11 Reasons Why the Galaxy Note 20 is Already a Failure

Remember when a Galaxy Note used to have everything you could wish for in a top-end smartphone? That used to be the case until Note 20 happened. Under the latest Note Series, there are two models — the vanilla Note 20 and the Note 20 Ultra, which packs everything a Note should have. This year, it seems like Samsung has watered-down Note 20 for no reason. There are some questionable decisions made by the company here, things that aren’t suited for a Note device. 

1. Shift to “reinforced polycarbonate”, aka plastic

Perhaps the most surprising feature of Note 20 is the use of plastic. During the presentation, Samsung described the material as “reinforced polycarbonate”, which is essentially plastic. Thoug h there’s no way we can confirm the quality of this material unless we have our hands-on, there’s a good chance that it’s no different from the glasstic solution found on the Galaxy A and Galaxy M Series, both made for the mid-range market.  

2. Plastic is ok, but not for a $1000 phone

In the real world, plastic back is indeed practical than glass. The problem, though, is the lack of confidence a $1000 plastic phone provides. No matter how expensive a device is, if it comes with a plastic build, it’ll feel cheap 99% of the time. Spending that money for a phone, you’re basically expecting that “premium feel”.

3. 60Hz!

The fast refresh rate is the hottest trend today. Other than a high-end chipset, a fast screen is one of the biggest perceived upgrades a phone can have. For some reason, Note 20 sticks with 60Hz. But, hey, you can still experience 120Hz, albeit at FHD resolution, by spending more for the Note 20 Ultra.

READ: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 Is Exciting…Here’s Why!

4. No audio jack…and no microSD slot

The Note Series used to be the swiss army knife of phones because it packs every single feature that you can think of. When Samsung decided to omit the audio jack on the Note 10 Series, there was a backlash. Provided wireless audio is the future, it’s understandable. But when you remove even the MicroSD slot for no reason, Samsung is straight up trolling here. You may think that we’re overreacting, but look at the Note 20 Ultra, it still comes with expandable storage.

5. Gorilla Glass 5…not even 6

Again, getting a Note phone means getting the latest and greatest. Not with Note 20. The front is protected by Gorilla Glass 5, which launched in 2016. Not only did Samsung not bother to use the latest Gorilla Glass Victus, but it also decided to skip Gorilla Glass 6.

6. Exynos for the world

The US and South Korea are lucky to get the Snapdragon 865+ models. They are more efficient and less likely to throttle compared to the Exynos 990 counterparts. We’ve seen it before; even a mid-range Helio G90T can beat the Exynos 990 in intensive gaming tests. Due to inefficiency, don’t be surprised if you start losing 7-10% charge overnight.

7. Where’s 108MP?

For the most part, you’ll be shooting with the same 12MP main sensor that’s found on the Galaxy Note 8. Compare that to the 108MP sensor of the Note 20 Ultra, well, where’s the justice there? 

READ: Nokia 9.3 Pureview 5G is launching with 108MP Ultrawide, Biggest sensor

8. Where’s the periscope lens?!

The Note 20 has a 64MP lens, however. The catch here is… it’s for telephoto purposes. On top of that, Samsung thinks it can get away with the lack of a periscope sensor. Well, not today. The best thing the Note 20 can do, in terms of zoom, is 2x optical zoom and 3x hybrid. Without the periscope lens, expect telephoto shots to be softer than the Note 20 Ultra.

9. Nore More 45W Fast Charging

The fastest charging rate supported by Note 20 Series is 25W. Compared to the Note 10+, that’s a 20W downgrade from 45W. To be fair, you need to purchase the 45W brick separately, and the overall charging speed improvement is negligible. However, Samsung should’ve bothered improving its 45W technology instead of downgrading. 

10. No Fast Wireless Charging

It seems like the Note 20 Series will charge as slow as a turtle with its 12W charging coil. Samsung should do better in this regard, especially when the regular Xiaomi Mi 10 can pump up to 30W wirelessly.

11. Note 20 Ultra is the true Note!

If a buyer realizes the drawbacks of owning a Note 20, that person might go for the Note 20 Ultra instead. Even with the steeper price tag, if that person is going to pay for the device for two years, there’s no room for conversation for the Note 20. Take note, the price of Note 10+ top model last year is the same as the Note 20’s top model, at P72,990.

READ: Galaxy Note 20 vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra – Don’t Buy the Wrong Note!