The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 comes in as the direct successor to the Samsung Galaxy Note 10. It’s also a more affordable option for enthusiasts who cannot afford the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G. As such it offers a package that is void of some of the headline-making features of the ultra. However, it still retains the major features that make for a high-performance Android smartphone.
Where to Buy Samsung Note 20
Jumia Nigeria – See Offers | Jumia Kenya – See Offers | Jumia Ghana – See Offers
The Galaxy Note 20 Series were the last of the Galaxy Note series built for easy note taking on smartphones. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G is the latest smartphone capable of fitting into that space.
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Key Specs and Features
- Android 10, One UI 2.5
- 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Plus Display, 1080 x 2400, Up to 60Hz Refresh Rate, 393 PPI
- Octa-core Exynos 990 (Global)
- Octa-core Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865+ (USA)
- 12MP + 64MP + 12MP Triple Rear Camera
- 10MP Front Camera
- 256GB Built-in Storage
- 8GB RAM
- Fingerprint (Under Display, Ultrasonic)
- Fast Charging (25W Capacity)
- Reverse Wireless Charging (9W)
- 4300 mAh Non-Removable Li-ion Battery
Display and Design
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20’s design and are a bit more subtle than what we got on the Note 20 ultra. For starters, we have got a slightly smaller chassis which houses a smaller 6.7-inch display as opposed to the 6.9-inch display on the ultra.
This display features a slightly thicker bezel and a more conspicuous camera cut out. It is based on a super AMOLED panel and has a maxed-out screen resolution of 1080 x 2400.
Still, on the display, we have got a 60Hz refresh rate which is way less than the 120Hz refresh rate on the Note 20 ultra and also the Samsung Galaxy S20. Honorable mentions to the OnePlus 8 Pro which offers a 120Hz refresh rate alongside a higher resolution of 1440 x 3168 for the same price.
Flipping to the rear, we discover the absence of a camera bump, something that was prominent in the Note 20 ultra as a result of the periscope camera features. Here you will find the Samsung branding, which indicates its a Samsung smartphone.
A $1000 Dollar Smartphone With A Plastic Back
The Galaxy Note 20 build sort of took a turn from what we have had seen on previous note devices. It’s a lesser build, which contributes to a lower price tag.
This year Samsung opted for a glossy plastic which they refer to as Glasstic material. Featuring plastic in place of glass had an impact on the weight. The Note 20 weighs about 192g as opposed to the Note 20 Ultra which weighs 208g.
Surprisingly, the Note 20 retains wireless charging despite having a plastic bank. A phenomenon that isn’t very common amongst smartphones of today.
Upfront we have got gorilla glass 5, which is also less premium than what we got on the Note 10 and the note 20 ultra. Basically it’s all about beating down cost.
An Improved S-Pen
This year Samsung made improvements on the latency of the S-Pen, which is aimed at making inputs registration a lot faster. The Note 20’s S-Pen features a 26ms latency, which is almost half the 42ms latency on the previous generations.
Mind you the Note 20 Ultra taps down the latency to 9ms which makes for an even faster input registration.
Aside from latency, the cavity housing the S-Pen was shifted from the right position to the left. A development that may require muscle adjustment for enthusiasts who are gonna upgrade from their previous Galaxy note smartphones.
The Cameras
The camera department of Note 20 also got hit by a lower budget train. However, it isn’t severe. It offers a set of capable cameras, cameras that can pass as something you could find on a flagship smartphone.
The rear camera department houses a trio of cameras which consist of a 12MP main camera with an aperture of f/1.8, a 64MP telephoto camera with an aperture of f/2.0 which offers a 3x hybrid optical zoom, as opposed to the 5x optical zoom on the Note 20 ultra which is a periscope telephoto camera.
The third member of the trio is a 12MP ultrawide camera with a 120˚ field of view and an aperture of f/2.2. This rear camera department shoot videos maxed at 8K@24fps Other video modes include 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps.
Selfies are manned by a single 10MP camera with an aperture of f/2.2. This camera is capable of shooting both 4K@30/60fps and 1080p@30fps.
Hardware and Software
As mentioned earlier in the introductory paragraph the Note 20 bears most of the features that make the Note ultra 20 a very fast smartphone.
The chief of these features is the top of the line Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus processor which is only available for users in the United States. Enthusiasts in other parts of the world will have to settle for the Exynos 990 processor.
Enthusiasts in the USA will get the Adreno 650 GPU, while other parts of the world will get the Mali-G77 MP11 GPU. Whats uniform is the 8GB RAM / 256GB built-in storage combo. However, enthusiasts in the United States will have a 128GB storage option.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 also packs in a non-removable 4300mAh Li-ion battery. Which is slightly smaller than the 4500mAh battery on the Note 20 ultra.
On the software side, we have the One UI 2.5 interface running on the Android 10 operating system.
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Connectivity
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 features Dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.1, and NFC. It also features a USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer.
Please note that enthusiasts in UK, USA, and most other countries will be getting the 5G only variant of the Note 20. However, enthusiasts in Australia will have the option of a 4G -only variant.
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Price and Availability
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 price starts at around $800 at leading online stores. The Galaxy Note 20 costs 379,999 Naira in Nigeria, 16,300 EGP in Egypt, 93,999 KSh in Kenya, and 5,765 GHC in Ghana.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 was announced on August 5th, 2020 and is expected to go on sale on August 21st, 2020
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Specs
Here are a few specs of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20:
General Features
- Platform: Android 10, One UI 2.5
- Processor: Exynos 990 (2×2.73 GHz Mongoose M5 & 2×2.50 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) – Global OR Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865+ (1×3.0 GHz Kryo 585 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 585 & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 585) – USA
- GPU: Mali-G77 MP11 – Global or Adreno 650 – USA
- Memory: 8GB
- Colours: Mystic Green, Mystic Bronze, Mystic Gray, Mystic Red, Mystic Blue
- Dimension: 161.6 x 75.2 x 8.3 mm
- Weight: 192 g
- SIM Type: Dual-SIM
- SIM Count: Nano-SIM
Display
- Display: 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Display, 1080 x 2400, 60Hz Refresh Rate, 393 PPI
- Screen Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 5
- Foldable Display: No
Camera
- Rear Camera: 12MP (Wide) f/1.8 + 64MP (Telephoto) f/2.0, 3x hybrid optical zoom + 12MP (Ultrawide) f/2.2, 120˚
- Rear Camera Features: LED flash, auto-HDR, Panorama, 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS
- Front Camera: 10MP, f/2.2, Dual video call, Auto-HDR, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Storage
- Built-in Storage: 256GB
- Memory Card Support: No
- Bundled Cloud Storage: –
Network Support
- 2G GSM: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
- 2G CDMA 1X: –
- 3G WCDMA: 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
- 3G CDMA EVDO: 2000 1xEV-DO
- 4G LTE: LTE
- 5G:
Internet & Connectivity
- GPRS: Yes
- EDGE: Yes
- 3G/WCDMA/HSPA: Yes
- HSPA+: –
- CDMA EVDO: Yes
- 4G LTE: Yes
- 5G: –
- WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
- Wi-Fi Hotspot: Yes
- Bluetooth: 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX
- NFC: Yes
- Infrared Blaster: –
- USB Port: Type-C 1.0 reversible connector, USB On-The-Go
Messaging
- SMS/MMS: Yes
- Instant Messaging: Yes
- Push Emails: Yes
- Email Protocol: Yes
Entertainment
- Music Player: Yes
- Video Player: Yes
- FM Radio: Yes (Snapdragon model only; Market/operator Dependent)
- Loudspeaker: Yes
- 3.5mm Jack: No
Navigation
- Navigation: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
- Maps: Yes
Sensors & Control
- Digital Compass: Yes
- Accelerometer: Yes
- Proximity Sensor: Yes
- Light Sensor: –
- Barometer: Yes
- SpO2: –
- Pedometer: –
- Heart Rate Monitor: –
- Gyroscope: Yes
- Fingerprint Scanner: Yes, (Under display, Ultrasonic)
- Iris Scanner: –
- Face Unlock: –
- Stylus Pen: Yes
- Intelligent Digital Assistant: Yes
- Motion Sensing / Gesture Control:
- Voice Control: Yes
Other Features
- Video Streaming: Yes
- Active Noise Cancellation: –
- Wireless Charging: Fast Qi/PMA wireless charging
- Built-in Mobile Payment: –
- Water Resistant: Yes (IP68, up to 1.5m for 30 mins)
- Dust Resistant: Yes
- Image Editor: Yes
- Video Editor: –
- Document Viewer: –
- Document Editor: –
Battery
- Battery: 4300 Non-Removable Li-Ion Battery
- Talktime: –
- Standby Time: –
- Fast Charging: 25W Fast Charging Capacity
