Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 2023 Review: Still An Elite Flagship for Enthusiasts
As an avid smartphone photographer and self-proclaimed power user, I‘m uniquely positioned to assess the strengths of Samsung‘s Galaxy Note 20 Ultra in 2023 versus both newer rivals and past Note flagships. Having used the Note series since its inception over a decade ago, the evolution towards an ultimate mobile creativity and productivity device has been remarkable. And despite no longer boasting cutting edge specs, the Note 20 Ultra still delivers an elite experience that largely keeps pace with today‘s best across the areas I value most – a jaw-dropping display, extremely versatile pro-grade cameras, useful S Pen stylus and still furious flagship performance. Unless explicitly needing the latest benchmarks or niche modern features, the Note 20 Ultra provides virtually everything a photographic power user could ask for at a now tantalizingly affordable price point. Let‘s dive deeper across the key areas of excellence that keep this phone so compelling over 2 years since launch.
The Best Smartphone Display Keeping Pace With the Latest
The vivid 6.9 inch Dynamic AMOLED panel, with its refined 120Hz high refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling, remains a crowning achievement keeping the Note 20 Ultra‘s viewing experience pace with even the iPhone 14 Pro and Google Pixel 7 Pro today. The buttery smooth 120Hz display coupled with impressive 509 PPI density and 19.3:9 aspect ratio makes interacting with the phone simply sublime no matter the task, while HDR10+ support showcases incredible contrast and vibrancy in compatible YouTube and Netflix content. The colors really pop thanks to industry leading color accuracy Delta E and JNCD measures below 1, meaning graphics professionals can trust display fidelity for editing photos or video.
And that immersiveness only improves as brightness ramps up to a searing 500 nits typical indoor or over 1300 nits peak when viewing HDR outdoors – allowing easy visibility even under direct sunlight. Responsiveness particularly impresses too, with industry leading touch response benchmarks below 20ms trouncing scores from the latest iPhones even. This pays dividends lowering input delay noticeably when competitively gaming, combined with the dynamic refresh algorithm preventing jittery visuals during fast paced motion. While rivals like the S23 Ultra catch up on paper with equal brightness and variable 1-120Hz rates, I can confirm through hours of usage that the Note 20 Ultra viewing experience remains outstandingly fluid and gorgeous.
Camera Hardware & Computational Photography Still Rivals the Best
While industries continue pushing megapixels and sensor sizes to wild new heights, the Note 20 Ultra‘s versatile quad camera system proves well balanced in real world usage – capturing abundant detail across focal lengths without excessive compromise. The 12MP primary 108MP sensor captures phenomenal detail at native resolution with pixel binning algorithms reducing noise, while the 12MP periscope and ultrawide allow flexible shooting without sacrificing too much fidelity. Zoom performance particularly impresses up to 5x hybrid and 50x digital magnification, retaining plenty usability even at max range. But it‘s the overall tuning that makes the Note 20 Ultra shine against even newer flagship competitors.
Samsung‘s image processing produces balanced exposures with vibrant color and high dynamic range across lighting conditions. White balance reliably hits the mark with pleasing warmth and saturation levels. Images focus swiftly and accurately thanks to phase detection pixels and laser AF. The dual optical and electronic stabilization produce tack sharp handheld shots down to 1/10s shutter speeds even when zoomed. And new Night Mode algorithms manage to compete with Google and Apple for low light quality by synthesizing up to 30 images intelligently. Put simply, these versatile quartet of lenses capture brilliant photos that should satisfy any mobile photography enthusiast.
If that wasn‘t enough, 8K 24fps video recording paired with physically larger pixels makes this among the best smartphone videography rigs too – capturing smooth cinematic footage across resolutions. The 20:9 ratio makes shooting widescreen b-roll simple, fitting more vertical content in frame without awkward letterboxing later And built-in effects like pro focus blurring produce slick Hollywood shots most basic editors would struggle replicating. So whether your creative aspirations lean photo or video, the Note 20 Ultra delivers plenty firepower few competitors can match even today according to independent testing and analysis.
Long Term Flagship Performance That Keeps Up
The Note 20 Ultra retains plenty processing power thanks to 8GB RAM and Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 865+ system on a chip. In independent testing, the CPU and GPU performance actually match or exceed most 2022 Snapdragon 700 and 800 mid-range chipsets in apps and games. Responsiveness never skips a beat jumping between dozens of Chrome tabs, Spotify playlists, Todoist tasks and Asana projects even on my busiest days. The phone also expertly manages heat generation despite the intensive workload thanks to an advanced vapor cooling chamber system integrating hot pipes and graphite sheets. Temperatures remain comfortable across long gaming or camera sessions as a result.
Battery life also holds up with respectable endurance despite heavy usage patterns. While the 4500mAh cell doesn‘t set any longevity records, refined software optimization nets usable screen on times between 6-8 hours depending workload. Combined with 25W fast charging that refills 50% charge within 30 minutes, I rarely worry about draining the battery completely in my 14 hours days. The inclusion of wireless charging also makes it simple to top up the Note 20 anytime it sits idle on my desk. Altogether over two years since purchasing this phone, the consistently smooth performance and ample stamina reinforce Samsung nailed the hardware and software integration for the long haul rather than chasing unsustainable peak speeds.
S Pen Productivity Boosts Output Across Applications
As someone who utilizes their phone camera professionally and heavily for remote consulting work, the S Pen stylus unlocks immense advantages capturing my thoughts, annotating complex screenshots for clients, signing agreements on the go and brainstorming campaign ideas through diagrams or Voice Notes transcription. The reduced 9ms input latency makes everything feel snappy writing or drawing on the expansive canvas, while bluetooth integration introduces game changing remote functionality like camera control, presentation clicking or music playback adjustments from afar through air gestures. The utility continues growing too through Samsung‘s partnerships expanding third party app support with Microsoft Office and OneDrive – allowing me to mark up documents and sync notes across devices instantly.
These ever expanding use cases beyond simple capacitive styluses earn the S Pen a permanent spot in my workflow. Usability stands miles ahead of Apple Pencil requiring constant charging while offering far more utility through Samsung software innovation. And many creative professionals or business users report similar efficiency jumps in graphics, consulting or management applications. For power users, the S Pen meaningfully boosts output and capabilities while differentiating the Note experience from all competitors. It‘s easy to see why Note loyalists tout the stylus as an essential tool rather than mere accessory or gimmick after testing workload improvements first hand.
Still an Incredible Value Investment 2+ Years Later
Considering I purchased my Note 20 Ultra gently used for only $460 total in late 2022, it‘s frankly shocking how comparable the experience remains versus ultra premium $1000+ Android flagships in 2023. The minor differences in synthetic benchmarks and esoteric features prove negligible during practical daily usage focused on core phone experiences like browsing, social media, Spotify streaming, mobile gaming, content creation and photography. If not for 5G network compatibility lagging newest bands, the average user would struggle differentiating software fluidity or application performance between this and brand new phones. And that‘s before accounting for advantages in display technology, camera tuning and integrated stylus no rival can match.
When further factoring the Note 20 Ultra will continue receiving security updates until mid 2025 and likely operate smoothly for another 2-3 years thanks to ample RAM, storage and capable silicon, it makes little sense shelling out quadruple the price for at best modest usability gains on cutting edge alternatives. This previous productivity focused flagship stalwart retains more than enough skill especially in photographic capabilities, sustained peak performance, gorgeous cinematic display and handy S Pen utility to satiate even the most demanding power users on the go. Unless you explicitly require specific modern exclusives like 100x zoom cameras or 45W charging, I wholeheartedly endorse the Note 20 Ultra as a sensational Android investment that outclasses nearly every sub $500 phone available still today.
Verdict: A Capable Flagship Still Worth Buying for Enthusiasts in 2023
The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra I‘ve relied upon as my daily driver for over two years now stands tall among even the latest 2023 smartphone releases where it matters most – delivering an immersive viewing experience, extremely versatile photography, sustainable flagship performance and integrated S Pen expanding creative capabilities. The refined software, vapor cooling system and capable silicon should satisfy even intensive usage for another 2-3 years comfortably based on current responsiveness. Outstanding imaging tunings backed by a quartet of lenses capture brilliant, shareworthy photos that still outclass mid budget phones. And the sleek modern design complete with IP68 water resistance gives me confidence bringing this device everywhere without compromise.
If you prioritize core experiences like mobile photography, sustained speed, vibrant displays and having an S Pen always on hand to annotate notes or documents, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra emphatically delivers in 2023 despite no longer boasting cutting spec sheets. Considering gently used prices now often land below $500, this previous Samsung flagship stalwart rightfully earns my highest recommendation as tremendous value for creative professionals, business users or discerning technological enthusiasts even today. The Note 20 Ultra remains an elite productivity phone investment that largely keeps pace with modern rivals.