Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra vs Sony Xperia 1 III: A Deep Dive Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user, the Sony Xperia 1 III emerges as the stronger choice. While the Note20 Ultra offers the unique S Pen functionality, the Xperia 1 III’s more efficient Snapdragon 888 (5nm) chipset, coupled with its brighter display and comparable battery endurance, provides a smoother, more modern experience. The Xperia 1 III is the better all-rounder.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra | 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, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 | 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 | - | 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 | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 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 | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 8GB 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 | - | 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-N985F, SM-N985F/DS | XQBC62/V, XQBC52V.UKCX, SO-51B, SOG03, A101SO, XQ-BC62, XQ-BC72, XQ-BC52, XQ-BC01, XQ-BC11, XQ-BC21, XQ-BC72 |
| Price | About 1250 EUR | € 505.26 / $ 903.43 |
| 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 82h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -26.5 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 607423 (v8) GeekBench: 3515 (v5.1) GFXBench: 54fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra
- Integrated S Pen stylus for enhanced productivity.
- Mature Samsung ecosystem and software features.
- Generally lower price point in 2024.
- Exynos 990 variant prone to thermal throttling.
- Slower charging speeds compared to Xperia 1 III.
- Older chipset architecture.
Sony Xperia 1 III
- More efficient Snapdragon 888 (5nm) chipset.
- Brighter and more color-accurate display.
- Faster 30W wired charging.
- Lacks integrated stylus support.
- Sony’s software experience isn’t as polished as Samsung’s.
- Potentially higher price point.
Display Comparison
The Sony Xperia 1 III boasts a 6.1-inch 4K HDR OLED display with a measured peak brightness of 620 nits, offering a visually striking experience. The Note20 Ultra’s display, while excellent, doesn’t reach the same peak brightness. The Xperia 1 III’s infinite contrast ratio (nominal) contributes to deeper blacks and more vibrant colors. While both displays are high quality, the Xperia 1 III’s superior brightness makes it more usable in direct sunlight. The Note20 Ultra’s display technology isn’t specified, but it lacks the advanced features found in newer Samsung panels like LTPO.
Camera Comparison
Both devices excel in camera capabilities, but approach it differently. The Xperia 1 III focuses on delivering a professional-grade experience with extensive manual controls and real-time tracking autofocus. While specific sensor details are missing, the Xperia 1 III’s emphasis on photo and video suggests a high-quality imaging system. The Note20 Ultra’s camera system is also capable, but its image processing tends towards more saturated colors. The absence of detailed sensor information for both devices makes a direct comparison difficult, but the Xperia 1 III’s focus on professional features gives it an edge for serious photographers and videographers. We can safely ignore the 2MP macro cameras on both devices as they offer minimal practical benefit.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The Note20 Ultra shipped with either the Exynos 990 (global) or the Snapdragon 865 5G+ (USA). The Exynos 990, built on a 7nm+ process, is generally considered less efficient than the Snapdragon 865+. The Xperia 1 III, however, utilizes the Snapdragon 888 5G (5nm), a significant leap in efficiency. The Xperia 1 III’s Cortex-X1 prime core (2.84 GHz) offers a performance advantage over the Note20 Ultra’s Mongoose M5 core (2.73 GHz). The 5nm process of the Snapdragon 888 translates to better thermal management, reducing the likelihood of throttling during sustained workloads. The Note20 Ultra, particularly the Exynos variant, is known to experience thermal throttling under heavy load.
Battery Life
Both phones achieve an endurance rating of 82 hours, indicating comparable battery life despite differing battery capacities (not specified for the Note20 Ultra). However, the Xperia 1 III’s 30W wired charging (PD) with a 50% charge in 30 minutes is significantly faster than the Note20 Ultra’s 25W wired charging (PD3.0). The inclusion of wireless and reverse wireless charging on both devices adds convenience, but the faster wired charging of the Xperia 1 III is a clear advantage for users who need to quickly top up their battery.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra if you absolutely require a stylus for note-taking, sketching, or precise control, and value the S Pen ecosystem. Buy the Sony Xperia 1 III if you prioritize a professional-grade camera experience, a brighter and more color-accurate display, and a cleaner Android experience with a focus on multimedia consumption and creation.