Samsung Galaxy Note20 vs. Google Pixel 5a 5G: A Detailed Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing consistent software updates and excellent camera processing, the Google Pixel 5a 5G is the better choice. However, the Note20’s more powerful chipset and S Pen functionality make it compelling for power users and those needing stylus input.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Note20 | 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 5), plastic back | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame, aluminum back |
| Dimensions | 161.6 x 75.2 x 8.3 mm (6.36 x 2.96 x 0.33 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 | 192 g (6.77 oz) | 183 g (6.46 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus, 26ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~393 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~415 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~89.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.34 inches, 97.0 cm2 (~84.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED Plus, HDR10+ | OLED, HDR |
| Always-on display | 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 | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB 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 | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | LED flash, Pixel Shift, Auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | - | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1.12µm |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 64 MP, f/2.0, 27mm (telephoto), 1/1.72", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x 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) | - | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | 18W wired, PD2.0 |
| Type | Li-Ion 4300 mAh | Li-Po 4680 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Mystic Green, Mystic Bronze, Mystic Gray, Mystic Red, Mystic Blue | Mostly Black |
| Models | SM-N980F, SM-N980F/DS | G1F8F, G4S1M |
| Price | $ 202.82 / € 280.00 | $ 189.00 / C$ 249.99 |
| SAR | 1.11 W/kg (head) 1.14 W/kg (body) | - |
| SAR EU | 0.36 W/kg (head) 1.37 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
- More powerful processor for demanding tasks
- Integrated S Pen stylus for productivity
- Faster wired and wireless charging
- Potential for Exynos chip throttling
- Software updates may be less frequent
Google Pixel 5a 5G
- Excellent camera performance with Google’s image processing
- Guaranteed software updates and long-term support
- Clean Android experience
- Less powerful processor compared to Note20
- Slower charging speeds
Display Comparison
The Note20 boasts a superior display experience, though specifics beyond its size aren't provided. The Pixel 5a 5G, however, delivers a measured peak brightness of 861 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even outdoors. While the Note20 likely has a higher resolution and potentially a higher refresh rate (based on Samsung’s typical flagship features), the Pixel 5a 5G’s ‘Infinite’ contrast ratio suggests a strong OLED panel. The Note20’s display technology is likely more advanced, potentially including LTPO for variable refresh rates, but the Pixel 5a 5G’s brightness is a significant advantage in direct sunlight.
Camera Comparison
The Pixel 5a 5G excels in computational photography, leveraging Google’s renowned image processing algorithms. While sensor sizes aren’t specified, Google consistently extracts exceptional detail and dynamic range from its cameras. The Note20 likely has a more versatile camera system with multiple lenses, but the Pixel 5a 5G’s focus on software optimization often results in more pleasing images, particularly in challenging lighting conditions. The Note20’s camera system, while capable, relies more on hardware specifications, potentially leading to less consistent results without extensive user adjustments. The Pixel 5a 5G’s strength lies in its ability to deliver ‘point-and-shoot’ simplicity with consistently high-quality results.
Performance
The performance gap is substantial. The Note20, equipped with either the Exynos 990 (globally) or the Snapdragon 865 5G+ (USA), offers significantly more processing power than the Pixel 5a 5G’s Snapdragon 765G. The Snapdragon 865+ features a Kryo 585 prime core clocked at 3.0 GHz, while the 765G tops out at 2.4 GHz. This translates to faster app loading, smoother multitasking, and better performance in graphically intensive games. The Note20’s LPDDR5 RAM (speculation based on flagship status) further enhances performance. While the 765G is efficient, it cannot match the raw horsepower of the 865+ or Exynos 990. Thermal management will be a key factor; the Exynos 990 was known to throttle under sustained load, a potential issue the Snapdragon 865+ mitigates.
Battery Life
Both phones achieve an endurance rating of 122 hours, indicating similar overall battery life despite differing capacities (not specified). The Note20 supports 25W wired charging with PD3.0, allowing for faster top-ups compared to the Pixel 5a 5G’s 18W charging with PD2.0. The Note20 also offers 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, features absent on the Pixel 5a 5G. While both phones provide all-day battery life for moderate use, the Note20’s faster charging and wireless capabilities offer greater convenience.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note20 if you need a more powerful processor for demanding tasks, value the S Pen stylus for productivity and creativity, and appreciate a brighter, more vibrant display. Buy the Google Pixel 5a 5G if you prioritize a clean Android experience with guaranteed updates, exceptional still photography, and long-term value without sacrificing essential features.