Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G vs. Sony Xperia 1 III: A Deep Dive for Power Users
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user, the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G offers a more well-rounded experience with its versatile S Pen and generally more accessible software. However, the Sony Xperia 1 III excels for content creators prioritizing camera control and a minimalist Android experience.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G | Sony Xperia 1 III |
| 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, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66 - Europe |
| 5G bands | 2, 5, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-N986U | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Europe |
| 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 | SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA (specific) | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, August 05 | 2021, April 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, August 21 | Available. Released 2021, August 25 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), stainless steel frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm (6.49 x 3.04 x 0.32 in) | 165 x 71 x 8.2 mm (6.50 x 2.80 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 208 g (7.34 oz) | 186 g / 187.1 g (mmWave) (6.56 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus, 9ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | IP65/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) | 1644 x 3840 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~643 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.9 inches, 116.7 cm2 (~91.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.5 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~84.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ | OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR BT.2020 |
| Always-on display 120Hz@FHD/60Hz@QHD refresh rate | Runs at 1096 x 2560 pixels except for select use cases | |
| 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 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | UFS 3.X | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Zeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking |
| Single | 3.15 MP | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4", 1.12µm |
| 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 | 12 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.3, 70mm (telephoto), f/2.8, 105mm (telephoto), 1/2.9", dual pixel PDAF, 3x/4.4x optical zoom, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 124˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.6", dual pixel PDAF 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, (depth) |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS | 4K@24/25/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | Yes |
| 35mm jack | No | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG, video output |
| 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/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass |
| Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | Native Sony Alpha camera support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | 30W wired, PD, 50% in 30 min Wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 4500 mAh | Li-Po 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Mystic White | Frosted Black, Frosted Gray, Frosted Purple |
| Models | SM-N986B, SM-N986B/DS, SM-N986U, SM-N986U1, SM-N986W, SM-N9860, SM-N986N, SC-53A | XQBC62/V, XQBC52V.UKCX, SO-51B, SOG03, A101SO, XQ-BC62, XQ-BC72, XQ-BC52, XQ-BC01, XQ-BC11, XQ-BC21, XQ-BC72 |
| Price | € 381.00 / $ 248.44 | € 505.26 / $ 903.43 |
| 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 82h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -27.8 LUFS (Good) | -26.5 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 508760 (v8) GeekBench: 2603 (v5.1) GFXBench: 42fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 607423 (v8) GeekBench: 3515 (v5.1) GFXBench: 54fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G
- Integrated S Pen for productivity and creativity
- Brighter display for outdoor visibility
- More established software ecosystem and features
- Older chipset (Exynos 990/Snapdragon 865+)
- Potentially more software bloat
- Slower charging speeds
Sony Xperia 1 III
- More powerful Snapdragon 888 chipset
- Professional-grade camera features and manual controls
- Clean, minimalist Android experience
- Dimmer display compared to the Note20 Ultra
- Less mainstream software features
- 21:9 aspect ratio can cause compatibility issues
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G boasts a brighter display, reaching a measured 1024 nits, compared to the Xperia 1 III’s 620 nits. This translates to better visibility under direct sunlight. Both displays share an 'Infinite' contrast ratio, typical of OLED panels, but the Note20 Ultra’s higher peak brightness provides a more vibrant and punchy image. While both offer excellent color accuracy, the Xperia 1 III’s 21:9 aspect ratio caters to cinephiles and multitasking, though it can present compatibility issues with some apps optimized for standard ratios.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer versatile camera systems, but their approaches differ significantly. The Xperia 1 III prioritizes manual control and professional features, offering dedicated buttons for shutter and video recording. While both capture excellent photos and videos, the Xperia 1 III’s emphasis on real-time tracking and advanced video settings caters to experienced photographers and videographers. The Note20 Ultra’s camera excels in versatility, offering a range of shooting modes and a powerful zoom capability. However, the Xperia 1 III’s focus on image quality and color science provides a more cinematic look, particularly in video. The Note20 Ultra's camera is more 'point and shoot' friendly, while the Xperia 1 III demands more user input.
Performance
The Xperia 1 III leverages the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (5nm), a more modern and efficient chipset than the Exynos 990 (7nm+) found in global Note20 Ultra models, or the Snapdragon 865+ (7nm+) in US variants. The Snapdragon 888’s Cortex-X1 prime core offers a performance advantage, particularly in single-threaded tasks. While the Note20 Ultra’s octa-core configuration is capable, the Xperia 1 III benefits from a more refined architecture and improved thermal management, reducing the likelihood of throttling during sustained workloads. The Xperia 1 III’s use of 5nm process technology also contributes to better power efficiency.
Battery Life
The Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G has an endurance rating of 88 hours, slightly better than the Xperia 1 III’s 82 hours. However, this doesn’t tell the whole story. The Xperia 1 III supports 30W wired charging, reaching 50% charge in just 30 minutes, while the Note20 Ultra is limited to 25W. The Note20 Ultra offers 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, features also present (though details are sparse) on the Xperia 1 III. The Snapdragon 888’s efficiency in the Xperia 1 III partially offsets the Note20 Ultra’s slightly larger battery capacity, resulting in comparable real-world battery life.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G if you need a productivity powerhouse with the S Pen for note-taking, sketching, and precise control. It’s ideal for users deeply embedded in the Samsung ecosystem and appreciate a feature-packed experience. Buy the Sony Xperia 1 III if you prioritize a pure Android experience, manual camera controls, and professional-grade video recording capabilities, and are willing to trade some software convenience for creative freedom.