The Replacements… Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

It’s that time again for my phone replacement…

Last time I used a Note (2) – 2012
Last time I used a Galaxy S (6 Edge) – 2015

As 2020 has been a strange year, I decided to go all out and get a Galaxy Note 20 Ultra to replace my Pixel 3XL

Yes… Android 11 arrived on my Pixel 3 earlier than my Note 20 which still runs Android 10 (heck, even the S20 still runs on last year’s Android version!). But with the subtle changes in Android 11, I decided that I can live with it.

Why the Note 20?
Camera+zoom -> space zoom is a gimmick! but compared to my Pixel‘s 8X zoom, the Note 20 Ultra is better.
Better Hardware – I love the weight, the edges. It feels good on my hand.
DeX – yes this is a strange one. But Work From Home means when everything is back to normal, I’ll have a monitor, keyboard and mouse at home. I can finally give DeX a try.

There are numerous reports that that Snapdragon version of the Note 20 performs better than the Exynos. These claims have been proven, but my Note 20’s processor is faster than my Pixel 3XL‘s SD845 and definitely way faster than the Pixel 5’s “7-series” processor.

What I hate about the Note 20 after a months use.
Accidental touches on the screen… Although this issue was solved by my case.
Samsung Bloat – seriously Samsung, a “member’s app” that directs itself to the browser? Google’s Phone and Message are way better so you need to have them installed.
That camera bump is huge! You even feel the bump when pulling the phone out of your pocket! And that 108MP camera… A photo is 35MB!
Last MAJOR issue is how Samsung’s UI handles App folders.

This is how a folder on my Nexus 6P looks like.

While this is how a folder looks like on my Note 20. (see how annoyingly big the folders are?)

Samsung has guaranteed 3 major Android updates for their devices and that will make my Note 20 at par with Pixel and OnePlus devices, only question is when will the update arrive?

Am I happy with the Note 20 Ultra after a month? Definitely yes! Although again, that camera bump is huge.

Price is right. The Note 20 Ultra was initially priced at S$1,898 (with free Buds Live, priced at S$288. As I already have Pixel Buds, this promotion was a no-go for me)

Later, the Note 20 Ultra was priced at S$1,698 with a free UV Steriliser (S$108), LED View Cover (S88), Samsung S$100 voucher and 4 months free YouTube.

As much as I enjoy using this phone, I am no way buying it at its original price.

A sites/vlogs etc will say there are other phones available in the market. But thanks to Google’s decision to use a mid-range processor on the Pixel 5, we are left with a Note 20 Ultra vs iPhone 12 debate this year, as an Android user, I basically have no choice.

If Apple suddenly allows users to change their default Map App, I may consider moving back again to iOS. For the next 2 years, my phone will be (strangely) from Samsung!