How to choose between the Samsung Note 20 Ultra and the Samsung S20 Ultra

Are you considering the Samsung Note 20 but not sure if the Samsung S20 Ultra will do the job? Do you know what the differences are between these two smartphones? To help you make the right choice, this article reviews whether that little word ‘note’ really makes any difference.

Samsung Note 20 Ultra: a huge screen with high-standard performance

A large screen means optimal viewing for both the Samsung Note 20 Ultra and the Samsung S20 Ultra, with both offering an impressive 6.9-inch display perfect for watching YouTube and Netflix on. But in terms of actual phone size, the Note 20 Ultra is slightly smaller, measuring 6.48 x 3.04 x 0.32 inches compared to 6.6 x 2.7 x 0.34 inches for the S20 Ultra. It’s slightly lighter than the S20 Ultra too (0.44 ounces less to be exact), which is always a bonus. Both phones offer a sharp and clear display, and the adaptive brightness feature makes viewing when the sun’s shining a pleasure. The Note 20 Ultra comes with a 5x optical zoom camera, while the S20 Ultra offers 4x. Not a great difference, but important if you’re into your photography and taking close-ups. The fast Snapdragon 865+ chip in the Note 20 (865 chip without the + for the S20) puts it slightly ahead in terms of speed. A key difference is the Note 20 Ultra comes with an S Pen, which you often have to buy separately for other phablets, so this can be a cost saving if you’re looking for a phone with a digital pen.

Samsung S20 Ultra: professional photographs from an ultra-stylish smartphone

As with the Note 20 Ultra, the S20 features a smooth edge-to-edge screen, but the S20 is more curved and rounded, giving it a smoother and more elegant feel in the hand. The S20 has a larger battery than the Note 20 Ultra, allowing it to last slightly longer on average than the Note 20. When it comes to fast charging, the S20 Ultra gives 45W while the Note only offers 25kW, which is great for when you have limited time to charge your devices. Aside from the zoom feature mentioned above, both phones deliver excellent camera and video quality, each being equipped with three rear cameras. Both of these phones are 5G compatible – exceptional news as 5G increasingly reaches all corners of the globe.

In our view, the winner of these two phones is the Samsung Note 20 Ultra as it has more features at a cheaper price, which you can’t argue with. This smartphone ticks all the boxes if you want a high-performance phone with the added creative tool of an S Pen.