Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G vs Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G: The Ultimate Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Note20 Ultra offers a more polished, traditional flagship experience with a brighter display and slightly better battery life. However, the Z Fold2's unique foldable form factor and multitasking capabilities make it a compelling choice for those seeking innovation and productivity, despite its higher price and slightly older chipset.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 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 - SM-F916B | 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, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - SM-F916B | 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 | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 40, 41, 77, 78 Sub6 - SM-F916B | 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 | 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 |
| 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66 - SM-F916U1 | 41, 66, 71 Sub6 - SM-N986W | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, August 05 | 2020, August 05 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, September 18 | Available. Released 2020, August 21 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (folded), plastic front (unfolded), glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | Unfolded: 159.2 x 128.2 x 6.9 mmFolded: 159.2 x 68 x 13.8-16.8 mm | 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm (6.49 x 3.04 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 282 g (9.95 oz) | 208 g (7.34 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus, 9ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1768 x 2208 pixels (~373 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~496 ppi density) |
| Size | 7.6 inches, 180.8 cm2 (~88.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.9 inches, 116.7 cm2 (~91.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| Cover display: Super AMOLED, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 6.23 inches, 816 x 2260 pixels, 25:9 ratio | Always-on display 120Hz@FHD/60Hz@QHD refresh rate | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.09 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | 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 | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7 nm+) | Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - GlobalQualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7 nm+) - USA |
| GPU | Adreno 650 | Mali-G77 MP11 - GlobalAdreno 650 - USA |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5.1.1 | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB 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 | LED flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | - | 3.15 MP |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚, 12mm (ultrawide), 1.12µm | 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 | 4K@60fps, 1080p@60/240fps (gyro-EIS), 720p@960fps (gyro-EIS), HDR10+ | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm Cover camera: 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS | 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 HD | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2 | 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/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) 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 11W wireless 4.5W reverse wireless | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh | Li-Ion 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Thom Browne Edition, Aston Martin Racing Edition | Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Mystic White |
| Models | SM-F916B, SM-F916U, SM-F916U1, SM-F916N, SM-F9160, SM-F916W, SCG05 | SM-N986B, SM-N986B/DS, SM-N986U, SM-N986U1, SM-N986W, SM-N9860, SM-N986N, SC-53A |
| Price | About 960 EUR | € 381.00 / $ 248.44 |
| SAR | - | 0.71 W/kg (head) 1.18 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.86 W/kg (head) 1.45 W/kg (body) | 0.34 W/kg (head) 1.47 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 81h | Endurance rating 88h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -25.2 LUFS (Very good) | -27.8 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 564907 (v8) GeekBench: 12607 (v4.4), 2715 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 508760 (v8) GeekBench: 2603 (v5.1) GFXBench: 42fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G
- Innovative foldable design
- Large, immersive display when unfolded
- Excellent multitasking capabilities
- Reverse wireless charging
- Expensive
- More fragile than traditional phones
- Slightly older chipset
- Smaller cover screen
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G
- Brighter and higher quality display
- Excellent camera system with versatile zoom
- S Pen stylus for productivity
- More durable design
- Expensive
- Large and heavy
- Chipset variations (Exynos vs Snapdragon) impact performance
- No significant design changes from previous models
Display Comparison
The Note20 Ultra boasts a significantly brighter display (1024 nits vs 714 nits), offering better outdoor visibility. Its 'Infinite' contrast ratio (though nominal) suggests excellent blacks. The Z Fold2's folding screen is a marvel, but its brightness is a noticeable step down. Both offer excellent color accuracy and resolution, but the Note20 Ultra's overall display quality is superior.
Camera Comparison
The Note20 Ultra's camera system is arguably the stronger of the two, offering a more versatile zoom range and generally better image processing. The Z Fold2's cameras are capable, but lack the Note20 Ultra's telephoto prowess. Both capture excellent photos and videos in good lighting conditions.
Performance
The Note20 Ultra, particularly the USA variant with the Snapdragon 865, generally edges out the Z Fold2's Snapdragon 865 in sustained performance. The Z Fold2's chipset, while powerful, can experience some thermal throttling under heavy load due to the foldable design. Both phones handle everyday tasks and gaming with ease.
Battery Life
The Note20 Ultra holds a slight advantage in battery life, with an endurance rating of 88h compared to the Z Fold2's 81h. While both offer 25W wired charging, the Note20 Ultra supports PD3.0 for potentially faster charging with compatible chargers.
Buying Guide
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G is ideal for power users, multitaskers, and those who want to experience the future of mobile. The Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G is best suited for users who prioritize a top-tier camera, a vibrant display, and a more conventional, reliable smartphone experience.