Samsung has just announced its latest pair of top-tier smartphones – the Galaxy Note 20 and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Just like before, we have one hard-hitting, no-compromise device that it brim-packed with features and hardware… but costs a pretty penny, and then we have one slightly cheaper phone that is just as powerful at its core, but has some corners cut. So, what are the differences between the two phones and how much do they matter?

Shop Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra here

Galaxy Note 20 display vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra display

Obviously, we have a tiny difference in screen size — the Note 20 has a 6.7-inch screen, while the Note 20 Ultra has a 6.9-inch screen. But their ratios are also a bit different. On the Galaxy Note 20, we get a 20:9 aspect ratio, while the Ultra’s is 19.3:9. This means that the Galaxy Note 20 will appear slightly more narrower than its sibling.

Galaxy Note 20 hardware vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra hardware

You’d be happy to hear there was almost no compromise when it comes to internals. The Note 20 is powered by a Snapdragon 865+, just like its bigger sibling. The differences come in RAM and storage tiers. The regular Note 20 will get 8 GB of RAM, no matter which variant you get. The Note 20 Ultra goes up to 12 GB of RAM. Depending on where you live in the world, the Note 20 might come with 128 GB or 256 GB of storage, while the Note 20 Ultra goes from 128 GB to 256 GB, to 512 GB.

In the US, the Note 20 comes with 128 GB / 8 GB and a 512 GB model, which is not yet available. The Note 20 Ultra comes with 128 GB / 12 GB and 512 GB / 12 GB.

Almost no compromise was made with battery on both phones. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is powered by a 4,500 mAh cell, while the Note 20 has a 4,300 mAh one. Both should last for quite a while and both support 25 W fast charging.

Also, only the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has a microSD card slot for storage expansion, the Note 20 does not.

Galaxy Note 20 camera vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra camera

There are some glaring differences when it comes to the camera specs sheet. In fact, they are very similar to the S20 Ultra vs S20 camera differences.

The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra comes with a super dense 108 MP sensor on its main camera, a 12 MP ultra-wide camera, and a 12 MP telephoto camera. There’s 5x optical zoom and up to 50x super high resolution zoom. That’s the same type that used to go up to 100x on the S20 Ultra — we assume it was toned down on the Note 20 Ultra so Samsung could focus more on quality than sheer shock numbers.

The Galaxy Note 20 has a 12 MP main camera, 12 MP ultra-wide, and a 64 MP “telephoto” camera — this is in quotes, because Samsung achieves the telephoto effect via a 3x hybrid (digitally-assisted) zoom. The super high res zoom goes up to 30x.

Both of the Notes will support 8K video at 24 FPS and both will have the full manual modes that you’ve come to expect.

Galaxy Note 20 design and build

The Galaxy Note 20 goes back to the roots and has a completely flat display. None of that “edge” stuff that Samsung has been putting on all of its phones. The Note 20 Ultra still has the curved screen, so that’s where you need to go if you want one.

A “small” detail that’s been flown under the radar — the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is a glass-and-metal sandwich, as can be expected… but the Note 20 is not. The “cheaper” note has a “Glasstic” build — basically, the back is made of plastic that’s made to look like glass. Not the end of the world, sure. But kind of not what you’d expect from a $1k phone.

Still, to each their own. Some people like the fact that plastic doesn’t shatter like glass. And some people enjoy a flat screen more — yes “edge” displays look cool, but they make ghost touches more common, and they distort content towards the edges of the screen.

Galaxy Note 20 S Pen vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra S Pen

Final thoughts

But hey, Samsung knows best. Maybe there’s a whole subset of users out there that are willing to look past these downgrades just to get a slightly cheaper Note.

So, which one of the Notes is the phone for you?