Samsung
The Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra were unveiled by Samsung earlier this summer alongside three other devices in a glitzy Unpacked launch that was moved online — like the iPhone 12 event — due to the coronavirus pandemic. Both Note 20 phones are packed with top-notch tech that, on paper at least, puts them among the elite ranks of the iPhone 12 Pro and Huawei Mate 40 Pro. As well as boasting a striking bronze finish, both the Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra have similar core specs, including a cutting-edge Snapdragon 865 Plus processor, a 10-megapixel selfie camera, new S Pen gestures and 5G capabilities.
But they have some key differences too. Firstly, the Note 20 has a plastic back instead of the new Gorilla Glass Victus shielding used in the Note 20 Ultra — a surprising choice in a phone that costs $1,000. (Here’s how the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra fared in our drop and scratch tests.) The pricier Note 20 Ultra has more bells and whistles, including a higher-powered camera with a 108-megapixel lens, faster refresh rate (120Hz) and a microSD card slot. It also supports Nearby Share, Google’s version of Apple’s AirDrop feature. As expected, the 6.9-inch Note 20 Ultra is both the larger and heavier handset of the duo, weighing a hefty 204 grams.
Both stylus-equipped Note phones come months after the launch of the Galaxy S20 family in February. Apart from the visible industrial design differences (the phones’ sizes and the inclusion of the S Pen), one thing that’s changed in the newer Note phones is the Space Zoom feature. Samsung’s decided to backpedal on the S20 Ultra’s hyped-up 100x zoom. The Note 20 and the Note 20 Ultra instead have reduced Space Zoom capabilities of 30x and 50x, respectively. The company likely made this design decision to help drive down the price.
Samsung
The Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra are available to buy now. For more information on their specs, take a look at CNET’s specs chart below.
Galaxy Note 20 specs vs. Note Ultra vs. S20 vs. S20 Ultra
| Samsung Galaxy Note 20 | Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S20 | Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display size, resolution | 6.7-inch; 2,400×1,080 pixels | 6.9-inch AMOLED; 3,088×1,440 pixels | 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED; 3,200×1,440 pixels | 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
| 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2XDimensions (Inches) | 6.36×2.96×0.33 inches | 6.48×3.03×0.31 inches | 2.72×5.97×0.311 inches | 2.99 x 6.57 x 0.35 inches |
| Dimensions (Millimeters) | 161.6×75.2×8.3 mm | 164.8×77.2×8.1 mm | 69.1×151.7×7.9 mm | 76.0 x 166.9 x 8.8mm |
| Weight (Ounces, Grams) | 6.84 oz, 194g | 7.33 oz, 208g | 5.75 oz; 163g | 7.76 oz; 220g |
| Mobile software | Android 10 | Android 10 | Android 10 | Android 10 |
| Camera | 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), 12-megapixel (wide-angle), 64-megapixel (telephoto) | 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), 108-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (telephoto) | 12-megapixel (wide-angle), 64-megapixel (telephoto), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide) | 108-megapixel (wide-angle), 48-megapixel (telephoto), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), time-of-flight camera |
| Front-facing camera | 10-megapixel | 10-megapixel | 10-megapixel | 40-megapixel |
| Video capture | 8K | 8K | 8K | 8K |
| Processor | Snapdragon 865 Plus | Snapdragon 865 Plus | 64-bit octa-core processor (Max 2.7GHz + 2.5 GHz + 2GHz) | 64-bit octa-core processor (Max 2.7GHz + 2.5 GHz + 2GHz) |
| Storage | 128GB | 128GB, 512GB | 128GB | 128GB, 512GB |
| RAM | 8GB | 12GB | 12GB | 12GB, 16GB |
| Expandable storage | No | Up to 1TB | Up to 1TB | Up to 1TB |
| Battery | 4,300 mAh | 4,500 mAh | 4,000 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Fingerprint sensor | In-screen | In-screen | In-screen | In-screen |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
| Headphone jack | No | No | No | No |
| Special features | S Pen stylus; 5G enabled, Wireless PowerShare, water resistant (IP68) | S Pen stylus, water resistant (IP68), stereo speakers, 5G enabled, PowerShare, 5x optical zoom, UWB Sharing | 5G enabled, 120Hz refresh rate, water resistant (IP68) | 5G enabled; 120Hz refresh rate; 100X zoom; water resistant (IP68) |
| Price at launch (USD) | $999 | $1,300 (128GB), $1,450 (512GB) | $999 | $1,399 (128GB), $1,599 (512GB) |
| Price at launch (GBP) | £849 (4G); £949 (5G) | £1,179 | £1,000 | £1,199 (128GB), £1,399 (512GB) |
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