Buying a refurbished Samsung Galaxy S20 sounds impressive and cost-effective. But it can also be one of the biggest bummer. Therefore, it would help you to know what to expect from a refurbished S20.
This is what this article is aiming to do. I want to provide you with all the information that you need in order to make the right choice.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Overview
Samsung is a global phone manufacturing company that is lauded as one of the best in the industry. The brand has successfully managed to break several sales records with its Galaxy S lineup.
The lineup represents the best that Samsung has to offer. As a result, it is often seen as a direct competitor of the iPhone series. Samsung Galaxy S20 is a part of that lineage and represents it beautifully.
The phone was unveiled at a Samsung event held in September 2020. As a result, it sits at a beautiful time period, which the refurbished market is looking to bank upon. As per current data, a refurbished Samsung Galaxy S20.
Release History
The Samsung S20 series was released back in 2020. Since then, technology has grown by leaps and bounds. However, these phones come with some fantastic features that allow them to be some of the best of Samsung.
The S20 series consists of the standard S20, S20+, S20 Ultra and S20 FE. Each of these phones is different from its predecessor. As a result, we at TND believe that the S20 series was Samsung’s most diverse generation.
Some of the critical updates over its predecessor S10 include a better refresh rate, improved camera system, 8K video support, etc.
Therefore, you can expect to see your refurbished Samsung Galaxy S20 come with some advanced features that are still unparalleled to this day.
Technicalities
Technicalities matter a lot when it comes to buying a new phone. In fact, technicalities should be one of the last deciding factors when purchasing a gadget.
As a result, we at TND have decided to include all the essential technical details that every potential customer needs to know.
This section will deal with points like design, Chipset, display, storage batteries, camera, etc. Therefore, going through this section will actually help you to understand what the refurbished Samsung Galaxy S20 series has in store for you.
With that note, let us dive right in.
Design
Design is one of the most essential and first points that you need to know about. In fact, the design is the very first thing that you will notice about these phones. Hence, it is only natural to start with that.
Samsung did several things differently, as well as retained some of the design language of its predecessor. As soon as you lay your eyes on this phone, you will see that it bears a stark resemblance to Galaxy Note 10.
The front of the phone comes with an O-Infinity display with a small notch for the front camera. As a result, the design language of the front of the phone is similar to the latter Samsung Galaxy S phones.
However, Samsung decided to create an offset back camera array like Google Pixel and iPhones. The body pof the phone is a combination of plastic and Gorilla glass. As a result, the phone seems stylish and in tune with Samsung’s modern design language.
Samsung knows its customers. As a result, the company released the phone in different hies like Cloud Pink, Cloud White, Cloud Blue, Cosmic Grey, etc.
However, you may not get access to all the color options since you will be buying this phone in a refurbished format.
All in all, the design of the phone is well-curated and gives the look and feel of a premium phone. In fact, even if you buy a refurbished Samsung Galaxy S20, most people would mistake it for a new phone due to its design language and choices.
Chipset
The next most important and prominent aspect that needs to be discussed is the Chipset. The Chipset is an essential aspect as it works like the brain and heart of a phone. Therefore, it would be criminal to skip this aspect.
The Galaxy S series has always been the most prominent series of Samsung. As a result, the brand was not willing to let go of its legacy. As a result, the brand released the S20 series with the best Chipset of that generation.
The S20 lineup consists of three prominent phones with varied specifications. However, the brand decided to use Exynos 990 system-on-chip for its international models.
Meanwhile, using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset for its Asian market.
Display
The display is arguably the most critical component of any modern cell phone. This is primarily because the display is the primary means of interacting with the device.
Apart from the S20 FE variant, every other variant comes with a 1440p Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen that features HDR10+ support.
Meanwhile, the FE variant comes with a 1080p Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen that features HDR10+ support. Therefore, you can expect your phone to handle most HD videos that you throw at them.
Even though the specifications are similar across the board, there were some differences in the screen size and specifications.
Storage
Samsung understands the importance of storage options. As a result, the brand has made a point to include various options when it comes to overall storage.
Given the total number of different variants that the company sold, it will be easier to know about them in a table format.
Here is a detailed rundown of all the different variants that the company sold to its consumers.
Model | RAM | Storage |
Galaxy S20 | 8 GB, 12 GB | 128 GB |
Galaxy S20+ | 8 GB, 12 GB | 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB |
Galaxy S20 Ultra | 12 GB, 16 GB | 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB |
Galaxy S20 FE | 6 GB, 8 GB | 128 GB, 256 GB |
Batteries
Before starting with this section, let us clarify something straightforward. Batteries are the fastest depreciating assets of phones.
Several studies suggest that batteries tend to lose around 40% of their life essence in the very first year of usage. Therefore, whatever figures that we would discuss in this section should be taken with a grain of salt.
The brand made a point to add a different battery unit for each phone. Like for example, the S20 comes with a 4000 mAh battery, the S20 FE comes with a 4500 mAh battery, the S20+ comes with a 4500, and the S20 Ultra comes with a whopping 5000 mAh Li-ion battery.
All the variants are compatible with the fast charging mechanics. In fact, this device can even use its battery power to charge phones, which features unique QI inductive charging.
Connectivity
Connectivity becomes a massive issue for customers who buy refurbished phones. It is widespread for older devices to drop connections and lose networks.
However, refurbished Samsung Galaxy S20 devices are immune to such problems.
S20 was one of the first series by the brand to support 5g network accessibility. Therefore, expect your refurbished Samsung Galaxy S20 device to take advantage of the latest network features easily.
The specialized Verizon variants of the device can also feature higher speeds. Therefore, you will be included when it comes to the overall connectivity.
Cameras
As a general trend, it is observed that most companies go above and beyond when it comes to the proper camera setup.
Luckily, Samsung was one of those brands and decided to include some really unique features in their camera setup.
Here is a detailed rundown of some of the standalone features that the brand included with its S20 lineup of phones:
Components | S20 FE | S20 | S20+ | S20 Ultra |
Wide | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26 mm, 1/1.76″, DPAF, OIS | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26 mm, 1/1.76″, DPAF, OIS | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26 mm, 1/1.76″, DPAF, OIS | 108 MP, f/1.8, 26 mm, 1/1.33″, PDAF, OIS |
Ultrawide | 12 MP, f/2.2, 15 mm, 1/3.1″, Fixed Focus | 12 MP, f/2.2, 13 mm, 1/2.55″, Fixed Focus | 12 MP, f/2.2, 13 mm, 1/2.55″, Fixed Focus | 12 MP, f/2.2, 13 mm, 1/2.55″, Fixed Focus |
Telephoto | 8 MP, f/2.4, 76 mm, 1/4.5″, PDAF, OIS (3x zoom) | 64 MP, f/2.0, 29 mm, 1/1.72″, PDAF, OIS (1.1x zoom) | 64 MP, f/2.0, 29 mm, 1/1.72″, PDAF, OIS (1.1x zoom) | 48 MP, f/3.5, 103 mm, 1/2″, PDAF, OIS (4x zoom) |
ToF | – | – | (640 x 480) 307.2 KP | (640 x 480) 307.2 KP |
Front | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26 mm, 1/2.74″, Fixed Focus | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26 mm, 1/3.24″, DPAF | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26 mm, 1/3.24″, DPAF | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26 mm, 1/2.8″, PDAF |
Software
A phone is just a hunk of metal if it needs the right software. Luckily, Samsung understood the assignment and decided to include the best Android OS of its generation. This OS is well-optimized to run the device with ease.
The phone also comes with a custom One UI 2.1 Skin pack that revamps the whole look and feel of the User Interface. This might not add to the overall performance score, but it is noteworthy and should be mentioned.
As of now, most Samsung Galaxy S20 runs on One UI 5 and Android 13. Therefore, check your refurbished Samsung Galaxy S20 and determine that it comes with the right software.
Special Mention: Samsung Galaxy S20 Tactical Edition
Apart from the variants mentioned above, Samsung decided to release another particular edition variant known as the Samsung Galaxy S20 Tactical Edition. This is one of the most unique smartphone variants in the industry.
This device features most of the specifications that we see in its counterparts. However, it comes with some added features that make this phone perfect for the security forces.
The phone comes with features like night visions, stealth mode, drone feeds, laser range finders, etc.
However, this was a military project and was not released in a commercial format. As a result, you cannot buy this variant if you are looking to buy a refurbished Samsung Galaxy S20 device.
Common Refurbished Samsung Galaxy S20 Problems
Samsung Galaxy S20 is a well-designed phone that comes with some unique features and user reviews. However, it could be a better phone.
There are several small details about the phone that set it apart from most other phones of the same price point. But it also comes with its fair share of problems and drawbacks.
Here are some of the most prominent problems that you might face while using a refurbished Samsung Galaxy S20.
Push Notification: One of the most common problems that people face is delayed and problematic push notifications.
This is due to aggressive power management array integration. However, the only way to fix this is to reset the phone hard.
Refresh Rate: All variants of Samsung Galaxy S20 come with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. However, in some cases, users claim that their refurbished Samsung Galaxy S20 tends to have varied refresh rates. This will not affect your usage, but it can be annoying to watch videos.
Smart Unlock: Smart unlock is one of the most common features that every phone brand is looking to provide with their phones.
However, intelligent unlocking features could be better as they are still under development. Therefore, expect some smart unlocking problems whenever you decide to use a refurbished Samsung Galaxy S20.
The Final Thought
In the end, we at TND suggest you guys go for a refurbished Samsung Galaxy S20. It would offer you the best of both worlds.
The phone would help you stay in touch with the latest technological advancements, and it would be easier on your pockets.
Therefore, you should take advantage of a refurbished Samsung Galaxy S20. Keep following our page for more such content.
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