The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is a number of things.
A solidly built mobile device, a laptop when you consider the storage capacity and the 12GB RAM plus the option of connecting wirelessly via the Dex platform, a gaming console with access to tens of Xbox console titles, a tablet when you take full advantage of the Microsoft suite of tools available and the screen size on the device, a professional-grade camera when you acknowledge the 108-megapixel sensor camera on the back of the device with all the professional-grade settings. The list goes on.
However, it is the little things that make this device stand out. It is things like how the device fits into your life on a daily basis, helping you to solve some rather mundane problems, that make it quite unique.
Take the S Pen. It has long since been the most distinguishing feature of the Note series, and It has gotten better on the Note 20 Ultra. Firstly the time it takes for you to write on the screen and for the text to actually appear has been reduced from 42 milliseconds to 9 milliseconds. This is the latency. There is the Screen-off memo as well where you can pull out the S Pen, when the device is locked and basically write out your ideas on the screen. The intro for this article =was written out using this feature. Also comes in handy when you are in a meeting and do not want to be offensive by unlocking your device. The little things.
Take the 120 Hz refresh rate. So basically, the refresh rate in any display refers to the number of times the display updates with new images each second. What that means is, if you are looking at a static image, for example, your display (let’s say is 120hz) is redrawing the same picture 120 times every second. What that means is that you get a smoother picture every second. Now imagine playing a videos game where the pictures are updated 120 times every second. Imagine how smooth the gameplay will actually be? Imagine watching a movie where the images are updated 120 times every second. That is what the Note 20 Ultra gave me. I played Forza Street.
Take the Dex platform going wireless. Imagine connecting your phone to a compatible monitor and accessing all your apps and tools directly from the monitor. Imagine showing up at a presentation with just your phone and working through the presentation from your phone with the S Pen acting as your clicker. Just imagine that for a quick minute. Imagine the possibilities of running you entire Microsoft office Suite from your phone without requiring a traditional laptop. Imagine not carrying any 15-inch laptop to work anymore because your phone’s computing capacity is more than that of the laptop. The little things.
There is everything to like about the camera, for example. There is a 108 image sensor as your main camera (which outputs images in 12 megapixels) with a 12-megapixel telephoto and ultra-wide camera. Basically, you have very few excuses to take poor looking photos. The video camera also shoots videos up to 8K resolution. To put that in perspective, almost anyone who watches TV in Ghana through the multi tv platform sees images in 720p. That is not even HD quality and clarity. Then there is 4k before 8k. Take a moment and think about that.
The battery is another delightful piece of the puzzle. There is a 4,500mAh battery powering the Note 20 Ultra and coupled with the software updates, you are assured of a full day and more of battery life for your phone. A lot of this is also dependent on things like screen brightness, how many power-intensive mobile apps you are using, playing video games which refresh rate you are using and more. Regardless though, you always know you have a solid power backup to work with.
This in no way means the phone is faultless. The facial recognition is fair at best and I wouldn’t recommend its use of you have very sensitive material on your phone. The AI built into the phone camera sometimes overcompensates for smoothening the photos you take. The air gestures and commands with the S Pen are often glitchy and you will really want to use it to actually make it a daily part of your life. The camera bump at the back is larger than I expected and takes a lot of marks away from this very lovely device.
Its faults aside however, the Note 20 Ultra is by far one of the best options of android based smartphones you will get today. It definitely has the best display on the market and a terrific camera set up for any purpose you want to to put it to. However, its how the phone handles the little things in your life that make it worth. Just get it.