Overview of smartphones Samsung Galaxy Note20 and Note20 Ultra

Samsung has officially announced the new flagships Galaxy Note20 and Note20 Ultra. The official presentation left users with an ambiguous impression. Average camera characteristics, the younger version has a plastic case. According to insider information, the company is betting mainly Note20 Ultra (preliminary demand forecast for the model is 80%), and Note20 was created almost simply to expand the line. The advertising slogan on the official website is: "Beauty and power in one smartphone." Is this really so, we will understand.

Main characteristics

The parameters below may differ depending on the market.

Design

Minimalistic and stylish. Slim body, minimal parts.The sound switch button returned to the right side (it seems that the company still listened to the comments of users).

Another innovation in the design of both models is the “faceted” sides. Otherwise, everything is concise and standard. A module of 3 cameras is on the back panel, a round cutout for the front camera is at the top of the display.
On the right side is the power button and volume control. Case color varies by market. The official website indicates: bronze, mint and graphite for Note20, white, black, bronze for Note20 Ultra.

Display

The characteristics of the displays of both models are excellent, guaranteeing natural color reproduction and the absence of glare in the sun. The display sizes are slightly different, but in any case, watching videos, playing games or even working will be comfortable.

Improved styluses deserve special attention. Firstly, the response time has been reduced to 26 seconds, and secondly, the functionality is really impressive:

• You can control your smartphone from a distance of 10 m;
• support for control gestures - a function not that necessary, but still;
• the ability to take notes while listening to a dictaphone recording (when replaying the notes, the notes will appear on the screen at the moment they were made);
• synchronization of Microsoft OneNote notes, automatically with the creation of backup copies (according to the manufacturer, the service will be available only in November of this year);
• the ability to convert notes to slides in PowerPoint (handy, especially when working with documents);
• the ability to leave notes on the lock screen.

There is a function for converting handwritten text into printed text (useful for search engines, for example) and an auto-correction function. Unreadable scribbles are unlikely to be recognized, but slightly correct the slope or remove blots or crossed out words - completely.

Photo and video

The specs of the camera are impressive. The picture will turn out bright and clear, even if the photos were taken in poor lighting. Hybrid zoom (3x for the junior version, five times for the Ultra) allows you to capture the smallest details. In multicard mode, you can take several photos (video) at once, and after processing, artificial intelligence will recommend the most successful ones.

As for video, the stabilization function seems to be in the specification, but in fact, shooting dynamic videos without additional equipment is not so easy. The manufacturer promises a smooth picture, in reality the image may twitch a little. Of the benefits - the possibility of synchronous recording of stereo sound, as well as control of the "direction" of the sound. For example, if you need to reduce background noise in the background.

Additional video features:

• Super Slow-mo mode (up to 960 frames per second, for maximum slow motion and Slow-mo effect);
• support for HDR10 + (realistic color reproduction, excellent image contrast);
• 4K video (for the main and front camera).

Of the minuses - a module with cameras that protrudes strongly above the surface of the case - you can easily damage or break the glass, so you should buy a protective case right away (unfortunately, the manufacturer excluded the protective case from the delivery set for the Russian market).

Performance and battery life

The Exynos 990 processor is responsible for the performance.Of the benefits - a quick response to commands, smooth scrolling and high download speed. Of the minuses - the heating of the case, especially in the active game mode.

The battery capacity is 4500 mAh, not bad, but given the size of the display and the refresh rate of 120 Hz, a full charge will last a maximum of one day, and even then subject to moderate use (calls, browsing social networks). And in the game mode, the smartphone will withstand a maximum of 5 hours. It is worth noting that the display recognizes the user's activity and automatically reduces the frequency of updates to save battery power.

The kit includes fast charging at 25 W, you can replenish the battery by 50% in half an hour - not an achievement, but a clear progress. The smartphone supports wireless charging.

Security and protection performance

Here everything is in order. Built-in fingerprint sensor under the display, face recognition, plus a pin code and pattern. And the built-in Samsung Knox will protect the user's personal and hardware data even when using cloud storage.
The value of the indicator from water and dust on both models is IP68. According to the test results, smartphones can withstand 30 minutes when immersed in water by 1.5 meters.

What is the result

If we compare the new flagships with smartphones of the Note10 generation, we get:

• larger display size (diagonal 6.7 inches, instead of 6.3) with approximately the same characteristics in terms of color reproduction, brightness and contrast;
• 3x zoom instead of 2x - the quality of the photo did not suffer at all;
• clearer video (8K), but the lack of a stabilization function negates all the efforts of developers;
• an improved stylus that works like a full-fledged remote control, with a response time reduced to 26 milliseconds (for comparison, the Note10 has a claimed stylus response time at startup of 42 milliseconds);
• autonomy is about the same, since the display size is larger and the refresh rate is 120 Hz, and the processor is more powerful;
• performance is higher if we consider the transition between applications, but gamers are likely to be disappointed here, since the Exynos 990 processor periodically overheats and “slows down” to bring the temperature back to normal.

As for the opinions of users, the new flagships received enough criticism. I got it for its impressive size, which is predictable, the gadget really resembles a notebook, and not a compact smartphone, and for the plastic panel on the Note20 (this is at a price of almost $ 1,000).

The large camera module on the back cover also raises many questions - you can easily damage or scratch the protective glass (the warranty does not cover it). Plus, a short battery life (according to test results - no more than 5 hours of active work).

To sum up, we get a far from a budget gadget with good characteristics. An excellent choice for fans of the brand and users who regularly work with documents (the stylus in this case is an indispensable thing).

Advantages and disadvantages

• elegant, unusual design;
• large, bright display;
• good camera performance;
• improved stylus;
• functionality.

• size - dimensions are more like a medium-sized notebook;
• plastic case;
• short battery life.

Pre-order is open both on the manufacturer's official website and on major online platforms of Russian home appliances and electronics stores. Prices start at 80,000 rubles for the younger version. Regarding the configuration, it is worth checking with the seller in advance (it differs depending on the market).