Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G vs. Asus ROG Phone 5 Ultimate: A Deep Dive Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user, the Asus ROG Phone 5 Ultimate emerges as the stronger choice. Its Snapdragon 888 chipset, coupled with faster 65W charging, delivers superior performance and convenience. While the Note20 Ultra offers the S Pen, the ROG Phone’s gaming-centric features and raw power provide a more compelling overall experience.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G | Asus ROG Phone 5 Ultimate |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1800 / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 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 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66, 71 |
| 5G bands | 2, 5, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-N986U | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 1400/150 Mbps, 5G 4 Gbps DL |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| 41, 66, 71 Sub6 - SM-N986W | - | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, August 05 | 2021, March 10 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, August 21 | Available. Released 2021, June 07 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), stainless steel frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm (6.49 x 3.04 x 0.32 in) | 172.8 x 77.3 x 10.3 mm (6.80 x 3.04 x 0.41 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 208 g (7.34 oz) | 238 g (8.40 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus, 9ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | Pressure sensitive zones (Gaming triggers) Touch sensor; ROG Vision monochrome PMOLED display (on the back) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~496 ppi density) | 1080 x 2448 pixels (~395 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.9 inches, 116.7 cm2 (~91.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.78 inches, 109.5 cm2 (~82.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ | AMOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+, 800 nits (typ), 1200 nits (peak) |
| 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 | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - GlobalQualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7 nm+) - USA | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G77 MP11 - GlobalAdreno 650 - USA | Adreno 660 |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5 | Android 11, upgradable to Android 13, ROG UI |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 512GB 18GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | LED flash, 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 | 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.73", 0.8µm, PDAF 13 MP, f/2.4, 11mm, 125˚ (ultrawide) 5 MP (macro) |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 720p@480fps; gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | Panorama, HDR |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF | 24 MP, f/2.5, 27mm (wide), 0.9µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | Yes |
| 35mm jack | No | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with DTS:X stereo speakers (2 dedicated amplifiers) |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | 24-bit/192kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) |
| Radio | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1 (side), USB Type-C 2.0 (bottom), OTG, accessory connector |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| 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 | 65W wired, PD3.0, QC5, 70% in 30 min, 100% in 52 min 10W reverse wired |
| Type | Li-Ion 4500 mAh | Li-Po 6000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Mystic White | Matte White |
| Models | SM-N986B, SM-N986B/DS, SM-N986U, SM-N986U1, SM-N986W, SM-N9860, SM-N986N, SC-53A | ZS673KS, ZS673KS-1B063IN, I005DC |
| Price | € 381.00 / $ 248.44 | About 1300 EUR |
| 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) | - |
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G
- Integrated S Pen for productivity and creativity
- Versatile and high-quality camera system
- Excellent display brightness and color accuracy
- Slower charging speed (25W)
- Potentially less powerful processor (Exynos variant)
- Less focused on gaming features
Asus ROG Phone 5 Ultimate
- Significantly faster Snapdragon 888 processor
- Ultra-fast 65W charging
- Gaming-centric features (high refresh rate, cooling)
- Camera system is secondary to gaming
- Less refined overall user experience
- Bulkier design
Display Comparison
The Note20 Ultra boasts a measured peak brightness of 1024 nits, providing excellent visibility outdoors. While the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate’s peak brightness isn’t specified, its focus is on a high refresh rate for smoother gaming. Both feature infinite (nominal) contrast ratios, typical of AMOLED panels. The Note20 Ultra’s display is geared towards color accuracy and general use, while the ROG Phone’s prioritizes responsiveness for gaming. The ROG Phone’s higher refresh rate (likely 144Hz, based on the series) will provide a competitive edge in fast-paced games, a feature absent on the Note20 Ultra.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer capable camera systems, but with different priorities. The Note20 Ultra’s camera is designed for versatile photography and videography, excelling in detail and dynamic range. The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate’s camera, while competent, is secondary to its gaming focus. Without specific sensor details for the ROG Phone, it’s safe to assume the Note20 Ultra likely has a larger main sensor and more sophisticated image processing. The Note20 Ultra’s video capabilities are likely superior, given Samsung’s expertise in this area. The inclusion of a 2MP macro camera on either device is largely inconsequential, offering minimal benefit over standard digital zoom.
Performance
This is where the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate truly shines. Its Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (5nm) chipset represents a significant leap over the Note20 Ultra’s Exynos 990 (7nm+) or Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7nm+). The Snapdragon 888’s Cortex-X1 prime core and more efficient 5nm process translate to noticeably faster CPU and GPU performance. The Note20 Ultra’s CPU configuration varies by region – the global version with the Exynos 990 may exhibit more thermal throttling under sustained load compared to the US version with the Snapdragon 865 5G+. The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate’s advanced cooling system further mitigates throttling, ensuring consistent performance during long gaming sessions.
Battery Life
The Note20 Ultra has an endurance rating of 88 hours, indicating solid battery life. However, the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate compensates for potentially lower mAh capacity with its incredibly fast 65W charging. Achieving 70% charge in 30 minutes and 100% in 52 minutes is a game-changer for gamers who need to quickly top up between matches. The Note20 Ultra’s 25W charging feels comparatively slow. The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate also offers 10W reverse wired charging, while the Note20 Ultra provides 4.5W reverse wireless charging – a minor convenience feature on both devices.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G if you require a versatile device with exceptional note-taking capabilities, a refined camera experience, and a more traditional smartphone aesthetic. Buy the Asus ROG Phone 5 Ultimate if you prioritize uncompromising gaming performance, rapid charging, and a feature set tailored to mobile esports and extended gaming sessions.