I feel that the Galaxy Note series has always provided a strong use case scenario, even better than a foldable smartphone. The primary movers being stylus and a great display. No other brand apart from Samsung has launched a smartphone with stylus every year for the last five or six years. Today we are going to present the review of Samsung Galaxy 20 Ultra, which was launched a few days back.
Lets first get started with the specs. Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G has a 6.9 inches Dynamic AMOLED 2X (1440 x 3088 pixels, ~496 ppi density) that supports 120Hz refresh rate. It is powered by Octa-core Exynos 990 processor combined by Mali-G77 MP11 card. On the memory front it has 12GB RAM and up to 512GB internal storage. In the camera department it has 108 MP f/1.8, 26mm (wide) + 12 MP, f/3.0, 120mm (periscope telephoto) + 12 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide) + 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide) selfie camera. A 4500 mAh with 25W Fast charging provides the power needed to run the smartphone.
Look and Feel
The first thing that grabbed my attention on Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G was its huge 6.9 inches Dynamic AMOLED display, that curves out towards the sides. Then, the next thing was the colour. We got the Mystic Bronze edition, and well, it definitely makes the phone stand out and gives it a distinct look.
The front and back on Ne 20 Ultra is made up of Gorilla Glass Victus which as per Samsung is the toughest glass in the market at present. The Back panel doesn’t feel like glass instead it gives an impression that it is metal and the best part it doesn’t pick up smudges the other smartphones which have a glass back. Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is not a device which you can use with one hand, even if you have giant palms unless you want to do a drop test!
The phone has a protruding camera module at the back with sharp edges which in my opinion looks like a small slab which has been put on the back panel and doesn’t gel with the overall design. Having said that, Note 20 Ultra looks different and has a flaunt value.
Display
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has the best display out their among all the flagship smartphones in the market. It is vibrant and sharp. The Note 20 Ultra a run at quad HD+ (3088 x 1440) resolution, but is set by default to full HD+ (2316 x 1080) because that is the Resolution at which 120 Hz refresh rate is supported.
In the display setting one can either opt for an adaptive screen refresh rate, where the display automatically increases the refresh to 120 Hz depending on the App or function or if you are in battery saving mode, you can stick to a standard 60 Hz refresh rate. The extra refresh rate is noticeable, especially while playing games.
Noto 20 Ultra with a peak brightness of 1500 nits makes anything on display readable and watchable even in bright sunshine. Games and TV shows look amazing.
Performance
A lot of people have in India have criticised Samsung for using Exynos 990 processor, but I didn’t notice any issues with it. We played PUBG and the Asphalt series Without any hiccups. Even while running multiple tasks or keeping dozens of Chrome tabs open we didn’t encounter any issue.
Now let me talk about the things I didn’t like. Note S20 Ultra heats up while using the camera continuously and Fingerprint scanner is a bit sluggish and doesn’t have 100% open up rate.
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S Pen
It is a digital pen, but with the new refinements and updates, it feels like a regular pen – no lag and sensitive. And that’s not all it supports Handwriting recognition which converts scribbles to printed text with ease, and even doctors can use it to make their prescription readable ( pun Intended).
One can also explore Samsung Notes Sync using which notes can be synchronized between your phone and your notebook via One Note.
So what else, apart from writing notes? One can add AR doodles on camera, draw sketches, use “Air Gestures” to manage camera app, scrolling or take a snapshot. Since S Pen stays lodged inside the Note itself, one doesn’t have to worry about losing it or charging it.
If we talk about the downsides of S Pen, everybody might not use it regularly after an initial few days of exploration, unless they have a specific purpose. Also, it cannot replace the pen and paper as it is not convenient and comfortable to use it for long duration simply because of its size. Having said that, it is the best Stylus as of now in the market.
Camera
Note 20 Ultra’s camera performance is quite impressive both in natural and low lighting conditions. Snaps are punchy and don’t miss out on detailing. The telephoto’s 50X does an excellent job but detailing is not that great at maximum zoom. Shots up to 20X are best in case you don’t want to give miss details.
Here I would like to point out that the night shots captured at 50X zoom are best ones I have seen in any mobile camera till date, though, colours and details will be on the lower side.
Macros shots for me were a mixed bag, Kabhi Kusshi Kabhi Gam. I felt focusing was an issue with macro shots.
On the video front, Note 20 Ultra will not disappoint you. The videos come out well, and even minor shakes are managed well. Even, video shot in low light is better than most of the smartphones’ cameras.
Battery
The 4500 mAh battery has enough power to last a day on medium usage even if you keep the display at 120 Hz refresh rate at full HD. In case you are a heavy user, expect around 6 hours of power back up.
There is a 25W charger in the box, which can charge Note 20 Ultra from 0-50 percent is about half an hour. It is not the fastest but it will be handy.