Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Review

• Pricing
  • $999 Note 20 model
    • A smaller, stripped down version, essentially an S20+ with S Pen
  • $1299 Note 20 Ultra model
    • All the things in this review!
    • You could customize it a bit further with 512gb storage for some amount more
• Display
  • Size
    • Slightly shorter, slightly wider than S20U
    • It’s slightly larger than the previous Note 10+
    • Weight-wise, it's a similar feeling, but the center of gravity...
  • Special features
    • Keeping many of the same features from previous generations hardware/software wise
    • The biggest differences...
      • Samsung’s latest panel - these panels are better every time and this is one good too
      • The screen itself is very curved as opposed to the S20U’s fairly flat edges, it kind of makes you wonder why they decided to go with such high curvature with the device that could even better utilize the flat surface... it also looks like the Note 10+ more than ever
      • The screen itself is LPZO(sp?)
        • This allows it to be brighter (up to 1500 nits?)
        • This allows for a variable refresh rate that software controls but hardware executes
      • The in-screen fingerprint scanner seems WAY faster it’s crazy
        • There’s been rumors of having a new scanner but I heard it’s not in this model this year, so... still waiting... but the difference is here in my usage so far
    • I noticed using the Note 10+ that the lack of the smooth 120hz adaptive framework (HFR)!
    • I didn’t think I could notice it but it’s really there
• Physicals
  • Look and feel, build quality
    • Footprint
      • Stupidly large
      • It’s ever-so-slightly shorter than S20U and a tiny bit wider
    • Weight
      • It feels lighter but it also has a difference center of gravity based on how it’s thinned out from the S20U
  • Battery
    • 4500 mAh
      • 500 mAh delta from where the S20U was - kind of a shame that the Note 20 Ultra didn’t have it match - but I appreciate the weight difference
    • It’s been fine, usually end of day (work from home style) around 60% and I could push it down it to 40% if I actually left the house and took pictures somewhere
  • Charging
    • Same as usual; allegedly there were rumors of 45w ultra-mega-battery-acid rapid charging, but not this time
    • The brick was in the box
  • Ports
    • Same as usual; no headphone jack
    • You know, maybe I miss it occasionally?
  • Speakers
    • Not radically different than S20U
  • Buttons
    • The buttons return from the S20U and my preferred alignment leaves the Note line - previously they were on the other side (left side), now they’re back on the right
• Camera
  • How is it
  • Special modes
  • Notable features
  • Things to verify
    • Zoom?
      • Is 50X/30X zoom anything?
    • Focus?
      • Is the focusing better than it was on the S20U?
• Specs
  • CPU
    • 865 Plus
      • They should have gotten, for an extra dollar, an Ultra SKU
  • RAM
    • 12GB; you can have no less of course, coming from the S20U
  • Storage
    • Weird - just like I mentioned with the S20U - it comes with only 128gb option and a 512gb bump
    • While the Note 10+ had 256gb as its base
• Software
  • OS
    • Finally, we can just now begin using Android 10 gestures
  • Updates
  • Performance
    • Seems good to me -- it looks just as buttery smooth as the S20U does on the HFR mode
• Final thoughts
  • The Note 20 Ultra is obviously the note to buy
  • If you’re going to waste $1000 on a phone AND you want a stylus to do high precision work, then get the Ultra - pretend it is the only model
  • Note 20 Ultra or S 20 Ultra?
    • Almost definitely N20U now, or wait for whatever the next S-line device and see if Samsung comes to its senses

Attributions

• Free Music Archive: Beat Doctor - Organic (electric edit)

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