➤ Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G, the review: a top of the range that convinces 🎮

La Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G review marks an important moment, not only for the enormous charm that the new top on gamma Samsung exercises on telephony enthusiasts, but also and above all because the evolutions made by the Korean giant with their annual flagship model are a bit of a yardstick for the entire Android industry for the months to come. Obviously we are talking about a device of very high band, complete in every respect and whose quality is also reflected on a not exactly affordable list price equal to 1329 Euros for the 256GB and 1429 Euros for the 512GB one, figures inevitably destined to drop between offers and price drops but which place Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G in the position of being among the most expensive flagships ever. So let's go and discover all the features of the latest Samsung spearhead.

Design, materials and equipment

Extracted from the elegant package that also contains a 25W power supply, a USB-C cable and a pair of AKG USB-C stereo in-ear headphones, Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G immediately impresses with excellent build quality, as well as for dimensions undoubtedly important: 164,8 x 77,2 x 8,1mm for 208 grams are certainly not few, yet in the hand the smartphone is the furthest away from the unpleasant concept of "frying pan", thanks to a perfect weight distribution and finishes and materials of absolute excellence. The design boxy sets it apart from the previous Galaxy Note 20 and in general from the vast majority of Android devices, with a huge from 6,9 "which incorporates all the various sensors - including the fingerprint sensor - and which occupies almost the entire front part, except for a small central punch hole that houses the front camera.

The upholstery is the new Gorilla Glass Foods, which promises double scratch resistance compared to Gorilla Glass 6 and which on paper (we obviously didn't have the courage to try) should preserve the device from even two-meter drops. The same material covers the back, with a satin finish that finally holds very little fingerprints, an aspect that has always been a small Achilles heel of Samsung smartphones. The module of cameras, while being decidedly large and raised by more than 3mm, it is decidedly harmonious with the shapes of the device and does not affect its stability too much when it is placed on a flat surface. The placement of the elements on the cornice is the classic of the house, with the left side left free, the right one that houses the controls for the volume and the standby button, while on the upper part there are the microphone and the housing for two nanoSIMs or a MicroSD and in the lower one the main speaker, a second microphone and the USB-C port. Instead, the positioning of the S-Pen, the characteristic stylus of the series, which this time finds space in the lower left corner of the smartphone instead of on the right.

Display, gaming e fotocamere

As per Samsung tradition, even in the case of Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G it is screen it is one of the flagships of the whole package. In this case it is an impressive 6,9 "panel in 19.5: 9 format and with a maximum resolution of QHD + 3088 x 1440 pixels: values that, in practice, translate into the usual, excellent display of the Korean house, equipped with brightness, contrast and definition indexes that place it at the absolute top in the category, literally making the experiences in terms of multimedia and gaming content shine. About Games, in addition to the usual app to improve the performance of mobile titles, Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G is part of the agreements between Microsoft and Samsung that provide for the compatibility of the devices of the Korean house with XCloud and Game Pass, proving particularly suitable for the purpose thanks to the quality of its display. For the first time ever in a Samsung device, then, the screen takes advantage of technology Dynamic AMOLED which allows it to dynamically switch from a minimum of 10Hz to a maximum of 120Hz based on what is displayed, with a significant energy saving compared to a panel with fixed refresh rate. A feature that works wonderfully without noticing any gaps whatsoever in everyday use, but there is a downside: in order to get to 120Hz you have to "settle" for FullHD + resolution, a limit that could make consumers turn up their noses more demanding, especially in relation to the price of the product.

Lato cameras, Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G has the good sense not to embark on the tedious rush of adding sensors that leave the time they find, offering everything you need without unnecessarily inflating the spec sheet. There front camera it is a perfect 10MP for every need in terms of selfies and the like, while in the rear module there is space for one 108MP main equipped with a fixed aperture wide lens and optical stabilization, one 12MP wide angle and a sensor for it zoom periscopico 5x da 12MP. There is everything you need to take excellent shots in practically every situation, confirming how Samsung remains firmly among the top of its class in this area too: among the many positive notes, the new autofocus laser which allows a truly instantaneous and flawless focusing, even and above all while recording video. These can be captured up to the maximum resolution of 8K at 24fps, going through 4K at 60fps and reaching 120fps by settling for FullHD. There is no shortage of other options that allow you to really make movies for all occasions, and one is also reserved for more technical users Pro mode which provides a variety of parameters to further customize the final product.

Performance, autonomy and S-Pen

Under the body of Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G there are 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM, 256 or 512GB of memory depending on the chosen cut (however expandable via MicroSD), 5G connectivity, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, video output via USB-C 3.1, NFC and a Exynos 990 octa core 2,73 GHz processor with Mali G77 MP11 GPU. The SoC is perhaps the most controversial aspect of the smartphone: not only because it is the same as the S20 series and does not represent the state of the art as regards speed and consumption, but above all because it clearly pays duty towards the Snapdragon 865+ mounted on the US version of the device. In short, although in everyday use Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G does not show the side to particular critical issues, on the contrary it always results fast and reliable, from a top of the range that requires an outlay of over a thousand euros it would be reasonable to expect the best on the square also in terms of the processor.

Nothing to say instead towards a software which is confirmed as one of the best interpretations of Android 10, declined through the now very complete and hyper-tested One UI, now in version 2.5. All the prominent features of the Samsung family are back, with particular mention for the DeX mode which is now usable wireless, without the need for additional components: just connect to a compatible smart TV or monitor to be able to use the complete desktop environment, with a whole series of integrations with Windows that make Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G a very powerful tool and versatile for those who work with a smartphone. There S-Pen in this sense it is a formidable ally, improved in latency (now just 9 ms), enriched with new customizable air gestures and even more pleasant and comfortable to use for taking notes, drawing or editing photos and PDFs thanks also to the versatility of the new Samsung Note app. All this good things inevitably come at the expense ofautonomy, with the 4400mAh battery doing what it can but struggling to guarantee a full day of intense use: there is 25W fast charging (a step back from the Galaxy S45 Ultra's 20) and support for 15W wireless. , but better to have a power bank on hand.

Comment

Price 1329 € / 1429 €

Resources4Gaming.com

8.9

For those who appreciate Samsung devices, there is little to say: Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G is the best the Korean giant can offer right now, boasting an elegant design, fine materials, an excellent screen, top cameras, a UI. among the best ever in Android and the added value of the S-Pen that literally makes the difference for those who use the phone to work. Of course, the list price does not make it a product suitable for all budgets (even if the street price has fallen below the thousand Euro threshold as we write) and the processor and autonomy may not be up to everything else, but it is however, it is difficult not to take off your hat in front of the level reached by Samsung with its latest born.