Top Samsung in the test: detailed analysis of the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra with features, price and opinion.
Samsung has again done what it does best: Build your tallest mobile phone yet –the S20 Ultra–, strengthen all your weak points and connect a S pen. therefore, the new Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra.
There were people who thought the Galaxy Note10 Plus could last year be the last part of the series given the diminishing differences between the models in the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note families.
But that’s the reality Samsung seems very confident about the present and future of the Note family despite that same apparent loss, and this is reflected in its latest output, its highest yet.
On the Note20 Ultra Samsung combines the best of the S20 Ultra with the best of the previous Galaxy Note10+therefore strive to win the hearts – and pockets – of those who they want it everything on the phone. This is everything you need to know about the Note20 Ultra.
Table of contents:
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra, technical sheet
specifications | |
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Dimensions | 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1mm |
Screen | 6.9-inch dynamic AMOLED 120Hz, 19.3:9 aspect ratio, Gorilla Glass Victus |
secret | WQHD / 3200 x 1440 pixels, 508ppi |
processor | CPU Exynos 990 5G Octa Core 2.7GHz |
R.A.M. | 8/12GB |
operating system | OneUI 2.5 based on Android 10 |
storage | 128/256/512 GB UFS 3.1 expandable with microSD |
cameras | Rear: 12 MP ultra-wide, 1.4 μm pixel size, 120˚ f/2.2 FOV | Wide angle 108 MP PDAF, OIS, pixel size 0.8 μm, field of view: 79˚, f/1.8 | 12 MP space zoom telephoto lens with 5x hybrid optical zoom, OIS and AF tracking front : 10 MP Dual Pixel AF, 80º field of view |
battery | 4,500 mAh with fast charging (charge up to 50% in 30 minutes) and wireless fast charging |
Other people | S-Pen with 9 ms latency, face recognition, in-screen fingerprint reader, Samsung Pay, Samsung Knox, Dual SIM + eSIM, Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C (Gen 3.2), NFC, WiFi 6, Wireless DeX |
The model analyzed is the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage in Mystic Bronze color.
The test was carried out with the latest firmware update available in Spain, corresponding to version N986BXXU1ATGI based on Android 10 with One UI 2.5 and July 2020 security patch.
The best of the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra
Among all the features of the Note20 Ultra, there are some that stand out from the rest. This is the best part of the new Samsung model.
design
Choose Samsung this year Doesn’t change too much the physical look and feel of its new flagship phone, instead retaining the visual language introduced with last year’s Note10 series.
So that leaves us with a Metal and glass phonewith curved side edges and very straight lines on the top and bottom edges that would almost allow it were it not for the various protuberances on the edges and the weight distribution between the top and bottom part. hold cell phone upright without the need for support.
Even as phones like the S20 Ultra, its aesthetic is distinctly differentand undoubtedly this is one of the aspects where Samsung continues to try to differentiate well its two main ranges.
another year, The build quality of the latest model in the Note series is excellent. The Note20 Ultra is one of them best built terminals that has ever passed through my hands, thanks to the use of high quality materials that give it a strong look and pleasant curves that counteract it hardness for its corners and straight lines.
Just like last year with the amazing “Aura Glow” finish, this time Samsung wanted to give it the prominence it deserves. device color. Now the reference finish is what the brand calls “Mystic Bronze”, copper colored and marked with a matte on the back which feels good in hand and gives the terminal a sleek and attractive look.
The Galaxy Note20 Ultra “Mystic Bronze” is the only one of the three available finishes that is matt.
Otherwise, there is the body of the terminal already typical additions of mobile phone of this category as the The latest generation of Gorilla Glassnow more resistant to scratches or IP68 certification that supports water and dust resistance.
Screen
Even more impressive than the design front panel of the Galaxy Note20 Ultra, with impressive 6.9 inch diagonal making it one of the biggest we’ve seen on mobile to date.
The display is based on Dynamic AMOLED technology with a resolution of 3200 x 1440 pixels wonderful in every way.
It’s extremely bright, the color reproduction – in the “Natural” display mode – is excellent, and its design is timeless, with curves almost reaching the metal body top holesmaller than last year, making it look like a phone from the future.
As if that wasn’t enough, Samsung has also decided to do it Reinforcing one of the weaknesses in the previous Note10+ by equipping the terminal with a screen with a high refresh rate of 120 Hz. And he did it – of course – on a grand scale by integrating that the first variable refresh rate screen seen on mobile phones.
Next to the large and soft liquid affected look at the world Through a large window at 120 Hertz, the technology that the Note20 Ultra integrates – which Samsung calls VRR Panel – enables the screen work at 120, 60, 30 or up to 10 Hertz based on the content displayed on the screen.
In this way, the screen switch between different modes Depending on what we’re doing with the phone: when we’re reading an article or when the terminal is in “Always on Display” mode, the refresh rate fluctuates between 1 and 11 Hertz, but increases until it exceeds the 24 Hertz limit and it will reach 120 when we watch a movie. When playing, depending on the track being played, the screen it moves in a range between 30 and 120 Hertz.
It’s the idea behind this technology Improving the energy efficiency of the panelaccording to the company, reduce consumption by up to 22%.
A weak point of the panel lies in the Inability to combine the panel’s maximum resolution with the maximum supported refresh rate. Something that is possible in models like the OnePlus 8 Pro or the OPPO Find X2 Pro. If I paid 1,400 euros for a phone bag, I want to be able to enjoy it as much as possible, even knowing that independence will be severely compromised so.
On the other hand, we find ourselves another year with the already famous “ghost contacts” due to the lateral curvature of the glass. It’s a good way to avoid this problem with a halter the the sides of the terminal.
Behind the disguise is the Fingerprint reader fingerprint, based on the same ultrasonic technology that the company has been using since the Galaxy S10. There’s not too big a difference between response time and accuracy, so moving on provide proper operationbut still not at the level of capacitive sensors like the Google Pixel 4a.
performance and experience
Despite numerous complaints against Exynos processors, Samsung has retrofitted the same brain Exynos 990 that’s what brought the Galaxy S20 to life in this Note20 Ultra that draws attention, especially when we see this The model sold in South Korea and the United States includes the Snapdragon 865+.
In the absence of a direct comparison between the two phone versions, the truth is the Galaxy Note20 Ultra fliesjust as the S20 did earlier this year.
The processor is more than powerful respond well to any task, no matter how difficultand the 12 GB of RAM memories based on LPDDR5 technology make multitasking one of the great strengths of the phone that allows it Think of the many apps without the risk that the system will automatically close them.
The software brings this phone to life Interface 2.5 onlya new version of Samsung’s custom layer based on Android 10.
This year, the new features introduced by the software aren’t all that extensive, and the changes are rather limited improve functions already present in the previous edition, such as better integration with Windows, which now allows you to use mobile apps from your computer, or support for Samsung DeX wireless.
Otherwise, A UI is still a UI, for better or for worse. There is a a layer that works quickly and has an integrated and attractive designAlso, it is loaded with many features and tools that can come in handy in certain situations.
However, it also does a quite heavy cloak and loaded with supplements among which we can find bloatware from Facebook and Microsoft through a pipe.
multimedia
Like all good Notes, the Note20 is Ultra Your multimedia area will stand out much better that’s the competition, both quality and quantity.
He is sound cardsupported by a pair of speakers that offer stereo sound, it is great quality And it doesn’t distort too much at higher volumes. In this respect, the maximum volume is quite high.
It’s good too vibration motoran aspect that has historically been neglected, but which has made significant progress in recent years, especially in the most common terminals. bonus.
As in the S20, the haptic engine offers a firm and precise answerthat add points to the experience by providing feedback while interacting with the user interface or applications.
Another feature to look out for in a cell phone like this is the Possibility to expand the memory through microSD. While there shouldn’t be any storage issues with 256GB of onboard storage, this addition comes in handy when it comes to storage B. Transfer files from an SLR camera to the phone.
We must add to all of this all options and functions which is also undoubtedly a star accessory for the newest member of the Notes series: the S Pen.
S pen
Once a year I have the opportunity to test the S-Pen of each new generation of the Note series. And once a year I remember how convenient and practical that you can find the small accessory.
This year, Samsung chose not to load the S Pen with new features, but instead operate in Polish until it is Best S Pen so far.
accuracy Drawing on the screen with the style is comparable to the experience you can have with a pencil and real paper. The response time is very low, so that’s missing input delay Wearing this accessory makes it extremely natural.
As with any new generation of the Note series, there is a debate about the if there is such an accessory It can be useful on a screen of these dimensions. In my case, I have to say that the S Pen is an indispensable ally these days, especially when it comes to it Edit and retouch photos with Adobe Lightroom on mobile devices.
so much all pictures in this review They were transferred from the camera to the Note20 Ultra via the microSD slot and edited with the S Pen.
The worst of the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra
Not everything about the Galaxy Note20 is perfect. During our testing, we found a few weaknesses worth keeping an eye on.
size
Not just the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra gigantic. It can also happen uncomfortable due to its more rectangular format than other models of the same size.
In my house, the windows are smaller than on the Note20 Ultra. pic.twitter.com/D19XCp8Ufn
—Christian Collado (@CCollado_R) August 7, 2020
His twin brother, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra It already had a substantial crowd, which could be overkill depending on the type of audience. And the Note20 Ultra only underlines this feeling with its sharp corners, side curves and straight lines.
Secure, It is almost essential to use a case to protect this mobile phoneunless you want to test for yourself the resistance of the Gorilla Glass Victus that Samsung presents for the first time in this terminal.
autonomy
Looking at the progress of other manufacturers in things independence With its reference phones, there is cause for concern that Samsung has not yet had good experiences in this regard.
He is 4,500mAh battery of the Note20 Ultra should be sufficient reach at least a day and a half for use with the phone. The reality is that reaching the end of the day with a battery remaining is a tough task.
Even more annoying is the fact that if I’ve learned anything testing Samsung terminals over the past few years, it probably has Models that are sold in the United States and South Korea are equipped with a Snapdragon processor does not have the autonomy and overheating problems that we experienced during these days of testing.
In this sense, the fast charging technology of the terminal It supports a maximum output of 25W. While it’s not the most powerful we’ve seen, it’s more than enough to charge the phone’s battery a little over an hour. Besides, we have to fast wireless charging and reverse wireless charging.
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra, as well as its cameras
with With the camera system of the Galaxy S20 Ultra, Samsung wanted to make it big regardless of the consequences. And it ended up with a photo system that, while more versatile, was inferior to the S20 and S20+ in terms of consistency and image quality.
Therefore, the brand has decided to change the formula a bit and say goodbye on this occasion 100x zoomto the 40 megapixel front camera and give the main sensor the support it needs.
Hence we get a four cameras in total: one of them in front and the other three behind him.
Starting with the second we see the same main sensor with 108 megapixel resolution what was already there before Ultraadded to a sensor ultra wide angle of 12 megapixels, and a tele with the same solution as the last solution, basing its operation on the periscope-type format that allows this 5x optical zoom.
The biggest change can be found in the a small section that appears to the right of the three sensors bases. It is about a Laser focus system which supports the main sensor and undoubtedly improves the capabilities of the device when it comes to that Focus on the subject or object to be shotfrom which the S20 Ultra suffered too much.
Otherwise, the tele is brighter now Therefore, the phone’s software activates it in scenes with less light.
has also changed front cameraWell, now it happened to be same 10 megapixel sensor present in the remaining models of the Galaxy S20 series.
As your video, the choice of Record 8K clips at 24 or 30 FPSthe possibility Record videos in Full HD + at 120 FPS with the new “Professional Mode” that allows the most advanced users in this field to fully exploit the capabilities of the Note20 Ultra camera system.
Day mode, portrait and night mode
The Note20 Ultra is that Samsung phone cameraThere is no doubt: The very vivid colorsWhite balance that tends to be on the warm side, and some tend to be very exposed of the scenes the daily bread when using the photo system of the device.
General, The recordings made with this Note20 Ultra are of very good quality, on par with the best we’ve done on mobile. Dynamic range is good, if at times a little tighter than we’d like, and can create ‘halos’ around certain objects – for example when photographing a building where the sky is visible directly behind it.
The main sensor is the one that it offers better picture quality in most cases, although its size and resolution can be harmful if used Photograph objects at a very short distancesince naturally generated shallower depth of field shifts blurred edges or in the form of an artifact.
As he ultra wide angle As the tele However, they offer a slightly lower image quality provide additional flexibility which is definitely appreciated.
The first, with 12 megabytes, there is a good result although his photos are sinful some missing data when we zoom for the type of images for which it is intended, however, the sensor does its job perfectly.
But the jewel in the crown of this system is without a doubt the 12 megapixel sensor with periscope optics and 5x optical zoom.
This sensor enables Capture high-quality images in zoom ranges that span 5x and 10x, and works quite well up to 30x magnification. From then on, the data loss will be noticed.
surprisingly It’s not difficult to capture scenes with some movement Use of this sensor thanks to a good stabilization system. In addition, there is the possibility of using the tele in low-light scenes.
when the night falls The main sensor indicates a chest and it shows why its size is really bigger: It’s possible Capture well-lit night scenes without having to use the night mode, the operation of which, by the way, has not changed compared to the operation of the S20.
It’s good too portrait modeat least in terms of that vague “quality” and for edge detection. Yes, in most cases the main sensor’s natural blur is more than enough to capture portraits with a slightly blurred background.
Anyway, we’ll meet again one of the big problems included in Galaxy cell phone cameras for years: smooth faces automatic and cannot be deactivated, which comes into effect as soon as the camera detects a person in the picture. This is the only way to avoid this processing Use “Pro” mode. integrated into the camera app.
Another problem can be found in the weak when taking pictures. Sometimes the camera It takes longer than usual to take a photo after pressing the shutter buttonwhich becomes very annoying when trying to capture scenes with moving subjects.
There aren’t too many complaints either – except again for the smoothing. in the department for selfies Despite the fact that Samsung has decided to reduce the resolution of the sensor, this is the case good camera can give very good results in the vast majority of cases, although it seems to suffer more than expected interior scenes or nights
Photo gallery with the Galaxy Note20 Ultra
video recording
Where the Note20 Ultra really leaves all other Android phones behind is in terms of the video recording.
so much for the number of choices available, e.g picture quality Captured, the video section of the Note20 Ultra is the best that we have tested so far on an Android terminal, very close to reaching the level of the latest iPhone.
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra, Review and Final Thoughts by Andro4all
The Galaxy Note will not work for everyone. never had.
With the Note20 Ultra, Samsung takes this philosophy one step further It offers most of the features we’ve seen in a mobile phone from the brand so farCreating a device therefore, even come somehow lost its essence, still unique.
This new generation take the coins of the Galaxy S20 Ultra and they improve by a technical file, although it’s not that noticeable, it is more elaborate ideas and coherent, which in a way leaves that aside more is better.
All of this is supported by for another year these unique properties that from the first model of this family, they do series of notes one of the most respected and with the largest number of believers in the whole world.
Like the Note10+ I was able to review last year, this Note20 Ultra continues blur the line this distinguishes the models in this series from the terminals of the Galaxy S family, but as long as there is an S Pen, there will be future for the notes.
“The Note20 Ultra is the most attractive Note yet.“
At the moment, The Note20 Ultra is the most attractive Note yet Thanks to touch ups that are still there make it more complete and balanced than last year’s model, with a screen that finally accepts 120 Hz, a photographic system that – although it continues to have the classic flaws of the brand’s mobile phones – it gives a very good result in most cases and a simple and exquisite aesthetic.
It’s always difficult to buy a cell phone that costs more than 1,000 euros, especially in a situation like the one the world is going through in mid-2020 – after all, you can buy a cell phone with a lot more less money. like the Pixel 4a–. But whoever is willing to do this today should know The Galaxy Note20 Ultra is the phone that offers more – and better – in its segment.
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra price and where to buy
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra It is now officially availableboth on the official Samsung website and at official distributors.
Its price is €1,309 for the model with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage and from €1,409 for the alternative with 12 GB RAM and 512 GB storage.
both models can be booked in advance from the day the phone was launched and shipping will start on August 21st.
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra
Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra? | |
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Conclusions | The Galaxy Note20 Ultra has it all. Or at least everything you’d expect from a €1,300 phone: the best screen you’ve seen on a smartphone, plus exquisite construction and aesthetics, an improved camera system that now matches the best, and most importantly. , S-Pen, which you will not find in any other mobile phone on the market. |
punctuation | Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra Mobile almost “round” (despite its corners). |
This device has been thoroughly tested Independently thanks to a move of the brand. The article contains purchase links for which Andro4all may receive a commission. take part to the market channel Andro4all to find out about the best deals before anyone else.