Home » Samsung Galaxy Note 20 5G vs Galaxy S20 Specs Comparison

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 5G vs Galaxy S20 Specs Comparison

Written By Justine Basco
Published • August 5th, 2020
ComparisonsMobile
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Earlier this year, we reviewed the Samsung Galaxy S20 and described it as the balanced one in the S20 series with the right amount of exceptional features you can find in a flagship.

As Samsung freshly introduces its Note 20 line-up, let’s see in this specs comparison how the Galaxy Note 20 5G fairs against the Galaxy S20.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 5G	Samsung Galaxy S20
6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED 2.0 display, 393ppi, HDR10+	6.2-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2.0 display, 563ppi, 120Hz, HDR10+
TBA	Gorilla Glass 6
Samsung Exynos 990 octa-core CPU	Samsung Exynos 990 octa-core 2.7GHz CPU
8GB RAM	8GB/12GB LPDDR5 RAM
128GB/256GB storage (5G version) 256GB storage (4G version)	128GB storage
	Up to 1TB via MicroSD
Triple rear cameras: 12MP F1.8 (main) + 12MP F2.2 (ultra-wide), 64MP F2.0 (telephoto)	Triple rear cameras: 12MP F1.8 (main) + 12MP F2.2 (ultra-wide), 64MP F2.0 (telephoto)
8K video recording, Space Zoom, 3x Hybrid Optic Zoom Up to 30x Super Resolution Zoom, Tracking AF	8K video recording, Space Zoom, Hybrid Optic Zoom 3X, Super-Resolution Zoom up to 30X
10MP F2.2 front camera	10MP F2.2 front camera
5G (telco-exclusive)	-
4G LTE	4G LTE Cat.20, 4×4 MIMO, up to 7CA
WiFi 6	WiFi
Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 5.0
NFC	NFC
GPS	GPS
S Pen Compatible (9ms latency)	-
Ultrasonic Fingerprint Scanner (under-display)	Ultrasonic Fingerprint Scanner (under-display)
Face Recognition	Face Recognition
USB Type-C	USB Type-C
IP68 dust and water resistance	IP68 dust and water resistance
Samsung One UI (Android 10)	Samsung One UI 2.0 (Android 10)
4,300mAh battery w/ Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare	4,000mAh battery w/ 25W fast charging, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare
161.6 x 75.2 x 8.3mm	151.7 x 69.1 x 7.9 mm
192 g(LTE/Sub6), 194 g(mmWave)	163 g

Summary of advantages

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 5G
• Bigger display
• Larger battery
• 5G connectivity
• Bigger storage variant
• S-Pen

Samsung Galaxy S20
• QHD+ and 120Hz display
• Higher RAM available
• Expandable storage

Table of Contents

Display

Noticeably, the Galaxy Note 20 5G has a larger 6.7-inch Super AMOLED 2.0 display compared to the S20’s 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2.0 screen. However, for display performance, the S20 stands out with a QHD+ (vs FHD+) resolution, 563ppi (vs 393ppi), and a 120Hz (vs 60Hz) advantage. Both displays also use Samsung’s Infinity-O design to house the front camera.

Chipset

When it comes to chipsets, locally, both sport the flagship Exynos 990 processor.

RAM & Storage

The Note 20 5G comes with 8GB RAM, while the S20 is available with either 8GB or 12GB LPDDR5 RAM. As for storage, the Note 20 5G packs 256GB of internal storage while the S20 gets 128GB which is expandable up to 1TB via microSD card.

Cameras

These two power-packed devices are equipped with the same camera configuration. That’s a triple set-up at the back composed of a 12MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, and a 64MP telephoto lens. On their tiny notches reside their respective 10MP dual-pixel front cameras.

Connectivity & Other Features

Connectivity-wise, the Galaxy Note 20 is 5G-ready, but as a telco-exclusive. It’s also capable of 4G LTE, dual-band WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, and NFC. The S20 model in the Philippines, on the other hand, is capable of 4G LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, and NFC. Thankfully, both carry a dual SIM tray for two nano-SIM cards.

Expect an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner and face recognition for biometrics on both. And as for protection, both are equipped with IP68 dust and water resistance plus Corning Gorilla Glass 6 for the S20. It’s still undisclosed on what specific glass protection Samsung used for the Note 20, but there’s one for sure. Now the main selling point for the Galaxy Note 20 is the S Pen compatibility, of course.

OS & Battery

Out of the box, these two Samsung devices run on Android 10 skinned with OneUI 2.0.

For battery, the Note 20 5G packs a larger capacity of 4,300mAh, while the S20 has a 4,000mAh battery with 25W fast charging. Both are supported with Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, and Wireless PowerShare.

Price

The two devices are priced as follows:

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 – starts at PHP 53,990 (8GB + 256GB)
Samsung Galaxy S20 – PHP 49,990

Which one is the better buy?

The Galaxy Note 20 and S20 share a few significant similarities. They both have the same processor, set of cameras, software, and even IP68 rating. Now there are some notable upgrades on the Note 20 such as the larger display, bigger battery, and of course the advantage of having an S-Pen. You get those by paying the extra PHP 4,000. However, if you want to get the 5G connectivity, you’ll have to get it through a postpaid plan.

However, if you don’t really need those upgrades, the S20 is still a better choice with an outstanding QHD+ display that’s capable of 120Hz, plus, the option for a higher RAM variant and expandable storage up to 1TB via microSD card.