If you prioritize a larger screen and higher refresh rate for smoother visuals, and you need better camera performance including higher still photo and video quality, the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra would be a suitable choice despite the higher price. On the other hand, if you prefer a smaller and lighter phone, and if you're looking to save money without significantly compromising on performance or camera quality, the Samsung Galaxy S10 is still a very capable device. Both phones offer high-resolution OLED displays, wireless charging, and the same operating system, but the Note20 Ultra has a more advanced processor and battery life. Keep in mind that only the Note20 Ultra supports 5G connectivity. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra
Good for taking photos
Poor for recording videos
Advantages of the Samsung Galaxy S10
The Samsung Galaxy S10 has no clear advantages over the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra.
Key differences
Overall Camera Quality
7.3/10
5.4/10
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra has good overall camera quality, while the Samsung Galaxy S10 has poor overall camera quality.
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra offers a superior selfie camera quality compared to the Samsung Galaxy S10, which aligns with the high importance of selfie score in camera evaluation. The Galaxy Note20 Ultra also benefits from a more versatile camera system, better performance in low light photography, and a wider dynamic range, compared to the S10's lower achievements in all these aspects, and its particularly poor low light and dynamic range results, making the Note20 Ultra a better choice for more demanding photography needs.
Photo Quality
7.3/10
5.4/10
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra takes good photos, while the Samsung Galaxy S10 takes poor photos.
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra takes fair photos due to its combination of a good selfie camera, along with fair performance in dynamic range and low light, backed by good software experience and camera versatility. In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy S10 results in poorer pictures largely due to its poor selfie camera quality and the overall impact of less effective photo software, dynamic range, and low light performance..
Battery
6.4 Hours
5.6 Hours
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra has 6.4 hours of battery life. The Samsung Galaxy S10 has 5.6 hours of battery life.
Screen Size
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra has a screen size of 6.9 inches and the Samsung Galaxy S10 is 6.1 inches.
Cost
$450
$145
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra has a price of $450 and the Samsung Galaxy S10 costs $145.
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy S10 both have poor videos.
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra takes better videos than the Samsung Galaxy S10 due to higher resolution and framerate capabilities, along with improved software experience, stabilization, dynamic range, and low light performance. Both phones share similar microphone quality, but the overall video performance discrepancy is significant due to the Note20 Ultra's advanced video features.
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How the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy S10 compare to other phones
"The Note 20 Ultra has it all – almost: a big screen, superb camera, high refresh rate, the S Pen, in-screen fingerprint sensor, super-fast specs, 5G speeds, a fancy curved display. This phone is built for power users who want everything but the fastest charging speeds."
"The Galaxy S10 offers superfast performance and a beautiful display, with a less distracting camera cutout than on the larger, pricier S10 Plus. If all you're looking for is a well-rounded, well-crafted Android flagship that can do it all — including work with a pair of good old-fashioned wired headphones — for a price you can sleep easy at night spending, the Galaxy S10 remains an unbeatable proposition."
Get a great deal on the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra or the Samsung Galaxy S10
About Samsung
Samsung is one of the most recognizable names in the smartphone industry, standing as the undisputed best-selling brand of Android smartphones in the United States for many years now. Samsung is known for offering a variety of smartphones in all available price points, as well as for implementing cutting-edge technology and innovative features in their flagship devices, ones that often shape the market going forward. The company offers its own unique spin on Android, called One UI, which focuses on offering a multitude of features and is heavily customizable, according to user preference.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec phones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest phone information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
68
Phones evaluated
7,820
Phones stats compiled
8
Proprietary Phones ratings developed
151,800
Recommendations made
86,020
Consumer hours saved
About the phone team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Phones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Efthimis Kotanidis
Phones Expert
Efthimis is a Greece-based product expert focusing on smartphones. He has been recommending phones for 4 years and his recommendations on Reddit have earned him over 35k karma.