Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G vs Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra: Which Flagship Reigns Supreme?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra emerges as the stronger choice. Its significantly faster 67W wired and wireless charging, coupled with comparable battery endurance and a more modern chipset, outweigh the Note20 Ultra’s S Pen functionality for the average consumer. However, the Note20 Ultra remains a viable option for dedicated S Pen users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G | Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra |
| 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, 17, 20, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 42, 66 - International |
| 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, 79 SA/NSA - International |
| 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, 3, 28, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, August 05 | 2021, March 29 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, August 21 | Available. Released 2021, April 02 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), stainless steel frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), ceramic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm (6.49 x 3.04 x 0.32 in) | 164.3 x 74.6 x 8.4 mm (6.47 x 2.94 x 0.33 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 208 g (7.34 oz) | 234 g (8.25 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 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.9 inches, 116.7 cm2 (~91.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.81 inches, 112.0 cm2 (~91.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ | AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 900 nits (HBM), 1700 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, MIUI 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 | 256GB 8GB 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, color spectrum sensor, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama, 1.1” AMOLED selfie display |
| Single | 3.15 MP | 20 MP, f/2.2, 27mm (wide), 1/3.4", 0.8µm |
| 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/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/1.12", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 48 MP, f/4.1, 120mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 48 MP, f/2.2, 12mm, 128˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/960/1920fps, gyro-EIS, HDR10+ rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, panorama |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF | 20 MP, f/2.2, 27mm (wide), 1/3.4", 0.8µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps, gyro-EIS |
| 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 | 24-bit/192kHz audio Tuned by Harman Kardon | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| Infrared port | - | Yes |
| 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 2.0, OTG |
| 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, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass |
| Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | Virtual proximity sensing | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | 67W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 36 min 67W wireless, 100% in 39 min 10W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 4500 mAh | Li-Po 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Mystic White | Ceramic White (Cosmic White), Ceramic Black (Cosmic Black) |
| Models | SM-N986B, SM-N986B/DS, SM-N986U, SM-N986U1, SM-N986W, SM-N9860, SM-N986N, SC-53A | M2102K1G, M2102K1C |
| Price | € 381.00 / $ 248.44 | About 1500 EUR |
| SAR | 0.71 W/kg (head) 1.18 W/kg (body) | 1.08 W/kg (head) 0.81 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.34 W/kg (head) 1.47 W/kg (body) | 0.55 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 88h | Endurance rating 95h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -27.8 LUFS (Good) | -24.3 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 508760 (v8) GeekBench: 2603 (v5.1) GFXBench: 42fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 688720 (v8) GeekBench: 3191 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G
- Integrated S Pen for productivity and creativity
- Bright and vibrant display
- Samsung ecosystem integration
- Exynos 990 can suffer from thermal throttling
- Slower charging speeds
- Older chipset compared to the Mi 11 Ultra
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
- Significantly faster charging (wired and wireless)
- More powerful Snapdragon 888 processor
- Superior camera performance (especially in low light)
- Lacks S Pen functionality
- Larger and heavier design
- Xiaomi’s MIUI software can be polarizing
Display Comparison
Both devices feature 'Infinite' contrast ratio displays, but differ in peak brightness. The Note20 Ultra achieves 1024 nits, while the Mi 11 Ultra peaks at 943 nits. While the Note20 Ultra is brighter on paper, real-world viewing experiences are similar, and both offer excellent visibility. Neither device specifies refresh rate, but both are assumed to be 120Hz, a standard for flagships of this era. The Note20 Ultra’s display is geared towards content consumption and S Pen interaction, while the Mi 11 Ultra’s display serves as a vibrant viewfinder for its advanced camera system.
Camera Comparison
Both phones excel in photography and videography, but approach it differently. While detailed sensor specs are not provided, the Mi 11 Ultra’s camera system is widely regarded as superior, particularly in low-light conditions. The Snapdragon 888’s image signal processor (ISP) contributes to better noise reduction and dynamic range. The Note20 Ultra’s camera is still capable, but the Mi 11 Ultra’s advanced processing and potentially larger sensors (based on market reputation) give it an edge. Both phones offer video recording capabilities, but the Mi 11 Ultra’s stabilization and overall image quality are generally considered superior.
Performance
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra’s Snapdragon 888 (5nm) represents a significant leap over the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra’s Exynos 990 (7nm+) or Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7nm+). The Snapdragon 888’s Cortex-X1 prime core delivers superior single-core performance, crucial for responsive app launches and smooth multitasking. The Exynos 990, particularly the global variant, has been known to exhibit thermal throttling under sustained load, impacting long gaming sessions. The Mi 11 Ultra’s more efficient 5nm process mitigates this issue. While both phones offer ample RAM, the Mi 11 Ultra’s chipset provides a more future-proof platform.
Battery Life
The Mi 11 Ultra boasts a 95-hour endurance rating, slightly exceeding the Note20 Ultra’s 88-hour rating. However, the real differentiator is charging speed. The Mi 11 Ultra supports 67W wired charging (0-100% in 36 minutes) and 67W wireless charging (0-100% in 39 minutes), dwarfing the Note20 Ultra’s 25W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless capabilities. This means the Mi 11 Ultra can be topped up much faster, minimizing downtime. The slightly larger battery capacity combined with the efficient Snapdragon 888 contributes to the Mi 11 Ultra’s longer endurance.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G if you absolutely require the S Pen for note-taking, sketching, or remote control functionality and are invested in the Samsung ecosystem. Buy the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra if you prioritize camera performance, blazing-fast charging speeds, and a more powerful processor for demanding tasks, and don't need the S Pen.