On August 5, 2020, Samsung held an online announcement event “Galaxy UNPACKED 2020” and announced the flagship model “Galaxy Note20” series of the Galaxy series. The "Galaxy Note20 Ultra", which is positioned as the top model of the series, has already been sold in some countries and regions such as the United States and Europe.
This time, we were able to try out the model sold globally, so let's deliver the first impression.
Galaxy Note series, which is positioned as a flagship model alongside the Galaxy S series in Samsung's lineup. Since the first model, in addition to the large screen and large-capacity battery, it has continued to evolve as a model that supports pen input called "S Pen", and has been supported by a wide range of users from business users to creative users.
In recent years, in order to meet the needs of more casual users, the number of model variations has increased, and the "Galaxy Note20" with slightly reduced specifications has been lined up this time.
Samsung "Galaxy Note20 Ultra" global version trial
The back is almost flat, but the camera part is quite noticeable
The model we tried this time is the global version of the "Galaxy Note20 Ultra", which is positioned as the top model. Since it is a model sold for countries and regions other than Japan, it is a product that has not acquired domestic technical conformity certification (so-called "Technical Conformity"), but as described later, it is legally problematic. I am trying it out.
Also, since the model we tried this time is a global version, please understand that there may be differences from the product planned to be sold in Japan.
First, the body inherits the flow of the conventional Galaxy Note10+, adopting a design in which the left and right sides of the display are curved and the top and bottom surfaces of the main body are flat. are doing. While the Galaxy S20 series has curved corners, the Galaxy Note20 Ultra is designed with a slightly square shape.
Compared to the conventional Galaxy Note10+, the size is slightly higher (length), and the weight is 208g, which is about 10g higher. However, it does not have a heavy weight like the 226g of the iPhone 11 Pro Max, and can be handled with almost the same feeling as the conventional model. As for the waterproof and dustproof, it conforms to the IP68 standard as before, so you can use it with confidence.
If you put the "Galaxy Note10+" (left) and "Galaxy Note20 Ultra" (right) side by side, you can see that the length is slightly different. The storage position of the S pen at the bottom of the main unit has also moved
Regarding the layout of parts on the body, the volume buttons and side keys (Bixby button), which were moved to the left side of the conventional Galaxy Note10+, have been moved back to the right side.
By the way, the side key is in the same position as the power key on other models, but by default, a long press will launch Samsung's AI assistant app "Bixby Home." By switching the side key settings, you can display the power off menu like other models.
The front of the main unit is equipped with a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X (organic EL) display compatible with WQHD+ (1440 x 3088 dot display). Compared to the 6.8 inches of the conventional Galaxy Note10+, the diagonal size is 0.1 inch larger, and the resolution is also increased by 48 dots in the vertical direction.
A punch hole with a built-in in-camera is opened in the upper center of the display. Since it is not a notch that stands out like the iPhone, there is no sense of discomfort when viewing videos etc. with the terminal turned sideways.
The display has a built-in ultrasonic fingerprint sensor that can be unlocked by fingerprint authentication. Although Samsung has not made a clear announcement, it seems that the recognition response has improved compared to the conventional model, and it can be unlocked immediately. It does not support iris authentication, which was used before Galaxy Note9, and face authentication, which is often used in other models.
Like other Galaxy smartphones, the chipset is equipped with either Qualcomm's Snapdragon or Samsung's Exynos, depending on the country and region where it is released. However, the model tested this time was equipped with the Samsung Exynos 990. Depending on the country and region where memory and storage are also released, several combinations are available, and this model was equipped with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of ROM, and was also compatible with microSD memory cards.
Because the mobile network is a global version, it was not possible to connect to the domestic 5G network, but as a specification it supports both Sub6 below 6GHz and millimeter waves, also known as mmWave. Regarding 4G LTE, I connected to the domestic mobile network in the form of international roaming, but I was able to use it without any problems.
Wi-Fi is compliant with IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, and like the Galaxy S20 series, the Wi-Fi antenna pictogram is IEEE 802.11ax compatible Wi-Fi When connected to , "6" representing "Wi-Fi 6" is displayed together, and "5" representing "Wi-Fi 5" is displayed together when connecting to Wi-Fi that supports IEEE 802.11ac.
The SIM card is compatible with nanoSIM cards and supports dual SIM. The second nanoSIM card will be used exclusively with the microSD memory card, but the global version we tried this time supports eSIM, and you can use the eSIM service provided by each carrier. When handled by each mobile phone company in Japan, it seems that a general single SIM model will be adopted, but if Samsung sells a SIM-free version for the domestic market, I would like to expect an eSIM compatible model to be introduced. .
The battery has a larger capacity of 4500mAh than the 4300mAh of the previous model. It supports quick charging with the included 25W AC adapter, and can be charged from zero to 50% in 30 minutes. Continuing from the previous model, in addition to supporting Qi / PMA compliant 15W wireless charging, it also supports "Wireless PowerShare" that wirelessly supplies power to other devices using the Galaxy Note20 Ultra battery. For example, it is useful when charging wearable devices such as the Galaxy Buzz Live, a completely wireless earphone that was announced at the same time as the Galaxy Note20 Ultra and sold in Japan earlier.
The platform is equipped with Android 10. The user interface adopts the familiar One UI in the Galaxy series, inheriting the same usability as the previous Galaxy series. The edge screen, which is displayed by swiping the edge of the curved display side inward, is also inherited, and it is possible to display the application by splitting it vertically, taking advantage of the characteristics of the large screen.
The appearance of the Galaxy Note20 Ultra differs greatly from the conventional Galaxy Note10+, etc., in the presence of the camera on the back. The camera part was conspicuous to some extent in the conventional model, but in the Galaxy Note20 Ultra, the camera part has a protruding design. For safe use, we recommend using a case when purchasing.
Because the camera part protrudes about 2mm, it is recommended to use it with a cover attached.
The reason why it was put together in such a design is that it has evolved such as increasing the sensor size and installing a periscope type telephoto camera. The camera specifications are, from top to bottom, 12M pixels / F2.2 super wide-angle camera (13mm), 108M pixels / F1.8 wide-angle camera (26mm), 12M pixels / F3.0 telephoto camera (120mm) It's becoming
Among them, it is a telephoto camera that adopts a periscope type and achieves 5x optical zoom, and by combining it with optical image stabilization, it is possible to shoot high-quality photos and videos even in the distance. When combined with digital zoom, super-resolution zooming up to 50x was possible, and I was able to take pictures of the moon, which was also possible with rival models.
The function of shooting a movie of about 10 seconds called “Single Take”, which is also installed in the Galaxy S20 series, and extracting the optimal scene with AI is also inherited. It is suitable for shooting events and parties, but it is also useful for shooting moving subjects such as family members and pets.
Shooting with super wide angle (0.5x) from the observation deck of the airport
Shot with standard camera
Shooting by switching to "2.0x" (2x) while using the standard camera
Shooting by switching to "4.0x" (4x) while using the standard camera
A hybrid zoom that combines the 5x optical zoom of a telephoto camera and shoots at "10.x" (10x)
A hybrid zoom that combines the 5x optical zoom of a telephoto camera, shooting at "20.x" (20x)
A hybrid zoom that combines the 5x optical zoom of a telephoto camera, shooting at "50.x" (50x)
Shot with a super wide-angle camera (0.5x) in the city. The blue of the sky, the coloring of the buses, and the colors of the building signs are all beautifully reproduced.
The moon was photographed with a super-resolution zoom of "50.x" (50x). With conventional cameras, the light causes overexposure, but I managed to capture the pattern on the surface of the moon.
If you shoot a single take of about 10 seconds, a combination of video and still images will be displayed.
In addition, movie shooting has been enhanced, and in addition to general movie shooting, there is also a "pro movie" mode that allows you to set detailed items such as exposure, ISO, and microphone directivity. Video is being used more and more in business, and it is attracting attention as a function that allows you to easily shoot video with a certain quality without using full-fledged equipment such as a video camera.
The "S pen", which can be said to be the identity of the Galaxy Note series, uses Wacom's technology, which is known for pen tablets, unlike ordinary touch pens. It is known for pursuing an excellent writing feel not found in other products.
It has been said many times that past models have improved the ease of writing, but in this Galaxy Note20 Ultra, the latency (delay) when writing with the S pen has been increased to 9ms (shorter ), further improving the ease of writing. This 9ms latency is the same value as the Apple Pencil used in the iPad Pro, and is positioned as the highest class pen used on smartphones and tablets.
Handwriting input is much easier to write. "Samsung Notes" (Japanese version is "Galaxy Notes") app can make characters written diagonally face up and convert handwriting to text
This time, I checked the response of the S pen while comparing it with the Galaxy Note10+. The S pen of the Galaxy Note series, including the conventional model, originally secured a certain response, but when it comes to the habit of always taking notes with the S pen, there are cases where you feel a slight delay. The model seems to be finished so that it can meet the needs of high-level users who are concerned about such small delays.
The storage location of the S Pen has moved to the left side of the bottom surface. It takes some getting used to at first, but surprisingly it doesn't bother me
When you take out the S Pen, a menu of each function that the S Pen can use is displayed.
As for the actual operation, the storage position of the S Pen has moved from the right side to the left side at the bottom, so it is a little confusing at first, but after taking it out a few times, you will get used to it. When you take out the S pen, a menu is displayed, and you can take notes with Galaxy's note app "Samsung Notes" (Japanese version is "Galaxy Notes"), clip points of interest with "smart selection", and "capture handwriting". You can easily use functions such as adding handwritten notes to images captured with .
"Air view" and "air action", which can be said to be non-touch operations, are also inherited, and Android You can use various functions such as "back", "home", and "history" operations.
"Air actions" that can be operated by making various gestures using the S pen
Setting screen for each function using the S pen. You can also set "screen off memo" to take notes just by removing the S pen when the screen is off.
If you use the translation function, just bring the S Pen close to a sentence in a foreign language and the translation will pop up
"CLIP STUDIO PAINT for Galaxy" provided at the Galaxy Store for the Galaxy Note20 series. Paint software developed by CELSYS in Japan and highly rated worldwide.
These functions are effective when using the Galaxy Note20 Ultra for presentations, but last year, Samsung partnered with Microsoft, so the Galaxy series has Office apps installed as standard, creating an environment that is easy to use in the business scene. organized.
If you set up a Microsoft account that you usually use in Windows, you can access business documents at any time by linking with online storage OneDrive. For example, you can use OneDrive to share materials that are being created within a department, write instructions with the S pen, edit with Office apps, and finish them.
If you use DeX to display the desktop, you can use browsers and Office apps in multiple windows
Also, in terms of business use, the desktop function called "DeX" installed in the Galaxy Note20 Ultra is convenient.
DeX is a function that has been installed for a long time, and when the Galaxy Note20 Ultra is connected to a computer monitor or home TV, the desktop screen is displayed and it becomes a function that allows you to operate like a computer. To connect to the monitor, connect the USB Type-C external connection terminal of the Galaxy Note20 Ultra to the HDMI terminal, but if the monitor supports it, you can also connect wirelessly.
In addition to connecting a keyboard and mouse wirelessly, you can also use the Galaxy Note20 Ultra screen like a touchpad. In other words, by using the DeX function, you can create an environment where you can work anywhere with the Galaxy Note20 Ultra.
Also, when using a work computer for business trips or telework, if you can prepare a display that uses the DeX of the Galaxy Note20 Ultra as a sub, you can work in an environment that practically has two computers. It will be possible. This is one of the features that busy business users should pay attention to.
Galaxy Note20 Ultra, which was announced in August and has just begun to be deployed globally. This time, I was able to try the global version a little earlier, but it is true that the standard functions as a smartphone are top class in the industry, but the S pen, which has been refined for ease of writing, and the maximum 50x super resolution zoom. It has a wide range of functions that other products do not have, such as a compatible camera and a DeX function that is useful for business, making it the perfect product for users who want to do more with their smartphones.
It is likely to be released by each mobile phone operator in Japan, but it seems to be a product with very high expectations.
This time, I tried the global version "Galaxy Note20 Ultra". Expected to expand domestically
Note: The terminal we tried this time is sold for countries and regions other than Japan, so it is a terminal that has not acquired the so-called "technical conformity" of Japan, but it is a radio law revised in November 2019. Since a "special exception system for experiments using equipment that has not yet acquired technical compliance" has been established, we have applied for the exception system based on this, and are conducting trial use this time. In this system, it is basically possible to use only Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but in addition to this, you can install a SIM card contracted overseas and connect to a mobile network in the form of international roaming, which is legally problematic. I'm trying it without it.
*The radio equipment published in this article has not been confirmed to comply with the technical standards stipulated in Chapter 3 of the Radio Law, and is only permitted to be used under special conditions stipulated by law. Any use of the radio equipment in violation of these conditions will be subject to penalties and other measures stipulated by law.
Interview / Text / Takeyuki Horabayashi
Mainly for web media and magazines, he writes review articles on digital-related products such as smartphones, mobile phones, and personal computers, and commentary articles for beginners. He has also written many books such as commentaries. Opinion number of the mobile industry.