LG K20 (2019) vs. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G: A Tale of Two Androids
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the vast majority of users, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G is the clear winner. Its vastly superior performance, camera system, and display justify the significant price premium. The LG K20 remains a viable option only for those on the absolute tightest of budgets who prioritize basic communication above all else.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | LG K20 (2019) | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 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) | 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 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) | 228 g / 229 g (mmWave) (8.04 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) Stylus, 2.8ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ |
| Resolution | 480 x 960 pixels, 18:9 ratio (~197 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 5.45 inches, 76.7 cm2 (~71.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~90.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | IPS LCD | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 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 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| eMMC 5.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, panorama, HDR | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Quad | - | 108 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 10 MP, f/4.9, 230mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, 27mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm, AF | - |
| 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 | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.82", 0.7µm, 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/6e, 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) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | - | 45W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 3000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | New Aurora Black, New Moroccan Blue | Phantom Black, White, Burgundy, Green, Graphite, Red, Sky Blue, Bora Purple |
| Models | LM-X120EMW, LMX120EMW, LM-X120, LMX120BMW | SM-S908B, SM-S908B/DS, SM-S908U, SM-S908U1, SM-S908W, SM-S908N, SM-S9080, SM-S908E, SM-S908E/DS |
| Price | About 100 EUR | € 397.07 / $ 269.98 / £ 304.99 / ₹ 63,899 |
| SAR | - | 1.18 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 1.05 W/kg (head) 1.58 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 108h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -27.3 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 968359 (v9) GeekBench: 3657 (v5.1) GFXBench: 37fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
LG K20 (2019)
- Extremely affordable
- Simple and easy to use
- Compact size (likely)
- Poor performance
- Low-quality camera
- Outdated software
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G
- Exceptional performance
- Outstanding camera system
- Stunning display
- Fast charging and wireless capabilities
- High price
- Large size and weight
- Potential for Exynos overheating (Europe)
Display Comparison
The LG K20’s display specifications are not provided, but as a 2019 budget device, it likely features a 720p LCD panel. This contrasts sharply with the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, boasting a measured peak brightness of 1266 nits. This difference is critical; the S22 Ultra’s display is significantly brighter, more color-accurate, and likely features an adaptive refresh rate (LTPO) for smoother scrolling and improved power efficiency. The 'Infinite' contrast ratio of the S22 Ultra further enhances visual fidelity, offering deeper blacks and more vibrant colors.
Camera Comparison
The LG K20’s camera details are limited, but budget phones typically prioritize megapixel count over sensor size and image quality. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, while details are limited to 'Photo/Video', is known for its advanced camera system. While specific sensor sizes aren't provided, the S22 Ultra’s camera system benefits from sophisticated image processing algorithms, optical image stabilization (OIS), and likely larger sensors, resulting in significantly better low-light performance and dynamic range. The inclusion of multiple lenses (ultra-wide, telephoto) provides versatility absent in the K20.
Performance
The Mediatek MT6739 in the LG K20, fabricated on a 28nm process, is a quad-core processor designed for basic tasks. Its 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 cores will struggle with demanding applications. Conversely, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s Exynos 2200 (Europe) or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (ROW), built on a 4nm process, is an octa-core powerhouse. The Cortex-X2 prime core (2.8/3.0 GHz) handles intensive workloads, while the A710 and A510 cores provide efficient performance for everyday tasks. The 4nm fabrication process delivers significantly better thermal efficiency, reducing throttling during sustained use, a problem the K20 will almost certainly encounter. The S22 Ultra’s LPDDR5x RAM further contributes to its superior responsiveness.
Battery Life
The LG K20’s battery capacity is unknown, but budget devices often compromise on battery life. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra boasts an endurance rating of 108 hours, indicating solid battery performance. While the capacity isn't specified, the 45W wired charging with PD3.0 support allows for rapid replenishment, reaching a full charge much faster than the K20 likely can. The addition of 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging adds convenience and functionality not found in the LG K20.
Buying Guide
Buy the LG K20 (2019) if you need a functional smartphone for essential tasks like calls, texts, and light web browsing, and your budget is under $100. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G if you demand a premium experience with a top-tier camera, blazing-fast performance for gaming and multitasking, and a stunning display for media consumption, and are willing to invest accordingly.