Every year after the successful “S” series launch, Samsung always releases Note series with the same calendar year processor with some latest upgraded features. Other than the processor, Most of the elements with Note series will get a slight upgrade and make it worthy of buying. In August 2020, Samsung launched Galaxy Note 20 series with Regular Note 20, Note 20 5G, and Ultra variants. The name itself mentions the Ultra variant is a complete package of specs. Everything is high there, including RAM, Battery, Display like that. If you are already using Old version of mobiles and want to upgrade to Note 20, you made the right choice. But When you have S20 or Note 10 and want to upgrade to Note 20, You should know what are the new things in Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Ultra, and it is worth upgrading or not.
Compare with the previous year’s Note series, In 2020, Samsung goes like an old style. The Backside of the Galaxy Note 20 looks like a classic look, and it is pretty good. The build is excellent—everything placed in a perfect position.
Full specification comparison between Samsung Galaxy Note 20 vs. Note 20 Ultra
| Specs | Galaxy Note 20 | Galaxy Note 20 Ultra |
| Network | GSM, CDMA, HSDPA, CDMA, 4G LTE, 5G | GSM, CDMA, HSDPA, CDMA, 4G LTE,5G |
| Dimensions | 161.6 x 75.2 x 8.3 (mm) | 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 (mm) |
| Display | OLED touchscreen, 16M colors, 60Hz | OLED touchscreen, 16M colors, 120Hz (FHD+), 60Hz(QHD+) |
| Screen Size | 6.7 – inches | 6.9 – inches |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 89.2 body ratio (~393 ppi density), HDR 10+ | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 91.7 body ratio (~496 ppi density), HDR 10+ |
| Weight | 192 grams. | 208 grams. |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla Glass | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Body material | Front glass, plastic body | Front glass, back glass, metallic body |
| Primary storage | 256GB UFS 3.1 | 128/256/512 GB UFS 3.1 |
| RAM | 8GB | 12GB |
| SD card slot | No | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| SIM card | Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM |
| OS | Android 10. | Android 10. |
| Chipset | Exynos 990 for Global variants and Snapdragon 865+ for the USA | Exynos 990 for Global options and Snapdragon 865+ for the USA |
| GPU | Adreno 650 for Snapdragon and Mali-G77 MP11 for Exynos | Adreno 650 for Snapdragon and Mali-G77 MP11 for Exynos |
| CPU | Octa-core | Octa-core |
| Rear camera | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76″, 1.8µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS+ 64 MP, f/2.0, (telephoto), 1/1.72″, 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x hybrid optical zoom+ 12 MP, f/2.2, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55″, 1.4µm. | 108 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.33″, 0.8µm, PDAF, Laser AF, OIS+ 12 MP, f/3.0, 103mm (periscope telephoto), 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom, 50x hybrid zoom+ 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55″, 1.4µm |
| Front-facing cam | Single 10MP | Single 10MP |
| Flashlight | Dual-LED flash | Dual-LED flash |
| Connectivity support | WiFi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC | WiFi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC |
| USB type | 3.2 ver, Type-C- 1.0 ver. | 3.2 ver, Type-C- 1.0 ver. |
| Battery | Li-Po 4300mAh, integrated | Li-Po 4500mAh, integrated |
| Charging | 25W, Reverse Charging 9W | 25W, Reverse Charging 9W |
| Misc. | In-Display fingerprint sensor, gyro, accelerometer, proximity, barometer, compass | In-Display fingerprint sensor, gyro, accelerometer, proximity, barometer, compass |
| Colors available | Mystic Bronze, Mystic Green, Mystic Gray | Mystic Black, Mystic Bronze, Mystic White |
What are the New main things in Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra?
When you say Upgrade, there should be notable specs that should be there. Mainly the specs difference always be Procesor, Battery, Display, Camera, and new S Pen features. These are the main things that make consider upgrading from your old mobile. We will look into one by one, and in the final, you can make decisions to exchange your mobile or stay with the current mobile. Below we are going to compare with some of the previous generation mobiles to make clear the differences.
1. Display Size and Resolution
Note 20 Ultra comes with a bigger screen size 6.9-inch as expected, and its resolution is locked at 1440p while the main variant (Note 20) comes with a 6.7-inch screen locked at standard 1080p. Asides the screen size and resolution, both devices have different screen aesthetics; that is, Ultra feature screen (curved) display with punch-hole camera and HDR10+, Always-on display. While Note 20 comes with a flat display.
You can notice a lot of details in Note 20 Ultra due to its Size and Resolution. Yes, you can’t see much difference in Below 6″ Screen QHD+ Displays. But in Note 20 Ultra, It will be a different experience. Note 20 Displays are better; you will feel them when you use them. While Ultra has 120Hz displays at FHD+ resolution, Note 20 comes with a 60Hz display. Other than screen size and refresh rate in Ultra, there is not much difference between previous mobiles and Note 20. Because Samsung always provides QHD+ resolution in the Flagship category. Samsung Displays are still high in the industry. Especially when they put in the Flagship category, It becomes beautiful.
2. Big Battery Size
Last year Note 10 has a 3500mAh battery, and Note 10 Plus variant has 4300mAh battery. Now Regular Note 20 equipped with the 4300mAh battery capacity, which seems the current trend and what most people check out for when buying a new smartphone. The South Korean tech gain had stocked Galaxy Note 20 Ultra with a 45000mAh battery. In both devices, the battery is non-removable. It is quite apparent that the bigger battery on Note 20 Ultra will power the mobile longer than Note 20. The slightly Big Battery in Note 20 Ultra, makes sense. Because with the large display, It will consume more battery. But this extra 200 mAh can give better results in terms of standby. With the help of Android 10 Dark Modes, We can save 10-30% more battery.
3. New High MP Camera setup in Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
A lot of people who buy new smartphones mainly consider the camera quality of the new smartphone they are about to buy. Well, Samsung doesn’t disappoint in camera quality; practically, all Samsung smartphones come with greatly specced cameras. It’s up again in the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra; there are up to three camera sensors. Note 20 Ultra cameras deliver real-like pictures/photos, and its video quality is quite superb. A selfie camera with a 10 MP f/2.2 (Wide Angle) camera sensor with AF feature is what dented the display to make it a hole-punch screen. To understand the terms in the camera, you can refer- Smartphone camera terms.
Note 20 Ultra has 108 MP f/1.8 (Wide Angle)+ 12 MP f/3.0 (Telephoto)+ 12 MP f/2.2 (Ultra Wide). While Regular Note 20 has 12 MP f/1.8 (Wide Angle)+ 64 MP f/2.0 (Telephoto)+ 12 MP f/2.2 (Ultra Wide). Camera MP doesn’t matter for taking better photos. Google Pixel 4a comes with only a 12.2 MP camera but is the same level as Flagship cameras. But compare with other manufacturer cameras, Samsung will take the best photos.
4. Better “S” Pen Features
The main thing in the Note series is “S” Pen- The accessory that differentiates the mobile compare with other mobiles in the same price range. Samsung mostly provides the same “S” pen features for all variants in the particular year. But in 2020, Samsung provides different power to regular and Ultra Note 20 series. As usual, we have more new gestures and compatibility with Desktop apps, So, That you can finish the sketch in both mobiles and PC. The Ultra variant comes with 120Hz display; thus, to provide a seamless experience, it comes with 9ms while the regular option has 43ms latency. Samsung promised the new “S” pen experience would be more like writing in a real pen.
5. Better Desktop Experience
With the help of the Samsung Dex, We already know we can use some of the Galaxy mobiles like handheld PC. You connect the mobile with a display and keyboard and use it as a PC. With the collaboration between Microsoft and Samsung, You can use a better link to windows features. Note 20 series already looks like a powerful PC with Snapdragon 865+ processor and 8-12 GB RAM, which is ideal for real PC setup.
You can get up to 12GB RAM on Galaxy Note 20 Ultra for seamless multitasking and smooth streaming. Also, it is only the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra variants that support storage expansion via MicroSD; however, the device comes with 256 or 512GB UFS 3.1 storage capacity. In my opinion, 4-6 GB RAM is enough for regular and heavy usage too. If you are a Super User, who wants to secure your performance, the High-End mobile is excellent. But you should know how much RAM you need. If you are a regular Samsung Dex User, who always uses your mobile as a PC, Go for the High-End version. Samsung Galaxy’s new Dex mode can work better with Windows.
Other new things
Other than the above essential factors, there are new color variants like Mystic Bronze, Mystic Green, Mystic Gray, Mystic Black, Mystic Bronze, Mystic White are available. Better Bixby support is available. But there is a talk going between Samsung and Google to replace Bixby with Google Assistant. So, It is not a big deal. Also, the Xbox new cloud game pass available with 100+ online games with a new controller like Stadia Games. We can expect the full launch by Microsoft soon.
Wrap Up
Compare with previous year Note 10 and Note 10 Plus, Samsung aggressively made a difference between the regular Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra. When you notice the specs and performance of Ultra for an extra $300, You will surely go for it. Because the regular Note 20 does not look worthy for $999. For the same price, you can get better specs option. It does not mean I am suggesting $1299 is a low price. Every year the amount of Samsung mobiles always goes to high while other companies give better alternatives for a low price. In the mid-range category also while OnePlus Nord offers 5G and bundle of specs for $349, Samsung goes for a high price. Even Google begin to sell new “a” series for budget variants.
The reason for this price range by mobile companies is because people think when you spend a high price, it is a good mobile. But the reality is not. Most of the people who spend this much amount utilize a mobile power 30-40%. So, When you know your purpose of the mobile, you can consider buying Note 20 series. Other than that, if you are a regular user who wants to purchase Flagship phones, You can better compare other mobiles with Note 20, and if it makes sense to you, then go for purchase. What are your thoughts about the new Note 20? Did you feel it is worth to upgrade from your current mobile? Comment below.
Selva Ganesh is the Chief Editor of this Blog. He is a Computer Science Engineer, An experienced Android Developer, Professional Blogger with 8+ years in the field. He completed courses about Google News Initiative. He runs Android Infotech which offers Problem Solving Articles around the globe.
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