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SALT LAKE CITY — Samsung debuted the Note line of Android smartphones in 2011 to rave reviews, a then enormous 5.3-inch screen and a stylus that reminded some of the PalmPilots of old. Though marketed mostly to business users, the original Note resulted in over 10 million sold worldwide.
Over the years the screens have grown larger, the processors more powerful, and everything from leather to glass has adorned the back of the phone. The one constant has been the stylus, called S-Pen, and the new Note 20 lineup offers more efficient ways to use it. Samsung offers two Note models this year, and the question on everyone's mind will be whether that stylus makes the flagship Note 20 Ultra worth $1,300.
Short answer, yes.
PROS
First impressions matter, and the Note 20 is stunning from every direction. The beautifully curved 6.9-inch screen and buried fingerprint sensor mean no space is wasted on the front of the phone. The new bronze color likely capitalizes on Apple's success with their gold and rose gold phones, though the bronze is distinctively different — no hint at all of the pink shades on Apple models.
More on the camera later; the bump-out for it on the back of the device is huge but looks high quality and blends well with the mirrored glass back on the Ultra model. That glass back lends a superior feel to the phone. It is also an immediate difference between the Ultra and the plastic-backed standard Note 20, but the mirror shine will be hit or miss based on personal preference. Despite the shine, fingerprints are at a minimum, remarkably.
The latest Snapdragon 865 Plus processor, paired with 12 GB of RAM, is on board, and the phone is snappy and responsive. Anyone who has purchased a TV in recent years is familiar with the term refresh rate, and the Note 20 Ultra features a smart 120 Hz rate that is capable of automatically adjusting between 60 Hz and 120 Hz depending on what's happening on the screen. That higher 120 Hz rate is ideal for movies, live sports and gaming, and the Note 20 Ultra is capable of streaming all to a TV, Microsoft X-Box titles in the case of games.
The camera — actually three cameras featuring a 108 MP main — is excellent, and Samsung made some positive changes from what was offered on the earlier Galaxy S20 Ultra. The 5X optical zoom is impressive, by comparison, the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max offers 2X optical zoom. Apple also dialed back the digital zoom to 50X compared to the Galaxy model's 100X. Zooming in at anything more than 20X or so is difficult to hold steady, to begin with. The quality of zoomed images is unrivaled, potentially a little creepy.
New S-Pen Air Commands are helpful and fun to play with when not wanting to pick up the phone to simply go home or to change apps. The stylus allows the user to feel like a musical conductor and control the phone in the air. It takes some practice to "draw" the commands correctly but eventually works well. Samsung smartly provided more options to access side screen app shortcut panels that make unintentionally opening them on the curved screen less likely, and writing on the screen with the S-Pen is smoother than ever. Being able to take a note, or edit a photo or PDF document, with a real writing instrument and without the need to always open a specific app is what sets the Note apart from other devices.
The Note 20 offers a minimum of 128 GB of internal storage and — a huge benefit — accommodates an external SD card of up to 1 TB.
CONS
While the positive changes with regard to interacting with the curved screen are appreciated, they still aren't perfect. It is still possible to have the screen react when unintended or not react when your other hand is unintentionally touching a different part of the curved screen. The top drop-down menu that Android users frequently utilize is particularly tough to engage when the curved screen and camera bump is combined with a protective phone case. Using the stylus to get around the phone is a big help in making more precise commands on the screen, however.
Google Voice works very well, but Samsung continues to focus personal assistant Bixby as a way to both interact with the phone by voice and create a shortcut menu to news, calendar, weather and other options when swiping right from the home screen. Believe it or not, when trying to turn off the phone to conserve battery while away from a charger, I discovered that the side physical button usually acting as a power button on Samsung devices was defaulted to Bixby, and the power feature was not so obviously located in the upper drop-down screen menu. Not the end of the world, but an example of a manufacturer choosing to force their feature over convenience and habit.
When not using a protective case, the camera bump is very large and very noticeable. It is impossible to lay the phone flat and difficult to not continually fingerprint the lenses.
IN BETWEENS
The Note 20 Ultra offers several features that will interest some but not all. Video can be recorded in up to 8K quality, and the new Pro Video mode offers the user much more flexibility in controlling zoom speed, focus and exposure than most cameras, and even external mics can be used.
While past notes created by the stylus could be synced to the cloud, it is now possible to have the sync take place live so that a partial note is saved and can be revisited and completed on any device. A user can also request that their handwriting be cleaned up by the software. Voice transcription can also turn a recording into a written document.
Samsung DeX allows phones to interact with a desktop or laptop computer or smart TV. That process can now be used entirely wireless. The ability to use Android apps on a Windows 10 device from the phone is particularly convenient.
Those opening the box may be very disappointed to find no headphones are included. In fact, the Note 20 now joins Apple devices in not offering a 3.5mm headphone jack. No dongle is included, either, to make existing headphones compatible with the USB-C charging port. No one will be surprised to learn Samsung is now offering a wireless headphone option comparable to Apple's AirPods. I'm not certain I've ever actually used a pair of included headphones, but for $1,300 it feels like a slight, regardless.
The Note 20 Ultra also fast charges at a rate slower than other recent Samsung devices. The large 4500 MaH battery makes for a good trade-off, however, as the phone is truly a day-long workhorse.
In short, the Note 20 Ultra is a true flagship phone offering classy looks, a fantastic screen and camera, and the latest processing power and speed. Gaming, entertainment and business users will be hard-pressed to find a better phone. In the end, though, choosing a Note 20 over other options may boil down to the value of the S-Pen. For those who have used it and love it, the stylus becomes indispensable. Those who have never used one may just be astonished by how many great features it unlocks.
Those certain they would never use the S-Pen may be hard-pressed to spend $1,300 for an excellent camera, screen and DeX.
SPECS
Price: $1,299
OS: Android 10 with One UI 2.0
Display: 6.9-inch AMOLED (QHD; 120Hz)
CPU: Snapdragon 865 Plus
RAM: 12GB
Storage: 128GB, 512GB
Rear camera: 108MP wide (ƒ/1.8); 12MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom (ƒ/3.0); 12MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.2)
Front camera: 10MP (ƒ/2.2)
Battery: 4,500 mAh
Battery life: 10 hrs 26 min (7:59, 120Hz mode)
Colors: Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Mystic White
Size: 6.48 x 3.04 x 0.32 inches
Weight: 7.33 ounces
