The Galaxy Note 20 will not be remembered as a high point for the Note series. It loses out on too many of the higher-end elements of Galaxy phones without a commensurate drop in cost.

Fun-to-use cameras; S-Pen is excellent for digital drawing; Powerful; even if it's beaten by the competition

Mediocre battery life; 60Hz phone in a 90/120Hz world; Flat glass front; plastic back

Samsung’s Galaxy Note20 is the company’s mainstream phablet, situated below the Galaxy Note20 Ultra. As in the world of Apple, though, “mainstream” is relative here, with the Note20’s specs (and price) drifting towards the high end of the spectrum.

Accurate exposure in bright to moderate lighting; Accurate white balance; color rendering in stills; High stills detail; especially in bright light; Wide ultra-wide field of view; Good depth estimation and blur quality in portrait mode; Good video exposure; Video detail high and noise low in bright...

There’s a lot to explore with both the Notes, but there’s no doubt they’ll live up to multi-tasking needs whether it’s for work or play. The real test is how all this work and play affects both batteries day-to-day, the Note 20 has a 4,300mAh battery and the Note 20 Ultra gets a 4,500mAh battery. 25-watts super-fast charging comes to both devices and 15watts power share will allow you to share power between devices. The Note 20 comes in either 4G or 5G variants and the Note 20 Ultra is 5G and starts shipping in August. There’s a lot to love about both Notes, and the improvements to the S Pen only strengthens the edge to what is quite a unique smartphone.

It’s easy to love the Note 20’s S-Pen and the fun versatility of its triple-camera array. But its short battery life is testing, as is the sense that Samsung is really seeing how much profit it can squeeze out of each sale with this one, more so than usual.

Versatile three-camera array; S-Pen is brilliant, as ever; Strong performance;

Expensive for a phone with a plastic back; Lower-res screen than other Samsung flagships; Only has a 60Hz display

The Galaxy Note 20 will not be remembered as a high point for the Note series. It loses out on too many of the higher-end elements of Galaxy phones without a commensurate drop in cost.

Fun-to-use cameras; S-Pen is excellent for digital drawing; Powerful, even if it's beaten by the competition;

Mediocre battery life; 60Hz phone in a 90/120Hz world; Flat glass front, plastic back;

If you're looking for a phone with an integrated stylus then there's little better than the note-taking potential of this phone. Sure, its 'glasstic' rear and lack of higher refrsh-rate screen are little red marks against its specification, but you can buy the step-up Ultra model if you see that as a problem - although we prefer the smaller price and smaller camera lump of this 'entry' Note model.

Integrated stylus delivers key point of difference; Great handwriting and notes input; Powerful and fluid operation; Neater design than Ultra version; Versatile and capable camera system;

Lacks a higher refresh-rate screen (it's 60Hz here); 'Glasstic' rear - surely this could be glass on such a flagship?; Air Gestures still a gimmick; Should really be a bigger battery in a phone this size;

"I want the phone with the pen." That's what you hear at my house, full of artists: They want the phone with Samsung's S Pen stylus. If that's all you want, then the Galaxy Note 20 is a fine way to get one. The $999.99 Note 20 isn't as good as the $1,399.99 Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, most notably in terms of camera and display. But it's the phone with the pen that costs less than $1,000, and that will be good enough for some people. That said, I can't help but feel there's not enough here to stand out among Samsung's myriad phone releases this year.Flat Front, Round Pen The Galaxy Note 20 comes in bronze, gray, or green. At 6.3 by 3.0 by 0.3 inches (HWD) and 6.8 ounces, it's not a small phone and will be too wide for many people to use one-handed. If you're looking for a smaller Samsung phone, you really have to go with the standard Galaxy S20 (also $999), but it doesn't support the S Pen. The most controversial part of the Note 20's design is the back, because it's matte plastic. Th...

The S Pen-equipped Galaxy Note 20 strips away some key features from the larger model in exchange for a lower price, but gets a bit lost in Samsung's crowded 2020 phone lineup in the process.

Excellent S Pen stylus; Less expensive than the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and S20+

Middling value for the price; Digital zoom isn't great

The Galaxy Note20 5G is a more affordable option compared to its pricier sibling with much of the same aesthetics and gains access to the same processor, 5G connectivity and the full functionality of the series’ fabled SPen though if you are looking for better value and can live without the stylus,...

Responsive and innovative SPen stylus, good cameras, smooth performance, refined and elegant design

No expandable memory, uses polycarbonate instead of metal and glass, screen capped at 60Hz refresh rate, no 3.5mm audio jack

I hate to say it, but the Galaxy Note 20 is mostly a miss for the South Korean tech giant

Powerful processor, Solid camera, Design looks good

Overpriced, Only 60Hz refresh rate, Plastic back