Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G Unboxing and First Impressions

We unbox the new Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G and share our thoughts and experience with the new flagship from the Korean giant.

Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G in Mystic Bronze

The Samsung Galaxy Note20 series has finally arrived in the Philippines. The 5G variant of the Note20 Ultra comes with a 7nm Samsung Exynos 990 octa-core SoC with Mali-G77MP11 GPU, 12GB LPDDR5 RAM, and 256GB UFS 3.1 internal storage. 

In front of the Note20 Ultra is a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2.0 with variable 120Hz display, HDR10+ support, a maximum peak brightness of 1500 nits, and Gorilla Glass Victus protection. The display curves on both sides. 

Inside the Ultra is a massive 4,500mAh battery with 45W charging support and will come with the 108MP+12MP+12MP triple camera module with the new Laser AF system.

There is a punch hole at the upper-middle portion of the display that houses the 10MP front-facing camera.

It is running on OneUI 2.5 based on Android 10, S Pen inclusion, Stereo Speaker, and IP68 water resistance rating.

If you are interested in seeing the benchmark results of the Note20 Ultra 5G, you can read our benchmark comparison article against the ASUS ROG Phone 3.

Let's take a closer look at the unboxing and hardware.

Unboxing/Accessories

Box inclusions

Like the S20 series, the Note20 Ultra 5G comes in a black box with minimal branding. Inside the box is the Note20 Ultra 5G, 25W USB-C wall charger, USB-C to USB-C cable, AKG tuned earphones to USB-C, SIM ejector tool, extra silicone ear tips, and Quick Start Guide. 

Unlike the S20 Ultra, there is no included silicone case and unlike the Note10+ last year, there are no extra S Pen nubs and S Pen nub extractor.

Build Quality/Design

Frosted glass back

At the back of the phone are the camera module, frosted glass panel, and the regulatory information.

All premium materials as expected!

Sandwiched between the two glass panels is the solid metal frame.

Variable refresh rate Dynamic AMOLED display

Samsung continues the trend of adding the best possible display on its flagship. In front of the new Note20 Ultra is a massive 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2.0 display with 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, 1500 nits peak brightness, HDR10+ support, and 3088 x 1440 resolution.

It is protected by the new Gorilla Glass Victus that promises to be more resilient than past Gorilla Glass protection.

Arguably the best display on a smartphone!

When compared to the S20 Ultra's Dynamic AMOLED display, the Note20 Ultra now features a variable refresh rate that automatically switches refresh rate depending on the currently active app.

Out of the box, when you slide the brightness slider to its maximum, the Note20 Ultra's display is more than bright enough under direct sunlight.

Top and bottom

On top of the Note20 Ultra are the microphone port, antenna lines, and SIM tray while at the bottom are the antenna lines, microphone port, USB Type-C port (with water sealing gaskets), speaker grills, and the S Pen compartment.

The Note20 Ultra 5G's S Pen compartment has a hybrid slot that can carry two nano-SIMs or one nano-SIM and one microSD card slot.

At the bottom of both phones are the speaker grills, USB Type-C Port, microphone port, Antenna lines, and the S Pen slot.

Out of the box, we were surprised at how noticeably more powerful and fuller the sound produced by the speakers is compared to the S20 Ultra. Even the normal ringtone and notification sounds are more powerful sounding.

Left and right side

On the left side of the phone is a smooth surface while on the right side are the metal power button and metal volume rocker. Both buttons offer a solid and satisfying feel when touched and pressed.

The outer glass surface of the camera module is highly resistant to reflections and glare which should help prevent unwanted reflections with the cameras. Each camera lens is also accented with a round metal trim that has the same color as the rest of the phone. This design effectively makes the Note20 Ultra not only one of the most beautiful phones in the market, and it also makes it unique in a sea of candy bar phones.

At the back of the Note20 Ultra 5G is the 108MP f/1.8 main camera, 12MP f/3.0 Periscope camera with 5x optical zoom, and 50x Space Zoom, 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera with an LED flash while in front is a 10MP f/2.2 selfie camera on the punch hole.

Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G Specs

Display: 6.9-inch 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass Victus protected Dynamic AMOLED 2x screen w/ 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, QHD+ 3088 x 1440 resolution at 496 ppi
CPU: 2.7GHz 7nm Samsung Exynos 990 octa-core processor
GPU: Mali-G77 MP11
RAM: 12GB LPDDR5
ROM: 256GB UFS 3.1 expandable up to 1TB via microSD
Back Camera: 108MP f/1.8 main camera with PDAF, OIS, Laser AF + 12MP f/2.2 120-degree ultra-wide-angle camera + 12MP f/3.0 with 5x optical zoom, and 50x Space Zoom with OIS, PDAF +  LED flash
Selfie Camera: 10MP f/2.2 with Dual Pixel AF
Battery: 4,500mAh w/ Up to 45W fast charging, 15W wireless charging, wireless reverse wireless charging
OS: Android 10.0 w/ One UI 2.5
Connectivity: WiFi 6, 5G, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, OTG, NFC,  MST, GPS, GLONASS, dual SIM
Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic, pressure
Others: In-display Fingerprint sensor, face unlock, IP68 water and dusts resistance, Stereo Speaker, Hi-Res Audio, Dolby Atmos, S Pen, USB-C, Colors: Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black
Dimensions: 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm
Weight: 208 g
Price: PHP 72,990

As of the moment

With In-display fingerprint scanner

Our first impressions of the Note20 Ultra 5G is strong.

At PHP 72,990, it should be. Samsung's choice of build materials like the metal frame, Gorilla Glass Victus protected front glass panel and frosted back panel is a cut above the competition. While the Mystic bronze colorway across the body and trimming make the phone beautiful and stand out in a sea of candy bar phones.

We can only see two concerns with the Note20 Ultra 5G and that is that in the Philippines, it is equipped with Exynos 990 which is a flagship SoC. It will be more than enough for most people but when looking at countries like the United States and South Korea, the Note20 Ultra 5G models in those countries have the Snapdragon 865+.

If you can afford it, the Note20 Ultra 5G is one of the most beautiful and most feature-packed phones in 2020.

Stay tuned for our full review that is coming soon!

What do you guys think?