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Galaxy Note 20 vs. Note 10 and Note 9: Spec-by-spec comparison

Compare Samsung's new Note 20 with its last two predecessors.

Lynn La Senior Editor / Reviews - Phones
Lynn La covers mobile reviews and news. She previously wrote for The Sacramento Bee, Macworld and The Global Post.
Lynn La
2 min read
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The Note 20 Ultra, the Note 20 and S20 Ultra.

Richard Peterson/CNET

At its Unpacked presser earlier this month, Samsung finally announced its premium, stylus-wielding phones , the Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra. Priced at $999 and $1,299 respectively, the top-tier handsets are on sale now. (In the UK the Note 20 costs £849 and the Note 20 Ultra starts at £1,179. Australian prices aren't yet available, but that converts to about AU$1,390 and AU$1,800.)

Of the two phones, the Note 20 is the smaller model and features a 6.7-inch, 60Hz display. It also has a slightly different camera setup that includes a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens and a digital zoom of up to 30x. The Note 20 Ultra, on the other hand, has a larger display with a higher 120Hz refresh rate, a 108-megapixel wide-angle lens and it can zoom up to 50x. Both phones, however, are equipped with the Snapdragon 865+ processor, 5G and the signature S Pen stylus embedded inside. For another comparison, check out CNET's Galaxy Note 20 vs. Note 20 Ultra vs. S20 vs. S20 Ultra: Samsung flagship specs compared.

Watch this: Samsung unveils Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra

Though the Note 20 Ultra is superior to the Note 20, the Note 20 is still notably better than its 2019 and 2018 predecessors, the Note 10 and Note 9. For example, it has a larger display, a better telephoto camera and a bigger battery. Samsung also added a handful of features to the phone's stylus, including new gestures and improved handwriting recognition.

For the full rundown on how the Note 20 compares to the Note 10 and Note 9, check out the comparison chart below. And for more coverage of what Samsung announced last month, including the Galaxy Buds Live and the Galaxy Watch 3, check out CNET's Unpacked coverage here.

Note 20 specs vs. Note 10 and Note 9


Samsung Galaxy Note 20Samsung Galaxy Note 10Samsung Galaxy Note 9
Display size, resolution 6.7-inch AMOLED; 2,400x1,080 pixels6.3-inch AMOLED; 2,280x1,080 pixels6.4-inch Super AMOLED; 2,960x1,440 pixels
Pixel density 393ppi401ppi516ppi
Dimensions (Inches) 6.36 x 2.96 x 0.33 in5.94 x 2.83 x 0.31 in6.37x3.01x0.35 in
Dimensions (Millimeters) 161.6 x 75.2 x 8.3 mm151 x 71.8 x 7.9 mm161.9x76.4x8.8 mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams) 6.84 oz, 194g5.93 oz; 168g7.09 oz; 201g
Mobile software Android 10Android 9Android 8.1
Camera 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), 12-megapixel (wide-angle), 64-megapixel (telephoto)12-megapixel (wide-angle), 16-megapixel (ultra-wide angle), 12-megapixel (telephoto)12-megapixel (wide-angle), 12-megapixel (telephoto)
Front-facing camera 10-megapixel10-megapixel8-megapixel
Video capture 8K4K4K
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 or Samsung Exynos 9825Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 or Samsung Exynos 9810
Storage 128GB256GB128GB, 512GB
RAM 8GB8GB6GB, 8GB
Expandable storage NoNoUp to 512GB
Battery 4,300 mAh3,500 mAh4,000 mAh
Fingerprint sensor In-screenIn-screenBack of phone
Connector USB-CUSB-CUSB-C
Headphone jack NoNoYes
Special features S Pen stylus; 5G connectivity; Wireless PowerShare; water resistant (IP68)S Pen stylus; Wireless PowerShare; hole punch screen notch; water resistant (IP68)S Pen stylus with Bluetooth; iris and facial scanning; wireless charging; water resistant (IP68)