Given the sheer number of devices it releases each year, finding the best Samsung phones can often be a challenge for most customers. It does not matter if you want a flagship or a budget device. Samsung offers many options for all prices.
To make it easier for you to find the one that best suits your needs, our expert reviewers have compiled this list of the best Samsung smartphones. We will explain exactly why a device made it to our list and give you links to their detailed reviews.
Our best Samsung phone list for August 2020
There’s a great mix of devices on our list for August 2020, helped by the launch of Samsung’s new Galaxy Note 20 series. We’ve also included some of the impressive mid-range and affordable models released this year.
Best Samsung Phone – Spec Monster: Galaxy S20 Ultra
Samsung made no joke when the word “Ultra” struck at the end of its top-of-the-line Galaxy S20 model. This is a spec monster in the true sense of the word. Samsung introduced its 108 megapixel camera with this device and introduced a periscope lens setup that allowed up to 100x hybrid zoom aka Space Zoom.
Featuring a massive 6.9-inch display, the $ 1,399 Galaxy S20 Ultra was one of the first Samsung devices to feature a 120Hz refresh rate panel. The chipset was paired with a maximum of 16GB RAM and 512GB internal storage. Samsung even throws a 40-megapixel camera in front for good size. The 5,000mAh battery is the largest on any Galaxy S family device yet.
Reasons to buy: Specs for days, exceptional battery life, great display and flashy fast performance.
Who should buy: Hardcore Samsung fans, serious mobile gamers, photography enthusiasts and those who just want the best of everything.
Galaxy S20 Ultra Review | Buy Galaxy S20 Ultra on Amazon
Best Samsung Phone – Productivity: Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
There is no question about it, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra tops our list as the best Samsung phone for productivity. Samsung has made a number of significant improvements to its latest flagship smartphone, most notably the S Pen upgrades. The S Pen latency has been lowered to 9ms to provide a fluid and natural experience with the stylus.
The 6.9-inch Galaxy Note 20 Ultra also comes with the latest in smartphone technology as well as 5G support. It happens to be the first Samsung smartphone with a dynamic display of 120Hz refresh rate. Samsung has also significantly improved the camera settings compared to its predecessor. There are several new software features and new camera modes that allow customers to get the most out of this $ 1,299 flagship.
Reasons to buy: Best display on a smartphone, wireless DeX, beautiful design, improved camera functionality and great battery life.
Who should buy: Customers who want the latest Samsung phones, power users, mobile gamers, vloggers and content creators.
Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Review | Buy Galaxy Note 20 Ultra on Amazon
Best Samsung Phone – Compact: Galaxy S10e
Do not be surprised to see a 2019 model on the list. Samsung’s decision to offer a compact flagship in the form of the Galaxy S10e was very well received. The handset closes curved displays for a flat panel and the finicky fingerprint sensor in-display for a side-mounted sensor. It retains Samsung’s signature metal and glass construction as well as the AMOLED display.
The 5.8-inch display is perfect for those who prefer a smaller smartphone. Such compact high-end devices are not many and far these days and not everyone wants a giant display. It also had best-in-class tech for 2019, making it a very compelling option a year later, as the Galaxy S10e can now be picked up at a significant discount for $ 549, even though it originally cost $ 749. With the Galaxy S10e to be among the devices from which Samsung will release three Android OS upgrades, it’s hard to beat the value proposition it offers in 2020.
Reasons to buy: Compact design, premium build, great performance and cameras, flat AMOLED display and a conventional fingerprint sensor.
Who should buy: Customers who prefer smaller handsets, who are looking to buy a rugged flagship without breaking the bank.
Galaxy S10e Review | Buy Galaxy S10e on Amazon
Best Samsung Phone – Foldable: Galaxy Z Flip
The Galaxy Z Flip is Samsung’s first refurbished smartphone for clamshell. It also happens to be the first with a foldable glass display. Samsung has received a lot of praise for the build quality and functionality of the device. The Galaxy Z Flip is in a league of its own.
The 6.7-inch Infinity Flex display falls in half rather satisfactorily, while the Hideaway Hinge enables excellent features like Flex Mode. With top-end specs, it is also no slouch and will be able to easily handle whatever you throw at it. The cameras do not really break new ground, but this handset was never intended to be a camera champion in the first place.
However, the $ 1,380 Galaxy Z Flip will far from occupy this position on our list of best Samsung smartphones. Samsung is coming out next month with the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and you can bet it will be an extraordinary device.
Reasons to buy: Exciting new form factor, stylish design, great performance and respectable battery life.
Who should buy: Customers who want to experience something new, fashionistas, hype beasts and influencers.
Galaxy Z Flip Review | Buy Galaxy Z Flip on Amazon
Best Samsung Phone – Mid-range: Galaxy A51
Samsung made several major improvements to the Galaxy A51, the successor to its hugely popular Galaxy A50, and they have paid off. The Galaxy A51 will remain one of the highly acclaimed Samsung mid-range smartphones by 2020. The build quality is nice and the 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display is seriously impressive.
There’s also plenty of power under the hood, with the $ 399 Galaxy A51 capable of delivering even the most intense of mobile games. The camera setting received a major upgrade and the Galaxy A51 is actually Samsung’s first smartphone with a macro camera. Despite its modern makeover, the Galaxy A51 has retained the 3.5mm headphone jack, which many consider to be crucial in a mid-range device.
Reasons to buy: Beautiful design, macro camera, excellent display, good game performance, 3.5 mm headphone jack.
Who should buy: Mobile gamers, photography buffs and customers looking for a reasonable upgrade of a budget device.
Galaxy A51 Review | Buy Galaxy A51 on Amazon
Best Samsung Phone – Budget: Galaxy A31
The Galaxy A31 is a great smartphone for customers on a budget. Despite being a budget handset, it has a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display, 128 GB of internal storage, a quad camera setup and a very impressive 5000mAh battery. However, the MediaTek Helio P65 chipset is not suitable for gaming, at least when it comes to resource-intensive games such as PUBG.
It’s otherwise a decent budget smartphone. The AMOLED display is one of its biggest selling points and so is the 5,000mAh battery. Camera performance is also decent, while the design and build quality are both respectable.
Reasons to buy: AMOLED display, good design, 5,000mAh battery, decent camera performance.
Who should buy: Customers on a tight budget and those who need a long battery life.
Galaxy A31 Review | Buy Galaxy A31 on Amazon
Why these are the best Samsung phones this month
Samsung’s strategy has long been to offer something for everyone. We now have one of Samsung’s most diverse smartphone lineups. You have an absolute spec king in the Galaxy S20 Ultra as far as you are on top. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is certainly one of the best Note devices yet from Samsung, as it builds on the feedback from the Note loyalists and delivers its improvements that they have long been asking for.
The Galaxy Z Flip is in a competition of its own when it comes to foldable smartphones. There is still no real successor to it on the market. It is also a refreshingly unique device, perfect for those who are fed up with the monotony of smartphone design. The Galaxy S10e may have been out for over a year, but it’s still a great value for the kind of specs it offers.
Samsung has capitalized on the popularity of the Galaxy A50 for the Galaxy A51 and made it a worthy successor. It is a solid competitor in the highly lucrative mid-range smartphone market. The Galaxy A51 does everything you would expect a device of its caliber to do without breaking a sweat. In the end, customers will not have much to complain about with the Galaxy A31. It’s incredibly clear in its purpose and therefore it’s worth it to be on this list.
