LG K20 (2019) vs. Samsung Galaxy S22 5G: A Deep Dive into Value and Performance
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a smooth, responsive experience and a capable camera, the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G is the clear winner. Its Exynos 2200 (or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1) chipset delivers significantly superior performance, and its brighter, higher-quality display enhances everyday use. However, the LG K20 remains a viable option for those on an extremely tight budget.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | LG K20 (2019) | Samsung Galaxy S22 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 3, 7, 8, 20, 38 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat4 150/50 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, August. Released 2019, September | 2022, February 09 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2022, February 25 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, plastic back, plastic frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 148.6 x 71.9 x 8.3 mm (5.85 x 2.83 x 0.33 in) | 146 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm (5.75 x 2.78 x 0.30 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 152 g (5.36 oz) | 167 g / 168 g (mmWave) (5.89 oz) |
| MIL-STD-810G compliant* *does not guarantee ruggedness or use in extreme conditions | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ |
| Resolution | 480 x 960 pixels, 18:9 ratio (~197 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~425 ppi density) |
| Size | 5.45 inches, 76.7 cm2 (~71.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | IPS LCD | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 | Octa-core (1x2.8 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A510) - EuropeOcta-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) - ROW |
| Chipset | Mediatek MT6739 (28 nm) | Exynos 2200 (4 nm) - EuropeQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) - ROW |
| GPU | PowerVR GE8100 | Xclipse 920 - EuropeAdreno 730 - ROW |
| OS | Android 9.0 Pie (Go edition) | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDHC (dedicated slot) | No |
| Internal | 16GB 1GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| eMMC 5.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, panorama, HDR | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, 27mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm, AF | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Triple | - | 50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash | HDR |
| Single | 5 MP, f/2.2, 24mm (wide), 1/5.0", 1.12µm | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | - | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | No | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | microUSB 2.0 | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Accelerometer, proximity | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | - | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 3000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 3700 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | New Aurora Black, New Moroccan Blue | Phantom Black, White, Pink Gold, Green, Graphite, Sky Blue, Violet, Cream, Bora Purple |
| Models | LM-X120EMW, LMX120EMW, LM-X120, LMX120BMW | SM-S901B, SM-S901B/DS, SM-S901U, SM-S901U1, SM-S901W, SM-S901N, SM-S9010, SM-S901E, SM-S901E/DS |
| Price | About 100 EUR | $ 172.63 / C$ 304.00 / £ 186.11 / € 198.01 |
| SAR | - | 1.03 W/kg (head) 1.15 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 1.21 W/kg (head) 1.59 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 85h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -26.4 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 745496 (v8), 881428 (v9) GeekBench: 3682 (v5.1) GFXBench: 69fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
LG K20 (2019)
- Extremely affordable
- Simple and easy to use
- Potentially longer battery life for basic use
- Slow performance
- Low-quality camera
- Outdated chipset
Samsung Galaxy S22 5G
- Exceptional performance
- High-quality camera system
- Bright and vibrant display
- Significantly more expensive
- Potential for thermal throttling under heavy load
- Battery life could be better given the capacity
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S22 5G boasts a significantly more advanced display, reaching a measured peak brightness of 982 nits. This is a world apart from the LG K20, which likely has a much lower peak brightness (typical of budget phones). While the K20's resolution is unstated, the S22's likely higher pixel density contributes to a sharper image. The S22's 'Infinite' contrast ratio suggests a superior OLED panel, offering deeper blacks and more vibrant colors compared to the K20's likely LCD. The S22's display is also likely to support a higher refresh rate, resulting in smoother scrolling and animations.
Camera Comparison
Both phones feature 'Photo / Video' capabilities, but the implementation differs vastly. The S22's camera system likely includes a larger main sensor, optical image stabilization (OIS), and advanced image processing algorithms. While the K20 may have a functional camera, its image quality will be significantly lower, especially in low-light conditions. The K20 likely relies on software processing to compensate for its less capable hardware. The S22's camera is geared towards capturing detailed, vibrant photos and videos, while the K20 is suitable for casual snapshots.
Performance
The performance gap between these devices is immense. The LG K20's Mediatek MT6739, a 28nm quad-core processor, is designed for basic functionality. In contrast, the Galaxy S22 5G's Exynos 2200 (Europe) or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (ROW), built on a 4nm process, features an octa-core architecture with high-performance Cortex-X2 and A710 cores. This translates to dramatically faster app loading times, smoother multitasking, and the ability to handle demanding games and applications. The 4nm fabrication process also contributes to better thermal efficiency, reducing throttling under sustained load. The S22's LPDDR5x RAM further enhances performance.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S22 5G achieves an Endurance rating of 85 hours, indicating respectable battery life. It supports 25W wired charging with PD3.0, 15W wireless charging (Qi), and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. The LG K20's battery capacity is unknown, but its less powerful chipset and likely lower-resolution display may result in comparable, or even slightly better, battery life in certain scenarios. However, the S22's faster charging capabilities significantly reduce downtime.
Buying Guide
Buy the LG K20 (2019) if you need a functional smartphone for basic tasks like calls, texts, and light web browsing, and your budget is under $100. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G if you prioritize a premium experience with fast performance, a versatile camera system, and a vibrant display, and are willing to spend upwards of $400.