I bought the last Samsung Galaxy Note.
After news broke out about Samsung not releasing an update for the Note series this year and enabling pen support on Samsung S21 Ultra, I decided it was time for me to upgrade my old Note 8 to the Samsung Galaxy Note 20.
I much prefer the smaller size compared to the Note 20 Ultra with the flat screen and plastic back. Together, with the ESR metal kickstand case, this will be my workhorse for a few more years.
I Will be doing a longer user review, so do hit the subscribe and notification button for the next video. #samsungnote20 #galaxynote
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Samsung Galaxy Note 20
Exynos 990 octa-core processor
8GB RAM + 256GB ROM
6.7" FHD+ Super AMOLED Plus Infinity-O Display
One UI 2.5, Android 10
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Rear Camera:
12MP F2.2, FF (Ultra Wide)
12MP F1.8, Dual Pixel AF, OIS (Wide)
64MP F2.0, OIS (Tele)
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Front Camera:
10MP F2.2, Dual Pixel AF, UHD Selfie
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4,300 mAH Battery WiFi + LTE + 5G Bluetooth v5.0
SIM 1 + SIM 2
Water and Dust Resistance (IP68)
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Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Real Camera Test
I will be doing a longer user review especially covering more of the camera in pro mode and see if it can produce great shots when done right.
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Standard 4K: 3840x2160/30fps Bitrate 37Mbps
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Super Steady On: 1920x1080/30fps Bitrate 14Mbps
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Slow-mo: 1920x1080/240fps
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Super Slow-mo: 1280x720/960fps
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Ultra-wide: 12MP 1/2.55″ sensor
1.4µm pixels f/2.2 aperture Non OIS lens
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Standard-wide: 12 MP 1/1.76″ sensor
1.8µm pixels f/1.8 aperture PDAF OIS lens
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Telephoto: 64MP 1/1.72″ sensor
0.8µm pixels f/2.0 aperture PDAF OIS lens
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Selfie: 10MP 1/3.2" sensor
1.22 µm pixels f/2.2-aperture Non OIS lens
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Took the Samsung Note 20 5G out to the lakeside with the Realme 7 5G for a quick camera comparison to test out how big the differences is between a budget midrange phone to a premium phone that is almost 3 times it's retail price.
Disappointed with the Note 20 selfie camera video in daylight and low light test. Rather soft, lacking details and stabilization is horrible.
Also, battery on the Exynos 5G model is totally bad!
Go to bed with 100% woke up with 80%... I had to force deep sleep to many app only managed to achieve 90% next morning.
Anyone facing this issue do drop some suggestions below on how to reduce the battery usage during standby. It's even worst than my old Note 8!
Anyone facing this issue do drop some suggestions below on how to reduce the battery usage during standby. It's even worst than my old Note 8!
When it works less well than before, it's called the progres
Hi there ! I acquired this beautiful Sony Xperia IV smartphone to take photos and video films. I also bought an anamorphic lens from Sirui to have a cinematic rendering. When I use Cinema Pro, I realize that we film in 21:9 on the 3 lenses. When I put the anamorphic lens on the 16mm (ultra wide angle) the edges on the sides are cropped by the anamorphic lens, which is not the case on the other 2 (24mm and 85-125mm). I ask myself the question of the usefulness of such an anamorphic lens in addition, if not to have this effect of light beam that I could only have on 2 lenses out of 3... What do you think? Have you ever tested such lenses with this phone? Cordially.
Personally I think Cinema Pro is garbage because it restricts filming to a 21:9 crop of a 4:3 sensor. I've been experimenting with MotionCam and it's much better (raw 4k video at 24fps / 30fps).
What I love:
+Reception is even better than the S22 Ultra. Data speeds are about 10% faster and showing full signal almost everywhere with Verizon.
+Battery life is outstanding, especially with standby time.
+Speakers are louder and have a lot more bass
+Vibrate motor is a bit stronger
+Flatter screen is much better to use
+The camera is great, but so was the S22 Ultra
+Seems slightly smoother and faster
What is less than great:
-The phone is bulkier than the S22 Ultra and is rather unwieldy. The flat sides give you more to hold onto but make it feel huge.
-The screen isn't calibrated with the vibrancy of the S22 Ultra. One must tweak the Eye Comfort Shield settings to improve it. Also there is more noticeable color shifting from top to bottom when tilting the phone.
-Yes, that under glass "bubble" defect in the lower right corner is there.
-The first one I tried had really cheap feeling mushy buttons. All display models were weak too. The one I got is fairly firm and clicky though.
-The camera is not that much better than the S22 Ultra and in a few cases is worse.
OVERALL:
This is a great phone, but even as someone who is tempted by the latest and greatest, I have to admit the upgrade from the S22 Ultra to S23 Ultra is minimal. It's a refinement but isn't groundbreaking. As many have said, annual upgrades are a waste. I'm debating whether it is worth keeping.
Send it back if you're underwhelmed.
Guyinlaca said:
What I love:
+Reception is even better than the S22 Ultra. Data speeds are about 10% faster and showing full signal almost everywhere with Verizon.
+Battery life is outstanding, especially with standby time.
+Speakers are louder and have a lot more bass
+Vibrate motor is a bit stronger
+Flatter screen is much better to use
+The camera is great, but so was the S22 Ultra
+Seems slightly smoother and faster
What is less than great:
-The phone is bulkier than the S22 Ultra and is rather unwieldy. The flat sides give you more to hold onto but make it feel huge.
-The screen isn't calibrated with the vibrancy of the S22 Ultra. One must tweak the Eye Comfort Shield settings to improve it. Also there is more noticeable color shifting from top to bottom when tilting the phone.
-Yes, that under glass "bubble" defect in the lower right corner is there.
-The first one I tried had really cheap feeling mushy buttons. All display models were weak too. The one I got is fairly firm and clicky though.
-The camera is not that much better than the S22 Ultra and in a few cases is worse.
OVERALL:
This is a great phone, but even as someone who is tempted by the latest and greatest, I have to admit the upgrade from the S22 Ultra to S23 Ultra is minimal. It's a refinement but isn't groundbreaking. As many have said, annual upgrades are a waste. I'm debating whether it is worth keeping.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Important especially for users in EU- are you have Exynos or Snapdragon version S22U?
Now I have s23U and my girlfriend S22U Exynos.
I Can confirm your "love list" too.
Flatter screen is more comfortable to writing, typing with spen.
Look S23U for me is better - more rectangular is my target .
Most important in EU is oficiall version with snapdragon (good snapdragon by TSMC).
I see better battery life than S22U, cell reception and few upgrades like above but overall are very similar devices, with great specifications
For the photo you need to use the gcam, which was previously impossible for the exynos version
""""""""""""uPgRaDe''''''''''''''''''''''''''
I've decided to keep the S23 Ultra. In order of importance, the better battery life, better speakers, better haptics, flatter screen, and better camera zoom quality have made a tremendous difference for me. The battery level is about 25% higher at the end of the day compared to the S22 Ultra.
The screen has been the most questionable aspect of this phone. The first one received had the bubble defect very badly, visible in nearly any light, as well as excessive off-axis color shifting. The replacement is nearly perfect and the screen is no longer giving me a headache. To note, I've compared quite a few S23 Ultras and all of them have that lower right screen irregularity to a varying degree. Some are bent to the point of creating a visible bubble in any light, while others are slightly tucked along the bottom bezel and look fine unless you shine a light at a specific angle.
At first, it seemed like the S23 Ultra screen was much less vibrant than the S22 Ultra, but that was fixed by adjusting settings. Through testing, it appears that they're using a stronger anti glare layer which greatly improves visibility in sunlight, but can also cause increased color shifting in some conditions.
Yes, this is the first time I've had to get a replacement Samsung in a long time, but when you get a good one, it's very good. It definitely appears that quality control is a bit looser this year, but I still think this is by far the best phone in 2023. It will be interesting to see if Samsung continues the S line as is or merges high end with the foldables somehow.
Guyinlaca said:
It will be interesting to see if Samsung continues the S line as is or merges high end with the foldables somehow.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Foldables are toys. Samsung would be committing suicide if they drop the S line. Most people aren't interested in carrying around a screen with a crease in it...
Glad that your replacement is treating you better though. I'm quite happy with my S23 Ultra. I have no major complaints which is pretty much a first. All of my past devices either overheated, had bad battery, had crappy speakers, had bad radio reception, or some combo of these... None of that here.
Getting correct white balance on S23U screen in vivid mode
Anyone who wants to adjust the white balance of vivid screen mode to 6500k - here are my settings, done with a laser spectrophotometer. Gamma is 2.207289 and delta E is 0.3 While every screen is a little different and ideally needs its own...
forum.xda-developers.com
Guyinlaca said:
I've decided to keep the S23 Ultra. In order of importance, the better battery life, better speakers, better haptics, flatter screen, and better camera zoom quality have made a tremendous difference for me. The battery level is about 25% higher at the end of the day compared to the S22 Ultra.
The screen has been the most questionable aspect of this phone. The first one received had the bubble defect very badly, visible in nearly any light, as well as excessive off-axis color shifting. The replacement is nearly perfect and the screen is no longer giving me a headache. To note, I've compared quite a few S23 Ultras and all of them have that lower right screen irregularity to a varying degree. Some are bent to the point of creating a visible bubble in any light, while others are slightly tucked along the bottom bezel and look fine unless you shine a light at a specific angle.
At first, it seemed like the S23 Ultra screen was much less vibrant than the S22 Ultra, but that was fixed by adjusting settings. Through testing, it appears that they're using a stronger anti glare layer which greatly improves visibility in sunlight, but can also cause increased color shifting in some conditions.
Yes, this is the first time I've had to get a replacement Samsung in a long time, but when you get a good one, it's very good. It definitely appears that quality control is a bit looser this year, but I still think this is by far the best phone in 2023. It will be interesting to see if Samsung continues the S line as is or merges high end with the foldables somehow.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The off-axis color shift in gone in this new unit?
In my unit when tilt slightly at the bottom of the screen appears green tint(on white screen), but otherwise is perfect, the problem is durinng the normal use i see the shifting :/
I compared my phone with a unit in store, the store unit have the shifting but slightly better.
I'm undecided whether to change, but I fear that I will then receive a worse unit.
The new one has it but at least it's a gradual uniform shift and it appears to be the anti glare layer built into the screen. The first phone had it so badly that it shifted dramatically with the slightest of tilts and was giving me a headache. Yes, I've tested many as well and all have it, some worse than others. If the others you tested are about the same, I'd say it's probably within normal.
I had a USA S22U with 8gb ram 128gb of storage . I have a USA S23U with 12gb ram 512gb of storage. The S23U is faster, smoother and the battery life is much better, especially during idle and sleep. The speakers are better and the camera is better as well. Having said that if I didn't get the $800 trade in through carrier, I would have not upgraded from S22U to S23U. It seems like the S23U is just a 20-30% improved S22U. This is not a knock on the S23U since I do like the device but I could see why people could be underwhelmed.
cledee said:
I had a USA S22U with 8gb ram 128gb of storage . I have a USA S23U with 12gb ram 512gb of storage. The S23U is faster, smoother and the battery life is much better, especially during idle and sleep. The speakers are better and the camera is better as well. Having said that if I didn't get the $800 trade in through carrier, I would have not upgraded from S22U to S23U. It seems like the S23U is just a 20-30% improved S22U. This is not a knock on the S23U since I do like the device but I could see why people could be underwhelmed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First of all, not everyone upgrade device every generation.
Me as example, coming from an (amazing) Huawei p30, i se the big improvement.
Also, coming from an Exinos s22u would be a big upgrade too
Fl1nt91 said:
First of all, not everyone upgrade device every generation.
Me as example, coming from an (amazing) Huawei p30, i se the big improvement.
Also, coming from an Exinos s22u would be a big upgrade too
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is why i mentioned USA S22U. I didn't mention any other phones for this reason. for anyone who upgrades every year, it would be underwhelming if coming from a snapdragon S22U.
Been comparing shots on the Samsung S23 Ultra I just got to my Note 20 Ultra. As expected, it's not a night and day difference of course. But in most scenes, the S23 Ultra produces moderately better results with the biggest difference when using Expert Raw in 50MP mode both JPG and RAW output (while the latter is going to be better for post editing. I imagine 200MP is good too but I'm passing on that large of file size).
I found what I think though is a limitation in the camera software (or sensor). Hopefully Samsung will fix it in a future update. It is for moderately low light indoor photos (like late afternoon and overcast with no indoor lighting turned on), but where you have a bright scene through the windows (like snowy mountains). I imagine this happens in any room where you have bright window scene and not a bright room.
The normal camera on the Note20 Ultra does much better metering and doesn't blow out the scene in the windows. The S23 Ultra comes very close if using the normal camera in 12MP mode but at best it's equal to the Note in other tests the S23 Ultra totally blew out the window scene where the Note 20 Ultra didn't. In this test scene it got a little worse in 50MP mode. Then it gets even worse in Pro mode. In Expert Raw it is bad too in some circumstances no matter what metering mode you select or exposure setting. If you are lucky to get a decent shot in Expert Raw you can tweak the RAW output in Adobe lightroom, but it's still not as good as the normal camera mode on both phones! Where as most other shot scenes, the Expert Raw in 50mp mode is superior to the other modes and anything the Note 20 Ultra puts out, but you need to zoom in on the photo to really notice the difference. (Safe to say if you're a Note 20 Ultra User (or S21/22 Ultra), you're not missing out much as the 200mp sensor in the S23 Ultra is as I expected part modest improvement and part a lot of marketing hype.)
Here's a comparison between normal 12mp camera output on Note 20 and S23 Ultra, then an Adobe Lightroom edited RAW image coming from Expert Raw on the S23 Ultra in 12mp mode.
So the end conclusion is that in the current state of the software, on the S23 Ultra, for high contrast moderate natural light indoor shots like this, you are best just using the standard 12mp auto mode in the regular camera app. Whereas in most other situations you get the best quality with reasonable file size shooting in Expert Raw at 50mp.
Image comparisons here:
https://imgur.com/a/7bnmcXU
So I just upgraded to the s23 ultra from the s22 ultra and so far I really enjoy the battery life and camera improvements.
One thing I noticed is that the s22 ultra screen is noticeably brighter than the newer s23 ultra in all modes (manual\adaptive\extra brightness)
Does anyone else has both phones and can confirm this too?
I came from and still have a Fold 4 and haven't noticed any differences. I also have a Pixel 6Pro and the Samsung at the dimmest is brighter than the Pixel at full brightness.
It's not.
I had the S22U; they're about the same. Specs confirm what I'm seeing.
I have both phones here and they are about the same.