Samsung Note 20 Ultra - My initial thought's.

[BandOfBrothers]

Hi Everyone,

Very early days for me just yet.

Received the phone Monday 24th direct from Samsung UK.

I have the Exynos  N20 Ultra 256gb in the Uk. I now have the SnapDragon 865+ Samsung N20 Ultra 256Gb model. 

August Update.
120Hz adaptive refresh rate is On.
Dark Mode.
Brightness around half way.

Bluetooth On.
Battery on Optomise setting but not adaptive.
Screen time out 2 minutes.
I don't have lots of apps as I only use a select few to be honest.

Any google apps / services I remove or disable especially Google Chrome as I use Samsung Internet. 

5G turned Off as I can't use it anyway with my Carrier.
Installed back up from Samsung Cloud and Apps from Playstore My Library to give a clean install as possible.

I'm not keen on Smartswitch.

Some who have used Smartswitch and are experiencing issues have said they are contemplating factory resetting and using a clean install.

I have put some apps to sleep and some to deep sleep which is what i did also on my N10+ 5G. Habit really !!

I use a burner sim card at first when setting up my new phone's and keep my previous phone as my daily driver while I'm taking my time tweaking my new phone's settings and preferences.

I've read a few posts from people who said they could see the battery % drop even when not doing anything on the phone. Although background activity and processess still happen, network signal and mobile data or WiFi will be On, and the phone is in learning mode and any backups downloaded into the phone will be indexing so battery consumption will happen.

So after my Samsung Cloud restore finished and my apps were put on via the Playstore and everything was updated and fully synced I then cleared my System Cache file's.

I then charged the phone to 100% and left it sat there all day with mobile data , Bluetooth, Nfc all On , and WiFi Off.

From 05:30 to 18:00 it went from 100% to 96% battery which I think is reasonable as notifications and background activity is still happening.

I give my phones around 10 days to fully learn and optimise. Then and only then will i give my thoughts on battery usage.

I understand and appreciate some owners are experiencing their own issues with usage / battery usage and I in no way play down any of this. I urge people to make use of the Samsung Members App to send feedback. The more the better as Samsung then react via updates.

Charging and discharging the battery will help the battery reach optimum output.

I also keep a close eye on the Google Play Services in my battery stats.

This should be around 2% to 3%.

High usage for this can cause high battery drain.

This can mean Google apps and Services are communicating too frequently and sync issues maybe happening.

After a few more days of setting the phone up and tweaking my settings and preferences I'll start to use it more for surfing , use the apps and social media And see how it goes.

As long as I get a day with a little juice left over which is what i achieve from my N10+ 5G I'll be happy.

I use Spotify Music for commuting so I'll be also hooking up my Samsung Buds Live and also my Samsung Gear s3 Frontier Watch.

I don't game on my phone's so I won't be able to comment on that particular usage.

Early Initial Thoughts on the phone itself.

As per usual the quality of workmanship and materials use by Samsung is exemplary.

I think it's time Samsung went with flat panels however.

Coming from the N10+ 5G the 120hz adaptive refresh rate on the N20 Ultra is amazing to see.

I like that this is adaptive so will save battery too.

I was a bit wary of the camera module at first but I needn't have been concerned. It actually makes it easier to hold as my finger slides up to it.

But as I use a case the module is hidden now anyway.

I know the specifications say the N20 Ultra is heavier than my N10+ 5G but for some reason it feels lighter ! Go figure.

Some people have remarked that the colours on the N20 Ultra display are not as vivid i.e popping as other Samsung Phone's and I agree it isn't.

I personally do not use the vivid setting on my phone's. I quite like what the N20 Ultra provides in this department but it's a personal opinion and submit we all like different things visually.

My N20 Ultra came with a factory fitted Tpu plastic screen protector.

This i will eventually remove and fit the Whitestone Dome Glass Screen Protector as I prefer these to the plastic feel, and they are the better option when it comes to glass screen protectors than most currently available imo.

They are nit cheap however. 

The fps works well with them too.

On the subject of the Finger Print Scanner this works way better than the one on my N10+ 5G.

Face Recognition works as well too.

I use the Samsung Official Black Leather back case. I like a minimalist look.

I also have a dbrand Black Dragon Back Skin and this time also a camera module skin on order.

Sorry this was a long post.

If anyone has any questions or want's any clarity then feel free to ask. 

I'll update / edit my thread as and when I come across anything new.

Until then 🌈 Stay Safe & Stay Alert.  🌈 

[Beksovy]

Hi there!

Don't get me wrong because I don't want to sound mean, but I'm wondering how much Samsung is paying you for the posts like these above?

It seems that you are the only one in this forum praising the note 20 Ultra to the skies and getting involved in every negative posts on Ultra 20 just to defend the phone. The fact is that a lot of Note 20 users are facing battery drain issue and there is no solution available.  

Also, I believe that the current situation is a disgrace, as you don't spend so much on an expensive device to have to change all these settings, do app investigations or cleaning partition caches just to try to resolve battery problems. I cannot remember me doing any of the above to my previous Note 10+ phone to be able to go through the day without 2nd charge. 

And please, don't ask me to be a patient and allow the phone to learn my usage patterns to be able to enjoy the phone, because if I'm paying £1179 for the device I expect the performance now, not in next couple of days or weeks.

[BandOfBrothers]

Hello @Beksovy 

Let me clear something up for you.......I'm not affiliated with Samsung in any way.

I'm a consumer who uses Samsung products that's  all.

I speak as I see with my own personal experiences with the phone and as I've said it's early day's.

I wouldn't advise you to do anything with your phone or settings as it's yours to do with as you wish.

I get involved with other thread's on the forum to help others in my own private time because I like to help and as importantly learn too.

There are posts in lot's of forums where people are not happy and some are happy with their Note 20 Ultra phone's. 

Take care.     

[EllyH]

I've seen many posts from people who love this phone. From my own experience and other users posting across these forums and socialmedia, the general consensus is that the battery does seem to improve, if given the time to do so. Due to the high spec of the phone and the large screen, coupled with the unique note s pen abilities (that no other phones have), there is a lot going on with this phone and a lot to configure, so I'm personally ok with and expect a settling in period.
Unfortunately, as with all things, most people only post when they have a complaint. People that are really happy generally don't bother to post anything, which is why you see so much negativity. But it's not actually the full picture.

I personally think the phone is great...so far. The battery issue is a concern for me as many people are reporting the same, both with SD and Exynos. But my personal experience, so far, is the same as what many have said, initially battery is terrible but with each charge and discharge it has improved. I've also experienced the phone getting very hot when using the camera for the first time (I did have it open for 1 hour roughly continuously). I was sitting in a very warm car on a very warm day for most of the time, so the phone got very hot. But then, every single other well known brand phone I've had has done this when out and about on hot days, for much lesser usage.... That said, it was disheartening to experience this, coupled with the fast battery drain on day 1, given the price tag, I expected the very best.

However, I've had the N20 Ultra since 21st and have now only had to charge it 3 or 4 times. Granted, it does differ greatly depending on how the phone is used. I mainly use a handful of apps, as well as stream spotify, you tube and Netflix on it but its pretty much in use on top of this with calls and texts all day long. So, thus far, I feel I'm getting really fair usage out of it and definitely much better in comparison to day 1 and 2. I've no doubt, if used for full on gaming, the story would be completely different. I'd expect the battery to drain a lot faster, as with most phones.

I'm sitting here typing this, day 6? I haven't tweaked any settings, I don't have a clue where to monitor battery usage or anything like that, I only changed to dark mode today, I last charged my phone yesterday, around 22 hours ago, I've had screen open for several hours in this period, and I'm still on 36% battery. I've absolutely no heating issues with phone, other than a very normal low, slight warmth when in use for a lengthy period. Where as day one, I was lucky to get 5hours screen on time and 7 hours in total battery, very hot phone to the point where I switched it off for 20 mins and was all for sending it back. But I really liked it, other than this, so I've given it the benefit of the doubt and waited and so far, so good.

I'm not 100 certain because of the cost and the initial experience but all else is amazing and the thought of going back to anything other than the Note now is really unappealing. So I'm going to wait and see. I've got 14 days to return it, which gives me a bit of confidence.

I'm posting my experience because it might help others get a wider perspective of the issues circulating. As, I said, most people that bother to post, do it because they have an issue. There are many out there who don't. So I hope my input helps provide a more rounded view. I have put my thoughts on this a few times, because this is my experience and some may find it helpful. I'm not affiliated to anyone and am no tech expert.

[lindon]

fantastic review bud with great details. I like, yourself and others, use the backups etc to setup new phones and also noticed over time that the battery and generally the phone itself learn behavior and settle down (not called smartphones for nothing lol). the covers you mentioned are unknown to me but after reading other reviews about a camera problem and reading your cover helps with this - I will be looking out for these!
Thanks for replying to my post leading me to your review - very much appreciated. take care. cheers.

[BandOfBrothers]

You're very welcome @lindon 

[Priwik]

That's why I chose the Samsung brand and wages more so as not to set up and mix too much in the software and settings, I used to take a Samsung phone out of the box and it worked, and such combination and waiting for the phone to work is not for me. I was very disappointed with the note 20 ultra, and what is happening with the camera is already a mockery. I am a fan of the brand, except for TV, everything is Samsung at home. I defended the brand and recommended it, but only for a while.

[BandOfBrothers]

Update.

Still letting the phone sit mostly idle throughout the day while I'm at work to check for any excessive battery drain.

No issues thus far. 

When I get home I'm using it to look at different internet sites such as forums and Social Media and performing any needed app updates,

Watching a couple of the same YouTube videos using the N10+ 5G and N20 Ultra and both phone's didn't heat up. Both ceaseless,  both with Whitestone Dome Glass screen protectors on and both on the same Networks 4G mobile data connection.

Not been on charge since Tueday but has been powered down overnight.

Battery is at 50%

So far so good.

🏳️‍🌈Stay Safe 🏳️‍🌈

[BandOfBrothers]

Update.

I'm now happy that the phone isn't losing battery % sat idle and the phone isn't warming up when watching some YouTube video's.

Tonight I'll be charging the phone to 100% and as I'm off work tomorrow due to Bank Holiday Monday I'll use the Note 20 Ultra as my main phone through the day.

I'll use it as close as I can to how I use my N10+ 5G while I'm at work.

My N10+ 5G gets me through the day with around 20%'ish battery left. This is from 5am to 9pm which is when I power down the phone and charge over night.

My personal benchmark is to have a day's usage.

I'm not overly concerned with lot's of battery % left.

I appreciate this is important to others.

Please take into account my usage patterns will be different as well will be my phone's settings and apps and apps settings etc.

The phone has been charged to 100% twice now so I'm not expecting the battery to provide optimum output.

I shall update again including screen shots of my battery stats / screen on times.

🌈 Stay Safe & Stay Alert.  🌈 

[Deeplay68]

Well I for one am not going to be getting the EU variant of the Note 20 Ultra. Too many issues with battery life and over heating. And Band Of Brothers .. "the phone isn't warming up when watching some YouTube video's."well  it should not even be a question of such a "premium" priced phone over heating at all just watching some YT videos.

This handset should be able to allow power use. Camera work, video work, multiple apps, what ever is thrown at it. But more and more reports are coming through that Samsung have sold the UK a sub standard model. And its been said before I know in many places now ... but why we are getting the sub standard Exynos processor and having to pay more than the USA who get the far superior Snapdragon is beyond me.

I have been a loyal Note user for years but no longer. I am just glad I didnt go fork out for this upfront or go onto contract with it, more and more reviews are coming out on the issues of over heating , craapp charging holds and even some camera issues.

I can understand die-hard Note fans may well accept this sub standard model, but I wont. And in my work and daily use I use allot of camera, and multiple apps. And this phone just don't cut it. I think in the coming weeks more will come out on this and it could be a major fail for Samsung who somehow now seem to be loosing there way .

[BandOfBrothers]

@Deeplay68 

The part about watching YouTube videos was because of this post and the issue a person said they had while watching YouTube videos and my own findings when watching video's.  I only watch a few per day to catch up on reviews but a member says in the thread they'vewatched an hours worth without issue > eu.community.samsung.com/t5/galaxy-note20-note20-ultra-5g/toasty-note-20-ultra. 

It's possible one of the reasons why were seeing different experiences is the fact that Samsung have used two different cooling systems.

From what I understand the Snapdragon chip gives an hour more screen on time and handles extended gaming sessions better.

This thread is simply a running personal guide as to how I'm finding my Note 20 Ultra Exynos version phone.

As I said in my opening post it's early days and I do have 28 days to return the phone to Samsung UK for a full refund if I so wish.