Samsung Galaxy Note 20 vs Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
VS
Head to head
| Samsung Galaxy Note 20 | Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $212 | $178 |
| Our rating | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Battery | 4,300 mAh | 4,500 mAh |
| Wired charging | 25W | 25W |
| Storage (max) | 256 GB | 512 GB |
| Screen size | 6.7 in | 6.7 in |
| Refresh rate | — | 120 Hz |
| Main camera | 64 MP | 64 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 192 g | 186 g |
| Released | Aug 2020 | Mar 2020 |
Summary: Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus is ahead on our rating, battery, storage (max), weight (lower is lighter).
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs.
Display
| Samsung Galaxy Note 20 | Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Super AMOLED Plus, HDR10+ | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (peak) |
| Size | 6.7 inches | 6.7 inches |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~393 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~525 ppi density) |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 |
| Refresh Rate | 60Hz | — |
Platform
| Samsung Galaxy Note 20 | Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - Global, Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (7 nm+) - USA/Korea | Exynos 990 (Global) or Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (USA) |
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M5 & 2x2.50 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) - Global; Octa-core (1x3.09 GHz Kryo 585 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 585 & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 585) - USA/Korea | Octa-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M5 & 2x2.50 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) - Global; Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - USA |
| GPU | Mali-G77 MP11 - Global; Adreno 650 - USA/Korea | Mali-G77 MP11 (Global) or Adreno 650 (USA) |
Memory
| Samsung Galaxy Note 20 | Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB, 12GB |
| Internal Storage | 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Card slot | No | — |
| Card Slot | — | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
Main Camera
| Samsung Galaxy Note 20 | Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS; 64 MP, f/2.0, 27mm (telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 3x hybrid optical zoom; 12 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide) | — |
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, OIS, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, OIS, gyro-EIS |
| Quad | — | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS; 64 MP, f/2.0, 29mm (telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 3x hybrid optical zoom; 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), Super Steady video; 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, f/1.0 (depth) |
Selfie Camera
| Samsung Galaxy Note 20 | Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Features | Dual video call, Auto-HDR | Dual video call, Auto-HDR |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps |
Battery
| Samsung Galaxy Note 20 | Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Li-Ion 4300 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 4500 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | 25W wired (50% in 30 min - advertised), 15W wireless (Qi/PMA), 4.5W reverse wireless | 25W wired, 15W wireless (Qi/PMA), 4.5W reverse wireless |
Body
| Samsung Galaxy Note 20 | Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 161.6 x 75.2 x 8.3 mm | 161.9 x 73.7 x 7.8 mm |
| Weight | 192 g | 186 g (188 g for 5G mmWave version) |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame |
| SIM | Single SIM (Nano-SIM and/or eSIM) or Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | Single SIM (Nano-SIM and/or eSIM) or Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| IP Rating | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | — |
| Water & Dust Resistance | — | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
Comms
| Samsung Galaxy Note 20 | Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/dependent) | — |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
Launch
| Samsung Galaxy Note 20 | Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, August 5 | February 11, 2020 |
| Released | 2020, August 21 | — |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5 | — |
| Status | — | Released March 6, 2020 (US), March 13, 2020 (Europe) |
| OS at Launch | — | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5 |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Samsung Galaxy Note 20 or Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus?
Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus — 4,300 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 versus 4,500 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus.
Which is lighter, Samsung Galaxy Note 20 or Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus?
Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus — 192 g for the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 versus 186 g for the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus.
Which is newer, Samsung Galaxy Note 20 or Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus?
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 — Aug 2020 for the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 versus Mar 2020 for the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus.
Is the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 or the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus rated higher?
We rate the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 7/10 and the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus 8/10.