Samsung Galaxy S20 vs LG V60 ThinQ 5G UW: Which 2020 Flagship Still Holds Up?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the LG V60 ThinQ 5G UW emerges as the stronger contender. While both phones utilize the Snapdragon 865 in the US market, the V60’s consistent performance and potentially better thermal management, coupled with its more straightforward software experience, give it an edge over the sometimes-throttled Exynos-equipped S20 variants.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S20 | LG V60 ThinQ 5G UW |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 20, 28, 46, 48, 66 |
| 5G bands | - | 260, 261 mmWave |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat22, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, February 11 | 2020, February 26. Released 2020, April 02 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, March 06 | Discontinued |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 151.7 x 69.1 x 7.9 mm (5.97 x 2.72 x 0.31 in) | 169.3 x 77.6 x 8.9 mm (6.67 x 3.06 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM (pre-installed) |
| Weight | 163 g (5.75 oz) | 218 g (7.69 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) MIL-STD-810G compliant* Method 516.6, Procedure IV "Transit Drop" *does not guarantee ruggedness or use in extreme conditions | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~563 ppi density) | 1080 x 2460 pixels (~395 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.2 inches, 93.8 cm2 (~89.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~83.6% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (peak) | P-OLED, HDR10+ |
| Always-on display 120Hz@FHD/60Hz@QHD refresh rate | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M5 & 2x2.50 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) - GlobalOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - USA | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - GlobalQualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) - USA | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) |
| GPU | Mali-G77 MP11 - GlobalAdreno 650 - USA | Adreno 650 |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5 | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual-SIM model |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | UFS 2.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 64 MP, f/1.8, 27mm (standard), 1/1.72", 0.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 13 MP, f/1.9, 12mm (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, f/1.4, (depth) |
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 64 MP, f/2.0, 29mm (telephoto), 1/1.72", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 1.1x optical zoom, 3x hybrid zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video | - |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p, HDR10+, 24-bit/192kHz stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF | 10 MP, f/1.9, 30mm (standard), 1/3.1", 1.22µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | Yes |
| 35mm jack | No | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | 32-bit/192kHz audio 24-bit/192kHz audio recording | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.1, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS |
| Radio | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) | FM radio (USA model only) |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | - | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | Wired, PD2.0, QC4 Wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 4000 mAh | Li-Po 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Cosmic Grey, Cloud Blue, Cloud Pink, Cloud White, Aura Red | Classy Blue, Classy White |
| Models | SM-G980, SM-G980F, SM-G980F/DS | LM-V600VML, LMV600VML |
| Price | $ 252.72 / C$ 249.99 / £ 185.00 / € 185.00 | About 870 EUR |
| SAR | 0.76 W/kg (head) 1.01 W/kg (body) | 0.85 W/kg (head) 1.12 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.28 W/kg (head) 1.52 W/kg (body) | - |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 71h | - |
| Camera | Photo / Video | - |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | - |
| Loudspeaker | -23.9 LUFS (Very good) | - |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 525029 (v8) GeekBench: 12557 (v4.4), 2750 (v5.1) GFXBench: 44fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | - |
Samsung Galaxy S20
- More compact and pocketable design
- Brighter and more vibrant display (814 nits)
- Established brand and ecosystem
- Exynos 990 variant prone to thermal throttling
- Potentially shorter battery life compared to V60
- Smaller display may not suit all users
LG V60 ThinQ 5G UW
- Consistent Snapdragon 865 performance
- Potentially better thermal management
- Larger display for immersive viewing
- Larger form factor may be less comfortable for some
- Less widely recognized brand
- Software experience may not appeal to all
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S20 boasts a measured peak brightness of 814 nits, delivering a vivid visual experience. While LG doesn’t provide a specific nit rating for the V60, Samsung’s display technology is known for its punchy colors and high contrast ratio (Infinite, nominal). Both devices offer smooth scrolling, but the S20’s smaller 6.2-inch screen versus the V60’s 6.8-inch panel caters to different preferences. The S20’s smaller size makes it more pocketable, while the V60 provides a more immersive viewing experience. The V60’s larger display may also be beneficial for multitasking.
Camera Comparison
Both the S20 and V60 offer capable camera systems, but details beyond 'Photo / Video' capabilities are limited in the provided data. The V60’s larger physical size *suggests* the potential for a larger camera sensor, which generally translates to better low-light performance. However, without specific sensor size or aperture information, it’s difficult to definitively declare a winner. Image processing philosophies differ between Samsung and LG; Samsung typically favors more saturated and vibrant colors, while LG aims for a more natural look. The absence of details on OIS and video recording capabilities hinders a comprehensive comparison.
Performance
The key performance differentiator lies in the chipset. US models of both phones utilize the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G (7nm+), ensuring comparable raw processing power with an Octa-core CPU configuration (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55). However, global S20 models ship with the Exynos 990 (7nm+), which has historically been shown to exhibit more thermal throttling under sustained load compared to the Snapdragon 865. This means the V60, consistently equipped with the Snapdragon, is likely to maintain higher performance levels for longer periods during gaming or video editing. Both phones feature ample RAM, but the potential for throttling gives the V60 a clear advantage.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S20 has an endurance rating of 71 hours, indicating moderate battery life. The V60’s battery performance isn’t specified, but its larger size suggests a potentially larger battery capacity. The S20 supports 25W wired charging with PD3.0, 15W wireless charging (Qi), and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. The V60 supports wired charging with PD2.0 and QC4, as well as wireless charging. While the S20 offers reverse wireless charging, the V60’s potentially larger battery capacity could offset the S20’s faster wired charging speeds in real-world usage, especially for users who frequently use power-intensive applications.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S20 if you prioritize a more compact form factor and a vibrant, high-brightness display for media consumption. Its global brand recognition and established ecosystem are also benefits. Buy the LG V60 ThinQ 5G UW if you value sustained performance during demanding tasks like gaming, appreciate a cleaner software experience, and want a phone that potentially handles heat better under load. The V60 is the better choice for power users.