When you hear the words Note, Ultra and 5G in the name of a phone, you would be expecting a powerhouse of a phone. And with the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G which was launched in August 2020, you would be right!
Samsung launched this flagship device at a time when we were all stuck at home, but that didn’t stop Samsung Mobile South Africa from making sure that SA knew all about the phone. I attended the launch live, safely from home and just a month or so back I got to spend a few weeks with the device, seeing if the Note20 Ultra 5G is in fact the best phone of the year! Read below to find out my thoughts:
Design:
The Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G is a very sleek device even though it is one of the larger devices available. The frame is made from stainless steel while the front and back is made of Gorilla Glass. Gorilla Glass is durable but I don’t take chances with my devices and always use a case.
On the right side of the device, you get the power button and the volume rocker. On the bottom, you get the USB type C port, speaker, microphone and S Pen slot. The top of the device has the MicroSD and Sim Card slot and a second microphone.
On the rear, you will find the camera tray, which does protrude from the device. If you put the device on a flat surface, you will find that the device doesn’t sit flat. If this is an issue for you, a case can help out here.
The Note20 Range comes in three metallic colours which all look great: Mystic Bronze, Mystic White and Mystic Black. The unit I received to review was the Mystic Bronze, a beautiful metallic tone polished to a smooth, satin luster finish.
Processor/Ram:
Powered by a 2.7GHZ Octa-Core processor with 12GB of RAM, the Note20 Ultra is a super nippy device. Apps load really quickly and you can load many apps at the same time with no lag. You can even run two apps on the screen using the split-screen mode for the best multitasking experience. Since I love gaming, when I have some free time, I did play some games and this was overall a great experience. The camera also operates smoothly and takes photos with no lag.
Display:
The Note20 Ultra has a 6.9-inch Dynamic Amoled Quad HD 120Hz infinity-O Display. Damn, that was a mouthful. At the top of the screen, you get a pinhole camera, which doesn’t distract from viewing. With super-thin bezels and curved edges, there is loads of usable screen space. The display is rich, vibrant and sharp! Colours are very realistic, sometimes I wasn’t sure if I was looking at the screen or real life. The screen is perfect for work, social media and Netflix, given its size! It also can go really bright, meaning you can easily see the display under the sun!
Camera:
The Note20 Ultra packs a triple rear camera and a single front camera. At the rear you get a 108.0 MP (Wide Angle) + 12.0 MP (Telephoto) + 12.0 MP (Ultrawide) lenses with autofocus, OIS and three different Apertures (F1.8 , F2.2 , F3.0). These lenses take really sharp, detailed images that have loads of colour. The dynamic range is also really good and I was able to capture different variations of light in the same photo. Have a look at some of the images that I snapped below which have great colour, with minimum noise, even in the ultrawide and zoomed-in versions.
Night Photography – I took the below shots at night using the normal mode and the night mode. While the normal mode actually takes really great photos, the night mode does add a bit more brightness to areas that are dark. Overall night photography on the Note20 Ultra is impressive!
When it comes to zoom, you can either zoom in optically at 5x or digitally up to 50X. Seriously, the Note20 Ultra may get you into trouble if you start zooming into people’s homes. For the purpose of this review, I did not do that, but here are the results of some safe zooming:
If selfies are your game, actually I am even into selfies, you can snap away in 10MP and you even get autofocus to make sure the right subject is in focus. There is also a wide-angle selfie so you can get more people in the frame.
You also get the Live Focus mode which adds a Bokeh effect to the background while keeping the subject in focus. In the below shot I wanted the focus only on the pen, which the Note20 Ultra did well!
If you like recording video like me, you can do so in up to UHD 8K (7680 x 4320)@24fps. The quality is next level! You can also shoot in super slow motion @ 960fps in HD, or slow-motion @ 240fps in FHD. To keep your footage smooth you can use the stablize mode or turn on Super Steady for smooth video. You can also use the Live Focus video mode to add the bokeh effect in your videos. Watch the below video to see all the video modes of the Note20 Ultra 5G in action!
S Pen:
The S Pen has always made the Note series of devices unique from the rest and Samsung has ensured that the S Pen of the Note20 Ultra is the most advanced yet. Some notable features of the S Pen are: The Screen off memo – which lets you write on the screen without unlocking your phone. Screen write – This lets you add a note to an article. You can convert handwritten notes to text and auto straighten skew notes. Audio bookmark – Lines up your notes that you have taken while you record audio. The S Pen can also be used to change camera modes and acts as a remote shutter too as before.
The biggest improvement to the S Pen of the Note 20 would be the new reduced input latency of just 9ms, making the delay visually indistinguishable. This means actions happen as you perform them!
The S Pen comes in a matching colour to the device in a glossy finish and has one button, just like previous S Pens.
Storage:
With 256GB of internal storage and a MicroSD card support of up to 1TB, you should not have any sort of storage issues. If you do, you probably have too many videos of your cat, though, you can never have enough 😉
Software:
The Note20 Ultra comes standard with Android 10, together with Android 10 with One UI 2.5. Android runs nice and smoothly and Samsung’s UI provides a clean and easy to use interface.
Gaming:
With mobile gaming being the fastest-growing gaming sector, Samsung did something special with the Note20 to make gaming on the go super fun. If you have an Xbox Game Pass membership, you can play Xbox games on the go with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate! Given the large screen size, fast processor and 120hz display, the Note20 makes for a great mobile gaming device! For the best experience, you may need a controller though.
Connectivity:
Thanks to its support of 5G internet, you can work and play at super-fast speeds. And thanks to the intelligent processor, the Note20 Ultra 5G can handle the speed.
Security:
Much like other Samsung Galaxy Devices, the Note20 comes loaded with Samsung Knox, which keeps your device secure from the moment you turn it on. To keep unauthorized users away, the Note20 has the support of two kinds of Biometric Authentication – which allows you to unlock with face recognition or ultrasonic fingerprint. You can also use a pattern or pin code if you wish.
Durable:
Thanks to its IP68 rating, the Note20 Ultra 5G is water and dust resistance up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. The device does have a strong build but I personally always use a case. This time around Samsung has not included a case in the box, so I suggest you buy one. My favourite has always been the UAG cases.
Battery:
Given that the Note20 Ultra is a large device, Samsung has installed a 4500 mAh battery to ensure that you can keep going. You are looking at a day and a bit of battery life, depending on your use. Charging takes place via the USB Type-C port or via wireless charging. Thanks to Super fast charging, you can go from 0 to 100% in just an hour thanks to the 25W Super Fast Charger which is included in the box! You also get Samsung’s reverse wireless charging which you can use to charge your Galaxy Live Buds, Samsung Galaxy Watch or your friend’s phone! The intelligent battery uses energy efficiently to ensure that you have power when you need it most.
What’s in the box:
Inside the box of the Note20 Ultra you will find a USB Type-C cable, a Superfast charging adapter, AKG wired headphones (Type-C connection), Sim card tray ejector, quick start guide, warranty information and Samsung pay guide. Oh yeah, and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G of course!
Price:
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G comes in at a whopping R32 995 while the Note20 comes in at R23 995. The main difference between the Note20 and Note20 Ultra 5G is the screen size, cameras, battery, and RAM. I would probably choose the Ultra for its camera and zoom abilities. That being said, the device is not cheap so if you are getting it, you probably better be using all of its features.
Verdict:
When looking at the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G, I really can’t find any flaws with the device itself. The screen is superb to look at, it takes amazing photos, and the device can handle anything you throw at it. My only complaint has it be its price! That being said, I would recommend the Note20 Ultra 5G to someone who not only wants a larger screen but also will be using the S Pen. If the S Pen is not something you will actually be using, then I would consider the S20 Ultra, which is equally as nice and slightly cheaper.
