Asus ROG Phone 3 vs. Samsung Galaxy S20+: A Deep Dive into Gaming and Flagship Performance
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For dedicated mobile gamers, the Asus ROG Phone 3 is the clear winner. Its superior battery life (120h endurance vs 87h), more powerful Snapdragon 865+ chipset, and 30W charging outweigh the S20+'s slightly brighter display. However, the S20+ remains a strong contender for users prioritizing a more compact form factor and a versatile camera system.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S20+ | Asus ROG Phone 3 |
| 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 - A version |
| 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, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66, 71 - A version |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 2, 3, 5, 28, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - A version |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (6CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps, 5G 4.4 Gbps DL |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | - | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, February 11 | 2020, July 22. Released 2020, July 23 |
| 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 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 161.9 x 73.7 x 7.8 mm (6.37 x 2.90 x 0.31 in) | 171 x 78 x 9.9 mm (6.73 x 3.07 x 0.39 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 186 g (6.56 oz) | 240 g (8.47 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | - | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~525 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~391 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 108.0 cm2 (~90.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.59 inches, 106.6 cm2 (~79.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (peak) | AMOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+, 650 nits (typ) |
| 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 (1x3.10 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 12, ROG UI |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | - | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | LED 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 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, f/1.0, (depth) | 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.73", 0.8µm, PDAF 13 MP, f/2.4, 11mm, 125˚ (ultrawide) 5 MP (macro) |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@480fps; gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | Panorama, HDR |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF | 24 MP, f/2.0, 27mm (wide), 0.9µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with DTS:X stereo speakers (2 dedicated amplifiers) |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.1, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1 (side), USB Type-C 2.0 (bottom), OTG, accessory connector |
| 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 |
| 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, PD3.0, QC4 10W reverse wired |
| Type | Li-Ion 4500 mAh | Li-Po 6000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Cosmic Black, Cosmic Grey, Cloud Blue, Cloud White, Aura Red, Aura Blue | Black Glare |
| Models | SM-G985, SM-G985F, SM-G985F/DS | ASUS_I003D, ZS661KS, I003DD, I003D |
| Price | € 299.97 / $ 189.60 / £ 234.21 | About 650 EUR |
| SAR | 0.72 W/kg (head) 1.03 W/kg (body) | 0.74 W/kg (head) 1.50 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.38 W/kg (head) 1.57 W/kg (body) | - |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 8GB RAM | $ 400.90 | - |
| RENEWED | $ 288.00 | - |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 87h | Endurance rating 120h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -24.4 LUFS (Very good) | -23.1 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 500114 (v8) GeekBench: 2703 (v5.1) GFXBench: 42fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 621932 (v8) GeekBench: 13306 (v4.4), 3386 (v5.1) GFXBench: 48fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy S20+
- Brighter display for outdoor visibility
- More compact and pocketable design
- Versatile camera system with Samsung’s image processing
- Lower battery endurance compared to ROG Phone 3
- Performance varies significantly by region (Exynos vs. Snapdragon)
- Can experience thermal throttling under sustained load
Asus ROG Phone 3
- Superior gaming performance with Snapdragon 865+
- Exceptional battery life for extended gaming sessions
- Faster charging speeds (30W wired)
- Larger and heavier form factor
- Camera system is secondary to gaming features
- Less refined overall design aesthetic
Display Comparison
Both the S20+ and ROG Phone 3 feature 'Infinite' contrast ratio displays, typical of OLED panels. However, the S20+ boasts a measured peak brightness of 797 nits, exceeding the ROG Phone 3’s 719 nits, making it more visible in direct sunlight. While both offer excellent viewing experiences, the S20+'s higher brightness provides a slight advantage in outdoor scenarios. Neither device specifies refresh rate, but the ROG Phone 3 is known to support higher refresh rates for gaming, a feature not explicitly stated for the S20+.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer capable photo and video recording, but their approaches differ. While detailed sensor information is missing, the ROG Phone 3’s camera system is generally considered secondary to its gaming features. The S20+ likely offers a more refined and versatile camera experience, benefiting from Samsung’s image processing expertise. The inclusion of a 2MP macro camera on the S20+ is largely inconsequential, offering limited practical benefit over the main sensor. The ROG Phone 3’s camera is adequate for casual use, but doesn’t compete with the S20+ in terms of overall image quality and feature set.
Performance
The ROG Phone 3’s Snapdragon 865+ (7nm+) chipset, with its slightly higher clocked Cortex-A77 prime core (3.10 GHz vs 2.84 GHz in the US S20+ or 2.73 GHz globally), delivers a noticeable performance edge over the S20+'s Exynos 990 (7nm+) or Snapdragon 865. This translates to smoother frame rates and faster loading times in demanding games. The ROG Phone 3’s superior thermal design, crucial for sustained performance, further amplifies this advantage, mitigating throttling during prolonged gaming sessions. The S20+'s performance varies significantly based on region, with the Snapdragon variant offering better efficiency than the Exynos version.
Battery Life
The ROG Phone 3’s 120h endurance rating significantly surpasses the S20+'s 87h, a testament to its larger battery capacity and the power efficiency of the Snapdragon 865+. While the S20+ supports 25W wired charging with PD3.0 and 15W wireless charging, the ROG Phone 3 offers faster 30W wired charging with PD3.0 and QC4, reducing recharge times. The ROG Phone 3 also includes 10W reverse wired charging, a feature the S20+ matches with 4.5W reverse wireless charging, though the ROG Phone 3’s wired option is faster.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S20+ if you need a well-rounded flagship experience with a more manageable size, a capable camera for everyday photography, and a sleek, premium design. Buy the Asus ROG Phone 3 if you prioritize extended gaming sessions, demand the highest possible performance in mobile titles, and value a massive battery that can last through a full day of intense use.