Review: Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra is a stunning and sophisticated smart phone

Ashwin Rajagopalan

I don’t think I’ve held a more beautiful Samsung device in my hand ever before. The Mystic Bronze shade is one reason for the allure. Finished in Corning’s brand new iteration of Gorilla Glass – Victus, this brilliant shade sits somewhere between bronze and copper with an elegant matte finish. Ultra is the new Samsung suffix for best in class; the new Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is probably the Android flagship to beat.

The Note line has never shied away from stretching the display. Almost every time we question the size – just like most tech writers did in 2011 when the first Samsung Galaxy Note debuted. But Samsung always has the last laugh. Smartphone displays began to expand ever since. This year, the Note almost enters the 7-inch zone with an immersive 6.9-inch (3088 x 1440 pixels) Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. This display packs 496 pixels per inch and features a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s arguably the best display on any smartphone right now and is truly addictive whether you’re gaming or binge-watching your favourite show.

Cutting edge design also comes to the fore in the placement of the triple rear cam with three beautifully etched rings with the same Mystic Bronze coloured accents. But there’s a visible camera bump that’s impossible to miss, especially when the device is placed on a smooth surface. There’s also the extra heft; at 208 gm, it’s certainly won’t win a lightweight bout. The 4500 mAh battery might contribute to some of that heft. That’s a happy trade-off for most power users; the battery comfortably sailed through a whole day in our tests even with extended video, camera and gaming sessions. Samsung has bundled a 25W fast charger in the box that allows you to juice up your device in a flash.

Samsung’s flagship devices seldom disappoint in the camera sweepstakes. The Note 20 Ultra is no exception. Lowlight images are stellar and then there’s the clever telephoto lens that allows you to zoom up to 50X (on Super-Resolution Zoom). At the heart of this triple rear cam is a 108MP lens (f/1.8 ) that teams up with a 12MP ultra-wide and 12MP telephoto lens. It’s a versatile shooter and can also shoot videos in 8K mode. The 10MP front cam shoots sharp selfies and comes with heaps of custom modes including the Live Focus Portrait video mode.

Samsung always bills its Note devices as serious work + play devices. The improved S-Pen – the trademark feature of the Note devices, has added new skills including a handy Annotate PDF option. You can add your signature to a file and reshare it as a PDF. The S-Pen has been a cult favourite among creative professionals and serious note-takers who will appreciate the improved latency late. Samsung has reduced the latency from 42 milliseconds to 9 milliseconds. It almost feels like writing on paper.

The Note 20 Ultra blazed through our tests with its zippy Exynos 990 Processor and 12GB of RAM. There’s a choice of three storage variants and support for Micro SD cards. The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra might be heavy in your hand and on your pocket but it ticks more boxes than any other premium Android flagship out there; the Mystic Bronze colour variant is a showstopper.

Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G costs Rs 1,04,999 onwards in India and can be pre-ordered on Samsung.com and retail stores. The device is available in Mystic Bronze and Mystic Black.

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