Samsung has also gone big with its Galaxy Note lineup and the new Galaxy Note 20 Ultra can attest.

This phone is a real leap over its predecessors, from more screen estate to better futures, and power.

And these many enhancements won’t come cheap. However, Samsung can sure sell these handsets as they come equipped with everything a buyer ever wants.

Display

On the front, the huge 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED display will surely catch your eyes. The 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ support, and a 1,440 x 3,088-pixel resolution put the screen on top of everything else on the market.

The Note 20 Ultra is the first Samsung phone to adapt Display’s variable refresh rate tech, which will change the refresh rate according to what you are doing on your phone to save energy.

For example, for still photos, the screen will switch to 10Hz, for movies, it usually chooses 60Hz, and for games that support 120Hz, the Note 20 Ultra will crank up the rate to the highest possible.

Processor

In the U.S, the Note 20 Ultra comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset on the inside. In Europe, the UK, and India, the phone runs on the Exynos 990 processor.

Benchmark test results of the phone are considerably lower than those of OnePlus 8 Pro and ASUS ROG Phone 3. Since tests aren’t always a reliable indicator of real-world performances, users should not be deterred by these results. Many early adopters report fast and problem-free experience with the handset.

Gaming on this phone is wonderful, courtesy of the processor. However, bear in mind that the handset will get hot, especially if the model you use is powered by the Exynos processor. It never gets to the point where the heat makes you uncomfortable but sweaty hands are hard to avoid.

RAM

With 12GB of RAM, the phone can handle almost anything, from gaming to multitasking.

Battery

The Note 20 Ultra 5G draws power from a 4,500mAh battery. While the number sounds big compared to the cells of other handsets, given all the power-consuming features of the phone, the big battery won’t help much in prolonging the time you have between charges.

The Note 20 Ultra 5G can barely last to day two even with moderate use. On average, with three to four hours a day of screen time, you can expect 30% of juice at the end of the day.

Adding 5G use to your day and expect the phone to lose juice even faster than usual.

Connectivity-wise, 4G LTE signals are decent and Wi-Fi callings are handy. Wireless charging is available and a 25-watt wired charger can top up 50% of the battery in half an hour.

Camera

Compared to those of the Note 10 Plus, the cameras on the Note 20 Ultra have received major upgrades. The Galaxy S20 Ultra’s 108-megapixel 1/1.33-inch sensor makes an appearance on this phone, accompanied by a 12MP periscope zoom with 10x hybrid and 5x optical zoom. However, the Space Zoom level has been reduced from 100x down to 50x.

The last of the triple-camera setup is a 12MP ultrawide lens with optical image stabilization, a laser autofocus system, and periscope lenses. It’s capable of recording videos up to 8K at 24FPS and 4K at 60FPS with support for HDR10+ and electronic and optical stabilization.

While on papers, the cameras on the Note 20 Ultra are an upgrade over those of the Note 10, the two phones take photos with similar quality with just a little bit more details from the former. The differences are the most visible when you use the 5x and 10x zoom.  

However, when it comes to 2x optical zoom, Note 10 Plus is the one yields better results.

The photos taken by the Note 20 Ultra are beautiful with popping colors without looking too saturated or artificial.

The low-light performance of the phone is great too with the snappers capturing the real atmosphere. Photos taken with 5x and 10x zoom pack lots of details but the same can’t be said with the 50x zoom as it’s as the 100x on the S20 Ultra.

Users can take advantage of the Single Take mode, with which the cameras take a short video instead of a still picture and make edits like turning it into GIFs and filtered shots.

You get to choose the duration of the video, between 5 seconds and 15 seconds. While not all users will find this feature handy, it actually offers flexibility and more shooting options.

108MP mode and even the 8K mode are gimmicks. Of course, if you own a device that can display 8K content, that would be great, otherwise, you won’t see much of a difference. Storing this kind of videos takes lots of space too.

Another use for the 108MP mode is to keeping details after you crop images. However, you can achieve similar outcomes with the Note 20 Ultra’s very capable zoom.

When 8K display becomes more widely adopted, these modes might be more relevant but for now, they are far from being the main reason to stretch your budget for this phone.

On the other side, the selfie camera yields decent results. Some users might think photos are a bit washed out but overall, they are sharable.

Samsung focuses on the hardware doesn’t mean it neglects the software. The Gallery app’s editing suite is also a highlight for users who love taking pictures with their phones.

The app is user-friendly and the auto-enhance settings work great to make selfies pop. The Pro mode is a nice touch but if you have little photography knowledge, it won’t be of much use to you.

An average user will be more than happy with the auto mode but if you are an expert photographer, you are more than welcomed to test the Pro mode out.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra’s cameras have everything they need to be on top of the market, the competent Night Mode, the selfies, and the wide-angle mode. Photos they take are instantly sharable in most situations and environments.

So if you want a flexible smartphone that can do almost anything, this phone is a good choice.