Google Pixel 6 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra: A Deep Dive Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Google Pixel 6 Pro emerges as the better choice. While the Note20 Ultra’s S Pen remains a unique advantage, the Pixel 6 Pro’s superior processing power from the Google Tensor chip, coupled with its advanced camera capabilities, provides a more compelling overall experience. The Pixel 6 Pro’s software support also extends further into the future.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G | Google Pixel 6 Pro |
| 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) / 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, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - GLUOG, G8VOU |
| 5G bands | 2, 5, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-N986U | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 257, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - G8VOU |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 41, 66, 71 Sub6 - SM-N986W | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - GLUOG | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, August 05 | 2021, October 19 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, August 21 | Available. Released 2021, October 28 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), stainless steel frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm (6.49 x 3.04 x 0.32 in) | 163.9 x 75.9 x 8.9 mm (6.45 x 2.99 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM |
| Weight | 208 g (7.34 oz) | 210 g (7.41 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus, 9ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~496 ppi density) | 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~512 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.9 inches, 116.7 cm2 (~91.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 110.6 cm2 (~88.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ | LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| Always-on display 120Hz@FHD/60Hz@QHD refresh rate | Always-on display | |
| 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 (2x2.80 GHz Cortex-X1 & 2x2.25 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - GlobalQualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7 nm+) - USA | Google Tensor (5 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G77 MP11 - GlobalAdreno 650 - USA | Mali-G78 MP20 |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5 | Android 12, upgradable to Android 15, up to 5 major Android upgrades |
| 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 | 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Laser AF, Dual-LED flash, Pixel Shift, Auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 3.15 MP | 11.1 MP, f/2.2, 20mm (ultrawide), 1.22µm |
| 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 | 50 MP, f/1.9, 25mm (wide), 1/1.31", 1.2µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 48 MP, f/3.5, 104mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 4x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 17mm, 114˚ (ultrawide), 1.25µm |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps; gyro-EIS, OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, panorama |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF | 11.1 MP, f/2.2, 20mm (ultrawide), 1.22µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5) |
| Radio | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1 |
| 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, barometer |
| Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | 23W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 23W wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 4500 mAh | Li-Ion 5003 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Mystic White | Cloudy White, Sorta Sunny, Stormy Black |
| Models | SM-N986B, SM-N986B/DS, SM-N986U, SM-N986U1, SM-N986W, SM-N9860, SM-N986N, SC-53A | GLUOG, G8VOU, GF5KQ |
| Price | € 381.00 / $ 248.44 | € 199.99 / $ 204.99 / £ 275.00 / ₹ 29,699 |
| 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 | Endurance rating 84h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | - |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -27.8 LUFS (Good) | - |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 508760 (v8) GeekBench: 2603 (v5.1) GFXBench: 42fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 585485 (v8), 719815 (v9) GeekBench: 2831 (v5.1) GFXBench: 39 fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G
- Integrated S Pen stylus for precise input and creativity.
- Higher peak display brightness for better outdoor visibility.
- Mature DeX desktop experience for productivity.
- Older chipset (Exynos 990/Snapdragon 865+) is less efficient.
- Software updates are nearing end-of-life.
- Camera lacks the computational photography prowess of the Pixel 6 Pro.
Google Pixel 6 Pro
- Google Tensor chip delivers superior AI and machine learning performance.
- Exceptional camera system with advanced computational photography.
- Guaranteed software updates and a clean Android experience.
- Lower peak display brightness compared to the Note20 Ultra.
- Larger form factor may not suit all users.
- Charging speed is slightly slower than the Note20 Ultra.
Display Comparison
Both the Note20 Ultra and Pixel 6 Pro feature displays with an 'Infinite' contrast ratio, typical of high-end OLED panels. However, the Note20 Ultra boasts a measured peak brightness of 1024 nits, exceeding the Pixel 6 Pro’s 846 nits. This translates to better visibility in direct sunlight for the Samsung device. While both offer excellent color reproduction, the Note20 Ultra’s display, being older, may exhibit slightly more burn-in over time. The Pixel 6 Pro’s larger display size and adaptive refresh rate (not specified in the data, but standard for the device) contribute to a more immersive viewing experience, though the Note20 Ultra’s smaller size may appeal to those preferring a more manageable form factor.
Camera Comparison
The Pixel 6 Pro’s camera system is a major differentiator. While both phones are capable of excellent photo and video capture, the Pixel 6 Pro leverages Google’s computational photography expertise to deliver consistently impressive results, particularly in challenging lighting conditions. The Pixel 6 Pro’s image processing excels in dynamic range and detail preservation. The Note20 Ultra’s camera, while excellent for its time, lacks the advanced algorithms and AI-powered features of the Pixel 6 Pro. The Note20 Ultra’s video capabilities are strong, but the Pixel 6 Pro’s cinematic mode and improved stabilization offer a more polished final product. The absence of specific sensor size data prevents a direct comparison, but the Pixel 6 Pro’s larger main sensor (market knowledge) contributes to its superior low-light performance.
Performance
The performance landscape is significantly different between these two devices. The Note20 Ultra, depending on the region, shipped with either the Exynos 990 (7nm+) or the Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7nm+). The Pixel 6 Pro, however, is powered by Google’s in-house Tensor chip (5nm). The 5nm process node of the Tensor chip provides a clear advantage in power efficiency and thermal management compared to the 7nm+ chips in the Note20 Ultra. While the Note20 Ultra’s CPU cores (Mongoose M5/Kryo 585, Cortex-A76/A77) are competitive on paper, the Tensor chip’s custom cores (Cortex-X1) and dedicated AI processing units deliver superior performance in machine learning tasks, impacting features like voice assistant responsiveness and image processing speed. The Pixel 6 Pro will generally feel snappier and more responsive in everyday use and demanding applications.
Battery Life
The Note20 Ultra boasts an endurance rating of 88 hours, slightly exceeding the Pixel 6 Pro’s 84 hours. However, this doesn’t tell the whole story. The Pixel 6 Pro’s more efficient 5nm Tensor chip mitigates the difference in battery capacity. The Note20 Ultra supports 25W wired charging with PD3.0, 15W wireless charging (Qi), and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. The Pixel 6 Pro offers 23W wired charging (PD3.0, 50% in 30 minutes), 23W wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging. While the Note20 Ultra’s wired charging is slightly faster, the Pixel 6 Pro’s overall power efficiency and optimized software contribute to comparable real-world battery life.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G if you absolutely require a built-in stylus for note-taking, sketching, or precise control, and value the mature DeX desktop experience. Buy the Google Pixel 6 Pro if you prioritize cutting-edge camera technology, a clean Android experience with guaranteed updates, and strong performance for AI-driven tasks like voice recognition and image processing.