Samsung has finally unveiled the Galaxy Note20 and the uber-premium Galaxy Note20 Ultra at a virtual livestream event straight from South Korea.
The Galaxy Note20 and Galaxy Note20 Ultra are cut from the same cloth, with the ultra variant offering a bit more at the higher price point. In the Philippines, Samsung is selling LTE variants in offline and online stores, while 5G variants are going to be offered by local telcos Smart and Globe.
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra is what one would call a “specs beast.” The ultra variant offers an edge 6.9-inch quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, the ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, HDR10+ support, and Corning’s latest Gorilla Glass Victus.
It is powered by an Exynos 990 chipset with 8GB RAM for 4G variants and 12GB for 5G variants. International markets will get the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ chip. It also has ample storage, offering up to 512GB.
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The handset also has suped-up cameras as well. At the back is a triple cam setup with a 108MP main camera with an f/1.8 aperture lens, a 1/1.33″ sensor, and a 0.8um pixel size. Secondary cameras include a 12MP ultra-wide with a 120-degree field of view, and another 12MP for telephoto with up to 5x optical zoom and up to 50x digital zoom.
This setup is capable of 8k video captures at 24fps with either 16:9 or 21:9 aspect ratios.
It’s selfie camera uses a 10MP sensor, housed in a tiny punch hole cutout in the top middle portion of the screen.
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The S Pen on the ultra receives a boost as well. Apart from the usual features for writing and productivity functions, it now has lower latency thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate.
There’s a 4,500mAh battery inside with 25W wired fast charging, 15W wireless fast charging, and 9W reverse wireless charging. The phone also has stereo speakers, Wi-Fi 6, a Game Booster mode, wireless DeX, and One UI 2.1 based on Android 10.
Samsung Galaxy Note20
The vanilla Samsung Galaxy Note20 comes with an impressive spec sheet as well, minus some questionable omissions.
It has a smaller (but still large) 6.7-inch flat Super AMOLED Infinity-O display with an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner and HDR10+ support.
Unfortunately, the Galaxy Note20 only has a full HD resolution, 60Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass 5. It also misses out on the improved latency of the S Pen. While the specs are still arguably good, these, I feel, are missed opportunities to make the handset tower over the field.
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The phone is also powered by an Exynos 990 chipset with 8GB RAM and up to 256GB storage. You have a triple camera system at the back with a 12MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, and a 64MP telephoto with 3x hybrid optical zoom and up to 30x digital zoom.
You have the same 10MP sensor for the selfie camera.
Battery capacity is 4,300mAh. It has the same wired and wireless fast charging capabilities as the ultra variant. You also get an S Pen, stereo speakers, Wi-Fi 6, a Game Booster mode, wireless DeX, and One UI 2.1 based on Android 10.
Price and availability
Starting August 7, you can pre-order the Galaxy Note20 and Note20 Ultra at Samsung Experience Stores, and select Abenson and SM Appliance Stores. If you want the 5G variants, those are available through Smart and Globe.
Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G pre-orders will come with a free Samsung 34sqm Air Purifier worth PHP 16,995. LTE variant pre-orders, on the other hand, will come with free Galaxy Buds Live or e-store voucher worth PHP 7,500. And finally, Galaxy Note20 pre-orders will come with a pair of Galaxy Buds Plus or voucher worth PHP 5,000.
The Galaxy Note20 Series will be available at authorized Samsung stores and online partner merchants from August 21 and onwards. The Galaxy Note20 Ultra comes in Mystic Bronze and Mystic Black colorways, while the Galaxy Note20 comes in Mystic Bronze, Mystic Green and Mystic Gray colorways.
Pricing are as follows:
- Samsung Galaxy Note20: PHP 53,990
- Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra: PHP 67,990
- Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G: PHP 72,990
Well, what do you think? Is the Galaxy Note20 series a hit or miss? Let us know in the comments.
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra specs
- Display: 6.9-inch Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O Display, 3088 x 1440, 496ppi, HDR10+, 120Hz Refresh Rate, Gorilla Glass Victus
- Processor: 2.7GHz Octa-core Exynos 990
- GPU: Mali-G77 MP11
- RAM: 12GB RAM (5G); 8GB RAM (4G)
- Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB (5G); 256GB/512GB (4G)
- Rear Cameras: 108MP Main + 12MP Telephoto+ 12MP Ultra-wide, Triple Rear Cameras, 5x Optical Zoom, 50x Hybrid Zoom, Laser AF
- Front Camera: 10MP Selfie Camera
- Network: 5G/4G
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11ax, Dual Band, Bluetooth 5, GPS, NFC
- Others: Ultrasonic Fingerprint Scanner, USB Type-C, Stereo Speakers
- OS: One UI 2.1, Android 10
- Battery: 4,500mAh Battery, 25W Wired Fast Charging, 15W Wireless Fast Charging, 9W Reverse Wireless Charging
Samsung Galaxy Note20 specs
- Display: 6.7-inch Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O Display, 3088 x 1440, 496ppi, HDR10+, 60Hz Refresh Rate, Gorilla Glass 5
- Processor: 2.7GHz Octa-core Exynos 990
- GPU: Mali-G77 MP11
- RAM: 8GB RAM
- Storage: 256GB (4G); 128GB/256GB (5G)
- Rear Cameras: 12MP Main + 64MP Telephoto+ 12MP Ultra-wide, Triple Rear Cameras
- Front Camera: 10MP Selfie Camera
- Network: 5G/4G
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11ax, Dual Band, Bluetooth 5, GPS, NFC
- Others: Ultrasonic Fingerprint Scanner, USB Type-C, Stereo Speakers
- OS: One UI 2.1, Android 10
- Battery: 4,300mAh Battery, 25W Wired Fast Charging
