ISSUE 73 • ANDROID ADVISOR 29smartphone that bests it on paper. Like the S20+, the
Ultra has four rear cameras, and they’re all different:
S20 Ultra
Camera 1: 12Mp Ultra Wide, f/2.2
Camera 2: 108Mp Wide-angle, f/1.8
Camera 3: 48Mp Telephoto, f/3.5
Camera 4: DepthVision (time-of-flight)
S20+
Camera 1: 12Mp Ultra Wide, f/2.2
Camera 2: 12Mp Wide-angle, f/1.76
Camera 3: 64Mp Telephoto, f/2.0
Camera 4: DepthVision (time-of-flight)
Whether those S20 Ultra specs actually make a
difference in your day-to-day picture-taking is another
story. There’s a 108Mp sensor that most people will
never turn on. There’s a 100x zoom that most people
will never need. And it can record in 8K, which most
people will never – well, you get the idea.
While the 108Mp sensor obviously stands out on
the Ultra, the telephoto lens is the real star. Samsung’s
claims are true – it can reach up to an insane 100x –
but you’re unlikely to use it at that distance very often.
As you can see overleaf, the pictures it captures aren’t
really ones you’ll want to display. Plus there’s the
creep factor: I was able to see clear across my wide
yard into my neighbour’s kitchen window. Still, when
you see just how far it can go, it’s mind-blowing.
The S20 Ultra is even more impressive when you
zoom out. While 2x or 3x optical zoom is pretty