Getting started with the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: please without surprising

Heavy, But Refined :

No surprise, the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is very large and weighs well with all its mass in hand. It is really tailored for people eager for the famous phablet format popularized by this range of smartphones. Compact, compact, lightweight are clearly not the terms that come to mind. It is essential to fully integrate this premise before analyzing the design of the device.

Indeed, if all these elements are not faults in your eyes, then the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is clearly a phone that can be bragged about in hand feel and finishes. While it may sound thick at first glance, this model does not take long to show off its more refined aspects with its well-rounded edges and its curved screen pierced with a very discreet punch on the front, in the center.

At the back, the feel varies depending on the color chosen. If your heart leans for the white or black model, the glass will offer you a traditional glossy effect, but effective. My favorite remains the bronze version, a new color introduced by Samsung on its products which, in addition to being very beautiful, has the merit of being embellished with matt glass. The polished surface not only catches fingerprints less, but is very silky under the fingers, almost satin. The glass in question is also signed Gorilla Glass 7 on the front and back.

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While looking at the back surface, it’s hard not to let our eyes hang out on the very imposing triple photo module, in line with what the Galaxy S20 Ultra offered – the overwhelming mention on the x100 zoom minus. Clearly, the brand wants to show that we associate in our minds large photo module with high photo quality. Personally, I always regret the very protruding side of the thing that makes the device wobbly when laid flat. The fingerprint reader, for its part is on the screen.

Another interesting point about the design of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, several elements have changed place compared to the previous generation of Galaxy Note 10. The case of the S Pen, at the bottom of the device, moves from right to left , while the unlock and volume buttons move from left to right.

Beyond that, the IP68 certification is part of the game to guarantee resistance to water and dust, the USB-C port is low for charging and the jack has said goodbye to the high end of Samsung for a little while now.

120 Hz Screen … But Not Always :

The 120 Hz mode of the Galaxy S20 was extremely pleasant as it provided a delicious fluidity in use. Unfortunately, part of the same functionality has caused such concern in terms of battery life for these devices. In order not to suffer from the same criticisms of the Note 20 Ultra, Samsung has decided, of course, to persevere with this 120 Hz mode, but by making sure that it adapts to the content viewed.

Thus, if you are simply reading fixed text, the screen switches back to 60 Hz to preserve its battery a little and will automatically switch back to 120 Hz when it is deemed necessary, in game for example. It remains to be seen whether this will have a truly positive impact on autonomy.

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If we are talking about the screen, it should obviously be noted that the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has a 6.9-inch Amoled panel. You won’t be surprised to learn that I found the display quality already excellent during my brief time with the device. From there to say, that there is a very noticeable difference from the S20 would be a lie.

An S Pen For Productivity, Xbox For Games :

Is it a waste of time to insist so much on the S Pen? Not for Samsung which persists and only signs this accessory and the signature of the Galaxy Note range. In this regard, this generation gains a few additional gestures that further encourage users to use the small rod as a magic wand to interact with the screen without touching it.

For example, if I am not mistaken, lifting the stylus upwards will normally return to the home screen – except from the camera where you will switch from one camera to another – but I have Even though I tried half a dozen times, my attempts were unsuccessful. More interesting: note taking has been optimized. Let’s start with the fact that the latency has been reduced here to only 9 ms.

However, my favorite novelty is people who, like me, tend to write wrong. The Samsung Notes app has a button to straighten your handwritten notes so that they are more enjoyable to reread. It is now also possible to annotate a PDF and take notes while recording audio. In addition, all your documents can be synced with Microsoft OneDrive as long as you have an account.

The alliance between the South Korean leader and Microsoft is also felt through the “Link with Windows” option which allows you to use your smartphone from your PC. On Samsung devices, this option is very prominent since it is accessible directly from the quick settings panel. Above all, video games are in the spotlight this year.

Samsung has teamed up with Xbox (owned by Microsoft) to create a controller called “Moga” that is compatible with the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. By purchasing this controller, you will enjoy a three-month subscription to this Game Pass Ultimate cloud gaming service.

Interface level, no big changes yet. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra runs Android 10 and shouldn’t be upgraded to Android 11 right away given Samsung’s history in this exercise. In return, we benefit from the very pleasant experience of One UI.

Finally, to put a layer on productivity, the DeX mode to use the smartphone as if it were a computer, now works wireless and also becomes compatible with all Samsung connected TV since 2019 or those Miracast compatible.

Photo: Almost Like The Galaxy S20 Ultra :

• 108 megapixel main sensor (f/1.8).
• 12 megapixel ultra wide angle (f/2.2).
• 12 megapixel x5 telephoto lens (f/3.0).

However, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra does not offer x100 zoom, a gadget feature of the S20 Ultra on which the brand had perhaps communicated too much. So it seems that users have expected too much from this level of magnification which obviously could not be of incredible quality.

On the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, Samsung doesn’t make too big of a deal, digital zoom is limited to x50. 108-megapixel stills and 8K video recording are still in the game. As often, innovations in this area are more the prerogative of the brand’s S family. The new smartphone comes above all to re-use a recipe considered mature. A laser autofocus is present for fast focusing.

On the front, it is a 10 megapixel sensor that takes care of the selfies.

Let’s Cross Fingers For Autonomy :

The performance of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra should be no problem in game since we can once again count on the powerful Exynos 990 chip associated with 12 GB of RAM. Exciting? Yeah… Admittedly, the SoC in question is powerful, but it remains less impressive than the Snapdragon 865+ which benefit the American models.

In addition, it is above all for its very perfectible energy efficiency that the Exynos 990 has been criticized. Even though Samsung promises to have made some software improvements, one can’t help but apprehend the autonomy of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra with a wince of worry.

Speaking of autonomy, here we have a 4500 mAh battery delivered with a 25 W fast charger. Also count on wireless charging and reverse wireless charging.

From 5G To All Sauces :

Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G compatibility is non-negotiable. You will be able to benefit from the advantages of the new generation of network, regardless of the version of the smartphone chosen.

Beautiful Things, But No Real Surprise :

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra therefore seems to be above all a smartphone that concentrates all the know-how of its manufacturer with attractive cutting-edge technologies. That said, all the little new things it does will certainly be interesting to discover and try out, but there is nothing really surprising about it.

Overall, the device seems more focused on polishing the cream of the crop rather than revolutionizing its world.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Price And Availability:

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is available in three colors (white, black and bronze) and comes in two versions: the one with 256 GB of storage costs $999 against $1,449 for the 512 GB model. Marketing takes place August 21.