If you don’t want to spend US$1,300 or US$1,450 on the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, Samsung offers you an affordable option: Galaxy Note20. Like last year’s Note 10, Note 20 is a mobile phone with a smaller load, which can bring a Note experience to those with less demand, who still hope to get all the productivity benefits provided by the S Pen.
It may be one of the best phones of the year. Samsung has taken all the right measures with Note 20, prioritizing the big screen, top processor, 5G modem and excellent camera. Looking at the spec sheet, I expect the Note 20 to cost about US$799, or even US$750 like the S10e. No matter what the price, Note 20 will become one of OnePlus 7T’s best high-end Android products.
The Galaxy Note 20 (right) may look like a smaller version of the Note 20 Ultra, but it is made of plastic.
The only problem is that its price is more than 200 dollars (a full 1,000 dollars), and it is difficult to justify the price. Like the S20 Ultra, which has a higher price, the Galaxy S20 has the same high-quality performance and fast display, while the Note 20 uses a new safety scissors to open more corners than kindergarten children.
Take the monitor. Although it may seem to be a smaller version of Note 20 Ultra, its screen specifications are far less than those of the flagship Note:
Galaxy Note 20: 6.7-inch Full HD + Super AMOLED Infinity-O (flat), 2400×1080, 393 ppi, 60Hz refresh rate Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: 6.9-inch Quad HD + Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O (curved), 3088×1440, 496 ppi , 120Hz refresh rate
Galaxy S20: 6.2-inch Quad HD + dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O (curved), 3200×1440, 563 ppi, 120Hz refresh rate
Therefore, although the Note 20 provides an additional half-inch diagonal screen size, you lose a lot of resolution and refresh rate. You will also give up curved edges, although it depends on your preference, but it may be a benefit. So, why would anyone choose this phone on the S20 at the same price?
The defect continues. You will also get 4GB less RAM (8GB vs. 12GB), no expandable memory slots, heavier weight (194g vs. 163g), the same camera and a slightly larger battery (4,300mAh vs. 4,000 mAh) The same $1,000 as Samsung charges for the S20. All these features and the back are made of “enhanced polycarbonate” instead of the glass that all other flagship phones have.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Earlier this year, Samsung launched the Note 10 Lite for about US$500, which has many of the same specifications as the Note 20. It has the same 6.7-inch display, 8GB RAM and 128GB storage space, as well as a larger battery (4,500mAh) and a high-resolution front camera. Of course, because it is Note, it comes with S Pen.
Samsung fans will point out that Note 10 Lite does not have Note 20 5G or Snapdragon 865+. However, these two factors will increase the price of the Note 20 by about $250 instead of $500. The $1,000 Note 20 is really not worth it, especially after the commendable Google Pixel 4a (if it’s late) was launched earlier this week.
Unfortunately, there is nothing wrong with Note 20. If Samsung actually reduces the price, then the use of plastic backplanes, flat screens, and even lower resolutions are all compromises that can reduce prices.
On the contrary, it is difficult to see who will buy Note20. Hard-core Note fans will definitely prefer Note 20 Ultra, Samsung fans will most likely choose S10+, and budget-conscious users will choose A51 or A71, all of which come with a 5G modem. The remaining thousands of dollars in the Note 20 had no other audience except unsuspecting buyers, who entered a carrier store with cash with nothing to do.
Michael Simon covers all mobile devices of PCWorld and Macworld. Usually, you can find his nose buried in the screen. The best way to scold him is on Twitter.
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