Samsung S21 Ultra Vs Samsung Note 20 Ultra, A Proper Comparison

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra both great big phones in every sense of those words. The pricing in a lot of countries between these two is equivalent right now and so are a lot of rumors that we might not see another note anytime soon. So which is worth your money in 2021? Let's take a quick look at both phones.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Vs Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra:

Size and Dimensions

First up, the physical size. These are both absolute behemoths with a 6.8 inch panel on the Samsung Galaxy S21 and 6.9 on the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. So neither one is really going to be ideal for one-handed use especially the slightly more boxy Note Ultra. Both displays are excellent though with smooth 120 hertz refresh rates, and they include LTPO tech to dynamically slow down the display as far as 10 hertz to save power when you don't need that full 120.

The biggest upgrade with the S21 ultra's panel is that you can now use the full 120hz refresh rate and QHD+ resolution at the same time. With the note you'll need to step down to FHD+ if you want that maximum smoothness or alternatively switch down to 60hz for maximum resolution. The end screen fingerprint has got a major upgrade in the S21 series 2.

Fingerprint Reader

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra uses the last generation ultrasonic sensor that's just not great compared to most of the competition by comparison. The new model has a larger sensor area and is just faster and more reliable across the board. Unsurprisingly those hardware upgrades can be seen on the inside too. Basically this is a generational upgrade from Snapdragon 865 to 888 in the US and in most other countries you go from an Exynos 990 chip to an Exynos 2100. Which is an even bigger jump because of the old Exynos chips power consumption issues.

Battery Capacity & S-Pen

Battery capacity is another point of differentiation here. The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra uses a 4500mAh unit whereas the Samsung Galaxy S21 ultra cranks it all the way up to a significantly larger 5000mAh. That combined with a more efficient processor in the S21 should mean significantly better battery life from the newer phone. Of course the reason you have a smaller battery inside the note is because it also needs to make room for the S pen which docks into the side of the device. The note has the most advanced S-pen we've seen so far with 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity Bluetooth connectivity and air gesture support.

While the S21 ultra does also support the S pen. Any s pen in fact from a previous Galaxy Note or Galaxy Tab device. There are some compromises the S21 has the same level of pressure sensitivity but no Bluetooth support right now. You'll need to wait for the S pen pro later in the year to get that functionality. Plus there's just the general awkwardness of having to either carry around the pen separately or use one of these official cases that makes the phone even more bulky and unwieldy.

Camera Setup & Storage

Next up is the camera setup, and honestly it's a very one-sided fight here. Despite the fact the Note still does have a very capable set of shooters, the fact is that the S21 ultra has photography as its major focus. So not only do you get an upgraded second generation 108MP main sensor that's better in low light but also a duo of super telephoto cameras about three times and ten times. That's compared to a five times periscope zoom camera in the note. Again, that's not to trash the Note 20s camera at all but if photography is one of your major reasons for buying a flagship phone you'll probably want to choose the s21.

One small caveat though when it comes to storing those photos. Unlike the Note the S21 has no micro SD card support. So you'll want to make sure you get as much storage as you can when you're buying the phone. That's especially important when the base model of S21 comes with just 128GBs versus 256GBs in the base model of the Note's.

Software & Future Viability:

In terms of software you won't find a ton of differences here. This is Samsung's One UI based on Android 11. The note like a lot of the recent Samsung phones got the update to One UI 3 in recent months broadly putting it in line with what you'll find on the S21. For now the S21 enjoys exclusive new features like the director view and the camera app that lets you see all the rear camera
views at once while you're shooting.

Aside from that, one thing to bear in mind is software lifespan support. It's quite likely the Galaxy S21 having launched a bit later may well have another major platform upgrade in its future compared to the Note.