The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra are stunning smartphones packed with cutting-edge technology.
Both phones have more features and more power than their predecessors. Even so, there are several key differences between the two phones, from the camera and the design to the processor and the price.
In this guide, we compare their specifications and features to help you choose the best one for you. Let's go!
Design
The S21 Ultra and the Note 20 Ultra are two of the best big-screen phones. At 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1mm and 208g, the Note 20 is the thinner and lighter phone. And, at 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9mm and 228g, the S21 Ultra is a bit thicker, narrower, and heavier.
The Note 20 Ultra sports that signature rectangular shape with sharp corners. The Galaxy S21 Ultra, on the other hand, is smoother with the more traditional, rounded corners. Both handsets are covered in Gorilla Glass Victus, the strongest version of Corning's glass.
The S21 Ultra is offered in more colors: Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, and Phantom Brown. You can also get it in Phantom Navy and Phantom Titanium. The Note 20 Ultra only comes in Mystic White, Mystic Black, and Mystic Bronze.
Display
The S21 Ultra and the Note 20 Ultra sport huge screens that offer ultra-wide viewing angles. At 6.9 inches, the Note 20 Ultra screen is slightly bigger than the S21 Ultra's 6.8-inch display.
The two phones have Dynamic AMOLED displays that can output vibrant, natural colors and deep blacks. Both displays can smartly switch the refresh rate between 10Hz and 120Hz, depending on what you're doing with your phone, thus saving battery.
However, only the S21 Ultra can run a 120Hz refresh rate at the highest WQHD Plus (1440p) resolution. The Note 20 Ultra only supports full HD (1080p) with the adaptive refresh rate.
Also, both displays can go up to 1500 nits. This means you can use your phone under bright conditions and still get good results. But the S21 Ultra is touted as being slightly brighter on average.
The two devices also have fast under-display finger scanners.
Camera
Both phones have a high-resolution 108MP primary camera and a 12MP dynamic camera. However, the S21 Ultra has a sharper 40MP selfie camera, while the Note 20 Ultra sports a 10MP front camera. The camera bump on the S21 Ultra also integrates better into the back of the phone.
They also use the pixel binning technique to render detailed, well-lit shots in various lighting conditions. However, in everyday shooting, the S21 Ultra typically renders brighter shots with better dynamic range.
The handsets have telephoto sensors for crisp zoomed-in shots. The S21 Ultra has two telephoto cameras. One of the lenses can optically zoom at 3x and the other at 10x. At 10x zoom, expect greater detail and more accurate colors. The Note 20 Ultra has just one telephoto camera with a 5x optical zoom.
Both phones can record using the front and back camera simultaneously and shoot 8K and 4K videos. However, only the S21 Ultra supports the clever Director's View mode.
Specs and Performance
Depending on where you are in the world, the S21 Ultra is powered either by the latest Snapdragon 888 or Samsung's own Exynos 2100 chip, while the Note 20 Ultra runs on either the Snapdragon 865 Plus or the Exynos 990. The Snapdragon models are seen in the US, and Exynos is used in most other parts of the world.
The powerful processors make both phones more efficient when doing activities like editing 4K videos or even playing high-end 3D games.
The two devices are 5G-capable, so you can stream smoothly and quickly share and download files, though the S21 Ultra benefits from a 5G built-in chip that helps minimize power consumption.
Both Galaxy phones start at a base storage of 128GB and have versions with 256GB and 512GB storage. But only the Note 20 Ultra supports a microSD card slot.
The phones feature 12GB of RAM, with the S21 Ultra's 512GB model sporting 16GB of RAM. This means they can easily handle any task you throw at them.
One of the key specs that separates the Note 20 Ultra from the S21 Ultra is the stylus. You can use the S Pen to perform tasks like drawing on the screen, taking notes, and annotating screenshots.
The S20 Ultra comes with an S Pen that's housed within the phone's body. The S Pen on the Galaxy Note is Bluetooth-compatible, thus allows you to take photos remotely.
Though the S21 Ultra has stylus support, the S Pen doesn't come with the phone; you have to buy it separately. Also, the Pen doesn't support Bluetooth, and there's nowhere to house it unless you buy a special case.
Battery Life and Charging
A single charge can easily last for a full day of use for both Galaxy phones, especially if you stick to the default settings. Then again, it's the S21 Ultra that lasts longer overall.
The S21 Ultra sports a larger 5000mAh battery. The Note 20 Ultra, on the other hand, has a 4500mAh capacity, just like its formidable competitor, the OnePlus 9 Pro.
Both phones support 25W charging speeds, but the S21 Ultra doesn't come with a charger in the box. The S21 Ultra support 15W wireless charging and reverse charging, the same as the Note 20 Ultra.
Price and Availability
The Note 20 Ultra was launched at $949 for the 128GB model, $1049 for 256GB, and $1,099 for 512GB. However, with discounts, you can find the Note 20 Ultra at a much lower price. As for the S21 Ultra, the launch price was $1199 for the 128GB model, $1249 for 256GB, and $1379 for 512GB.
Note 20 Ultra vs. S21 Ultra: The S21 Has It
Both of these phones are great with excellent cameras and 8K video recording, and fast processors. The Galaxy S21 surpasses the Note 20 Ultra in categories like display, camera, and battery life, making it the better phone overall.
The Note's all-round performance remains competitive. It comes with a more functional S Pen and has a microSD slot. As such, it's a great choice for artists and prolific note-takers.