While the Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy S20 Ultra come packed with support for the latest mmWave 5G connectivity here in the US, their smaller sibling, the Galaxy S20, doesn't. There are a couple reasons for that.

Speaking with Samsung at a briefing in San Francisco last week, I learned that the smallest of the S20 series to date simply proved too challenging a package for mmWave 5G to be placed in. Because mmWave 5G requires two discrete antenna modules around the frame of the device, it consumes a small but significant amount of space that must be designed into the phone from the get go in order to be accommodated. Samsung decided that the smaller S20 simply wasn't a good candidate to undertake this engineering challenge, and left it with support for sub-6GHz 5G networks only (which is what the vast, vast majority of the world is solely using anyway).

While it's not what I'd call a big deal, it's a notable difference that does deserve some attention called to it. Doubtless, the decision to omit mmWave connectivity also helped lower the cost of the S20. Granted, it's still a fairly eye-watering $1000. Whether the lack of mmWave 5G should concern you is easily answered: almost certainly not. mmWave 5G coverage in the United States—the most mmWave-dense country on earth—is so limited as to be statistically insignificant. If you live or work in an area with 5G mmWave coverage, you probably already know you do, and even then, a phone that can utilize it may not be very important to you.

As for what sub-6GHz support means for you in the US, Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile all have or will have very substantial sub-6GHz network deployments by the end of the year. Verizon has yet to announce its sub-6GHz network plans, but it assuredly will soon, so you'll eventually even be able to leverage 5G on the standard S20 there, too. That means that, aside from the tiny little patches of mmWave coverage in a few select markets (you can see the list for mmWave for Verizon here), you're still getting the vast majority of the "real" 5G that will be coming to America in the next year or two. So, while it's something to know, it's really nothing to be concerned about.

And if you are a Verizon subscriber, be aware: the scuttlebutt is that Verizon will launch a mmWave-friendly version of the S20 later this year. So, soon, you'll be able to get an S20 with no 5G compromises at all (again, if that's something you care about).