A few weeks ago I was telling you what the Galaxy S20 Ultra had seemed to me , and today I bring you my impressions with a phone that looks a lot like it, and that is that we are again in front of a very large Samsung phone. And when I say big, I mean, ULTRA big .
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G, video analysis
Screen to enjoy
Samsung’s track record tells us that the Note are devices to work with . You may use it to take notes throughout the day, to have hundreds of applications open, or to use it as a laptop thanks to Samsung DeX, but the truth is that the profile of this phone invites much more . And it is that, with 6.9 inches , who does not dare to see a Netflix series in this pantallón? The screen looks incredibly good outdoors, and it’s something the manufacturer is used to by now. Like the S20 Ultra, this Note20 Ultra looks amazing, and its brightness is such that you better have it reduced at night if you do not want it to blind you.
Samsung once again hangs an amazing 6.9-inch OLED- type panel, with HDR 10 plus support, with heart- stopping brightness and contrast, and a 120 Hz image refresh. Yes, again another similarity with the S20 Ultra, however, here the novelty is that the soft drink is variable, so the energy consumption will be more controlled. When there are static images, it can be as high as 10 Hz, and when you turn it on and scroll, it works at 120. And let me tell you, it’s wonderful. That change in frequency is completely imperceptible, and in the end we gain in battery life, which is great to continue stretching for a few hours.
And yes, you will not be able to have 120 Hz at the maximum resolution of the panel , but believe me that with the FHD + resolution you will have plenty. That is the only downside we found to the system, which is still limited to a slightly lower resolution than the original panel. This is basically due to the fact that it would continue to be a fairly important source of energy consumption, so the manufacturer continues to include this limitation.
More beautiful than ever
Aesthetically, we are facing another leap at the design level in Samsung phones, and now with a matte finish on a Gorilla Glass 7 glass cover, the phone looks spectacular. Obviously we cannot avoid talking about the large projection that cameras produce, which we will talk about later, but at first glance it is beautiful.
Part of the fault for this beauty is the back, and it is that it lacks a fingerprint reader, which gives a cleaner visual appearance. But wait, do you think a phone as top as the Note20 Ultra was going to be without a fingerprint reader? Not at all. The reader is hidden under the screen, it is of the ultrasonic type and it works really well, as in the S20 Ultra. This allows us to unlock the device quickly and without too much waiting, and throughout the time we have been using the device it has responded perfectly.
A very characteristic pencil
As you will see, there are many similarities with the giant of the S range, right? That’s where the S Pen comes in, of course, the perfect complement for note lovers. I still think that this stylus is a very special complement, but that not everyone will know how to take advantage of it. I myself do not dare to write in the terminal, since I am fatal to do it on the fly.
Also, another problem that I see is related to the camera module. As it stands out so much, writing on a flat surface could be a problem on some occasions, something completely uncomfortable when suffering blows on the table caused by the unevenness of the camera module. But there are great news related to the S-Pen, and they directly affect its operation. The response time is tremendously less than the Note 10, and this translates into quick strokes that feel real. Thanks to the sound that is reproduced while we make the line we enjoy an experience that little by little is closer to that of writing on paper.
The Samsung Notes application has also been improved including the ability to write on individual pages, write over text, import PDF files for editing, and even add audio notes to your written notes.
Remote photography
Talking about a Samsung phone without talking about the cameras is like talking about a monitor and not counting the inches. This Note20 Ultra 5G comes with 3 cameras of 108, 12 and 12 megapixels that offer different angles for all kinds of situations. It is a configuration that we could already see in the S20 Ultra, but that offers us slightly better results in the ultra wide angle. The images are sharp and detailed, beyond the deformation of the angle itself, but in general it has made a very good impression on us.
In the 108 megapixel camera we still enjoy very complete results, but they are not the best. The portrait is attractive but can be improved, the performance in broad daylight is magnificent but with a white balance to be perfected, and at night we will be able to see light where we thought it did not exist, but at the cost of losing detail and noise.
Where we have made a pleasant impression is on the telephoto lens, since the 5x magnification of the lens performs like a charm. In addition, the hybrid zoom that mixes the optical and digital gives us very good results up to 20x, but jumping to 50x is meaningless because we get completely patchy images with a watercolor effect that increases if stabilization and light conditions are not optimal.
Another highlight of the cameras is their video recording capacity, not only because of the 8K resolution available (already present in the S20), but also because of the magnificent stabilization that invites us to enjoy a simulated gimbal with perfection in stabilization. amazing.
Undefined muscle
As we said, the phone comes with everything, and to the Exynos 990 processor we must add the 12 GB of RAM and the 256 and 512 GB of storage in which it is available. The problem is that one more year the difference in performance from the European to the American model is important, and users on the other side of the pond will enjoy a faster, more powerful phone with better autonomy. It’s fair? The market rules, and global demand forces Samsung to make this distribution. There is no other.
But make no mistake. This Note20 Ultra 5G does not lack power, there is simply another identical Note20 that has more. To complete the package, Samsung has reached an agreement with Microsoft to offer 3 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to all those who reserve the device, enjoying access to Microsoft’s cloud game service immediately. And with this, the phone becomes a powerful portable console in which you only need a Bluetoth remote, a wonderful way to take advantage of the potential and the incredible screen that it offers us.
Is the Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G worth buying?
The Ultra model is a large version. More than big, giant, and that might not be entirely comfortable for many users. Anyway, if you hallucinate with the large inches, this screen is the best that you will take in your pocket (if it fits you). Another matter will be to justify the 1,309 euros that this phone costs. Innovations such as the variable refreshment seem essential for the future, but beyond that and another quality, the price of this Note20 Ultra seems too much.
We see the normal version with better eyes, which offers practically the same, but lowers the main camera to 42 megapixels and uses polycarbonate instead of glass for the back cover. Oh, and the screen is flat, something that for many will be an advantage.
That said, if you are looking to have the most of the most and you are not too worried about a price that greatly exceeds 1,000 euros, the Note20 Ultra is the best Android phone you could buy today. But if you mature the purchase decision and the price does not let you sleep, even a Galaxy Note 10 would be a much more sensible option.
