Best Samsung Galaxy S20 deals January 2023

While Apple has a chunky market share in the smartphone arena, the iPhone isn’t for everyone.

The Samsung Galaxy S20 is a popular Android alternative with many attractive features and affordable tariffs.  Moreover, now the Samsung Galaxy 21 has now had time to bed into the market, you may be in line for a good deal.

Here’s what you need to know.

What does the Galaxy S20 phone offer?

The Samsung Galaxy S20 handset, first launched in March 2020, is fitted with a 6.2-inch screen, a powerful processor (Exynos 990), 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

It also has a triple-camera system on the back. There’s a 64 MP telephoto camera, 10 MP front camera and 12 MP wide camera as well as 30x space zoom.

It has a powerful battery (see below) and supports fast wireless charging. There’s an in-screen fingerprint sensor included, and last but not least, comes with 5G connectivity so you can stream and download lag-free.

How long does the Galaxy S20 battery last?

Samsung says the 4,000mAh battery in its Galaxy S20 will give you up to 20 hours’ talk time, up to 15 hours’ internet use over wifi or 14 hours’ internet use over 4G.

Does the Samsung Galaxy S20 have a headphone port?

Yes, but not for your average 3.5mm headphone jack. It uses a USB-C connection, which means you need to use an adapter or pair wireless headphones via Bluetooth. The Galaxy S20 comes with earbud headphones included that use a USB-C connector.

What about a micro SD port?

The Samsung Galaxy S20 was the last generation of the handset line to feature an SD port, which means its storage can be expanded with an external memory card. The Galaxy S21 does not have an SD card slot.

What colours does  the Samsung Galaxy S20 come in?

The Samsung Galaxy S20 is available in Cosmic Grey, Cloud Blue, Cloud Pink and Cloud White.

What tariffs are available for the Samsung Galaxy S20 range?

There are plenty of mainstream market tariffs to choose from. You can consider a contract where the cost of the device is built into the monthly charge, wrapped up with service fees for data, calls and texts.

Alternatively you can opt for SIM only – a simple contract that buys you a bundle of minutes for calls, texts and a data allowance. However, going down this route means you need to have your own handset.

Contract phones for the Galaxy S20

There are plenty of tariffs on offer from the usual suspects including EE, giffgaff, O2, Virgin Media, Sky and Three. The contracts are varied and typically range from 12 to 36 months.

Monthly charges start from around £34 and go all the way up to around £50.

While as a rule of thumb, the more you spend, the bigger your data allowance and the more call minutes and texts you get, it pays to shop around to make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck.

And watch out for the contract phones that come with an upfront fee on top of the monthly one – it can be anything from £4.99 to £199.99. This can significantly bump up the overall cost of a deal.

SIM-only deals for the Galaxy S20

Many phone users prefer the simplicity that comes with a SIM-only deal. Managing your money is hassle-free as you have one fixed payment each month to make, made automatically by direct debit.

It also works well if you can get a good deal on a handset either finding a brand new one discounted or even a refurbished model.

The cheapest SIM-only deals start at around £5 a month.Part of the attraction of SIM-only deals is the flexibility. While they do come with a contract, some are as little as 30 days.

As with any other deal, the more you spend, the more data you get and more calls you can make. So while a deal that costs £5 a month might get you 2GB of data, you can get 18GB of internet for a month for £10. And bear in mind that also that deals change over time.

SIM-only plans can be even more cost-efficient if you pay for mobile phones for others in your household as some networks offer discounts if you have multiple SIM-only contracts.

SIM-only also works well if your credit history is not perfect. The criteria you’ll have to meet for a SIM-only contract isn’t as comprehensive as a contract deal.

When it comes to buying your own handset it’s important as ever to shop around for the best deal.

A brand new handset comes with the security of a warranty and being the first user. For this, you’re looking at paying £650. There’s the option of buying second hand, though this comes with the risk of no buyer protection.

Which is better: Samsung Galaxy S20 or Samsung Galaxy S21?

Before you make your decision to buy a Samsung Galaxy S20, it’s natural to want need consider the more recent model, the Galaxy S21, which comes with newer technology.

However, it’s reductive to say that this makes the Galaxy S21 better than the Galaxy S20. For example, the S21 has a lower resolution display than the S20, albeit at a higher refresh rate of 120Hz versus the latter’s 60Hz.

The Galaxy S21 features incremental gains in processing power and camera technology, but it may not be enough to justify spending the extra cash when the S20 can be snatched up for less.

Elsewhere, the Galaxy S21 drops the S20’s micro SD slot, which means you can’t expand its storage with an external memory card.

The S21 does come with up to 256GB internal memory – twice that of the S20, but the missing card slot could be a deal breaker for some users who require as much storage as possible.

Ready to buy?

You can quickly and easily find what S20 phone deals work for you by using a price comparison service. It will trawl through the very latest top deals and present them in an orderly list – cheapest first.

Make sure you read through the small print for the deals that catch your eye and don’t automatically select the cheapest.

It can be a false economy if you rush in and realise at a later date the package isn’t right for you or if the overall cost is higher once you factor in upfront fees (in the case of contract phones).