Samsung recently announced the release of its 2020 flagship devices, the Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G and Note20 Ultra 5G, both of which are 5G-capable, joining the likes of the Galaxy S20 series. The Samsung Galaxy Note20 and Note20 Ultra 5G are bound to interest fans of Samsung’s Note series, but how do they compare to the Samsung Galaxy Note10? Are they worth paying upwards of $1,300 for or should you hold onto your Note10?
In this Samsung Galaxy Note20 article:
- Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G features & specs
- Compare Samsung Galaxy Note20 & Samsung Galaxy Note10
- Major changes between the Note20 & Note10
- Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra vs. Samsung Galaxy Note10 Plus
- Samsung Galaxy Note20 release date
- Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G pricing & preorder
- Let’s Talk Take: should you upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy Note20?
Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G features & specs
Below you can compare the Samsung Galaxy Note20 and Note20 Ultra features and specs. You’ll find that the Note20 Ultra is certainly the more premium phone, with a few more exciting features, such as the edge display, a faster refresh rate (creating a smoother experience), a larger RAM for faster and better multi-tasking, and a more powerful main camera. And while the Note20 is certainly the more affordable option, it still doesn’t run cheap. For a $1,000 phone, one might expect it to have a few more stellar features than it does, but overall, it’s still a solid option.
| Samsung Galaxy Note20 | Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,000 | $1,300 |
| Screen | 6.7 inches | 6.9 inches |
| Display | Flat Infinity-O FHD+ Super AMOLED | Edge Infinity-O Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
| Battery | 4,300 mAh | 4,500 mAh |
| Processor | Snapdragon 865+ | Snapdragon 865+ |
| RAM | 8GB | 12GB |
| Rear camera | 12 MP ultra wide, 12 MP wide angle, 64 MP telephoto | 12 MP ultra wide, 108 MP wide angle, 12 MP telephoto |
| Selfie camera | 10 MP | 10 MP |
| Video | 8K | 8K |
| Space Zoom | 30x | 50x |
| Refresh rate display | 60Hz | 120Hz |
| Fast charging | 25W | 45W |
Compare Samsung Galaxy Note20 & Samsung Galaxy Note10
You may be wondering how the Note20 stacks up against the Note10, Samsung’s 2019 flagship device, and to be honest, while the Note20 has some nice features, there aren’t as many upgrades to the Note20 as we would have hoped for, which is kind of a bummer. That said, the larger battery and more impressive processor will both help improve performance, and the bigger display means more room to show off what your S Pen can do. Plus you get a nice boost with the 8K video quality. And if you want the benefits of 5G connectivity, then the Note20 is the obvious choice.
| Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G | Samsung Galaxy Note10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,000 | $950 |
| Screen | 6.7 inches | 6.3 inches |
| Display | Flat Infinity-O | FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED Infinity |
| Battery | 4,300 mAh | 3,500 mAh |
| Processor | Snapdragon 865+ | Snapdragon 855 |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB |
| Rear camera | 12 MP ultra wide, 12 MP wide angle, 64 MP telephoto | 16 MP ultra wide, 12 MP wide angle, 12 MP telephoto |
| Selfie camera | 10 MP | 10 MP |
| Video | 8K | 4K UHD |
| Refresh rate display | 60Hz | 60Hz |
| Connectivity | 5G, 4G LTE | 4G LTE |
Samsung Galaxy Note20 plans
Major changes between the Note20 & Note10
In a nutshell, the biggest differences between the Samsung Galaxy Note20 and Note10 are:
- 5G capability
- Larger screen
- Faster processor
- Longer battery life
- Improved S Pen
- Flat screen
Of course, the most obvious upgrade to the Note20 is that it is 5G-capable, which means you can access your carrier’s expanding 5G network and get data speeds faster than ever before (although your speeds will largely depend on which carrier you have). Additionally, with a 6.7-inch display, the Galaxy Note20 is quite bigger than its 6.3-inch predecessor, the Note10. The Galaxy Note20 also has a faster processor and bigger, longer-lasting battery than the Note10, which is always good news. Another notable improvement is the S Pen, which has 40% shorter latency period (response time) and a smoother, more realistic pen-to-paper feel. Plus, the S Pen now includes five new Anywhere actions: take a screen shot, go to the home screen, open a recent app, and beyond. Not to mention, your Samsung Notes app now automatically syncs all of your notes with the cloud, allowing you to access your notes from any device.
While the Note10 boasted a curved screen, the Note20 notably does not—the screen sits flush with the top left and right edges. While this isn’t a huge deal, many people find the curved screen to be more aesthetically pleasing. One thing to note that is not a change, but rather a lack of change, is the fact that the Note20 includes the same standard 60Hz refresh rate that the Note10 had, while the S20 series and the Note20 Ultra have upgraded to 120Hz refresh rates. Again, while this isn’t a big deal, and may not even be noticeable if you’ve never used a phone with a 120Hz refresh rate, it is sort of weird that it was left off the Note20. Higher refresh rates improve your smartphone experience, especially when it comes to gaming or using social media.
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra vs. Samsung Galaxy Note10 Plus
When you compare the Note20 Ultra 5G and the Samsung Galaxy Note10+, you’ll note some more exciting upgrades to the Note20 Ultra aside from 5G connectivity. While the screen sizes and displays are similar, the Note20 Ultra features a faster refresh rate, which will only serve to enhance your visual experience. The Note20 Ultra’s main camera blows the Note10+ camera out of the water, and the video quality has been upgraded from 4K to 8K. Another important improvement is the glass covering the Note20 Ultra—it’s much more durable than the glass on the Note10+, which is great news for all the butter-finger customers out there.
| Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy Note10+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,300 | $1,100 |
| Screen | 6.9 inches | 6.8 inches |
| Display | Edge Infinity-O Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X | Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED Infinity-O Display |
| Battery | 4,500 mAh | 4,300 mAh |
| Processor | Snapdragon 865+ | Snapdragon 855 |
| RAM | 12GB | 12GB |
| Rear camera | 12 MP ultra wide, 108 MP wide angle, 12 MP telephoto | 16 MP ultra wide, 12 MP wide angle, 12 MP telephoto |
| Selfie camera | 10 MP | 10 MP |
| Video | 8K | 4K UHD |
| Refresh rate display | 120Hz | 60Hz |
| Connectivity | 5G | 4G LTE |
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra plans
Samsung Galaxy Note20 release date
Samsung unveiled its 2020 flagship devices, the Samsung Galaxy Note20 and Note20 Ultra, on August 5 at its virtual event. Preorders went live on August 6, and if you preorder one of these beautiful, sleek devices, the phone will ship by August 19 or August 21, depending on the color and model.
- Note20 Mystic Green: August 21
- Note20 Mystic Bronze: August 19
- Note20 Mystic Gray: August 19
Every color of the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G will ship by August 19.
Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G pricing & preorder
You can preorder the brand new Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G and Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G from Samsung, as well as all the major carriers and a few MVNOs. The pricing of the two Samsung Galaxy Note20 models are:
- Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G (128GB): $999.99
- Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (128GB): $1,299.99
- Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (512GB): $1,449.99
Let’s Talk Take: should you upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy Note20?
Whether the Samsung Galaxy Note20 is worth it or not largely depends on your wireless needs and priorities. If you already have the Note10 or Note10+ and don’t want to spend at least $1,000 on a new phone, you may want to hold onto your phone until next year’s Samsung Galaxy Note release.
Conversely, if you’re itching for a new phone and you can’t get enough of the S Pen and all the Note has to offer, you may want to upgrade—especially if you want to take advantage of your carrier’s ever-expanding 5G network (just make sure you are on a 5G cell phone plan!). If you’re a gamer, you may want to take advantage and preorder the Note20 or Note20 Ultra, since customers who preorder will receive 3 free months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Bundle, which you can use beginning September 15. If you want to get the most bang for your buck, make sure you check out the best Samsung Galaxy deals—you may also be able to get a discount on a trade-in or BOGO offer.
Additionally, the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra may be a good choice for you if you’re really into photography and videography. While the average phone user probably doesn’t need the bells and whistles of the Note20 Ultra’s incredible cameras, this phone is certainly going to delight those with an artistic eye. Plus, both models include pro-grade controls, where you can edit your photos and videos right on your phone.
