Samsung finally held their next Unpacked event albeit in a virtual keynote. Even though the 2019 event was a physical gathering, this year’s was done virtually live to unveil the new Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra.
Productivity beast in your hands
One look on the outside, it’s clear that this is the Galaxy Note20 series in view but there have been some refinements, bringing it to the new decade just like the Galaxy S20 series.
The S Pen is the signature part of this family and this time they’ve taken a bigger leap by reducing its latency during usage. We’re talking about 40% and 80% improvement for the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra respectively. That means less lag when you scribble, write, or even sketch with more precision. There are five new gestures added as well when you use it in the air.
Powering both models is the recent Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ chipset that also includes a host of improvements. If you’re wondering anything about the glass on the display, it’s the new Corning Gorilla Glass Victus.
There’s also a centralized push for 5G support, as this year’s models support both Standalong (SA) and Non-Standalone (NSA) versions. Last year’s model only supported the latter, in addition to the mmWave.
Processing power for both models is done with an octacore Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ chipset, with half running in power efficiency and other half in high-performance to help balance based on apps.
Cameras get a spec bump as well, allowing you to record 8K video and giving you control on which onboard mic you wish to use during recording to capture audio at its best.
Both models have embraced ultra-wideband (UWB) technology with directional and spatial awareness. You can just point the Galaxy Note 20 at another UWB device to help you share files.
Stepping up to the Note 20 Ultra
The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is on the higher end of the new range, with some differences exclusive to it that keep it in a league of its own.
The entire display stretches beyond the edges, curving around the chassis with barely any bezels in view.
Seems like the new trend is faster refresh rate for the screen and its present right here with a 120Hz display, which also supports an adaptive refresh rate that adjusts dynamically at your whims.
If you feel that you need more storage, you’ll have some peace of mind with support for microSD (up to 512GB). Only catch is that you use up one of the nanoSIM slots.
You want it? Order it!
With the keynote done, most of the Middle East telcos went live with their pre-orders. Thee are some special gifts being added with preorders (for a limited time), ranging from the Galaxy Buds Live to Galaxy Buds+ at no additional cost.
Where can you order any of the Galaxy Note 20 models? These are the countries where you can order one (pricing details are mentioned in the respective currency).
- Qatar: Ooredoo Qatar and Vodafone Qatar
- UAE: Etisalat
- Oman: Ooredoo Oman (Note20 and Note20 Ultra)
- Kuwait: Ooredoo Kuwait and Zain Kuwait
- Bahrain: Zain Bahrain
- Saudi Arabia: Mobile KSA (Note20 and Note20 Ultra)
Want a table view comparison of both models? Ask and you shall receive.
| Note 20 | Note 20 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.7” flat FHD (2400x1080 pax @ 393 PPI); HDR10+ Certified, Super AMOLED Plus | 6.9“ edge Quad HD+ (3088by 1,440 px @ 496 PPI); HDR10+ Certified, Dynamic AMOLED 2x Infinity-O Display, 120 Hz refresh rate |
| Rear Camera | Ultra Wide 12MP (f/2.2 with 120-degree FOV), 12MP Wide-angle Super Speed Dual Pixel AF w/ OIS (f/1.8 with 79-degree FOV), and 64MP Telephoto (f/2.0 with 76-degree FOV) | Ultra Wide 12MP (f/2.2 with 120-degree FOV), 12MP Wide-angle Super Speed Dual Pixel AF w/ OIS (f/1.8 with 79-degree FOV), and 12MP Telephoto (f/2.0 with 76-degree FOV), Laser AF Sensor |
| Front Camera | 10MP dual pixel AF (f/2.2 with 80-degree FOV) | 10MP dual pixel AF (f/2.2 with 80-degree FOV) |
| Battery | 4,300 mAh | 4,500 mAh |
| Memory | 8 GB LPDDR5 (4G LTE and 5G) | 12GB LPDDR5 (5G) and 8GB LPDDR5 (4G LTE) |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB (5G) and 256 GB (4G LTE) | 128GB/256GB/512GB (5G) and 256GB/512GB (4G LTE) |
| Network support | 5G: NSA, SA, Sub6/mmWave LTE: 4x4 MIMO, Upto 7CA, LTE Cat.20 | 5G: NSA, SA, Sub6/mmWave LTE: 4x4 MIMO, Upto 7CA, LTE Cat.20 |
| Connectivity | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz); NFC, Bluetooth 5.0; USB3.1, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz); NFC, Bluetooth 5.0; USB3.1, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector, Ultra Wideband |
| Dimensions and weight | 75.2 x 161.6 x 8.3 mm; 192g | 77.2 x 164.8 x 8.1 mm; 208g |
| Colours | Mystic Bronze, Mystic Green, Mystic Gray | Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Mystic White |
Image Credits: Samsung Newsroom
