Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra vs. OnePlus 9 Pro: Which Flagship Reigns Supreme?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the OnePlus 9 Pro offers a more compelling package. Its Snapdragon 888 chipset, coupled with 65W charging, delivers superior performance and convenience. While the Note20 Ultra’s S Pen remains a unique feature, the OnePlus 9 Pro’s overall experience is more modern and efficient.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra | OnePlus 9 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) / 1800 / 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, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - EU |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78 SA/NSA - EU |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 1, 3, 28, 41, 78, 79 SA/NSA - CN | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, August 05 | 2021, March 23 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, August 21 | Available. Released 2021, March 30 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), stainless steel frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm (6.49 x 3.04 x 0.32 in) | 163.2 x 73.6 x 8.7 mm (6.43 x 2.90 x 0.34 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 208 g (7.34 oz) | 197 g (6.95 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 5 |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~496 ppi density) | 1440 x 3216 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~525 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.9 inches, 116.7 cm2 (~91.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~90.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ | LTPO Fluid2 AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) |
| 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 (1x2.84 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 14, OxygenOS 14 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Hasselblad Color Calibration, dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Quad | - | 48 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.43", 1.12µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/2.4, 77mm (telephoto), 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.3x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.2, 14mm (ultrawide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, AF 2 MP, f/2.4, (monochrome) |
| Single | - | 16 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm |
| 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 | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, Auto HDR, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF | 16 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps, 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 | |
| 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 (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a) |
| Radio | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1, 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/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| 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 | 65W wired, PD, 100% in 29 min 50W wireless, 100% in 43 min 5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 4500 mAh | Li-Po 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Mystic White | Morning Mist, Forest Green, Stellar Black |
| Models | SM-N985F, SM-N985F/DS | LE2121, LE2125, LE2123, LE2120, LE2127 |
| Price | About 1250 EUR | € 246.17 / $ 264.95 / £ 287.00 |
| 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 86h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Loudspeaker | - | -24.1 LUFS (Very good) |
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra
- Integrated S Pen for productivity and creativity
- Samsung DeX for desktop-like experience
- Mature software ecosystem with long-term support
- Exynos 990 chipset can throttle under load
- Slower charging speeds (25W wired)
- Potentially less vibrant display compared to OnePlus 9 Pro
OnePlus 9 Pro
- Snapdragon 888 offers superior performance
- 65W wired and 50W wireless charging are incredibly fast
- Hasselblad-tuned camera delivers natural color reproduction
- Lacks integrated stylus support
- OxygenOS, while clean, has seen changes in recent years
- Software update longevity may be shorter than Samsung
Display Comparison
The OnePlus 9 Pro boasts a brighter display, reaching 859 nits measured, compared to the Note20 Ultra’s unspecified peak brightness (though typically around 700-800 nits). Both utilize AMOLED technology, but the OnePlus 9 Pro’s higher peak brightness translates to better visibility in direct sunlight. While both likely feature adaptive refresh rates, the OnePlus 9 Pro’s panel is generally considered more color accurate and offers a more fluid viewing experience. The Note20 Ultra’s curved display, while aesthetically pleasing, can introduce accidental touches, a problem minimized by the OnePlus 9 Pro’s more restrained curvature.
Camera Comparison
The OnePlus 9 Pro’s collaboration with Hasselblad resulted in a camera system focused on natural color science, a departure from Samsung’s typically saturated image processing. While both phones offer versatile camera setups, the OnePlus 9 Pro’s larger main sensor (details unspecified in provided data, but generally larger than the Note20 Ultra’s) captures more light, resulting in better low-light performance. The Note20 Ultra’s zoom capabilities are strong, but the OnePlus 9 Pro’s image processing often produces more realistic and detailed results. The inclusion of OIS on both devices aids in stable video recording.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The OnePlus 9 Pro’s Snapdragon 888 (5nm) significantly outperforms the Note20 Ultra’s Exynos 990 (7nm+) in most benchmarks, particularly in GPU-intensive tasks. The Snapdragon 888’s Cortex-X1 prime core provides a substantial performance boost. While the USA variant of the Note20 Ultra receives the Snapdragon 865+, it still lags behind the 888. The Exynos 990 has been known to exhibit thermal throttling under sustained load, a problem less prevalent on the more efficient Snapdragon 888. Both phones feature ample RAM, but the OnePlus 9 Pro benefits from the newer chipset’s improved memory controller.
Battery Life
Both devices achieve an endurance rating of 86h, suggesting similar real-world battery life despite differing battery capacities (not specified in provided data). However, the OnePlus 9 Pro’s charging capabilities are dramatically superior. 65W wired charging delivers a full charge in just 29 minutes, while the Note20 Ultra’s 25W charging takes considerably longer. The OnePlus 9 Pro also offers 50W wireless charging, significantly faster than the Note20 Ultra’s 15W wireless charging. This charging speed advantage is a major win for OnePlus.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra if you absolutely require the S Pen for productivity or creative tasks and value Samsung’s DeX desktop experience. Buy the OnePlus 9 Pro if you prioritize raw performance, incredibly fast charging, and a refined camera system with a focus on natural color reproduction. The OnePlus 9 Pro is the better choice for gamers and power users.