Samsung Galaxy S20 vs. OnePlus 8 Pro: Which Flagship Reigns Supreme?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the OnePlus 8 Pro emerges as the stronger contender. Its significantly superior battery life (103h endurance vs. 71h) and faster 30W wired and wireless charging provide a tangible advantage. However, the Galaxy S20’s more refined software and potentially brighter display make it a viable option for those prioritizing those features.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S20 | OnePlus 8 Pro |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1800 / 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 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 66 - EU |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 3, 7, 28, 78 SA/NSA - EU |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat18 1200/150 Mbps, 5G 7.5 Gbps DL |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 78 SA/NSA - IN | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, February 11 | 2020, April 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, March 06 | Available. Released 2020, April 21 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 151.7 x 69.1 x 7.9 mm (5.97 x 2.72 x 0.31 in) | 165.3 x 74.4 x 8.5 mm (6.51 x 2.93 x 0.33 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 163 g (5.75 oz) | 199 g (7.02 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | IP68 dust/water resistant | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~563 ppi density) | 1440 x 3168 pixels (~513 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.2 inches, 93.8 cm2 (~89.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.78 inches, 111.7 cm2 (~90.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (peak) | Fluid AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| Always-on display 120Hz@FHD/60Hz@QHD refresh rate | - | |
| 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, OxygenOS 13 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | UFS 3.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Laser AF, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Quad | - | 48 MP, f/1.8, 25mm (wide), 1/1.43", 1.12µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/2.4, (telephoto), 1/1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 48 MP, f/2.2, 14mm, 116˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF 5 MP, f/2.4, (Color filter camera) |
| 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 | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, Auto HDR, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF | 16 MP, f/2.5, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.1, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a) |
| Radio | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) | No |
| 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 |
| 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 | 30W wired, 50% in 23 min 30W wireless, 50% in 30 min 3W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 4000 mAh | Li-Po 4510 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Cosmic Grey, Cloud Blue, Cloud Pink, Cloud White, Aura Red | Glacial Green, Ultramarine Blue, Onyx Black |
| Models | SM-G980, SM-G980F, SM-G980F/DS | IN2023, IN2020, IN2021, IN2025 |
| Price | $ 252.72 / C$ 249.99 / £ 185.00 / € 185.00 | About 310 EUR |
| SAR | 0.76 W/kg (head) 1.01 W/kg (body) | - |
| SAR EU | 0.28 W/kg (head) 1.52 W/kg (body) | - |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 8GB RAM | - | $ 428.39 |
| 256GB 12GB RAM | - | $ 853.51 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 486.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 71h | Endurance rating 103h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -23.9 LUFS (Very good) | -23.5 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 525029 (v8) GeekBench: 12557 (v4.4), 2750 (v5.1) GFXBench: 44fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 573276 (v8) GeekBench: 3374 (v5.1) GFXBench: 24fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy S20
- More compact form factor for easier one-handed use.
- Potentially brighter display for better outdoor visibility.
- Samsung’s established software ecosystem and features.
- Inferior battery life compared to the OnePlus 8 Pro.
- Exynos 990 variant suffers from performance and thermal throttling.
- Slower charging speeds (wired and wireless).
OnePlus 8 Pro
- Significantly longer battery life.
- Faster wired and wireless charging speeds.
- Consistent performance with the Snapdragon 865 chipset.
- Larger form factor may be less comfortable for some users.
- Cleaner Android experience may lack some of Samsung’s features.
- Potentially less vibrant display compared to the S20.
Display Comparison
Both the Galaxy S20 and OnePlus 8 Pro feature 'Infinite' contrast ratio displays, typical of OLED panels. However, the S20 boasts a measured peak brightness of 814 nits, suggesting a potentially more visible screen in direct sunlight. While both support high refresh rates (though not explicitly stated in the data, both were marketed with 120Hz), the S20’s smaller screen size (6.2 inches vs. 6.78 inches on the 8 Pro) may result in a slightly higher pixel density, contributing to sharper visuals. The lack of LTPO information prevents a deeper dive into variable refresh rate efficiency.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer versatile camera systems, but the OnePlus 8 Pro’s larger sensor size (not specified in the data, but known to be 48MP main) likely translates to better low-light performance. Both phones are capable of both photo and video capture, but the data doesn’t provide enough detail to differentiate image processing styles. The S20’s camera system benefits from Samsung’s long-standing expertise in image processing, while the 8 Pro’s camera system was co-developed with Hasselblad, promising accurate color reproduction. The inclusion of a 2MP macro camera on the S20 is largely inconsequential, offering minimal benefit over standard digital zoom.
Performance
The OnePlus 8 Pro consistently delivers superior performance due to its exclusive use of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G chipset. The Galaxy S20, crucially, shipped with either an Exynos 990 (globally) or the Snapdragon 865 (USA). The Exynos 990, built on a 7nm+ process, historically lagged behind the Snapdragon 865 in both CPU and GPU performance, and was known to exhibit more thermal throttling under sustained load. Both phones utilize an Octa-core CPU configuration, but the Snapdragon’s Cortex-A77 cores offer a performance edge over the Exynos’ Mongoose M5 and A76 cores. Both utilize LPDDR5 RAM, but the 8 Pro's availability with 12GB RAM provides a slight advantage for multitasking.
Battery Life
The OnePlus 8 Pro’s 103h endurance rating significantly surpasses the Galaxy S20’s 71h rating, highlighting a substantial advantage in battery life. This difference is further amplified by the charging speeds: the 8 Pro supports 30W wired charging (50% in 23 minutes) and 30W wireless charging (50% in 30 minutes), while the S20 is limited to 25W wired (PD3.0) and 15W wireless (Qi). The 8 Pro also offers 3W reverse wireless charging, a feature the S20 matches with 4.5W. The larger battery capacity of the OnePlus 8 Pro (4510 mAh vs. 4000 mAh on the S20) contributes to its superior endurance.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S20 if you need a more compact flagship with a potentially brighter display and prefer Samsung’s One UI software ecosystem. Buy the OnePlus 8 Pro if you prioritize all-day battery life, incredibly fast charging (both wired and wireless), and a cleaner Android experience. The OnePlus 8 Pro also offers better value for money, especially considering the price difference at launch.