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Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra: Worth A Buy In 2022?
Is the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra worth buying in 2022? Let’s investigate the PROS and CONS…
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is now two years old (nearly) and came out before 2021’s Galaxy S21 series. When the Galaxy S22 launches, the phone will be two years old. In phone years, that’s quite a while. But is this older flagship worth buying in 2022? I think it is – here’s why.
Modern phones, especially flagships like Samsung’s Galaxy S20 Ultra, have more specs and power than you’ll ever need. The power these phones possess is truly amazing. Most of us never even use 20% of their potential processing power. It just sits in the background, never being fully challenged.
The idea that you NEED to buy the latest phone every year is one of the biggest cons in the phone space. Sure, you might get access to some new features and quirks but the days of massive leaps in performance/features between ranges are over. And it has been for some time now.
You DO NOT Need A New Phone – Seriously
Take Apple’s iPhone. The iPhone 11 Pro Max – the phone I am currently using – now costs less than $500. It lacks 5G, which is annoying, but for everything else, it is still a near-perfect phone, even in 2022. And with Apple’s software support being the way it is, I expect I could run this phone well into the mid-to-late 2020s.
With Samsung phones, things are slightly different. Samsung offers three years’ worth of Android updates on its phones; that’s pretty good for an Android phone but it still pales in comparison to what you get with an iPhone. But with an Android phone, once the phone is no longer officially supported, you can add in a custom ROM and use that instead.
Plus, if you buy an older iPhone or the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra refurbished, you’re cutting done on waste, not contributing to the production and proliferation of new phones. I’ve been using refurbished phones for years now; they’re cheaper, it is less wasteful, and they look and function as good as new (and cost considerably less than a new one).
Is The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Worth Buying In 2022?
On the face of things, buying a Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra in 2022 makes a lot of sense. The phone is still incredibly powerful, it has an amazing camera and brilliant battery life. It has 5G and, of course, SD support. And it is now considerably cheaper than a base model Galaxy S21. For this reason, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is great value for money in 2022.
Think about it: it has all the things you need – 5G, an OLED display, masses of processing power, great design – and a few things you can no longer get on Samsung’s newer Galaxy S phones like SD support. But the best part is that you can now get access to all this for the price of a mid-range Android phone – around $400/£400.
With its killer design, SD-support, and 5G connectivity, as well as its insane specs and gorgeous OLED display, the Galaxy S20 Ultra is still a brilliant buy in 2022, especially since it can now be had for better than half the price it launched at…
This means, with a bit of credit or saving, you can buy the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra outright, not have to get an expensive contract, and pick and choose where you get your data from. I use Mint Mobile when I’m in the USA, its unlimited plan is just $30 a month, and Three when I’m in the UK – its unlimited plan starts from just £20 a month.
Galaxy S20 Ultra vs Galaxy S21 Ultra
Is the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra better than the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra? No, the S21 Ultra is newer, so it has improved specs and camera performance but the important thing to keep in mind here is the degree of improvement – it’s not as big a difference as you might imagine.
With processing power, the difference is negligible with respect to most real-world tasks, and with the camera, you’d have to be a professional to spot the difference between the two phone’s images and video output. The idea of “better” isn’t always as “big” as big tech marketing departments would lead you to believe.
What you have to remember is that Samsung – and Apple and every other phone maker – likes to make a huge song and dance about “new features” and “upgrades” but these updates are usually very conservative – we’re talking 10% to 20% improvements over the outgoing models.
And given the price discrepancy between the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (the S20 is WAY cheaper), this is a significant thing to keep in mind whenever you’re looking at buying a new phone. I figured this out years ago; it is why, since around 2015, I have ALWAYS bought refurbished models of older flagships, usually iPhones because they last longer.
Is The Galaxy S20 Ultra Worth It Then?
If you’re in the market for a new Samsung phone but you’re also looking to tighten your belt in 2022, as you should be – things are going to get rather hectic this year – then going with an older flagship model like the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra makes a lot of sense. You’ll get all the features and performance you need, just at a fraction of the cost.
On top of this, you will not be locked into a contract because, with either a credit card or your savings, you can buy the phone outright – $400/£400 is a lot more doable than $1200/£1300 for a brand new Galaxy S21 Ultra or the incoming Galaxy S22 Ultra. Paying less for your data per month will save you hundreds in cash every year.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is also fairly future-proofed as well. It has 5G, it has a massively powerful processor, the camera module is insanely good, and it has rock-solid battery life. And when Samsung stops supporting it, you can just flash it with a custom ROM and continue using it until the battery dies (usually about six years after purchase).
If you’re looking to get out from under massive monthly phone bills, have the ability to pick and choose where you get your data from, and own your phone outright, going with a perfectly functional, older flagship like the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is one of the best things you can do when the time comes to upgrade.
With its killer design, SD-support, and 5G connectivity, as well as its insane specs and gorgeous OLED display, the Galaxy S20 Ultra is still a brilliant buy in 2022, especially since it can now be had for better than half the price it launched at…
Or, if you don’t want a Samsung phone, go with something like the iPhone 11 Pro Max – like the S20 Ultra it is still monumentally potent.