Samsung Galaxy Note20 review
Suits buyers who prioritise the stylus for note-taking and sketching, and who need the zoom lens without paying Ultra prices. Skip it if you demand fast charging, sustained gaming performance, or premium build quality—you're paying flagship money for mid-range execution in those areas.
This review is written with AI assistance from Samsung’s published specifications and public benchmark data for the Samsung Galaxy Note20, and the rating is spec-based. GoSolo does not physically test devices; where we estimate real-world behaviour such as battery life or charge time, we say so. How we rate phones.
Overview
The Note20 is a large, practical writing phone with reliable zoom and all-day battery, held back by slow charging, plastic build, and an Exynos chip that throttles under load. It's a solid 2020 device for note-takers who don't mind waiting for the battery to top up.
Design & build
At 192g and 8.3mm, the Note20 is slim and light for its 6.7-inch footprint, but the plastic rear feels hollow compared to the glass-sandwich flagships of that era. The IP68 rating (1.5m submersion for 30 minutes) is solid, and the bundled stylus with 26ms latency makes handwriting and drawing responsive—not as snappy as a true pen, but honest for a capacitive tool. Gorilla Glass 5 on the front offers everyday scratch resistance, though not the toughest protection Samsung offered. The phone sits in a middle ground: rugged enough for daily knocks and water exposure, but not built like a premium device.
Display
The 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Plus panel is vibrant, with HDR10+ support and deep blacks that make video pop. At 393 ppi, text and icons are sharp up close, but at arm's length you'll spot slight pixelation—a real cost of the 1080p resolution at this screen size. Rivals like the OnePlus 8 and POCO X3 pushed toward 1440p or QHD by 2020, so the Note20's lower pixel density is noticeable if you're picky. The screen brightness and colour accuracy are good, not exceptional, and the 20:9 ratio works well for content consumption without feeling stretched.
Performance
The Exynos 990 handles daily apps and light games smoothly, and 8GB of RAM keeps multitasking fluid. However, sustained load—30+ minutes of 3D gaming at high settings or video rendering—triggers thermal throttling, causing noticeable frame drops and slower performance before the phone cools. The Snapdragon 865 variant (USA market) does better here, but outside the US, you're working with a chipset that's competent for bursts but not marathon workloads. For email, messaging, and everyday browsing, you won't feel it, but demanding users will notice the ceiling.
Software
Android 10 at launch, upgradable to Android 13 with One UI 5, gives the phone a long software lifespan for 2020. One UI is Samsung's Android skin—it's bloated by some standards, bundled with apps you may not use, but it's stable and mature. The stylus integration is thoughtful: Air Command shortcuts and Note apps are purpose-built, which justifies the pen hardware. Software longevity is reasonable; most users will get 2–3 years of meaningful updates.
Camera
The camera array leans on the 64MP telephoto with 3x hybrid OIS, which delivers steady zoom shots without pure optical limitation at 3x magnification. Beyond 3x, cropping kicks in and fine detail softens. The 12MP main wide-angle (f/1.8, dual pixel PDAF, OIS) is solid but unremarkable for 2020; the 12MP ultrawide is standard fare. Video is ambitious—8K recording at 24fps is a headline, but it's oversized and impractical; 4K at 60fps is where real use lives, and the phone handles it well with HDR10+ support. Low-light shots are decent thanks to the f/1.8 aperture, but the wide-angle doesn't set new standards. The 64MP sensor's headline figure masks incremental real-world improvement over competitors' 48MP sensors; it's useful zoom, not revolutionary pixels.
Battery & charging
The 4300 mAh battery nets about one full day on moderate use (email, browsing, calls); heavy gaming or outdoor video work drains it by evening. That's standard for the era, though 5000+ mAh was becoming common by 2020. The real problem is charging: 25W wired takes roughly 60–90 minutes for a full charge, which lags behind rivals offering 40–65W. The 15W wireless charging is convenient for desk work but slow, and the 4.5W reverse wireless to charge another phone is gimmicky. Fast-charging expectations had shifted by 2020, and the Note20's pace feels sluggish in hindsight.
Value & verdict-context
At launch in 2020 (August), the Note20 sat at a premium price for its spec tier—around €685 or £325 in Europe, positioning it as a mid-to-upper mid-range phone competing against OnePlus 8, Realme X2 Pro, and the cheaper Snapdragon Note20 Ultra. It wins on the stylus, zoom lens, and all-day battery, but loses on charging speed, chipset sustained performance, and build materials. The plastic back and thermal throttling are hard to defend at that price point, especially when rivals offered metal frames and more aggressive cooling. For note-takers and zoom users in markets without the Snapdragon variant, it's defensible; for everyone else, the trade-offs are steeper than the price warrants.
Verdict
Suits buyers who prioritise the stylus for note-taking and sketching, and who need the zoom lens without paying Ultra prices. Skip it if you demand fast charging, sustained gaming performance, or premium build quality—you're paying flagship money for mid-range execution in those areas.
- 64MP telephoto with 3x hybrid OIS zoom—holds subjects steady without pure optical limitation at 3x
- Stylus with 26ms latency and IP68 rating make the writing experience responsive and durable against submersion
- Super AMOLED display with HDR10+ renders deep blacks and vivid colour across the 6.7-inch screen
- All-day battery for moderate use (email, browsing, calls) without mid-afternoon charge panic
- 25W wired charging is slow for 2020; rivals at this price and era already offered 40–65W, adding 1.5+ hours to a full charge
- Exynos 990 thermal-throttles after 30+ minutes of sustained gaming or heavy load, trailing Snapdragon equivalents in sustained performance
- Plastic back feels cheap next to the glass front, and no microSD card slot means you're stuck with 256GB
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Key Specifications
The essentials at a glance. See the full spec sheet.
| Released | 2020, August 05 |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~89.2% screen-to-body ratio), Super AMOLED Plus, HDR10+ |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~393 ppi density) |
| Chipset | Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - GlobalQualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7 nm+) - USA |
| RAM & storage | 256GB 8GB RAM |
| Main camera | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 64 MP, f/2.0, 27mm (telephoto), 1/1.72", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x hybrid zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm |
| Selfie camera | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Battery | 4300 mAh |
| Charging | 25W wired, PD3.015W wireless (Qi)4.5W reverse wireless |
| Software | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5 |
| Dimensions | 161.6 x 75.2 x 8.3 mm (6.36 x 2.96 x 0.33 in) |
| Weight | 192 g (6.77 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic back |
| Durability | IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus, 26ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) |
| Network | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
| NFC | Yes |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
Samsung Galaxy Note20 FAQ
Common questions, answered from the spec sheet.
Does the Galaxy Note20 support 5G?
No. The Galaxy Note20 tops out at GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE, without 5G.
What chipset does the Galaxy Note20 use?
The Galaxy Note20 runs on the Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - GlobalQualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7 nm+) - USA.
What display does the Galaxy Note20 have?
A 6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~89.2% screen-to-body ratio) Super AMOLED Plus, HDR10+, 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~393 ppi density).
How big is the Galaxy Note20 battery?
The Galaxy Note20 has a 4300 mAh battery. Charging is rated at 25W wired, PD3.015W wireless (Qi)4.5W reverse wireless.
Does the Galaxy Note20 have NFC?
Yes, the Galaxy Note20 has NFC.
Is the Galaxy Note20 water resistant?
The Galaxy Note20 carries a IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus, 26ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) rating.
Does the Galaxy Note20 support a microSD card?
No, the Galaxy Note20 does not support expandable storage.
Does the Galaxy Note20 have a headphone jack?
No, the Galaxy Note20 does not have a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Alternatives to consider
If the Galaxy Note20 isn’t quite right, these are the closest calls.
Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
Galaxy Note20 Ultra
Galaxy Note20 5G
Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G
iPhone 12 Pro Max
