Vivo S20 Series In-Depth Review: A Head-to-Head Comparison with the S19 Series A New Benchmark for Offline Flagships?

Vivo S20 Series In-Depth Review: A Head-to-Head Comparison with the S19 Series A New Benchmark for Offline Flagships?Offline mobile phones have traditionally lagged behind their online counterparts in terms of hardware specifications, receiving less consumer attention and often relying on aesthetics to stand out. However, with intensifying market competition, new offline devices are demonstrating strong competitiveness, showing significant improvements in configuration, imaging, and battery life

Vivo S20 Series In-Depth Review: A Head-to-Head Comparison with the S19 Series A New Benchmark for Offline Flagships?

Offline mobile phones have traditionally lagged behind their online counterparts in terms of hardware specifications, receiving less consumer attention and often relying on aesthetics to stand out. However, with intensifying market competition, new offline devices are demonstrating strong competitiveness, showing significant improvements in configuration, imaging, and battery life. The newly released Vivo S20 series, a new offline flagship, is particularly noteworthy for its aggressive upgrades in specifications. This article will conduct an in-depth comparison between the Vivo S20 and S19 series, revealing the exciting improvements offered by the newer generation.

I. Exterior Design: Classic Heritage, Fresh Upgrades

The Vivo S series has always been known for its outstanding designs within the Vivo family. The Vivo S19 series, with its Chinese ink-wash jade-like greenish hue, won the hearts of many consumers. The Vivo S20 series introduces a new "Phoenix Feather Gold" colorway, continuing its design strengths.

In terms of the camera module, the Vivo S20 series maintains a similar design style to its predecessor, the S19 series, featuring a dual-camera setup paired with the S series' classic ring-shaped soft light. However, the S20 series features a significantly larger soft light, resulting in a more striking visual effect. Furthermore, the S20 series adopts a bright, metallic mid-frame with curved edges where the frame meets the back panel, enhancing the grip. The Vivo S19 series also boasts an excellent design and has always been considered a leader in aesthetics. In summary, the S20 series refines the classic design with detail upgrades, offering a more sophisticated visual and tactile experience.

II. Screen Quality: Higher Refresh Rate, More Eye-Protective Experience

The Vivo S20 standard edition features a 6.67-inch, 28001260 resolution BOE Q10 OLED straight screen, supporting a 120Hz refresh rate, 300Hz touch sampling rate, and 3840Hz high-frequency PWM dimming. It boasts a 10-bit color depth, delivering a smooth and detailed display while effectively reducing screen flicker to protect users' eyesight. The Pro version utilizes a similarly sized micro-curved screen with equal depth, enhancing visual appeal while maintaining functional characteristics. It also incorporates Schott's jointly developed Diamond Shield double-resistant glass, further enhancing screen durability.

The Vivo S19 series employs a 6.78-inch, 28001260 resolution OLED straight screen, supporting a 120Hz refresh rate, 300Hz touch sampling rate, 2000Hz instantaneous touch sampling rate, and 2160Hz high-frequency PWM dimming, also with 10-bit color depth. The screen specifications for the standard and Pro versions are largely consistent, with the main difference lying in the screen shape. In comparison, the Vivo S20 series features a higher frequency high-frequency PWM dimming, further improving eye protection.

III. Core Configuration: Flagship Processor, Significant Performance Improvement

Considering market trends, new generation devices typically upgrade their performance. The Vivo S20 standard edition, like the S19 standard edition, is equipped with the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor. However, the Vivo S20 Pro upgrades to the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ mobile platform, offering superior performance compared to the MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ processor used in the Vivo S19 Pro.

In terms of memory, the Vivo S20 standard edition still starts at 8GB of RAM, while the Pro version upgrades to 12GB of RAM. The performance improvement of the Vivo S20 Pro is particularly noticeable. While the Dimensity 9300+ might not surpass the Dimensity 9300 and Dimensity 9400, it remains an excellent choice for the Vivo S20 Pro's positioning.

IV. Imaging Capabilities: Comprehensive Upgrade of the Imaging System, Richer Details

The Vivo S20 series has undergone a comprehensive upgrade to its imaging system. The Vivo S20 standard edition features a 50MP Samsung S5KJN1 front sensor (1/2.76-inch), a 50MP OmniVision OV50E40 main rear camera (1/1.55-inch, OIS), and an 8MP OmniVision OV08D10 ultrawide-angle lens (1/4-inch), equipped with front studio-level wide-angle dual soft lights and rear studio-level soft light ring.

The Vivo S20 Pro features the same 50MP front camera, but the rear camera system is upgraded to a 50MP Sony IMX921 main camera (1/1.56-inch, OIS), a 50MP Samsung S5KJN1 ultrawide-angle lens (1/2.76-inch), and a 50MP Sony LYT-600 periscope telephoto lens (1/1.953-inch, 3x optical zoom), significantly enhancing imaging capabilities.

The Vivo S19 series' front camera is largely the same as the S20 series, but the rear cameras differ. The Vivo S19 standard edition features a 50MP Samsung S5KGNJ main camera (1/1.56-inch, OIS), and an 8MP OmniVision OV08D10 ultrawide-angle lens (1/4-inch), equipped with front wide-angle dual soft lights and a rear studio-level soft light ring. The Vivo S19 Pro features a 50MP Sony IMX921 main camera (1/1.56-inch, OIS), an 8MP OmniVision OV08D10 ultrawide-angle lens (1/4-inch), and a 50MP Sony IMX816 telephoto portrait lens (2x optical zoom, 1/2.93-inch).

In general, the Vivo S20 series shows significant improvements in ultrawide and telephoto lenses, with the Pro version even featuring a periscope telephoto lens, enhancing its long-range shooting capabilities.

V. Battery Life and Detail Features: Fast Charging Upgrade, More Powerful Functions

The Vivo S20 standard edition houses a 6500mAh ultra-thin Blue Sea battery (energy density 838Wh/L) with 90W fast charging; the Pro version has a 5500mAh battery, also supporting 90W fast charging. The Vivo S19 standard edition has a 6000mAh battery with 80W fast charging, while the Pro version has a 5500mAh battery with 80W fast charging. The S20 series boasts an upgrade in fast charging power.

In terms of features, the Vivo S20 Pro is equipped with stereo dual speakers, supporting Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 7, NFC, infrared remote control, short-focus fingerprint recognition, IP68 & IP69 dust and water resistance, and 3km-level off-grid communication. The standard version supports Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 6, NFC, infrared remote control, and short-focus fingerprint recognition, with IP64 dust and water resistance. The Pro version offers richer functionality, reflecting its flagship positioning.

VI. Conclusion: A New Benchmark for Offline Flagships

The comparison above demonstrates that the Vivo S20 series, compared to the Vivo S19 series, offers comprehensive upgrades and optimizations in exterior design, screen quality, core configuration, imaging capabilities, battery life, and detail features. This signifies a significant change in the offline mobile phone market, with offline flagship models evolving towards higher standards. The emergence of the Vivo S20 series undoubtedly sets a new benchmark for the offline mobile phone market. What are your thoughts on the overall performance of the Vivo S20 series? Share your opinions in the comments section.