Samsung Galaxy S20+ vs. OnePlus 8 Pro: Which Flagship Still Reigns Supreme?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing battery life and faster charging, the OnePlus 8 Pro is the clear winner. Its Snapdragon 865 chipset delivers consistent performance, and its 30W wired and wireless charging significantly outpaces the S20+. However, the S20+ remains a viable option for those seeking a more compact form factor at an even lower price point.
| 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 | 161.9 x 73.7 x 7.8 mm (6.37 x 2.90 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 | 186 g (6.56 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 (~525 ppi density) | 1440 x 3168 pixels (~513 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 108.0 cm2 (~90.5% 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 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, f/1.0, (depth) | - |
| 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 4500 mAh | Li-Po 4510 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Cosmic Black, Cosmic Grey, Cloud Blue, Cloud White, Aura Red, Aura Blue | Glacial Green, Ultramarine Blue, Onyx Black |
| Models | SM-G985, SM-G985F, SM-G985F/DS | IN2023, IN2020, IN2021, IN2025 |
| Price | € 299.97 / $ 189.60 / £ 234.21 | About 310 EUR |
| SAR | 0.72 W/kg (head) 1.03 W/kg (body) | - |
| SAR EU | 0.38 W/kg (head) 1.57 W/kg (body) | - |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 8GB RAM | $ 400.90 | $ 428.39 |
| 256GB 12GB RAM | - | $ 853.51 |
| RENEWED | $ 288.00 | $ 486.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 87h | Endurance rating 103h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -24.4 LUFS (Very good) | -23.5 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 500114 (v8) GeekBench: 2703 (v5.1) GFXBench: 42fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 573276 (v8) GeekBench: 3374 (v5.1) GFXBench: 24fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy S20+
- More compact design for easier one-handed use.
- Potentially lower price point, especially for base configurations.
- 8K video recording capability.
- Exynos chipset can suffer from thermal throttling.
- Slower charging speeds (wired and wireless).
- Shorter battery life compared to the OnePlus 8 Pro.
OnePlus 8 Pro
- Consistent performance with Snapdragon 865.
- Faster charging speeds (wired and wireless).
- Longer battery life for all-day use.
- Larger size may be less comfortable for some users.
- Higher initial price point (though decreasing).
- Color science leans towards a more natural look, which some may prefer less.
Display Comparison
Both the Galaxy S20+ and OnePlus 8 Pro boast 'Infinite' contrast ratios, typical of high-end AMOLED panels. However, the S20+ achieves a measured peak brightness of 797 nits, while the OnePlus 8 Pro’s brightness isn’t specified, but is likely comparable. Both feature 120Hz refresh rates, but the OnePlus 8 Pro’s implementation is generally considered smoother due to its adaptive refresh rate technology. The S20+’s smaller 6.7-inch display versus the 8 Pro’s 6.78-inch screen offers a slightly higher pixel density, potentially resulting in marginally sharper visuals, though this difference is subtle to the naked eye.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer versatile camera systems, but differ in their approach. While both are capable of excellent photo and video, the OnePlus 8 Pro’s camera system benefits from a larger main sensor and a dedicated color filter camera for improved color accuracy. The S20+’s camera processing tends towards more saturated colors, while the 8 Pro aims for a more natural look. Both phones offer capable video recording, but the S20+’s 8K video recording capability is a notable advantage, though its practical use is limited by storage and editing requirements. The inclusion of a 2MP macro camera on both devices is largely a marketing gimmick, offering minimal benefit over standard close-up shots.
Performance
The core performance difference lies in the chipset. The OnePlus 8 Pro exclusively ships with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G (7nm+), featuring an Octa-core CPU (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55). The Galaxy S20+, however, utilizes either the Exynos 990 (7nm+) globally or the Snapdragon 865 in the USA. The Exynos 990, with its Mongoose M5 cores, historically exhibited more thermal throttling under sustained load compared to the Snapdragon 865. Both phones feature 8GB or 12GB of RAM, but the OnePlus 8 Pro’s 12GB configuration is more readily available, providing a slight edge in multitasking. The Snapdragon 865’s more efficient architecture translates to better sustained performance and potentially longer gaming sessions.
Battery Life
The OnePlus 8 Pro boasts a significant advantage in battery endurance, achieving a 103-hour rating compared to the S20+'s 87-hour rating. This is coupled with significantly faster charging: the 8 Pro supports 30W wired charging (50% in 23 minutes) and 30W wireless charging (50% in 30 minutes), while the S20+ maxes out at 25W wired and 15W wireless. The 8 Pro also offers 3W reverse wireless charging, while the S20+ provides 4.5W. This means the OnePlus 8 Pro can be topped up much quicker and offers more convenient wireless charging options.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S20+ if you prioritize a slightly more compact design and are comfortable with the potential for regional chipset variations. It's ideal for users who don't heavily rely on wireless charging or demand the absolute longest battery life. Buy the OnePlus 8 Pro if you value consistent performance thanks to the Snapdragon 865, faster charging speeds (both wired and wireless), and a larger battery capacity, making it perfect for power users and those who frequently travel.