Phone Comparisons: OnePlus 8 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra launched recently alongside several other devices from the company. This is the company’s most powerful handset at the moment, and the time has come to compare it to the best OnePlus has to offer. In this article, we’ll compare the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra vs OnePlus 8 Pro.

Both of these are premium devices, and something you may look into if you’re buying a flagship smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is, granted, considerably more expensive than the OnePlus 8 Pro, but OnePlus’ smartphone is also a $1,000 phone. So… both of them are quite expensive, no matter what way you look at it.

That being said, we’ll compare these two phones across a number of categories, as we usually do. First, we’ll list their specifications for you to check out, and then more to compare their designs. Following that, we’ll take a look at the display, performance, battery, camera, and audio sections. Having said that, let’s kick off the OnePlus 8 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra comparison.

Specs

OnePlus 8 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Design

Both the OnePlus 8 Pro and Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra are made out of metal and glass. These two phones do look fairly different, and they also feel quite different in hand. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra offers much sharper edges than OnePlus’ flagship, while it’s also noticeably wider in the hand. It also has a slightly higher screen-to-body aspect ratio.

Both devices offer curved displays, and display camera holes. A single display camera hole is included in each of these phones. On the OnePlus 8 Pro, it’s placed in the top-left corner. In the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra’s case, it is centered. The back side design of these two phones also looks quite different.

The OnePlus 8 Pro offers four cameras, which are centered. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra’s camera module is placed in the top-left corner of its back side. Both camera modules protrude on the back, though the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra’s is thicker than the OnePlus 8 Pro’s. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is also a little bit heavier than the OnePlus 8 Pro, at 208 grams, compared to 199 grams.

The OnePlus 8 Pro is a bit taller, noticeably narrower, and thicker than the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (not counting the camera bump). Both smartphones feel extremely slippery in the hand, by the way, so using a case may be a good idea. Weight distribution is good on both phones, so that’s not something you have to worry about. Both devices look very sleek, and feel really solid in the hand.

OnePlus 8 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Display

The OnePlus 8 Pro and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra both offer AMOLED displays. They are not the same, though. The OnePlus 8 Pro features a 6.78-inch QHD+ (3168 x 1440) Fluid AMOLED display. That panel has a 120Hz refresh rate, and is protected by the Gorilla Glass 5. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, on the other hand, rocks a 6.9-inch QHD+ (3088 x 1440) Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. That is also a 120Hz display, and is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus.

Both of these displays support HDR10+ content, and both look great in real-life. Both panels offer extremely vibrant colors, and offer you a chance to fine-tune the output. There’s a tool in the display section of phone settings on both phones, and you can fine-tune it to your preference. Blacks are really deep on both phones, while they both offer great viewing angles. Both displays are also easily visible in direct sunlight, as they do get fairly bright.

One difference to note here, is the fact that the OnePlus 8 Pro can utilize QHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate at the same time. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra cannot. You’ll have to choose between fullHD+ resolution and 120Hz at the same time, or QHD+ resolution and 60Hz. We’d suggest the former, as the difference in resolution is basically not noticeable. Both displays are amazing, and amongst the best out there at the moment.

OnePlus 8 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Performance

What about the performance? Well, both of these phones are immensely powerful when it comes to hardware. Their software has also been well-optimized, which results in great performance on both phones. Both of these phones fly through anything you throw at them, literally. No matter whether you’re playing games, multitasking, consuming media, or doing whatever else you can imagine on your phone.

Do note that the Exynos 990 variant of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra may offer somewhat weaker performance than the Snapdragon 865 Plus model, though. Both devices also offer top-of-the-line RAM and storage chips, on top of Qualcomm’s premium processors. The software experience is completely different in comparison, even though they’re both based on Android 10.

The OnePlus 8 Pro comes with OnePlus’ OxygenOS 10 skin, while the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra includes Samsung’s One UI skin. Do note that once OxygenOS 11 arrives, OnePlus’ software will look much more similar to Samsung’s. The bottom line is, both of these phones are excellent performers, which is to be expected considering how much you’re paying for them.

OnePlus 8 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Battery

These two devices include almost identical battery packs. The OnePlus 8 Pro packs in a 4,510mAh unit, while the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra ships with a 4,500mAh battery. That being said, the battery life is not exactly the same. The OnePlus 8 Pro does have more to offer in the battery life department. OnePlus’ software plays a huge part in that, quite probably, not to mention that the phone has a smaller display as well.

In our testing the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra was unable to cross the 6-hour screen-on-time mark, which is not a good sign for a ‘Note’ device. The Galaxy Note series of devices are true powerhouses, and are usually bought by power users. Most of those users will use their phones intensively, and will need over 6 hours of screen-on-time on a regular basis. Well, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra doesn’t really deliver that, though Samsung may improve it via software updates.

The OnePlus 8 Pro, on the other hand, offered great battery life from the get-go, and even got some improvements in that regard along the way. Getting over the 6-hour screen-on-time mark on this phone should not be an issue. The phone will be able to get over the 7-hour mark in some cases as well. Do note that the numbers will vary from one person to the other, as usage patterns differ from one user to the next.

OnePlus 8 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Cameras

In terms of cameras, both phones do a great job. Neither of them have the fastest shutter out there, both are on the slower side compared to other flagships. OnePlus did improve that aspect of the 8 Pro since launch, though, so it’s faster than the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra’s. That shutter can be an issue when shooting moving objects. Now, in terms of general image quality, both do an amazing job.

Pictures, in daylight, end up looking great on both. With great dynamic range, plenty of details, punchy colors, and good white balance. Ultrawide cameras are quite great on both as well, amongst the best out there, especially in good lighting, although they do a good job in low light as well. Now, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra does offer a better telephoto / periscope shooter. Its zoom quality is great, and pictures remain usable even if you zoom in quite a bit. The OnePlus 8 Pro is not bad in this regard, at all, but it does not offer a periscope camera, so don’t expect the same results.

Both cameras do a great job in low light as well. They can light up a scene quite a bit, and do manage to get a lot of detail from the shadows. Don’t expect a Pixel-level performance in low light, but for the most part, these cameras are great in low light, at least as far as the main sensor is concerned. You cannot go wrong with either camera setup, as both are truly great.

Audio

The audio is pretty good on both phones. It isn’t the best we’ve ever stumbled upon, but it’s more than good enough. The main speaker sits at the bottom of both phones, while the secondary one is located above the display. Sound from those speakers is good. It’s sharp, loud… basically everything you could expect out of a smartphone stereo sound, to be quite honest.

The sound via a good pair of headphones may surprise you as well. Mids and highs are especially good on both phones, but lows are not far either. Bass is not too heavy on either phone, everything is very well balanced, to be quite honest. I’m not an audiophile by any means, so if you have extremely high expectations, just keep in mind you’ll get good sound here, not extraordinary, though.