The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is arresting, however costly. Here’s what we predict thus far.
Jessica Dolcourt/CNET
Late Thursday morning, the package deal arrived with a thump: a plain brown cardboard field containing inside it Samsung’s new Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G. I ripped it open, sliced by means of the tape and gently shook the black lid from the field. There it was, the brand new, signature bronze shade of Samsung’s $1,300 Note 20 Ultra. Sleek and exquisite, but in addition overly giant and perplexing. (Keep studying for extra on the usual Note 20 for $1,000.) So far, I’m having fun with uncovering the Note 20 Ultra’s mysteries and I hope to obtain a Note 20 quickly after. For now, essentially the most premium of Samsung’s Note lineup is the one I’ve to work with. The gleeful, giddy individual inside loves peeling again the layers and discovering all the things great, or quirky, elements of the cellphone, from a greater technique to shoot selfie pictures to the large 6.9-inch display.

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Then there’s the choosy reviewer aspect that frets over the battery life that plunged at an alarming charge on Day 1 and worries what is going to occur to the impossible-to-ignore digital camera module protruding out the again prefer it owns the entire joint.After a day with the Note 20, I really feel like I’ve solely scratched the floor. There’s a lot forward within the testing course of, from gaining a greater understanding of how shortly a cellphone with a 6.9-inch show with a default 120Hz refresh charge churns by means of a 4,500mAh battery to how properly the brand new suite of gestures work in day-to-day life, particularly the “next normal” that Samsung retains utilizing to confer with the unknown methods the coronavirus pandemic is completely altering world society and presumably shopping for habits for the close to future.That Note 20 Ultra digital camera bump means enterprise.
Jessica Dolcourt/CNET
Note 20 Ultra: What I really like thus farThe bronze coloration with the matte end: Sleek, refined and fewer of a grease lure when slick or dirty palms get throughout it. It’s lustrous even when pleasantly hazy.The display, as at all times, is vibrant and good.My favourite Galaxy Note tips return to life, like taking a very exact display shot utilizing the S Pen and simply making a display recording or GIF of a portion of the show.Taking a selfie utilizing the S Pen is a breeze whenever you press the stylus button with one hand with out having to stay your arm out at an ungainly angle or fear about dropping the cellphone.Face tone filters for selfies are good so as to add some heat or step on the breaks if an image is oversaturated. 

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First Look: Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra

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What won’t be so nice in regards to the Note 20 UltraBattery life confuses me. At 1pm, I switched within the common testing SIM card and battery was at 100%. By 4pm, it was at 45%. That was with Wi-Fi and 4G (not 5G) knowledge engaged. Yes, the display was utilizing the default 120Hz choice, however a part of the time, I used to be on a cellphone name with the display off. The name sounded nice, by the way in which. I’ve reached out to Samsung to see if there could also be a difficulty.Nether Note 20 telephones comes with a pair of free wires headphones. That could not appear to be a giant deal as Samsung transitions customers towards it Galaxy Buds Live wi-fi earbuds, however the reality this firm spent years touting the $99 worth means the tip result’s that the Note value retains going up wile shedding earlier worth.That digital camera bump is tough to disregard. Without a case, I continually fear about dropping it and cracking the digital camera array, which might undoubtedly be the very first thing to hit, or else laying it down and shifting the machine in a method that scratches the digital camera. This has occurred to me earlier than and ruined ever ultra-wide picture after, so belief me once I say that is no idle concern.Why is it so sizzling? On an 81-degree day, the Note 20 appeared to each generate and dissipate numerous warmth. Maybe it is tied to no matter is occurring with the battery life, possibly it is simply a big cellphone that should shed a number of warmth. I used to be in a position to go on an almost two-hour stroll with out it falling out of my again pocket, although I might instantly really feel there was a change from the Galaxy Note 20 Plus, one other giant cellphone that nonetheless felt smaller.

What will we take a look at tomorrow?There’s nonetheless a lot to see because the Note 20 Ultra begins to settle in as my every day cellphone for the following week. That means the stylus’ new gesture options, e-mail, pictures, the every day information digest, films and reveals, train and all the remaining. Check again as this evaluate builders day-to-day. And maintain studying for our unique impressions on the Note 20 Ultra and normal Note 20. And scroll to the very finish for all of the specs.The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra jogs my memory of a determine straight from Greek mythology. With its smooth profile, resplendent bronze end (for its signature coloration), and thick digital camera bump on the again staring out like a set of compound eyes, it would not take way more than a look to see this new cellphone for energy customers may be very a lot siren-meets-cyclops.The Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra’s appears are only the start of the story — and there is way more under — together with one genuinely shocking change. But earlier than we go there, it is essential to know the context into which these telephones are coming to mild. The Galaxy Note 20 telephones can be found for preorder now and are anticipated to reach by the official sale date, Aug. 21. The Note 20 begins at $1,000 (£849, AU$1,499) and the Note 20 Ultra begins at $1,300 (£1,179, AU$1,849).The coronavirus pandemic has turned the world on its head, endangering lives, launching a world recession and throwing into query the necessity for a premium cellphone whose most cost-effective mannequin prices $1,000, which is $50 greater than final yr’s entry-level Galaxy Note 10. But whereas Samsung asks us to contemplate the deserves of a 5G machine with juiced-up cameras and a few options higher fitted to the boardroom than the lounge, Google has simply launched a superb $349 no-frills cellphone that appears extra consistent with these lean and uncertain days.
Samsung’s new Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra are available a placing bronze shade
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The timing is coincidental, however unlucky. Phones can take greater than a yr to cycle by means of the pipeline, so when Samsung’s designers and engineers had been plotting the Note 20 refresh, the characteristic roadmap was properly established. The Note line has at all times stood for software program and specs that went above and past. While most of the options and updates, like new S Pen gestures tuned to working EnergyPoint shows, will make sense for a post-pandemic world, the state of COVID-19 instances at the moment varieties a weak argument for the “normal” actions that benefit such a tool.That is not to say that the Note 20 and 20 Ultra will not have a spot within the who’s who record of 2020 telephones, although it is too quickly to know. I spend all day on my laptop computer, however nonetheless typically attain for my cellphone as a second and even most popular display to learn in mattress, on the sofa or on the kitchen desk once I desire a change of tempo. I take advantage of cellular funds greater than I ever did earlier than, as retailers in my space eschew money in favor of touchless transactions. And battery life continues to be of the utmost significance as I reconnect with buddies and coworkers throughout hours-long walks with simply my cellphone as a technique to get contemporary air. Samsung, too, says cellular utilization has been up throughout this time.The distinction is that, with out an finish to the pandemic in sight, it feels tougher to get on board with a cellphone whose essential options really feel much less compelling on the outset by dint of the instances. In reality, I hope the Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra win me over once I get to check out the evaluate models. I hope Samsung’s trade-in and yearly improve packages entice its loyal prospects to improve to a tool that will properly ship the sort of core performance, long-term battery life and pleasing extras that may make a cellphone enjoyable to make use of for years.

The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has a vibrant, large 6.9-inch show.
Jessica Dolcourt/CNET
I’m prepared for the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra to persuade me, or no less than attempt their hardest — top-heavy digital camera bulge and all. (Psst. Samsung additionally introduced the Galaxy Z Fold 2 on Wednesday. Although it is certain to price much more than the Note 20, its means to remain open whereas folded has me genuinely excited to see extra.)  Galaxy Note 20 vs. Note 20 Ultra: Surprising variationsSamsung eased us into the thought of a extra entry-level Note cellphone in 2019, however this yr, there is a broad gulf between the usual Galaxy Note 20 and the Note 20 Ultra. (Scroll to the tip for the total specs comparability.)Note 20 Ultra: What you should knowThe Ultra has a 6.9-inch curved display, a extra squared-off form and all of the perks, together with the higher-powered digital camera tech, help for Google’s Nearby Share by means of its UWB Share (extremely broad band) characteristic and a microSD card slot as much as 1TB. The display has an choice to flip right into a 120Hz refresh charge, the place every pixel refreshes 120 instances per second, making scrolling liquid-smooth. (We’ll need to see how this impacts battery life.)And then there’s that digital camera bulge. Full disclosure: I have not had an opportunity to see both Note 20 in individual right here in California, however my New York colleague, Richard Peterson, was in a position to deal with and videotape each units, and try and reply my laundry record of questions. Attending a digital briefing and poring over our footage, it is clear that from one angle, the Note 20 Ultra appears smooth and horny. From one other, it is unpleasantly top-heavy in a method that makes my thoughts leap to a case as a necessity to guard the Note 20 Ultra’s digital camera mount. The incontrovertible fact that the digital camera array protrudes so removed from the physique makes this space way more prone to breaks, cracks and scratches when dropped or dragged alongside a floor — for instance, in the event you lay the cellphone on its again. We’ll put the Note 20 Ultra’s new Gorilla Glass Victus shielding on either side to the take a look at, however I’ve banged up sufficient cellphone cameras throughout my profession as a reviewer to recommend avoiding that danger in any respect prices.The mystic bronze coloration sports activities a matte end, whereas mystic black and mystic white are shiny glass.That digital camera mount on the Note 20 Ultra is severe enterprise.
Richard Peterson/CNET
Note 20: Did somebody say plastic?The normal Note 20 has a 6.7-inch flat display with no curved sides (a staple on the Note line for years). But this is the clincher — it has a plastic again, which Samsung prefers to name polycarbonate. There’s no microSD card slot (identical as final yr) and small options are lacking. There are stepped-down digital camera specs (together with no professional video mode), a much less superior display expertise with no 120Hz refresh charge choice, a smaller battery capability (4,300 mAh versus 4,500 mAh), much less RAM (8GB versus 12GB), and no UWB sharing.Embracing pastel, the Note 20’s mystic inexperienced, mystic bronze and mystic grey tones all include a matte end. It makes use of a steel body and Gorilla Glass 5 on the entrance, not the latest Gorilla Glass Victus.The Note 20 shares the identical core specs because the Note 20 Ultra. The 10-megapixel selfie digital camera, new S Pen gestures and Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus processor are a part of each telephones. But again to the Note 20’s plastic backing: That feels out of character for a cellphone household that is sometimes about showcasing the very best of the very best Samsung has to supply. Without having reviewed the cellphone but, a $1,000 cellphone with a plastic again appears laborious to swallow. Maybe I’ll change my thoughts.Note 20 cameras: 108MP, professional video mode, 8K video seizeThe digital camera array is the place Samsung desires the Note 20 telephones, and particularly the Note 20 Ultra, to shine. It’s taken a step again from the ostentation of the Galaxy S20 Ultra, which boasted a 100x Space Zoom characteristic and a essential digital camera able to capturing a 108-megapixel picture, concentrating as an alternative on the thought of cropping in for extra element. Note 20 vs. Note 20 Ultra digital camera

Galaxy Note 20

Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

Main digital camera

12-megapixel (F1.8, Dual Pixel AF, OIS, 1.8μm, 79-degree FOV, 1/1.76 inch picture sensor)

108-megapixel (F1.8, OIS, 0.8μm, 79-degree FOV, 1/1.33 inch picture sensor)

Ultrawide angle

12-megapixel (F2.2, 1.4μm, 120-degree FOV)

12-megapixel (F2.2, 1.4μm, 120-degree FOV)

Telephoto

64-megapixel (F2.0, 0.8μm, 76-degree FOV)

12-megapixel (F3.0, 1.0μm, 20-degree FOV)

Front-facing digital camera

10-megapixel (F2.2, 1.22μm, 80-degree FOV)

10-megapixel (F2.2, 1.22μm, 80-degree FOV)

Zoom

3x hybrid

5x optical

Super Zoom

30x

50x

Laser auto-focus sensor

No

Yes

Video seize

8K

8K

Samsung nonetheless gave the Note 20 Ultra an 108-megapixel digital camera choice — you faucet it to show it on whenever you need the total decision. When it involves zoom, the Note 20 falls again to 50x zoom, with the Note 20 settling in at 30x. It’s fascinating to see Samsung backtrack like this, however the firm appears to be responding to suggestions that the S20 Ultra was too costly and its 100x zoom wasn’t adequate or helpful sufficient to justify the value.The Note 20 Ultra has 5x optical zoom, which ought to make pictures taken in that vary crisper and clearer than utilizing digital zoom alone. We’ll quickly see.Faster autofocus within the Note 20 Ultra can be designed to present it an edge over the usual Note 20, so you’ll be able to snap pictures of squirmy pets, amusing facial expressions and flapping hummingbirds sooner, with out lacking the shot. A professional video mode packs in additional handbook instruments and choices for capturing footage, which ought to make aspiring moviemakers comfortable. This has been considered one of Samsung’s weaker areas for a number of years, in comparison with the newest iPhone. As with the Galaxy S20 Ultra, each telephones help 8K video seize. Just bear in mind, it will make video recordsdata monumental on and off your cellphone.Writing is one factor Galaxy Note telephones do greatest.
Richard Peterson/CNET
The Note 20 telephones get new S Pen stylus and observe app tipsWhat would the Galaxy Note be with out its stylus? For loyalists, scribbling, navigating and annotating are a part of the cellphone’s appeal. So is the truth that the Notes app lets you do all the above. Here are the most recent options for each Note 20 fashions.New S Pen gesture navigation: Pointing the pen tip away out of your physique (and at a distance from the cellphone), press and maintain the stylus button whereas making considered one of 5 new gestures to return, go dwelling, open a latest app or take a screenshot with Smart Select. You also can squiggle the pen to seize your complete display.The S Pen is extra responsive on the Note 20 Ultra when the 120Hz display choice is on.Handwriting recognition will get higher with instruments together with autostraighten. Samsung Notes will get stay auto-syncing in the end. This will retailer a observe within the cloud so that you can entry from another machine — so long as you are signed right into a Samsung account.Attach and time-sync voice recordings. You can get your voice observe to sync with what you write so it will play again from the time you point out the phrase.Import a PDF to annotate or spotlight. Instead of printing out a web page or downloading it to signal after which add or ship out once more, you’ll be able to merely mark your signature and export it again once more.Other Note 20 options and goodiesUWB help for sharing recordsdata like a digital key. Point to share with different Samsung units utilizing UWB. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate offers you entry to over 100 video games you’ll be able to play on the fly. Samsung’s Microsoft partnership: Drag-and-drop and syncing from Windows units and apps to your Samsung cellphone, together with notes and reminders.Samsung DeX, the imaginative and prescient for changing your pc together with your cellphone, now allows you to join to a different display wirelessly to view your content material, say in your TV display in your lounge. You can pair a Galaxy Note 20 with the brand new Galaxy Buds Live to activate noise cancellation. In the taped demo I noticed, you continue to hear a number of static and distortion, nevertheless it did minimize out interfering conversations.Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra specsGalaxy Note 20 vs. Note 20 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy Note 20

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

Display dimension, decision

6.7 inches; 2,400×1,080 pixels

6.9 inches; 3,088×1,440 pixels

Pixel density

393 ppi

496 ppi

Dimensions (Inches)

6.36×2.96×0.33 in

6.49×3.04×0.31 in

Dimensions (Millimeters)

161.6×75.2×8.3 mm

164.8×77.2×8.1mm

Weight (Ounces, Grams)

6.84 oz, 194g

7.33 oz, 208g

Mobile software program

Android 10

Android 10

Camera

12-megapixel (ultrawide), 12-megapixel (wide-angle), 64-megapixel (telephoto)

12-megapixel (ultrawide), 108-megapixel (wide-angle), 12-megapixel (telephoto)

Front-facing digital camera

10-megapixel

10-megapixel

Video seize

8K

8K

Processor

Snapdragon 865 Plus

Snapdragon 865 Plus

Storage

128GB

128GB, 512GB

RAM

8GB

12GB

Expandable storage

No

Up to 1TB

Battery

4,300 mAh

4,500 mAh

Fingerprint sensor

In-screen

In-screen

Connector

USB-C

USB-C

Headphone jack

No

No

Special options

S Pen stylus; 5G connectivity; Wireless EnergyShare; water-proof (IP68)

5x optical zoom, UWB sharing, S Pen stylus; 5G connectivity; Wireless EnergyShare; water-proof (IP68)

Price off-contract (USD)

$1,000

$1,300 (128GB); $1,450 (512GB)

Price (GBP)

£849

£1,179

Price (AUD)

AU$1,499

AU$1,849