(Pocket-lint) – Samsung announced the Galaxy S20 alongside the S20+ and S20 Ultra as its flagship devices for 2020 – all three of which have been succeeded by the Galaxy S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra in 2021. The Galaxy S20 replaces 2019’s Galaxy S10, and shares a similar design to the S10 Lite, but how do they all compare?

We’ve run the Galaxy S20 specs up against the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Lite to help you work out the differences. You can also read our Samsung Galaxy S20 range compared feature for a rundown on how the 2020 devices compare to each other, as well as our S21 vs S20 feature to see how the 2021 models compare to the 2020 models.

Design

• S20: 151.7 x 69.1 x 7.9mm, 163g
• S10: 149.9 x 70.4 x 7.8mm, 157g
• S10 Lite: 162.5 x 75.6 x 8.1mm, 186g

The Samsung Galaxy S20, Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Lite all share similar design traits. They all offer a premium metal and glass build, they are all waterproof and they all feature an under display fingerprint scanner. 

The Galaxy S20 and S10 Lite take a slightly different design approach to the Galaxy S10 though, placing a heavy focus on the camera arrangement on the rear. The Galaxy S10 has a horizontal rear camera that is centralised, while the S10 Lite and S20 both opt for a camera housing in the top left corner.

On the front, both the S10 Lite and the S20 opt for centralised punch hole cameras for a symmetrical and neater finish, while the S10’s cut out is located in the top right corner.

The Galaxy S10 Lite is the largest and heaviest of the three devices being compared here, while the S10 is the smallest and lightest, putting the latest Galaxy S20 into the sweet spot in the middle.

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Display 

• S20: 6.2-inch, Infinity-O, 120Hz
• S10: 6.1-inch, Infinity-O, 60Hz
• S10 Lite: 6.7-inch, Infinity-O, 60Hz

All three devices Super AMOLED displays, offering bright and punchy colours, plenty of vibrancy and deep blacks. They also all offer support for HDR10+ and they all opt for the Infinity-O display, featuring almost bezel-free sides and the cut out for the front camera.

There are a few differences between the displays of the Galaxy S20, S10 and S10 Lite however. Firstly, the S10 Lite is quite a bit larger than the S10 and S20 at 6.7-inches, compared to 6.1 and 6.2-inches, respectively. The S10 Lite also has a flat display, while the S10 and S20 both have curved displays, delivering a slightly more premium look.

The Galaxy S20 also offers a 120Hz refresh rate when in Full HD+ – which it is set to as default – while the S10 and S10 Lite both deliver a 60Hz refresh rate. For those who want smoother animations and graphics, the S20 has the potential to deliver that.

Hardware and specs

• S20: Exynos 990 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, 8GB/12GB RAM, 128GB storage, 4000mAh
• S10: Exynos 9820 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, 8GB RAM, 128GB/512GB storage, 3400mAh
• S10 Lite: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, 6/8GB RAM, 128GB storage, 4500mAh

The Samsung Galaxy S20 runs on the Exynos 990 processor in the UK and Europe or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 in the US. These chipsets are supported by 8GB or 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, with microSD storage expansion up to 1TB. 

The Galaxy S10 runs on the Exynos 9820 processor in the UK and Europe or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 in the US. The S10 Lite uses the Snapdragon 855 globally. The S10 comes with 8GB of RAM and storage options of 128GB or 512GB, offering microSD support, while the S10 Lite comes with 6GB or 8GB of RAM, both of which have 128GB storage. Potentially, the S10 Lite gives you more than the S10 in this regard.

Out of the three models being compared here, only the Galaxy S20 is 5G enabled. The S10 and S10 Lite are both 4G only, although there’s also a 4G version of the S20 if that’s what you want.

The S10 Lite has the largest battery capacity at 4500mAh, while the S20 has a 4000mAh battery which although is smaller than the Lite, it is larger than the S10’s 3400mAh capacity. All models have wireless charging but again the S10 Lite looks favourable here because it’s a larger phone and can fit in a larger battery.

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Cameras

• S20: 12MP ultra wide, 12MP wide angle, 64MP telephoto; 10MP front
• S10: 16MP ultra wide, 12MP main, 12MP telephoto; 10MP front
• S10 Lite: 48MP main, 12MP ultra wide, 5MP macro; 32MP front

The Samsung Galaxy S20 range places a big focus on camera, moving in a different direction to what Samsung offered on the S10. All three devices being compared have a triple rear camera and single front camera, but they offer different features and different make ups. 

The S20 moves away from the Dual Aperture offered on the S10 to a fixed aperture and larger pixels. It also increases the resolution on the telephoto lens and offers Hybrid Optic Zoom up to 3x, and Super Resolution Zoom up to 30x – the latter of which uses AI in an attempt to make up the lost detail. The S20 also offers 8K video capture. The S10 offers 2x optical and 10x digital zoom – the S20 offering better performance.

The S10 Lite meanwhile, has a higher resolution main camera, along with a macro camera for close up shots. It also offers a higher resolution front camera than both the S20 and the S10. It’s worth mentioning here though that higher numbers doesn’t necessarily mean better quality – and we’ve seen in some cameras that native resolution can be better than pixel combining. The Galaxy S20 is the strongest option in our experience though. 

Price

• S20: £799 (4G), £899 (5G)
• S10: £799
• S10 Lite: £579

The Galaxy S10 cost £799 when it first arrived on shelves in March 2019, although it’s now quite a bit cheaper. The S20 cost £799 for the 4G version when it first arrived in 2020 – effectively the same price as the S10, while the 5G is a little too expensive at £899. 

The S10 Lite costs £579; this more affordable phone undercuts both – but compared to the S10, it seems to offer much better value for money.

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Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy S20 might feature a similar design to the S10 Lite, but it offers various improvements, including a smaller and lighter build, faster display, more RAM and a more advanced processor. When compared to the S10, it offers more camera capabilities, a refreshed design, better processor, more RAM and an increased battery capacity – it’s an improvement overall. Bear in mind that it has been replaced by the S21 range though.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 is quite a bit cheaper than the S20 however, and the S10 Lite is cheaper than both, with a larger display and bigger battery than the S20. If you want lots of phone for your money, then the S10 Lite could be what you want, but with the S20 having been succeeded, you might find it cheaper than it started at and within budget.

Writing by Britta O’Boyle.