner to me. Same screen but flat. A small manageable design. Same SoC. It had one or a few less camera arrays (oh crap, now I can't take thermal photos underwater in 3-D!!11). Better finger print sensor. Cheaper.

But now the base model is essentially not worth it. No millimeter weave high band 5G...no micro SD slot. And the trade-in deals are nerfed, especially if you went with the S10e last year. $300 for the S10e vs $600 for the S10. Like, what?!

If we could go back to removable batteries and SD card slots...that'd be great. I miss the the 2012 days. Rooting, Custom ROMs....that was where it was at. Is there even a point for XDA anymore?
well yea i know you dont care about the camera as you purchased the s10e, the s10+ is the one with SD slot and good camera, the zoom is so great and having a wide selfie and wide camera on the rear... one thing i wish was a finger print reader on the side or back instead of under the glass since a glass screen protector makes it unusable :( Funny you said you are with me on the camera but that photos from your phone from 10 years ago are "good enough" im not fancy enough to care about 5g as i have a 5gb per month for 220 a year from verizon. removable batteries kills waterproof seals and the battery charges so fast dont see why you would need it. didnt see if the s20 plus has a sd slot but i guess i can look now.

OK /edit,, all the models come with Micro sd slot, but it looks like all the screens are SO HUGE, i kinda wish i could get a premium phone with out having a tablet size in my pocket. 40mp selfie camera sounds great! maybe in 20 years when my wife isnt as pretty i can be OK with a bad camera hahah
 
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Dannar26

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Mar 13, 2012
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Sorry, when I reread the post I understand how the camera comment was confusing. The part that my ADHD brain agreed with was not carrying around a DSLR.

I thought only the 20+ on up came with the SD card slot?

Either way, I feel like it's worth waiting. We're paying through the nose for a technology that's not even justifiably present. I'll probably just wait for the price to go down as 5G normalizes.
 
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DeathReborn

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Nope, my current Note 9 is likely to be my last Samsung device, the headphone jack is something I use a lot so... no jack = no ££££.
 

killster1

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Nope, my current Note 9 is likely to be my last Samsung device, the headphone jack is something I use a lot so... no jack = no ££££.
so whats wrong with a usb -c headphone jack? i 10000% agree on the price, no way i will buy a 1000$ phone let alone a 1400$ phone. Unless i had some kinda controlled environment where i knew i would never break it or lose it ;) so paranoid ill break it, exactly why i buy one that already has a small crack so if it breaks OH WELL get another one. even a used decent shape 10+ 512gb is over 500$
 

DeathReborn

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so whats wrong with a usb -c headphone jack? i 10000% agree on the price, no way i will buy a 1000$ phone let alone a 1400$ phone. Unless i had some kinda controlled environment where i knew i would never break it or lose it ;) so paranoid ill break it, exactly why i buy one that already has a small crack so if it breaks OH WELL get another one. even a used decent shape 10+ 512gb is over 500$

I have some very nice clip on headphones that are out of production now but fit my ears perfectly, they only come with a 3.5mm jack. Not gonna use an adapter as they are fiddly, easy to break/lose & take up the ONLY USB port on the device. Samsung did the brave & right thing by sticking with memory expansion but now they have to fix their current CrApple error.

I take my Note 9 512GB on holiday with me, been to Morocco, Cuba, Portugal, Greece & Australia since I bought it and still haven't dropped it/lost it (hope htat's not a jinx).
 

aigomorla

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These prices are absolutely ridiculous.
The phone costs more then a high grade laptop now.

I think i may honestly go a different company this time around if the note 20 has prices even more insane then the S20.

I am actually digging the new Surface Phone which may end up being my next phone, as that does indeed seem worth like a 1400 dollar phone.
Gear_Microsoft_190927_IanBates_508.jpg
 

killster1

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I have some very nice clip on headphones that are out of production now but fit my ears perfectly, they only come with a 3.5mm jack. Not gonna use an adapter as they are fiddly, easy to break/lose & take up the ONLY USB port on the device. Samsung did the brave & right thing by sticking with memory expansion but now they have to fix their current CrApple error.

I take my Note 9 512GB on holiday with me, been to Morocco, Cuba, Portugal, Greece & Australia since I bought it and still haven't dropped it/lost it (hope htat's not a jinx).
well ive taken mine around the world as well but i have dropped it 100 times and the spigen case has saved it each time, why do you need the usb port open? to fly a dji drone? charging takes 1 hour or less not likely you are going to charge and listen at the same time, the headphone jack is surely more finicky then the usb port but its ok to not buy a new phone i loved my galaxy 9+. crapple error is not having a headphone jack? i dont use headphones much, bought galaxy buds that wirelessly charge from the backside of the phone and have used them a total of one time.
These prices are absolutely ridiculous.
The phone costs more then a high grade laptop now.

I think i may honestly go a different company this time around if the note 20 has prices even more insane then the S20.

I am actually digging the new Surface Phone which may end up being my next phone, as that does indeed seem worth like a 1400 dollar phone.
Gear_Microsoft_190927_IanBates_508.jpg
yea what world do you live in where that phone is 1400? i mean old hardware mostly bezle silly camera design where you must unlock and fold the phone to take a photo? also the mrsp of 1400 for the s20 plus isnt the real price its just the sucker price (and highest end version), im sure it will be heavily discounted in no time. all the other fold-able phones really flopped and cost 2000+$ right ?
 

Commodus

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I have some very nice clip on headphones that are out of production now but fit my ears perfectly, they only come with a 3.5mm jack. Not gonna use an adapter as they are fiddly, easy to break/lose & take up the ONLY USB port on the device. Samsung did the brave & right thing by sticking with memory expansion but now they have to fix their current CrApple error.

I take my Note 9 512GB on holiday with me, been to Morocco, Cuba, Portugal, Greece & Australia since I bought it and still haven't dropped it/lost it (hope htat's not a jinx).

Hate to break it to you, but they're not going to 'fix' it unless sales are calamitous (they probably won't be) and people cite the lack of a headphone jack as a reason.

I don't like the "wait for them to see the light" approach, because companies rarely do; they either have good reasons for their choice or have little incentive to go back. Usually, it just leaves hold-outs clinging to a dying ancient device as they wonder why a giant corporation didn't change course to accommodate a few enthusiasts.
 

killster1

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Hate to break it to you, but they're not going to 'fix' it unless sales are calamitous (they probably won't be) and people cite the lack of a headphone jack as a reason.

I don't like the "wait for them to see the light" approach, because companies rarely do; they either have good reasons for their choice or have little incentive to go back. Usually, it just leaves hold-outs clinging to a dying ancient device as they wonder why a giant corporation didn't change course to accommodate a few enthusiasts.
well i say F the headphone jack if you can still use it with a adapter, you can get a bigger battery inside with out the jack, i dont think many people use headphone jacks anymore unless to connect their old car with out Bluetooth.
 
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Commodus

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well i say F the headphone jack if you can still use it with a adapter, you can get a bigger battery inside with out the jack, i dont think many people use headphone jacks anymore unless to connect their old car with out Bluetooth.

I think more than a few do, but the number of people who want a wired link and bristle at the thought of using an adapter is probably small.
 
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aigomorla

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i dont see why people complain about the headphone jack as well, when they come tiny now like this:
612K8ZlgqYL._SL1200_.jpg

I mean is it really that big of a inconvience to have to use an adapter like this?
And it still costs less then a dinner, which shouldn't be an issue if you can afford a 600+ dollar phone.
Oh wait now they cost 1000+ dollars huh? FML.... Samsung, i am seriously thinking of jumping to another ship if the note 20+ ultra breaks 1500 without having at least 512GB.
 

rh71

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Of course it's not worth upgrading every year for $800+ phones. That's a significant cost for minimal advances and only Apple customers do that. ;)

I wait 3 or so years between upgrades. Before my S8+, I was on the Note 3. I still don't feel like my S8+ is missing anything important or slowed down in any way. Maybe 5G? My kids have S9s and I'm not even slightly jealous.

so whats wrong with a usb -c headphone jack? i 10000% agree on the price, no way i will buy a 1000$ phone let alone a 1400$ phone. Unless i had some kinda controlled environment where i knew i would never break it or lose it ;) so paranoid ill break it, exactly why i buy one that already has a small crack so if it breaks OH WELL get another one. even a used decent shape 10+ 512gb is over 500$


As mentioned, my kids both have S9s, from the Swappa/Ebay used market. Absolutely nothing wrong with them for a fraction of the cost. It's forever in a case anyway so any light scratches on the shell is a non-factor. Has me thinking about a used flagship for next time...
 
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Steltek

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As mentioned, my kids both have S9s, from the Swappa/Ebay used market. Absolutely nothing wrong with them for a fraction of the cost. It's forever in a case anyway so any light scratches on the shell is a non-factor. Has me thinking about a used flagship for next time...

I worry less about the shell scratches and more battery longevity on used phones with the now standard non-replaceable batteries. But, if I had it to do over again (I just bought a $700 Note 10+ to replace my trusty old Galaxy S5 back in December), I should just have bought a used S8+ or S9+ from Swappa or a refurb on eBay.
 

mrochester

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I’m patiently waiting for a manufacturer to move away from using a google operating system as I don’t use google products for ethical and philosophical reasons.

samsung have the resources to make this happen but seem to not be interested in making this happen. It now appears to be Huawei who are likely to be doing this.

so, beautiful hardware by Samsung, ruined by the software, as usual. It would be great if we could put iOS on these things.
 

Steltek

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I’m patiently waiting for a manufacturer to move away from using a google operating system as I don’t use google products for ethical and philosophical reasons.

samsung have the resources to make this happen but seem to not be interested in making this happen. It now appears to be Huawei who are likely to be doing this.

so, beautiful hardware by Samsung, ruined by the software, as usual. It would be great if we could put iOS on these things.

I'm sure Samsung probably is precluded from doing this on a contractual basis. And, even if they wanted to Samsung had some very significant financial problems last year. The resources probably aren't there now.
 

Commodus

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I’m patiently waiting for a manufacturer to move away from using a google operating system as I don’t use google products for ethical and philosophical reasons.

samsung have the resources to make this happen but seem to not be interested in making this happen. It now appears to be Huawei who are likely to be doing this.

so, beautiful hardware by Samsung, ruined by the software, as usual. It would be great if we could put iOS on these things.

Was this really necessary? We know about your leanings... you don't have to chime in if you oppose the very concept of an Android phone.

Samsung did take a shot at this with Tizen on phones. The problem, as always, was the ecosystem effect: the phones weren't very popular as they didn't have the apps people wanted and didn't stand out in their own way; they were largely using the familiar Samsung UI on top of a different framework. And I suspect Samsung wouldn't have succeeded by repeating Microsoft's tactic of paying developers to write apps they wouldn't on their own.
 

Steltek

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Plus, any corporation that produces an OS doesn't do it for free. They do it with the expectation of either directly or indirectly making money off of it in some manner. If they aren't selling it, they they money in other ways. In short, they datamine your arse (or make it easy for others to do it) and sell the results. Samsung would be no different than Google in that respect.

And, don't get me started on Huawei. That company (like every single Chinese electronics concern) doesn't produce ANYTHING that isn't vetted and approved by China's security apparatus. While the OS may or not be clean, if it runs on only Huawei hardware you'll never know who has backdoors to access to your data.
 
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Commodus

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Plus, any corporation that produces an OS doesn't do it for free. They do it with the expectation of either directly or indirectly making money off of it in some manner. If they aren't selling it, they they make money in other ways. In short, they datamine your arse (or make it easy for others to do it) and sell the results. Samsung would be no different than Google in that respect.

And, don't get me started on Huawei. That company (like every single Chinese electronics concern) doesn't produce ANYTHING that isn't vetted and approved by China's security apparatus. While the OS may or not be clean, if it runs on only Huawei hardware you'll never know who has backdoors to access to your data.

People sometimes overstate how much data Google harvests, but yeah, this is a reminder that companies don't develop operating systems out of the goodness of their hearts. Samsung wouldn't necessarily datamine Tizen phones, but it would use the OS to create a whole ecosystem (see its Tizen-based TVs and watches) where you have a disincentive to leave, much like Apple does.

I believe Huawei's operating systems (its take on Android and Hongmeng) are clean, but it's true that the company has a Sword of Damocles hanging over its head. The Chinese government could always force it to collect data on users if it really wanted.
 

Igo69

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Prices are absurd for these new phones. I am staying with my Galaxy S8 for another year and likely get S10e when it gets cheaper too.
 

aigomorla

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Nokia tried with symbian OS and well, you don;t hear much about them anymore now.
Blackberry also tried, and they had the enterprise market for a bit, but later got slaughtered by Apple.

To this date the only company which has managed to successfully have there own system is Apple, outside of google.
Its also a heck of a lot cheaper to use Andriod then to create a new ecosystem.
Also Huawei is making there own ecosystem not out of choice, but more because they got flagged by the US, and can't use the google Android.

Im fairly sure there ecosystem will be full of Malware Apps, and be a mess of sorts down to Chinese Censorship.
Its going to be nothing like the google play store.

But i still wont buy a 1000+ dollar phone unless its really worth 1000 dollars, which 99% sure the S20 is not.
 
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Commodus

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But i still wont buy a 1000+ dollar phone unless its really worth 1000 dollars, which 99% sure the S20 is not.

It feels like you have to go to at least the S20+ to justify the expense. There's a lot more competition around the $1K mark, especially in the base S20's size class.
 

GodisanAtheist

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Just means that lightly used S10s will be selling for pennies on the dollar. My wife has been eyeing an upgrade from her S7 which is really starting to show it's age

I don't like the idea of buying a used phone without a replaceable battery (I'm still on a used LG V20 I picked up 4 years ago), but honestly I haven't actually had to replace the battery on this thing in 4 years and I'm never too far away from an electrical socket.
 
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