Motorola Edge+ (2023) vs. Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G: A Generational Leap in Performance
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Motorola Edge+ (2023) is the clear winner. Its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset provides a massive performance advantage, coupled with significantly faster 68W charging. While the Note20 Ultra retains a more polished software experience, the Edge+’s raw power and efficiency are too significant to ignore.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G | Motorola Edge+ (2023) |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 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, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 |
| 5G bands | 2, 5, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-N986U | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 41, 41, 48, 66, 70, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave |
| 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 / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| 41, 66, 71 Sub6 - SM-N986W | - | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, August 05 | 2023, May 02 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, August 21 | Available. Released 2023, May 19 |
| 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) | 161.2 x 74 x 8.6 mm (6.35 x 2.91 x 0.34 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM |
| Weight | 208 g (7.34 oz) | 203 g (7.16 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) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~395 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.9 inches, 116.7 cm2 (~91.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.67 inches, 107.4 cm2 (~90.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ | OLED, 1B colors, 165Hz, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 1300 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 (1x3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - GlobalQualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7 nm+) - USA | Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G77 MP11 - GlobalAdreno 650 - USA | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5 | Android 13, upgradable to Android 14 |
| 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 8GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Dual-LED flash, panorama, HDR |
| 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 | 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/1.55", 1.0µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/1.6, (telephoto), 1/2.93", 1.22µm, PDAF, 2x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.2, 114˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.76", 0.64µm, AF |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps, 10-bit HDR10+, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF | 60 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/2.8", 0.61µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps |
| 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 | 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS |
| Radio | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG, DisplayPort 1.4 |
| 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/7, tri-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 | Ready For 3.5 support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | 68W wired 15W wireless 5W reverse wired 5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 4500 mAh | Li-Po 5100 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Mystic White | Interstellar Black |
| Models | SM-N986B, SM-N986B/DS, SM-N986U, SM-N986U1, SM-N986W, SM-N9860, SM-N986N, SC-53A | - |
| Price | € 381.00 / $ 248.44 | $ 298.99 |
| 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
- Mature and refined software experience (One UI)
- Integrated S Pen functionality
- Bright and vibrant display
- Aging chipset and slower performance
- Slower charging speeds (25W)
- Potential for thermal throttling
Motorola Edge+ (2023)
- Massively improved performance with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
- Ultra-fast 68W wired charging
- More efficient 4nm process node
- Motorola’s software can be less polished than Samsung’s
- Camera details are limited
- Lacks S Pen support
Display Comparison
The Galaxy Note20 Ultra boasts a bright display, peaking at 1024 nits measured, but lacks the advanced panel technology found in modern flagships. The Edge+ (2023), while display specs are not provided, likely utilizes a high refresh rate panel common in its price bracket. The Note20 Ultra’s ‘Infinite’ contrast ratio is a marketing term; the Edge+’s panel, being newer, likely benefits from improved color accuracy and viewing angles. The Note20 Ultra’s display is still very good, but the Edge+ likely offers a more modern visual experience.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer capable camera systems, but detailed sensor information for the Edge+ (2023) is unavailable. The Note20 Ultra’s camera is known for its versatile photo and video capabilities. However, the Edge+ (2023)'s newer image signal processor (ISP) within the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 likely provides improved image processing, noise reduction, and dynamic range. Without specific sensor details, it’s difficult to definitively declare a winner, but the Edge+’s modern chipset gives it an edge in computational photography.
Performance
This is where the Edge+ (2023) truly shines. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm) is a generational leap over the Note20 Ultra’s Exynos 990 (7nm+) or Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7nm+). The 8 Gen 2’s Cortex-X3 prime core, paired with Cortex-A715 and A710 performance cores, delivers significantly higher CPU and GPU performance. The 4nm process node also translates to superior thermal efficiency, meaning less performance throttling during sustained workloads like gaming. The Note20 Ultra’s Mongoose M5 cores (Global variant) or Kryo 585 (USA variant) simply cannot compete with the architectural advancements of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
Battery Life
The Note20 Ultra’s endurance rating of 88 hours is respectable, but the Edge+ (2023) compensates for any potential capacity difference with its blazing-fast 68W wired charging. The Note20 Ultra’s 25W charging feels slow by comparison. While the Edge+ (2023) offers 15W wireless charging, matching the Note20 Ultra, the significantly faster wired charging is a major advantage for users who frequently need to top up their battery quickly. The Edge+ also offers reverse wireless charging, albeit at a lower 5W, compared to the Note20 Ultra’s 4.5W.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G if you prioritize a mature software ecosystem, S Pen functionality, and are comfortable with potentially slower performance and charging speeds. Buy the Motorola Edge+ (2023) if you demand the latest processing power for gaming and demanding applications, and value rapid charging and a more future-proofed platform.