Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra vs. Google Pixel 5a 5G: A Detailed Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For users prioritizing raw performance, a large display, and the S Pen, the Galaxy Note20 Ultra remains a compelling choice. However, the Google Pixel 5a 5G offers a more balanced package with exceptional camera capabilities, solid battery life, and guaranteed software updates at a significantly lower price point, making it the winner for the average user.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra | Google Pixel 5a 5G |
| 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, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 | 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 |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 2, 5, 12, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, August 05 | 2021, August 17 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, August 21 | Available. Released 2021, August 26 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), stainless steel frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame, aluminum back |
| Dimensions | 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm (6.49 x 3.04 x 0.32 in) | 156.2 x 73.2 x 8.8 mm (6.15 x 2.88 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM |
| Weight | 208 g (7.34 oz) | 183 g (6.46 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus, 9ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~496 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~415 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.9 inches, 116.7 cm2 (~91.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.34 inches, 97.0 cm2 (~84.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ | OLED, HDR |
| 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 (1x2.4 GHz Kryo 475 Prime & 1x2.2 GHz Kryo 475 Gold & 6x1.8 GHz Kryo 475 Silver) |
| Chipset | Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - GlobalQualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7 nm+) - USA | Qualcomm SM7250 Snapdragon 765G 5G (7 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G77 MP11 - GlobalAdreno 650 - USA | Adreno 620 |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5 | Android 11, upgradable to Android 14 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | - | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 12.2 MP, f/1.7, 27mm, (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 16 MP, f/2.2, 119˚ (ultrawide), 1.0µm |
| Features | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | LED flash, Pixel Shift, Auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | - | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 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 | - |
| 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 |
| 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), 1.12µm |
| 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 stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BDS |
| 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, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), 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 | - | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | 18W wired, PD2.0 |
| Type | Li-Ion 4500 mAh | Li-Po 4680 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Mystic White | Mostly Black |
| Models | SM-N985F, SM-N985F/DS | G1F8F, G4S1M |
| Price | About 1250 EUR | $ 189.00 / C$ 249.99 |
| SAR | 0.57 W/kg (head) 1.02 W/kg (body) | - |
| SAR EU | 0.32 W/kg (head) 1.47 W/kg (body) | - |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 122h |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 291303 (v8) GeekBench: 1337 (v5.1) GFXBench: 19fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra
- Powerful processor (Snapdragon 865 5G+ or Exynos 990)
- Large, high-quality display
- Integrated S Pen for productivity
- Potential for thermal throttling (Exynos variant)
- Higher price point
- Larger and heavier form factor
Google Pixel 5a 5G
- Excellent camera performance, especially in still photography
- Clean Android experience with guaranteed updates
- Competitive price
- Less powerful processor
- Smaller display
- Less versatile camera system
Display Comparison
The Note20 Ultra boasts a larger display, but the Pixel 5a 5G holds its own with a measured peak brightness of 861 nits. While the Note20 Ultra’s panel likely offers a higher contrast ratio and potentially wider color gamut, the Pixel 5a’s display is still perfectly usable outdoors. The Note20 Ultra’s variable refresh rate (not specified in the data, but standard for the device) provides smoother scrolling, but the Pixel 5a’s display is more than adequate for everyday use. The Note20 Ultra’s larger size is a benefit for media consumption, but the Pixel 5a’s more compact form factor may appeal to users who prefer one-handed operation.
Camera Comparison
While the Note20 Ultra likely has a more versatile camera *system* with multiple lenses, the Pixel 5a 5G excels in computational photography. Google’s image processing algorithms consistently deliver excellent dynamic range and accurate colors, even in challenging lighting conditions. The Pixel 5a’s strength lies in its ability to produce consistently good photos with minimal effort. The Note20 Ultra’s camera offers more manual control and potentially better zoom capabilities, but requires more user expertise to fully utilize. The Pixel 5a’s focus on software optimization gives it an edge in still photography, despite potentially having a smaller sensor.
Performance
The Note20 Ultra, equipped with either the Exynos 990 (global) or Snapdragon 865 5G+ (USA), significantly outperforms the Pixel 5a’s Snapdragon 765G. The Snapdragon 865 5G+ features a Kryo 585 prime core clocked at 3.0 GHz, compared to the 765G’s Kryo 475 Prime at 2.4 GHz. This translates to faster app loading times, smoother multitasking, and superior gaming performance on the Note20 Ultra. However, the Exynos 990 has been known to exhibit thermal throttling under sustained load, a potential issue the Snapdragon 865 5G+ mitigates. The Pixel 5a’s 765G is efficient and capable for everyday tasks, but it won’t match the Note20 Ultra’s peak performance.
Battery Life
Both devices share an endurance rating of 122 hours, suggesting comparable real-world battery life despite the Note20 Ultra’s larger size. The Pixel 5a 5G charges at 18W with PD2.0, while the Note20 Ultra supports 25W with PD3.0. This means the Note20 Ultra will likely charge faster, but the difference isn’t substantial. The Pixel 5a’s efficiency and software optimization contribute to its impressive battery performance, effectively offsetting the Note20 Ultra’s potentially larger battery capacity (not specified in the data).
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra if you need a large, vibrant display for media consumption, require the S Pen for productivity and creative tasks, and demand the highest possible processing power for demanding applications. Buy the Google Pixel 5a 5G if you prioritize a clean Android experience, exceptional still photography, long battery life, and value for money, and are comfortable with a less feature-rich but highly refined smartphone experience.