Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra : An In-Depth Review!

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Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra First Impressions

Contents

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra : Our Verdict

After trying out both the Exynos 990 variant of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, and the Galaxy Tab S7+ which is powered by Snapdragon 865+, here is our verdict.

Processor variant aside, the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is an impressive, if evolutionary upgrade, to last year’s Galaxy Note10+.

It comes with a better Dynamic AMOLED 2X display which boasts an incredibly bright 1500 nits panel with a 120 Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass Victus protection.

In addition to a faster and more power-efficient processor, it comes with faster and more power-efficient LPDDR5 memory.

It also comes with a refined triple camera system using the same 108MP sensor from the Galaxy S20 Ultra, but with a better 5X optical zoom lens, and a laser autofocus system.

However, most of the improvements are not easily discerned from its spec sheet. Things like :

  • Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Technology
  • Wireless Samsung DeX projection
  • Improved S Pen with much lower latency and Anywhere actions
  • Adjustable camera zoom speed and audio source

Hence, Samsung has been trying to shift the focus away from the hardware differences from the Galaxy Note10+ and Galaxy S20 Ultra, to what the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra can help users do.

That is true, of course – we use our smartphones to perform tasks, not run benchmarks. In that regard, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra offers capabilities that are simply not available in smartphones from other brands.

  • If you want a mini tablet-like work experience with a stylus, do you really have a better option than a Galaxy Note?
  • If you don’t need a stylus, but want a desktop-like work experience, your other choice is really the Galaxy S20 series.

But hardware still matters when we talk about its value proposition. As our Snapdragon 865+ vs Exynos 990 performance comparison shows, the Snapdragon 865+ is definitely a much faster mobile platform than the Exynos 990.

  • PCMark : +19.4% faster
  • Sling Shot Extreme (OpenGL) : +4.8% faster
  • Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) : +12.8% faster
  • Sling Shot : +8.2% faster
  • AnTuTu : +10.5% faster

Samsung appears to acknowledge this deficit by doubling the internal storage capacity of the Exynos 990 models.

Some have pointed out that while you can add storage via an microSD card, you can’t “add performance”.

But should this 10% average performance deficit really put you off the Exynos 990 variant of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra?

Frankly, the average user is unlikely to notice the performance difference between the Exynos 990 and Snapdragon 865+ variants, even if you compare them side-by-side.

Even the most strenuous games and apps are designed to run well on mid-range platforms. So the performance advantage of flagship platforms is really more about future-proofing these days.

Arguably, the faster Snapdragon variant will let you hold onto the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra a little longer than the Exynos 990 variant. Maybe one cycle longer?

That’s why we are giving the Exynos 990 variant of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra our Reviewer’s Choice Award.

We would love to give the Snapdragon 865+ variant our Editor’s Choice Award, but sadly, it’s not available here in Malaysia… 🙁

 

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra : Where To Buy?

Malaysia

Here are the direct online purchase links in Malaysia :

Recommended : Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Malaysia Launch + Trade-Up Deals!

Singapore

Here are the direct online purchase links in Singapore :

United States

Here are the direct online purchase links in the United States :

United Kingdom

Here are the direct online purchase links in the United Kingdom :

Australia

Here are the direct online purchase links in Australia :

 

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