Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G vs. Note20: Which Samsung Flagship Reigns Supreme?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is the superior choice. Its Exynos 2100 (or Snapdragon 888) chipset delivers a noticeable performance boost, coupled with a significantly brighter and more advanced display. While the Note20 remains a capable device, the S21 Ultra offers a more future-proof experience.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Note20 | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 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, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - SM-G998U1 |
| 5G bands | - | 2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-G998U1 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G998B | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, August 05 | 2021, January 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, August 21 | Available. Released 2021, January 29 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic back | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 161.6 x 75.2 x 8.3 mm (6.36 x 2.96 x 0.33 in) | 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm (6.5 x 2.98 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 192 g (6.77 oz) | 227 g (Sub6), 229 g (mmWave) (8.01 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus, 26ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus support | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~393 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~89.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 112.1 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED Plus, HDR10+ | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak) |
| 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 (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) - InternationalOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - USA/China |
| Chipset | Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - GlobalQualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7 nm+) - USA | Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China |
| GPU | Mali-G77 MP11 - GlobalAdreno 650 - USA | Mali-G78 MP14 - InternationalAdreno 660 - USA/China |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5 | Android 11, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Quad | - | 108 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 72mm (telephoto), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 10 MP, f/4.9, 240mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
| 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 | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.7µm, PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| 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 | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, 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 |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) 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 | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 4300 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Mystic Green, Mystic Bronze, Mystic Gray, Mystic Red, Mystic Blue | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, Phantom Brown, Navy |
| Models | SM-N980F, SM-N980F/DS | SM-G998B, SM-G998B/DS, SM-G998U, SM-G998U1, SM-G998W, SM-G998N, SM-G9980 |
| Price | $ 202.82 / € 280.00 | $ 240.01 / C$ 353.20 / £ 202.99 / € 264.99 |
| SAR | 1.11 W/kg (head) 1.14 W/kg (body) | 0.77 W/kg (head) 1.02 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.36 W/kg (head) 1.37 W/kg (body) | 0.71 W/kg (head) 1.58 W/kg (body) |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 12GB RAM | - | $ 384.99 |
| 256GB 12GB RAM | - | $ 998.00 |
| 512GB 12GB RAM | - | $ 1,179.99 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 459.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 114h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -25.5 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 657150 (v8) GeekBench: 3518 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy Note20
- Integrated S Pen for note-taking and creative tasks
- More compact and manageable size
- Lower price point (especially used)
- Older chipset with less processing power
- Less advanced display technology
- Less versatile camera system
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
- Significantly faster processor (Exynos 2100/Snapdragon 888)
- Brighter and more advanced display with LTPO
- Superior camera system with improved low-light performance
- Larger and heavier form factor
- Higher initial price (though now decreasing)
- No integrated S Pen
Display Comparison
The S21 Ultra boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching a measured 1023 nits, compared to the Note20’s unspecified peak brightness. While both utilize AMOLED technology, the S21 Ultra’s panel is likely to offer superior contrast thanks to its 'Infinite' contrast ratio. The S21 Ultra also benefits from a dynamic refresh rate (LTPO) which can scale down to 10Hz to conserve battery, a feature absent on the Note20. This results in a smoother, more responsive experience and potentially longer battery life during static content viewing.
Camera Comparison
Both phones are capable cameras, but the S21 Ultra offers a more versatile and advanced system. While both lack detailed sensor information in the provided data, the S21 Ultra’s camera system is known for its larger main sensor and improved image processing. The S21 Ultra’s ability to capture more light and detail, particularly in low-light conditions, is a significant advantage. The Note20’s 2MP macro camera is largely a marketing gimmick, offering limited real-world benefit compared to the S21 Ultra’s overall camera prowess. The S21 Ultra also excels in video recording capabilities, offering higher resolutions and frame rates.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The Note20 utilizes either the Exynos 990 (global) or Snapdragon 865+ (USA), both built on a 7nm+ process. The S21 Ultra, however, features the 5nm Exynos 2100 (international) or Snapdragon 888 (USA/China). This process node shrink, combined with architectural improvements – the Cortex-X1 prime core in the S21 Ultra versus the Mongoose M5 in the Note20 – translates to a substantial performance uplift. The S21 Ultra’s CPU, with its Cortex-A78 cores, offers improved efficiency and performance over the Note20’s Cortex-A76 cores. While both phones feature 12GB of RAM options, the S21 Ultra likely benefits from faster LPDDR5 RAM, further enhancing responsiveness.
Battery Life
Both devices share the same 25W wired and 15W wireless charging capabilities, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. The S21 Ultra’s endurance rating of 114 hours suggests comparable battery life to the Note20, despite potentially higher power draw from the more powerful chipset. The S21 Ultra’s more efficient 5nm process and dynamic refresh rate help mitigate the increased power consumption. Real-world usage will vary, but the S21 Ultra’s optimized power management provides a similar or slightly better battery experience.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note20 if you prioritize the integrated S Pen experience and prefer a slightly more manageable form factor, and are content with solid, but not leading-edge, performance. You'll save money and still get a very capable Samsung phone. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G if you demand the best possible performance, a stunning display, and a versatile camera system, and are willing to pay a premium (or take advantage of current discounts).