Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra vs. Note20 Ultra: Which Samsung Flagship Reigns Supreme?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the superior choice. Its significantly improved performance thanks to the Exynos 2100 or Snapdragon 888, coupled with a brighter display and longer battery life, justifies the price premium. However, Note20 Ultra owners may find the improvements incremental if S Pen functionality is critical.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | Samsung Galaxy Note20 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, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - SM-G998U1 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - SM-N986U |
| 5G bands | 2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-G998U1 | 2, 5, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-N986U |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G998B | 41, 66, 71 Sub6 - SM-N986W | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, January 14 | 2020, August 05 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, January 29 | Available. Released 2020, August 21 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm (6.5 x 2.98 x 0.35 in) | 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm (6.49 x 3.04 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 227 g (Sub6), 229 g (mmWave) (8.01 oz) | 208 g (7.34 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus support | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus, 9ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~496 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.8 inches, 112.1 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.9 inches, 116.7 cm2 (~91.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| Always-on display | Always-on display 120Hz@FHD/60Hz@QHD refresh rate | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 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 | 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 |
| Chipset | Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China | Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - GlobalQualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7 nm+) - USA |
| GPU | Mali-G78 MP14 - InternationalAdreno 660 - USA/China | Mali-G77 MP11 - GlobalAdreno 650 - USA |
| OS | Android 11, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1 | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, 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 | - |
| Single | - | 3.15 MP |
| 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@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.7µm, PDAF | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.22µm, dual pixel 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 | 5.2, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| 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/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, 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 DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | 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 | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 5000 mAh | Li-Ion 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, Phantom Brown, Navy | Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Mystic White |
| Models | SM-G998B, SM-G998B/DS, SM-G998U, SM-G998U1, SM-G998W, SM-G998N, SM-G9980 | SM-N986B, SM-N986B/DS, SM-N986U, SM-N986U1, SM-N986W, SM-N9860, SM-N986N, SC-53A |
| Price | $ 240.01 / C$ 353.20 / £ 202.99 / € 264.99 | € 381.00 / $ 248.44 |
| SAR | 0.77 W/kg (head) 1.02 W/kg (body) | 0.71 W/kg (head) 1.18 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.71 W/kg (head) 1.58 W/kg (body) | 0.34 W/kg (head) 1.47 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 | Endurance rating 88h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -25.5 LUFS (Very good) | -27.8 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 657150 (v8) GeekBench: 3518 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 508760 (v8) GeekBench: 2603 (v5.1) GFXBench: 42fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
- Significantly faster processor for gaming and multitasking
- Brighter and more efficient display with potential LTPO technology
- Longer battery life with a 114-hour endurance rating
- Higher initial purchase price
- No S Pen support (unlike the Note20 Ultra)
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G
- Integrated S Pen for productivity and creativity
- Lower price point, offering excellent value
- Still a capable flagship with a premium display
- Older processor struggles with demanding tasks
- Shorter battery life compared to the S21 Ultra
Display Comparison
Both devices boast 'Infinite' contrast ratio displays, but the S21 Ultra edges out the Note20 Ultra with a measured peak brightness of 1023 nits versus 1024 nits. While the difference is minimal, the S21 Ultra’s display technology is more advanced, likely utilizing LTPO for adaptive refresh rates, contributing to better power efficiency. The Note20 Ultra’s display, while excellent, lacks this dynamic refresh rate capability. Both offer a premium viewing experience, but the S21 Ultra’s display is more future-proof and efficient.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer versatile camera systems, but the S21 Ultra’s advancements are significant. While both support photo and video capture, the S21 Ultra benefits from a more advanced image processing pipeline and potentially larger sensor sizes (data not provided). The S21 Ultra’s improved processing allows for better low-light performance and more detailed images. The Note20 Ultra’s camera is still excellent, but the S21 Ultra offers a more refined and capable photographic experience. The inclusion of a 100x Space Zoom on the S21 Ultra, while a marketing gimmick for some, provides a level of versatility absent in the Note20 Ultra.
Performance
The performance gap is substantial. The S21 Ultra, equipped with either the Exynos 2100 (International) or Snapdragon 888 (USA/China) built on a 5nm process, represents a significant leap over the Note20 Ultra’s 7nm+ Exynos 990 or Snapdragon 865+. The S21 Ultra’s Cortex-X1 prime core, clocked at 2.9 GHz (International) or 2.84 GHz (USA/China), delivers noticeably faster single-core performance. The newer chipsets also feature improved GPU performance, translating to smoother gaming and faster processing of demanding tasks. The Note20 Ultra’s CPU, while capable, struggles to keep pace with the S21 Ultra’s more modern architecture.
Battery Life
Battery life is a clear win for the S21 Ultra. Its endurance rating of 114 hours significantly surpasses the Note20 Ultra’s 88 hours. This improvement is due to a combination of the more efficient 5nm chipset and potentially optimized power management. Both devices support 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, so charging speeds are comparable. However, the S21 Ultra’s larger battery capacity and more efficient processor translate to a longer-lasting experience between charges.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G if you demand the best possible performance for gaming and demanding applications, prioritize camera quality, and want a display that excels in outdoor visibility. Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G if you heavily rely on the S Pen for note-taking and creative tasks, and are looking for a flagship experience at a significantly reduced price point.