If you have a tight budget, the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra will save you money compared to the Sony Xperia 1 III. The Note20 Ultra also has a larger screen, a slightly longer battery life, and comes with a stylus for added functionality. However, the Xperia 1 III offers more storage space, a newer and faster processor, more RAM, and a higher resolution screen. The Xperia's camera setup supports higher frame rates for 4K video recording. If you prioritize advanced camera features and performance over cost and battery life, the Xperia 1 III may be the better option. 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 Sony Xperia 1 III
Best in class display quality
Good performance
Key differences
Overall Camera Quality
7.3/10
6.0/10
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra has good overall camera quality, while the Sony Xperia 1 III has only fair overall camera quality.
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra has a good selfie camera, while the Sony Xperia 1 III's selfie camera is rated fair, leading the Note20 Ultra to likely provide a better experience for selfie enthusiasts. However, in other aspects such as photos resolution, dynamic range, and low light performance, both phones have varied strengths and weaknesses, with the Note20 Ultra excelling in camera versatility and the Xperia 1 III offering a very good video software experience and stabilization, yet both have fair ratings in low light performance.
Photo Quality
7.3/10
5.9/10
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra takes good photos, while the Sony Xperia 1 III takes poor photos.
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra has a better selfie camera quality than the Sony Xperia 1 III, which is important for taking good selfies. However, both the Note20 Ultra and Xperia 1 III have cameras with similar performance in terms of resolution, software experience, dynamic range, and low light performance, but the Note20 Ultra offers a bit more versatility with its camera setup.
Battery
6.4 Hours
5.6 Hours
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra has 6.4 hours of battery life. The Sony Xperia 1 III has 5.6 hours of battery life.
Cost
$450
$899
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra has a price of $450 and the Sony Xperia 1 III costs $899.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sony Xperia 1 III to have only fair videos, while the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra takes poor videos.
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra takes fair videos because, despite its good video resolution and framerate capabilities, it has fair performance in terms of video software experience, video stabilization, video dynamic range, and video low light performance, alongside a good microphone quality.
Screen Size
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra has a screen size of 6.9 inches and the Sony Xperia 1 III is 6.5 inches.
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How the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra and the Sony Xperia 1 III 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."
"For those who enjoy Sony’s Android phones, or who want a top-tier smartphone with a versatile camera, a beautiful screen and strong battery life, this is a great choice. If your budget can stretch to it, and you're a fan of its looks, it could be a great option."
Get a great deal on the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra or the Sony Xperia 1 III
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.
About Sony
Sony has had a long history in the mobile market, entering the scene all the way back in 1993 with its first commercially available phone, the CM-H333. Nowadays, their Xperia line of phones provide well-rounded and sometimes expensive devices with a focus on camera software that includes extensive support for manual tweaking of settings. Sony's dedication to audio quality is also evident in its smartphones, which often feature high-resolution audio support while also being one of the few remaining manufacturers that consistently provide headphone jacks in their phones. The company's version of Android is also considered to be close to stock, enabling a bloatware-free experience for its users.
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
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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
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
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.
Seth Peoples
Phones Expert
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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.