Galaxy Note 20 Ultra vs S25 Ultra: From Note to Ultra
If you held onto a Galaxy Note 20 Ultra in 2026, the S25 Ultra is the spiritual successor — Samsung discontinued the Note line and integrated S Pen into the S Ultra. Runner-up Phone of the Year at MKBHD's 2025 awards.
Updated · Verdict based on MKBHD Smartphone Awards results and spec analysis.
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
Samsung · 2020 · From $1299
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Samsung · 2025 · From $1299
Round wins
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: 0 · Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: 6 ·Ties: 1
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.9-inch QHD+ AMOLED, 120Hz LTPO | 6.9-inch QHD+ AMOLED, 120Hz LTPO |
| Processor | Snapdragon 865+ | Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| RAM | 12GB | 12GB |
| Camera | 108MP main + 12MP ultrawide + 12MP 5x periscope telephoto | 200MP main + 50MP ultrawide + 10MP 3x + 50MP 5x telephoto |
| Battery | 4,500 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| OS | Android 10 (One UI 2.5) | Android 15 (One UI 7) |
| Starting price | $1299 | $1299 |
| Released | 2020 | 2025 |
Round-by-round breakdown
S Pen
TieBoth have integrated S Pen housing. Functional parity — software has improved significantly on S25 Ultra.
Display
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraS25 Ultra: 6.9-inch with anti-reflective coating, ~2,600 nits. Note 20 Ultra: 6.9-inch at ~1,500 nits. Material brightness improvement.
Performance
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraSnapdragon 8 Elite is roughly 4x faster than Snapdragon 865+ in the Note 20 Ultra.
Camera
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra200MP main + 5x periscope + 3x + ultra (S25 Ultra) vs 108MP main + 12MP ultra + 12MP 5x periscope (Note 20 Ultra). Material upgrade across the board.
Galaxy AI
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraS25 Ultra has full Galaxy AI suite. Note 20 Ultra has none.
Battery
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraS25 Ultra: 5,000 mAh, 8+ hours screen-on. Note 20 Ultra on 5+ year old battery: 3 hours typical.
Software longevity
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraS25 Ultra: 7 more years. Note 20 Ultra: end of support.
Final verdict
Yes, upgrade — urgently. Note 20 Ultra is at end-of-life (security patches only). S25 Ultra inherits the integrated S Pen housing and adds Galaxy AI, dramatically better cameras, 7-year update commitment, and better battery. The natural Note successor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Galaxy S25 Ultra the natural Note 20 Ultra upgrade?
Yes — Samsung discontinued the Note line and integrated S Pen into the S Ultra series starting with the S22 Ultra. The S25 Ultra is the direct lineage.
How long is the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra still supported?
Major updates ended in 2024; security patches ended in 2025. Effectively end-of-life as of mid-2026.
Cheaper Note 20 Ultra upgrade?
Discounted S24 Ultra at $899–$999 — won MKBHD's 2024 Phone of the Year and shares the same integrated S Pen and 7-year update commitment as the S25 Ultra.