(Pocket-lint) – Samsung revealed the Galaxy Note 20 series of smartphones at its Unpacked event in August, with two models – the Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra. How does the standard Note compare to the standard S20 though?

We’ve compared the specifications for the Galaxy Note 20 up against the specifications for the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+ to help you work out what the differences are and which one you should buy.

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Design

• Galaxy S20: 151.7 x 69.1 x 7.9mm, 163g
• Galaxy S20+:  161.9 x 73.7 x 7.8mm, 186g
• Galaxy Note 20: 161.6 x 75.2 x 8.3mm, 192g

The Samsung Galaxy S20 has a metal frame with glass back and rounded corners. The front is all display with a small punch hole camera at the top in the centre, while the rear sees a prominent rectangular camera housing in the top left corner.

There are number of different colour options and the Galaxy S20 is IP68 water and dust resistant. For those considering the S20+ too, the design is very similar to the S20 but the rear camera housing is larger, as is the device itself. 

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 meanwhile has a similar design to the Galaxy S20, but it has squarer edges – even if rounder than the Note 20 Ultra – and it has a ‘glasstic’ rear rather than glass. As it is a Note device, it also has an S Pen built-in, marking the main distinction between it and the S20 models.

The Note 20 is available in Mystic Grey, Mystic Bronze and Mystic Green colour options. It features Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the front, while the S20 uses Corning Gorilla Glass 6. In terms of size, the Note 20 is almost identical to the S20+.

Display

• Galaxy S20: 6.2-inch, AMOLED, 3200 x 1440, 563ppi, 120Hz
• Galaxy S20+: 6.7-inch, AMOLED, 3200 x 1440, 525ppi, 120Hz
• Galaxy Note 20: 6.7-inch, AMOLED, 2400 x 1080, 393ppi, 60Hz

The Samsung Galaxy S20 has a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with a resolution of 3200 x 1440, resulting in a pixel density of 563ppi. The S20+ has a 6.7-inch display, also with a Quad HD+ resolution for a pixel density of 525ppi.

Both have an Infinity-O display with curved edges and a punch hole camera at the top and in the centre. The Galaxy S20 and the S20+ have a 120Hz refresh rate, though this only runs at 1080p.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 comes with a 6.7-inch display with a 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution (393ppi). It’s flat rather than curved edges and it has a standard 60Hz refresh rate, leaving the 120Hz for the Note 20 Ultra.

• Samsung Galaxy Note 20 vs Note 20 Ultra: What’s the difference?

Cameras

• Galaxy S20: 12MP main, 64MP telephoto, 12MP ultra wide
• Galaxy S20+: 12MP main, 64MP telephoto, 12MP ultra wide, DepthVision
• Galaxy Note 20: 12MP main, 64MP telephoto, 12MP ultra wide

The Samsung Galaxy S20 has a triple rear camera, made up of a 12-megapixel main sensor, 64-megapixel telephoto sensor and a 12-megapixel ultra wide sensor. There’s 3x hybrid zoom and 30x digital zoom.

The Galaxy S20+ meanwhile, has the same triple camera setup as the S20 but it adds a DepthVision sensor to the mix. On the front of the S20 and S20+, you’ll find a 10-megapixel sensor.

The Galaxy Note 20 comes with the same triple camera as the S20. There is no DepthVision sensor  like the S20+ and the zoom capabilities are reduced to 30X rather than the 50X offered on the Galaxy S20. On the front, there is a 10-megapixel punch hole camera.

Hardware and specs

• Galaxy S20: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 or Exynos 990, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage, 4000mAh
• Galaxy S20+: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 or Exynos 990, 12GB RAM, 128GB storage, 4500mAh
• Galaxy Note 20: Qualcomm SD865 Plus or Exynos 990, 8GB RAM, 128GB/256GB storage, 4300mAh

The Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20+ both run on either the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 or the Exynos 990 chipset, depending on the region. The S20 has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, while the S20+ has 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. 

Both have wireless charging and fast charging, but the battery in the S20+ is a little bigger at 4500mAh compared to the S20’s 4000mAh. The S20+ is 5G capable as standard, while the S20 comes in 4G and 5G models.

The Galaxy Note 20 meanwhile, runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset, or the same Exynos 990 chipset as the Galaxy S20, depending on region. There’s 8GB of RAM like the S20 in both the LTE and 5G models and 256GB of storage, but the 5G model also comes in a 128GB variant (region dependant). The Note 20 has a battery capacity of 4300mAh, sitting in the middle of the S20 and S20+. It too offers wireless charging and fast charging.

Additionally, the Note 20 has ultra wideband technology on board and it has an S Pen, as we mentioned in the design section, which has a number of different functions, including writing and navigating.

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Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is around the same size as the Galaxy S20+ but it offers specifications more in line with the standard S20, with the addition of an S Pen.

The Note 20 has the same camera and RAM as the S20, along with a slightly larger battery capacity and display, S Pen capablities, a slightly more powerful chipset in the Qualcomm model and double the storage.

The screen resolution is lower though and the refresh rate half the speed of the maximum for the S20. There are some good reasons to pick the Note 20 over the S20, but you’ll also pay more so consider whether the S Pen and the upgrades are worth the extra for you.

Writing by Britta O’Boyle.