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A showdown between Galaxy S21 Ultra and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra will help you decide between two premium flagship phones that are pretty stellar and somewhat similar. In fact, as you’ll see in our review of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, it’s the most Note-like phone in the Galaxy S series, as it’s the first in that family to support the S Pen.
But if you look further, there are many key differences between the S21 Ultra and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, from the cameras and design to the processor and price. Our review of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra shows that it is still a formidable phone, but it has been surpassed in some ways by the new Samsung. We compare these two phones side by side to help you decide which one is right for you.
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Specifications
| Galaxy S21 Ultra | Galaxy Note 20 Ultra | |
| starting price | $ 1,199 | $ 1,299 |
| Screen size | 6.8-inch dynamic AMOLED (3200 x 1440; 10 Hz – 120 Hz) | 6.9-inch dynamic AMOLED (3088 x 1440; 10 Hz -120 Hz) |
| CPU | Snapdragon 888 | Snapdragon 865 Plus |
| RAM | 12GB, 16GB | 12 GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | 128GB, 512GB |
| micro SD | Do not | Yes |
| Rear cameras | 108MP (f / 1.8) wide; 12MP (f / 2.2) ultrawide; 10MP (f / 2.4) telephoto lens with 3x zoom; 10MP telephoto (f / 4.9) with 10x zoom | 108MP wide (ƒ / 1.8); 12MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom (ƒ / 3.0); 12MP ultra wide (ƒ / 2.2) |
| Front cameras | 40 megapixels (f / 2.2) | 10 megapixels (ƒ / 2.2) |
| Battery size | 5000 mAh | 4,500 mAh |
| Wireless | 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, UWB | 5G, Wi-Fi 6, UWB |
| Size | 6.5 x 3 x 0.35 inches | 6.49 x 3.04 x 0.32 inches |
| Weight | 8.04 ounces | 7.34 ounces |
| Colors | Phantom Silver, Phantom Black, Phantom Navy, Phantom Titanium, Phantom Brown | Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Mystic White |
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Price
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is priced at $ 1,199, which is $ 200 less than its predecessor. On paper, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is the more expensive of these two phones with a retail price of $ 1,299.
However, with discounts, you can find the Note 20 Ultra for as little as $ 1,049, which is $ 250 off. We’d check out our best Galaxy S21 deals and best Galaxy Note 20 deals pages for the latest sales.
Note that the Galaxy S21 Ultra has three storage options with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. The 256GB model costs $ 1,249 and the 512GB version costs $ 1,379.
The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has only two storage options. The 512GB version goes up to $ 1,449, but it seems to be out of stock at most retailers and carriers.
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Design
Newer doesn’t always mean better. I prefer the design of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra to the Galaxy S21 Ultra. That’s because the Note 20 Ultra is thinner, lighter, and smaller. The camera bump on the S21 Ultra blends better into the back of the phone with Samsung’s contour design, but I prefer to hold and use the Note 20 Ultra.
The S21 Ultra also comes in more colors, including Phantom Silver and Phantom Black, plus Phantom Navy, Phantom Titanium, and Phantom Brown via Samsung.com. The Note 20 Ultra comes in only Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Mystic White.
If you want to use an S Pen, the Note 20 Ultra is the obvious choice, because there is nowhere to put the S Pen in the S21 Ultra unless you are looking for a case. And that adds even more bulk to a heavy device.
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Display
The displays on the Galaxy S21 Ultra and Note 20 Ultra are quite similar, and both phones feature dynamic AMOLED displays that can scale from 10Hz to 120Hz for smoother performance. The Note 20 Ultra’s screen is only slightly larger at 6.9 inches, compared to 6.8 inches on the S21 Ultra.
Both displays are sharp and surprisingly colorful with ultra-wide viewing angles, but the S21 Ultra forges ahead with its highest average brightness of 821 nits. The Note 20 Ultra reached 662 nits in our lab.
However, the Note 20 Ultra’s display was a bit more colorful, registering 86.1% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, compared to 81.4% of the S21 Ultra. The Note 21 Ultra’s panel also proved to be a bit more accurate, achieving a Delta-E score of 0.24 (0 is perfect); the S21 Ultra scored 0.35.
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Cameras
The Galaxy S21 Ultra is the camera you want if you are looking for the most powerful zoom. It includes two telephoto zoom lenses, which can achieve a 3x hybrid and 10x optical zoom and a digital Space Zoom of up to 100x.
Now, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra isn’t far behind in this department, as it boasts a 5x optical zoom and a 30x Space Zoom, but it just doesn’t go that far. Additionally, the S21 Ultra has a zoom lock feature that can help you capture more stable shots.
Both the Galaxy S21 Ultra and Note 20 Ultra feature a super-sharp 108MP main camera as well as a 12MP ultra-wide camera. However, the S21 Ultra is designed to offer better low-light performance and also offers improvements with its portrait mode.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra also has a sharper front camera at 40MP, compared to the Note 20 Ultra’s 10MP. When it comes to image quality, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is better in almost every way.
With this one fruit bowl, the S21 Ultra produces a brighter image, so oranges in particular look more vibrant. The apple in the S21 Ultra shot is almost too bright as it loses some definition on the skin compared to the Note 20 Ultra, but overall the S21 Ultra produces a more pleasant photo.
I used Night mode on both phones for this photo, which was only lit by a nearby streetlight. It’s not a dramatic difference, but I appreciate that the sky looks brighter and the tree on the right looks a little sharper and has more contrast in the foreground. However, both phones do a pretty good job overall, especially with footsteps in the snow.
In this photo of a small lucky bamboo plant, I actually prefer the Note 20 Ultra photo because of the way it treats the light coming through the window. The bright spots on the top of the leaves make the shot look more attractive. The image of the S21 Ultra is too uniform throughout.
This is where the Note 20 Ultra really starts to lag behind. This portrait looks completely stunning compared to the S21 Ultra. There seems to be a white haze or film over the entire scene. While the S21 Ultra does a better job capturing a more accurate dark blue on my jacket; my face also has a warmer tone than in the Note shot.
With a 10x zoom, the Galaxy S21 Ultra offers more detail and more precise nuance in this shot of a tree with some bird and squirrel feeders. The Note 20 Ultra struggles with bark and the feeder in the upper left of the frame is almost completely lost at the edges.
Once we hit the 50x zoom, there is no competition. The Note 20 Ultra photo is so blurry and hazy that it looks like an impressionist painting. The bark and feeder look much lighter in the S21 Ultra photo.
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Performance
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra packs a newer Snapdragon 888 processor, while the Note 20 Ultra is powered by a Snapdragon 865 chip, so it’s not a big surprise that the S21 Ultra offers better performance. But it is not a big gap.
For example, in our video editing test, which involves transcoding a 4K video clip to 1080p using the Adobe Premiere Rush application, the Galaxy S21 Ultra took 1 minute and 2 seconds to complete the task. The Note 20 Ultra needed a bit more than 1:16.
In Geekbench 5, which measures overall performance, the S21 Ultra scored 3400 in the multi-core portion of the test, compared to 3294 for the Note 20 Ultra.
However, the Galaxy S21 Ultra may be the best option for gamers, as it scored considerably higher in the 3DMark Wild Life graphics test. It achieved an average of 33 frames per second, while the Note 20 Ultra managed only 24.9 fps.
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: battery life
Both the Galaxy S21 Ultra and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra will help you get through a full day on one charge, especially if you use the 60Hz display mode on each phone. But the S21 Ultra has a higher endurance overall.
In Tom’s Guide’s battery test, which consists of continuous web browsing over 5G with 150 nits of screen brightness, the Galaxy S21 Ultra lasted 11 hours and 25 minutes in 60Hz screen mode. That’s good enough to put this device on our best phone battery life list. With the adaptive display mode activated, which goes up to 120Hz, the runtime was reduced to a good 10:07.
The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra did not fare as well in our tests, as it lasted 10:26 in 60Hz display mode and 7:59 with adaptive mode on. That’s a pretty big drop.
The S21 Ultra and Note 20 Ultra offer 25W fast charging, but only the Note comes with a charger in the box.
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: special features
The most special thing about the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is its S Pen, but now that the Galaxy S21 Ultra supports the S Pen input, what is the difference?
For one, you have to buy the S Pen separately with the S21 Ultra. A combo case and an S Pen cost $ 69.99. Also, this case adds bulk to an already heavy phone, and the S Pen doesn’t support Bluetooth. A separate S Pen Pro will come later.
The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is the phone to get if you want to expand storage as it offers a microSD card slot. Samsung got rid of this advantage in the S21 Ultra along with an included charger.
The S21 Ultra has some welcome special features, like its more powerful space zoom and zoom lock feature. Furthermore, there is a handy object eraser function in the camera software and a director’s view function in the S21 Ultra when recording video, allowing you to record using the front and rear cameras at the same time.
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: verdict
If I was paying with my own money, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is the clear winner. It offers a brighter screen, longer battery life, and especially better cameras. The difference in image quality is quite stark, especially when shooting portraits and zooming outdoors.
If you want to use an S Pen with your next phone, I would recommend the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Yes, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is compatible with the S Pen, but I’d rather have it integrated into the phone without the need for a bulky case.
Overall though, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is the best value.
