Samsung Galaxy M20, analysis with features, test and opinion

Although it seems that Xiaomi has "eaten" the mid-range, the truth is that manufacturers like Samsung or Huawei continue to have a large audience. Still, both the Korean and Chinese manufacturers have realized that they must put all the meat on the grill if they do not want to lose market share. And it seems that Samsung has done it with the Samsung Galaxy M20, a mobile that has very interesting features and a price of 230 euros .

The Samsung Galaxy M20 has a 6.3-inch screen, an eight-core processor, 4 GB of RAM, a double rear camera and a huge 5,000 milliamp battery. All this together with Android 8.1, fast charging and a beautiful design. That is, we are facing one of those terminals that is very easy to recommend for those looking for an effective and cheap mobile . I have had the opportunity to spend a few weeks with the Galaxy M20 and I am going to tell you how it works and what I think.

Data sheet Samsung Galaxy M20

Infinite display, but notched

The almost elimination of the front frames has allowed us to have large screens this year on almost any mobile. Even the cheapest models are above 6 inches. And the Samsung Galaxy M20 is no exception.

It is equipped with a 6.3-inch panel with a FHD + resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 pixels . The screen is 19.5: 9 format, as it has a small notch at the top. This one is shaped like a drop and the truth is that it is quite discreet. Of course, through the software we will not be able to hide it as it happens with other devices.

At the bottom of the screen we have a black frame of a few millimeters. And on the sides we also have frames, although very narrow. In addition, with respect to the higher-end models, we also lose the OLED technology . It is logical, since we are facing a low cost terminal.

Despite this, the screen looks pretty good . It has good color reproduction and a very high gloss. The only but I can put it is that, outdoors, it reflects excessively.

Discreet but elegant rear

As for the rest of the design, the back cover is glass (or at least it looks like it) and has a simple design. The fingerprint reader is placed in the central part and very well integrated. However, its operation is not as accurate as it should be . More than once I have had to place my finger several times to unlock the mobile.

The camera, for its part, is located in the upper left and in a vertical position. In addition, it is practically flush with the case , something that is appreciated.

For the rest, on the right side we have the power and volume buttons. And on the left the card tray. Finally, we have the connectors placed at the bottom. Specifically, it has a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a Type-C USB port for charging .

In short, and in my opinion, a beautiful and effective design for a very low cost terminal . It cannot be compared with the top models, but the mobile is quite attractive.

Correct power

When you buy a mid-range mobile you are always afraid that your technical team is not up to the task. Although, honestly, today that this happens is less likely.

In fact, the presence of manufacturers like Xiaomi has meant that other more “classic” ones , like Samsung, have had to raise the technical level of their mid-range models. A great example is this Samsung Galaxy M20, which is equipped with an Exynos 7904 processor . It is a chip with eight cores, two Cortex A-73 running at 1.8 GHz and six Cortex A-53 running at 1.6 GHz.

Accompanying this processor we have 4 GB of RAM , a very interesting amount. In addition, it also includes 64 GB of internal storage , which we can expand using a MicroSD card of up to 512 GB.

Of course, it is not a processor that will break records in the tests, but it works perfectly. It is a little below the Snapdragon 660 in performance, but during the days that I have used the mobile I have not had any problems . There have been no jerks, no stops in any of the usual applications.

I have also been able to play titles with high graphic content without problems , such as Shadow Fight 3. And, of course, total fluency when it comes to moving through much less demanding menus and applications.

Modest, but decisive cameras

When we analyze a mobile of just over 200 euros, what we ask of its cameras is that they be correct, little more. The Samsung Galaxy M20 has a dual sensor system on the rear. On the one hand we have the main sensor , which offers a resolution of 13 megapixels with aperture f / 1.9 .

As for the secondary sensor, it is an ultra wide angle with a resolution of 5 megapixels and aperture f / 2.2 . As we have already seen in other terminals, the wide-angle sensor offers us a different point of view of the scene.

If we look at the quality of the images, in good light we will obtain a good result . The main sensor offers an interesting dynamic range in more complex scenes, as well as good definition. We also have a more than acceptable quality in the wide-angle sensor, as long as the lighting conditions are good.

At night, or when we have little light, things get complicated. We lose quite a bit of quality, especially with the ultra-wide sensor. We can use both sensors, but we should not expect great image quality.

The Samsung Galaxy M20 has Portrait Mode, which is applied through Samsung's well-known dynamic blur . The result is good, with a fairly acceptable crop even when we lose some light.

We also have Portrait Mode on the front camera , which offers a resolution of 8 megapixels and f / 2.0 aperture . This time I have seen a more pronounced problem in some areas, such as the always complicated hair.

And as for the video, the M20 offers us the possibility of recording with FHD resolution at 30fps . It is worth noting that both cameras have the HDR function in photo, which we can leave in automatic so that it jumps when necessary. It works quite well and gives photos a more interesting look .

Simple Camera app

I always like to do a little review of the Camera application of the mobiles that I test. The one in the Samsung Galaxy M20 I cannot say that it is the most complete I have tried, but it is very easy to use.

Camera application Automatic mode

With the mobile horizontally, we have the shutter release button and the button to start video recording in the far right part. After them we will see a series of vertical icons that give us access to the passage to the front camera, activation of the filters, activate the flash, place the full screen and enter settings.

If we continue to the left we have a small icon to switch between the main lens and the ultra wide angle . Finally, at the left end of the screen we have the different modes offered by the device.

Dynamic Focus Mode

The Galaxy M20 has seven different modes : automatic, burst, stickers, dynamic focus (portrait mode), beauty, pro (manual mode) and panorama. Of all of them, it is worth highlighting the Dynamic Focus mode, which is what Samsung calls the usual portrait mode.

When entering the Dynamic Focus mode, the camera will warn us that we must focus a camera at a distance of one meter. In addition, in the upper right part of the main screen we will have a small icon with which we can adjust the color and tone of the skin. And in case you're wondering, Portrait mode doesn't work with objects .

Pro mode

I also want to highlight the Pro mode, which would come to be Samsung's Manual mode. It is less complete than that of other devices, but it allows us to change the white balance, ISO and exposure .

For the rest, we have a multitude of options for creatives, such as stickers and a large number of filters to apply to our photographs. And in settings we can activate some interesting options, such as the possibility of taking a selfie with the palm of the hand , an option that I have always liked a lot about Samsung phones.

Photo gallery made with the Samsung Galaxy M20

Battery to spare for the whole day

Another of the strengths of the Samsung Galaxy M20 is its autonomy. It is equipped with a 5,000 milliamp battery that performs really well. After regular use of the device, understanding as such taking some photos, listening to some music and many social networks and browsing, it has reached 24 hours with still a 50% charge available .

In addition, despite being a low-cost terminal, Samsung has incorporated fast charging technology with a 15W charger . It is not the fastest on the market, but it is certainly appreciated in a terminal with a contained price.

Conclusions and price

We come to the end of the analysis and we have to draw conclusions. After taking it with me for several weeks, I can tell you that the Samsung Galaxy M20 is a very easy mobile to recommend . It is an almost perfect terminal for the price it has.

It has a large screen (something I love) and it performs quite well. It has a more than correct design and the drop-shaped notch is more elegant than I imagined.

As for brute force, as I mentioned I have been able to use any application without any problem. And in the photographic section, it does not stand out but it does not become a problem either. Where it does stand out is in autonomy, since its great battery is noticeable. If we do not use it much it can reach two full days. In short, we could say that we are facing a very balanced terminal.

The Samsung Galaxy M20 is already on sale in Spain with an official price of 230 euros . I can say, without fear of being wrong, that we are facing a tough rival for terminals like the Redmi Note 7.