Samsung Galaxy S20+ SM-G986UZKAXAA Cosmic Black 128GB

A $195 phone with a camera that belongs in a museum of modern marvels. The rest of the phone is fine, but that zoom lens is the only reason you need to buy it.

The Snapdragon 865 is a known quantity at this point, and it's solidly middle-of-the-pack in our performance rankings. It won't stutter through social media or YouTube, and 12GB of RAM means apps stay in memory without constant reloading. The real surprise is the camera. That 64MP telephoto with 30x zoom is a standout, delivering crisp shots that phones twice this price sometimes struggle with. It's not the fastest phone on the block for heavy gaming, but for the photo-focused user, the processing speed is more than adequate.

Stacked against a modern mid-ranger like the Google Pixel 10a, the S20+ gives you a bigger, nicer screen and a proper telephoto lens, but you'll lose out on software updates and that signature Pixel image processing. The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is flashier and newer, but its camera can't touch the S20+'s zoom capabilities. If you're considering a new foldable like the Motorola razr ultra 2025, you're in a completely different price bracket. The S20+ is the sensible choice for someone who wants a reliable slab phone with a killer camera for less than the cost of a nice dinner out.

For $195, this is a no-brainer if your priorities are a great screen and an even better camera. You're getting a flagship-tier camera system from a few years ago that still embarrasses most new mid-range phones. The performance and battery are just okay, but at this price, the camera alone justifies the purchase.

The Samsung Galaxy S20+ is a weirdly compelling buy in 2025, mostly because you can snag one for under $200. You're getting a gorgeous 6.7" Dynamic AMOLED screen, a camera system that still punches way above its weight, and 12GB of RAM. The Snapdragon 865 isn't going to set any speed records anymore, but for everyday scrolling, streaming, and snapping photos, it's still got plenty of life left. The real story here is the camera. It lands in the 94th percentile in our database, which is frankly ridiculous for a phone this old and this cheap. If you want a reliable daily driver with a fantastic screen and a telephoto lens that actually zooms, this is a steal.

If you need all-day battery life or want to play Genshin Impact on max settings, this isn't it. Go get a newer phone with a bigger battery and a more recent chip, like a OnePlus 12R. You'll pay more, but you won't be hunting for a charger by 7 PM.

Buy this phone for the camera and the screen, and treat the rest as a bonus. It's the perfect secondary device, a first phone for a teenager, or a cheap upgrade for anyone clinging to a truly ancient handset. Just don't expect it to feel like a brand new flagship, and budget for a microSD card.