The Realme Watch 3 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G represent vastly different worlds – a smartwatch focused on fitness and notifications versus a flagship smartphone packed with power and features. This comparison aims to highlight their strengths and weaknesses, helping you decide which best suits your needs, despite their disparate categories.
🏆 Quick Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G is the clear winner in terms of overall capability, offering a premium smartphone experience. The Realme Watch 3 Pro excels as an affordable smartwatch for basic fitness tracking and notifications, but it's an apples-to-oranges comparison given the price and functionality differences.
| Network |
|---|
| 2G bands | N/A | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | N/A | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | N/A | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - SM-N986U |
| 5G bands | - | 2, 5, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-N986U |
| EDGE | No | - |
| GPRS | No | - |
| Speed | No | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | No cellular connectivity | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| | - | 41, 66, 71 Sub6 - SM-N986W |
| Launch |
|---|
| Announced | 2022, September 01 | 2020, August 05 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, September 09 | Available. Released 2020, August 21 |
| Body |
|---|
| Build | Glass front, plastic back, plastic frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 45 x 36.8 x 11.7 mm (1.77 x 1.45 x 0.46 in) | 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm (6.49 x 3.04 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | No | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 40.7 g (1.45 oz) | 208 g (7.34 oz) |
| | Compatible with standard 22mm straps | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min)
Stylus, 9ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) |
| Display |
|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 364 x 448 pixels (~325 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~496 ppi density) |
| Size | 1.78 inches | 6.9 inches, 116.7 cm2 (~91.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 500 nits (typ) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| | - | Always-on display
120Hz@FHD/60Hz@QHD refresh rate |
| Platform |
|---|
| CPU | - | Octa-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M5 & 2x2.50 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) - GlobalOcta-core (1x3.0 GHz Kryo 585 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - USA |
| Chipset | - | Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - GlobalQualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7 nm+) - USA |
| GPU | - | Mali-G77 MP11 - GlobalAdreno 650 - USA |
| OS | Proprietary OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5 |
| Memory |
|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | Unspecified | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| | eMMC 4.5 | UFS 3.0 |
| Main Camera |
|---|
| Features | - | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | - | 3.15 MP |
| Triple | - | 108 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS
12 MP, f/3.0, 120mm (periscope telephoto), 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom, 50x hybrid zoom
12 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm |
| Video | - | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS |
| Selfie camera |
|---|
| Features | - | HDR |
| Single | - | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | - | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound |
|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| | - | 32-bit/384kHz audio
Tuned by AKG |
| Comms |
|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| NFC | No | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) |
| USB | No | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | No | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features |
|---|
| Sensors | Accelerometer, heart rate, SpO2 | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| | - | Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support)
ANT+
Bixby natural language commands and dictation
Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified)
Ultra Wideband (UWB) support |
| Battery |
|---|
| Charging | - | 25W wired, PD3.0
15W wireless (Qi)
4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 345 mAh | Li-Ion 4500 mAh |
| Misc |
|---|
| Colors | Black, Gray | Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Mystic White |
| Models | - | SM-N986B, SM-N986B/DS, SM-N986U, SM-N986U1, SM-N986W, SM-N9860, SM-N986N, SC-53A |
| Price | About 150 EUR | € 381.00 / $ 248.44 |
| SAR | - | 0.71 W/kg (head) 1.18 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.34 W/kg (head) 1.47 W/kg (body) |
| Tests |
|---|
| Battery life | - |
Endurance rating 88h
|
| Camera | - |
Photo / Video |
| Display | - |
Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - |
-27.8 LUFS (Good)
|
| Performance | - |
AnTuTu: 508760 (v8)
GeekBench: 2603 (v5.1)
GFXBench: 42fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Realme Watch 3 Pro
- Affordable
- Fitness tracking features
- Notification alerts
- Long battery life (for a smartwatch)
- Limited functionality
- Basic display
- Less powerful processor
- Limited camera capabilities
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G
- Stunning display
- Powerful performance
- Versatile camera system
- Long battery life
- Premium design
- Expensive
- Large size
- Can be bulky
- Older model
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G boasts a stunning 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1024 nits, offering vibrant colors and exceptional clarity. The Realme Watch 3 Pro features a smaller, color display, likely with lower resolution and brightness, primarily for displaying notifications and fitness data. The Note20 Ultra's display is significantly superior in terms of size, quality, and features.
Camera Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G features a versatile triple-lens camera system with impressive zoom capabilities and excellent image quality. The Realme Watch 3 Pro has a basic camera for taking occasional photos, but it's primarily designed for health tracking features like heart rate monitoring and SpO2 measurement. The Note20 Ultra's camera is far more advanced and capable.
Performance
The Note20 Ultra 5G, powered by either the Exynos 990 or Snapdragon 865 5G+ chipset, delivers flagship-level performance, easily handling demanding games and multitasking. The Realme Watch 3 Pro utilizes a less powerful processor optimized for smartwatch functions, prioritizing battery life over raw processing power. The Note20 Ultra wins by a landslide in performance.
Battery Life
The Note20 Ultra 5G offers exceptional battery life, with an endurance rating of 88 hours. The Realme Watch 3 Pro's battery life is typically several days, depending on usage. While the Note20 Ultra's battery is larger, the Watch 3 Pro's lower power consumption allows for longer use between charges in its specific category.
Buying Guide
The Realme Watch 3 Pro is ideal for budget-conscious users seeking a simple smartwatch for fitness tracking and receiving notifications. The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G is for power users, creatives, and anyone wanting a top-tier smartphone with a stunning display, powerful performance, and a versatile camera system.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Can the Realme Watch 3 Pro replace my smartphone?
No, the Realme Watch 3 Pro is a smartwatch and cannot replace a smartphone. It primarily handles notifications and fitness tracking.
❓ Is the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G still a good phone in 2024?
Yes, despite being an older model, the Note20 Ultra 5G remains a capable smartphone with a great display and camera. However, newer models offer more advanced features.