ZTE Axon 40 Ultra Space Edition vs Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G: A Clash of Titans
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The ZTE Axon 40 Ultra Space Edition offers significantly faster performance and quicker charging thanks to its newer chipset and 80W charging. However, the Note20 Ultra’s S Pen, mature software, and potentially better camera versatility (depending on usage) give it a strong edge for some users. It's a trade-off between raw power and established features.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE Axon 40 Ultra Space Edition | 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, 17, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66 | 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, 2, 3, 5, 7, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 | 2, 5, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-N986U |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1x | 41, 66, 71 Sub6 - SM-N986W | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, November 29 | 2020, August 05 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, December 06 | Available. Released 2020, August 21 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, ceramic back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 163.3 x 73.6 x 8.4 mm (6.43 x 2.90 x 0.33 in) | 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm (6.49 x 3.04 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 204 g (7.20 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 | 1116 x 2480 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~400 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~496 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.8 inches, 111.6 cm2 (~92.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.9 inches, 116.7 cm2 (~91.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| - | Always-on display 120Hz@FHD/60Hz@QHD refresh rate | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) | 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 SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) | Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - GlobalQualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7 nm+) - USA |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Mali-G77 MP11 - GlobalAdreno 650 - USA |
| OS | Android 12, MyOS 12 | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 18GB 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, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, panorama, HDR | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 1.22µm, under display | 3.15 MP |
| Triple | 64 MP, f/1.6, 35mm (standard), 1/1.7", PDAF, OIS 64 MP, f/3.5, 91mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.0", PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom (vs. 26mm cam) 64 MP, f/2.4, 16mm, 112˚ (ultrawide), 1/1.7", PDAF | 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@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS, HDR10, 10‑bit video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 1.22µm, under display | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 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 |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, 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, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | 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) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 80W wired, PD3.0, QC4 | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 5000 mAh | Li-Ion 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black | Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Mystic White |
| Models | A2023P | SM-N986B, SM-N986B/DS, SM-N986U, SM-N986U1, SM-N986W, SM-N9860, SM-N986N, SC-53A |
| Price | About 800 EUR | € 381.00 / $ 248.44 |
| SAR | - | 0.71 W/kg (head) 1.18 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.34 W/kg (head) 1.47 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 88h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -27.8 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 508760 (v8) GeekBench: 2603 (v5.1) GFXBench: 42fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
ZTE Axon 40 Ultra Space Edition
- Significantly faster performance
- 80W fast charging
- Modern chipset
- Potentially improved low-light camera
- Software support may be less extensive than Samsung
- Design might not appeal to everyone
- Availability may be limited
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G
- S Pen functionality
- Excellent display
- Mature software and updates
- Versatile camera system with good zoom
- Established brand reputation
- Older chipset, slower performance
- Slower charging speed
- Battery life, while good, isn't class-leading anymore
Display Comparison
The Note20 Ultra boasts a stunning Dynamic AMOLED display with a peak brightness of 1024 nits, offering excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. Its infinite contrast ratio provides deep blacks and vibrant colors. The Axon 40 Ultra likely has a very good AMOLED display, but detailed brightness and contrast specs are less readily available. The Note20 Ultra's display is arguably the winner here, especially considering its color accuracy and outdoor visibility.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer versatile camera systems. The Note20 Ultra is known for its excellent zoom capabilities and generally reliable image processing. The Axon 40 Ultra features a large primary sensor and potentially improved low-light performance. Camera quality is subjective, but the Note20 Ultra's established reputation and zoom lens give it a slight advantage for many users. Video recording capabilities are comparable.
Performance
Here, the Axon 40 Ultra takes a clear lead. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is significantly more powerful than the Exynos 990 or Snapdragon 865 found in the Note20 Ultra. Expect smoother multitasking, faster app loading times, and superior gaming performance on the Axon 40 Ultra. The Note20 Ultra is still capable, but it shows its age in demanding tasks.
Battery Life
The Note20 Ultra boasts an impressive endurance rating of 88 hours, suggesting excellent battery life. The Axon 40 Ultra's battery capacity is likely comparable, but the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1's efficiency is a question mark. While the Axon 40 Ultra charges much faster (80W vs 25W), the Note20 Ultra likely offers longer overall usage time.
Buying Guide
The ZTE Axon 40 Ultra Space Edition is ideal for gamers, power users, and those prioritizing raw performance and fast charging. The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G is a better choice for productivity enthusiasts, artists who utilize the S Pen, and users who prefer a more refined and established software experience.