Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra test: really premium?

After more than three weeks of testing the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Is it worth its € 1,309? Is it a real improvement on the Note 10+? Discover our opinion on the new Korean flagship.

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As at the end of every summer, Samsung returns with the new flagship of its Note range, called this year Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Released alongside a much less interesting model (the Note 20 test comes after this one), it takes most of the strengths of an S20 Ultra which I really liked, but also retains some of its flaws.

Long recognized as the ideal smartphone for productivity with its stylus, Samsung adds an opposite placement, with a real orientation towards gaming, and the integration of Microsoft xCloud. Sensitive point, the price is up sharply compared to its predecessor, the Note 10+, from € 1,109 to € 1,309.

We are therefore entitled to expect a perfect smartphone in most aspects, and if Samsung succeeds in fulfilling the contract on some points, this is not the case for others. What is this new model worth? Check out my review, after 3 weeks of using the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

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Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra test and video review

This Note 20 Ultra test is entitled to its Take it / Leave it videos. It is therefore not one, but two videos that I offer for the Note 20 Ultra, one focusing on its strengths, the other on its weaknesses. If you like the concept, don’t hesitate to subscribe to the channel, and share your opinion on this Note 20 Ultra in the comments. For the full review of the Note 20 Ultra, it’s under the videos.

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Design & Hardware

Samsung was eagerly awaited for the technical characteristics of its Note 20 Ultra. As for the S20s, the firm has once again chosen a house SoC, the Exynos 990 for the European market. Coupled with its 12 GB of RAM, it is impossible to fail. However, the Exynos chip is less powerful than the one chosen on the US version (Snapdragon 865+), and the Note 20 Ultra is slower than the OnePlus 8 Pro, which runs (only) thanks to 8 GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 865 .

On a daily basis you would not feel any difference, these processors are still powerful. Power-hungry games are fluid, and navigation doesn’t suffer from any slowdowns. It is especially the autonomy that pays for the choice of the chip, and the Note 20 Ultra has tended to heat up slightly in certain situations.

For the most expensive (non-folding) smartphone in the current range, Samsung offers 256 GB of expandable storage thanks to the microSD slot. This slot can also be used to accommodate a second NanoSIM, and the Note 20 Ultra is compatible with eSIM offers. To complete on the network, it is 5G, WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5 compatible.

In terms of audio, there is no jack port, the double speaker is excellent and AKG signed headphones are delivered in the box of this Note 20 Ultra. But the master advantage of Note 20 Ultra is its screen.

The (giant) screen of the Note 20 Ultra

This gigantic 6.9-inch AMOLED panel is the best on the market today. The colors are very faithful, and you can adjust them in the settings. The curved gives the Note 20 Ultra an even more premium feel, and the 120Hz refresh rate is present. While the panel supports QHD +, you won’t be able to pair it with 120 Hz. This is a Samsung software limitation to save battery life, but it’s a shame not to leave the choice. So you have the choice between FHD + / 120 Hz and QHD + / 60 Hz.

On this panel, Samsung offers for the first time an adaptive refresh rate. It is the software that will therefore switch itself between the refresh rates, depending on your use. You navigate through the menus, 120 Hz is activated, you read an article in black and white, it may drop to 11 Hz. You watch a movie, it changes, and so on. Again this allows battery savings. Mention very well for the brightness, the Note 20 Ultra is readable even in direct sunlight.

If you like massive smartphones, this Note 20 Ultra is going to be your thing. It is also very heavy (over 200 grams), and Samsung has taken care to apply a brushed texture to the back side. On the one hand it is very pleasant to the touch, on the other it prevents fingerprints, that’s a good point. The S Pen changes place (and color), passing on the left side, and benefiting from the same shade as the Note 20 Ultra, which was not the case on the Note 10. The bronze color, which j got the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra on loan for this test, is very successful, and reinforces the high-end feel.

The curved thinner (a little) the smartphone © Presse-citron.net

I’m not a fan of the photo module block on the back. While visually it may look premium, it is actually way too thick. It adds a feeling of thickness to the Note 20 Ultra, and you cannot use the stylus while placing your smartphone on a table, because of this block too unbalancing.

To conclude this design and hardware part, Samsung offers a very convincing Note 20 Ultra. The real problem is this Exynos chip, which makes the Note 20 Ultra less interesting than the US version.

OneUI and S Pen, a successful combination

If you are used to Lemon Squeezer, you no longer need to introduce yourself to OneUI. The Samsung overlay is one of the most enjoyable on Android, and it offers a nice balance between simplicity and the possibility of customizations. It is also primarily designed for large screens and, even if this Note 20 Ultra is massive, it is very easy to navigate with one hand.

What is interesting are the new features of the S Pen. This new version is already much more responsive, and the latency is much lower than what I had seen on the Note 10+. The writing sensation is there, and I find the responsiveness that I like on my iPad Pro. Air Actions, those movements that you can couple with actions, are simple marketing gimmicks. Except for taking pictures, and presenting slides, I don’t see any interest in it.

S Pen latency divided by 4 © Presse-citron

My biggest software surprise was the new version of Samsung Notes. In my work, I regularly receive PDFs to complete and / or sign. It’s hard every time to have the right app on the right device. During my Note 20 Ultra test, I had the pleasure of receiving emails, opening the PDF with Samsung Notes, and using the stylus for the rest. These kinds of little additions can save a lot of time on a daily basis.

Galaxy Note20 Ultra 256 GB at the best price Base price: € 1,309

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Photo: an S20 Ultra with one slight exception

Very few surprises on this Note 20 Ultra for the photo part, and it was confirmed during my test. At the rear there are three modules, with a main sensor of 108 Mpx, an ultra-wide angle of 12 Mpx and an X5 optical zoom of 12 Mpx. The novelty is the arrival of a laser focus, which is very efficient as you can see in the videos.

Samsung makes Samsung, with photos that offer very vivid colors, which are nice to see, but may displease purists. The main 108 MP sensor takes excellent shots. By default the photos are 12 Mpx and use pixel binning. This technique makes it possible to better capture the light and, on this sensor, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is a real step forward compared to the Note 10. The 108 Mpx shots are very well defined, but I chose to stay in the 12 Mpx mode, the difference is not obvious in the use that I have, I preferred to gain in storage, the 108 Mpx shots being very large (count around 30 MB per photo).

The photo block © Presse-citron.net

The wide-angle sensor is also excellent, although distortion is present. The zoom is impressive in X5, works well in X10 and becomes a gadget after the X30. It is a real disappointment that Samsung has not integrated the x100 zoom (the sensors are different) present on the S20 Ultra, but the S range being dedicated to photography, the brand certainly wants to keep it differentiating points with this Note 20 Ultra. The portrait mode and the front sensor are also excellent.

Ultra wide angle

Main sensor

Zoom x5

Zoom x50

Night mode is also excellent on the main sensor, less on the ultra wide angle. During my vacation I had this Note 20 Ultra and the Pixel 4a available. After testing the Pixel 4a’s Astrophotography mode, it’s hard not to think that we can expect more from the night mode on the Note 20 Ultra, especially at this price point.

Night mode © Presse-citron

As on the S20 Ultra, this test of the Note 20 Ultra for several weeks confirmed to me all the good that I thought of the video part at Samsung. If the Note 20 Ultra can shoot in 8K, I used 4K on a daily basis, but also slow motion and super slow motion. On all these points it is doing perfectly well, and I never once had to take out my A7 III to take vacation videos.

To summarize the photo part of this Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra test, it is one of the best on the market, without being the king.

Autonomy of the Note 20 Ultra: the cold shower

We come to THE big black spot of this test. From a flagship, I expect performance, solid software experience, and very beautiful photos. For these three points, the Note 20 Ultra is doing perfectly. But I also expect autonomy to match, and these few weeks have been particularly disappointing.

If my screen time has improved over the days, I have never lasted more than 21h in classic use with this Note 20 Ultra. It is quite simply one of the worst smartphones that I have had in my hands in terms of autonomy in this price bracket. My last disappointment on this point was the Pixel 4. If you have very light use, it will make it through the day, which I once did.

This small autonomy is explained, in my opinion, on two choices of Samsung. The first is the Exynos chip, which is less optimized than Qualcomm’s, as was the case with the S20 Ultra. The second is the battery size, 4,500mAh vs 5,000mAh for the S20 Ultra. The presence of the S Pen should lead to a decrease in space.

When a smartphone is light in autonomy, it can be compensated by a very fast charge. If the Note 20 Ultra is theoretically compatible with 45W charging, a 25W charger is provided in the box. Very light for a smartphone sold, I remind you, € 1,309.

It is obviously compatible with wireless charging and reverse charging, but autonomy remains a weak point of the Note 20 Ultra.

My opinion on the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

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This Note 20 Ultra review is quite frustrating. In use, it is a superb smartphone. Its screen, the S Pen and OneUI make the experience excellent on a daily basis, the photo / video part is excellent, but autonomy is a real drag. The price is also one, and, if the stylus is not essential for you, I strongly advise you to turn to an S20 + or an S20 Ultra which are now less expensive than when they were released.

It is also difficult to find points that justify the colossal price difference between this Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, a OnePlus 8 Pro or an Oppo Find X2 Pro in particular. We know Samsung’s tendency to quickly lower the prices of its models, and certain promotions can quickly come to lower the price of the Note 20 Ultra. If you are interested, be patient.

If you’re coming from a previous Note, there is no better in this segment than the Note 20 Ultra. Compared to my Note 10 and Note 10+ test a year ago, the Note 20 Ultra is much better on every point (design, specs, photo, stylus), except battery life.