A Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra face-off will help you decide between two premium flagship phones that are quite stellar and somewhat similar. In fact, as you’ll see in our Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra review, it’s the most Note-like Galaxy S series phone ever, as it’s the first in that family to support the S Pen.
But if you look deeper, there are lots of key differences between the S21 Ultra and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, from the cameras and the design to the processor and price. Our Galaxy Note 20 Ultra review shows it’s still a formidable handset, but it’s been surpassed in some ways by the newer Samsung. We compared these two phones side by side to help you decide which one is right for you.
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Specs
Galaxy S21 Ultra
Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
Starting price
$1,199
$1,299
Screen size
6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED (3200 x 1440; 10Hz – 120Hz)
6.9 inches Dynamic AMOLED (3088 x 1440; 10Hz -120Hz)
CPU
Snapdragon 888
Snapdragon 865 Plus
RAM
12GB, 16GB
12GB
Storage
128GB, 256GB, 512GB
128GB, 512GB
microSD
No
Yes
Rear cameras
108MP (f/1.8) wide; 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide; 10MP (f/2.4) telephoto with 3x zoom; 10MP (f/4.9) telephoto with 10x zoom
Phantom Silver, Phantom Black, Phantom Navy, Phantom Titanium, Phantom Brown
Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Mystic White
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Price
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is priced at $1,199, which is $200 less than its predecessor. On paper, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is the pricier of these two phones with a retail price of $1,299.
However, with discounts you can find the Note 20 Ultra for as low as $1,049, which is $250 off. We would check out our best Galaxy S21 deals and best Galaxy Note 20 deals pages for the latest sales.
Note that the Galaxy S21 Ultra has three storage options with 128GB, 256GB and 512GB. The 256GB model costs $1,249 and the 512GB version $1,379.
The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has just two storage options. The 512GB version jumps up to $1,449, but it appears to be out of stock at most retailers and carriers.
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Design
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
Newer doesn’t always mean better. I prefer the design the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra over the Galaxy S21 Ultra. That’s because the Note 20 Ultra is thinner, lighter and smaller. The camera bump on the S21 Ultra does integrate better into the back of the phone with Samsung’s contour design, but I’d rather hold and use the Note 20 Ultra.
The S21 Ultra also comes in more colors, including Phantom Silver and Phantom Black, plus Phantom Navy, Phantom Titanium and Phantom Brown through Samsung.com. The Note 20 Ultra comes in just Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Mystic White.
If you want to use an S Pen, the Note 20 Ultra is the obvious choice, because there’s nowhere to put the S Pen on the S21 Ultra unless you spring for a case. And that adds even more bulk to a hefty device.
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Display
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
The displays on the Galaxy S21 Ultra and Note 20 Ultra are fairly similar, with both phones featuring Dynamic AMOLED displays that can scale from 10Hz up to 120Hz for smoother performance. The Note 20 Ultra’s screen is only slightly larger at 6.9 inches, compared to 6.8 inches for the S21 Ultra.
(Image credit: Future)
Both of these screens are sharp and amazingly colorful with ultra-wide viewing angles, but the S21 Ultra pulls ahead with its higher average brightness of 821 nits. The Note 20 Ultra hit 662 nits in our lab.
(Image credit: Future)
However, the Note 20 Ultra’s screen was slightly more colorful, registering 86.1% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, compared to 81.4% for the S21 Ultra. The Note 21 Ultra’s panel also proved a bit more accurate, as it achieved a Delta-E score of 0.24 (0 is perfect); the S21 Ultra scored 0.35.
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Cameras
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
The Galaxy S21 Ultra is the camera you want if you’re looking for the most powerful zoom. It packs two telephoto zoom lenses, which can achieve 3x hybrid zoom and 10x optical and up to 100x digital Space Zoom.
Now, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is no slouch in this department, as it features a 5x optical zoom and 30x Space Zoom, but it simply doesn’t go as far. In addition, the S21 Ultra has a zoom lock feature that can help capture steadier shots.
Both the Galaxy S21 Ultra and Note 20 Ultra feature a super sharp main 108MP camera, as well as a 12MP ultrawide camera. However, the S21 Ultra is designed to offer better performance in low light, and it also delivers improvements with its portrait mode.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra also sports a sharper front camera at 40MP, compared to 10MP for the Note 20 Ultra. When it comes to image quality, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is better in almost every way.
With this bowl a fruit, the S21 Ultra produces a brighter image, so the oranges in particular look more vibrant. The apple in the S21 Ultra shot is almost too bright, as you lose some definition in the skin compared to the Note 20 Ultra, but overall the S21 Ultra produces a more pleasing photo.
I used the Night mode on both phones for this photo, which illuminated only by a nearby street lamp. It’s not a dramatic difference, but I do appreciate that the sky appears brighter and the tree to the right looks a bit sharper and has more contrast in the foreground. Both phones do a fairly good job overall, though, especially with the footsteps in the snow.
In this photo of a small lucky bamboo plant, I actually prefer the Note 20 Ultra’s photo because of the way it deals with the light streaming through the window. The bright points at the top of the leaves make the shot look more compelling. The S21 Ultra’s pic is too uniform throughout.
This is where the Note 20 Ultra really starts to fall behind. This portrait looks completely blown out compared to the S21 Ultra. It looks like there’s a white haze or film over the whole scene. Whereas the S21 Ultra does a better job capturing a more accurate dark blue in my jacket; my face also has a warmer tone than in the Note’s shot.
At 10x zoom, the Galaxy S21 Ultra delivers more detail and more accurate hues in this shot of a tree with some bird and squirrel feeders. The Note 20 Ultra struggles with the bark and the feeder in the top left of the frame gets almost completely lost along the edges.
Once we get to 50x zoom, it’s no contest. The Note 20 Ultra’s photo is so blurry and hazy it looks like an impressionist painting. The bark and feeder both look a lot clearer in the S21 Ultra photo.
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Performance
(Image credit: Future)
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra packs a newer Snapdragon 888 processor, while the Note 20 Ultra is powered by a Snapdragon 865 chip, so it’s not a big surprise that the S21 Ultra offers better performance. But it’s not a huge gap.
For example, on our video editing test, which involves transcoding a 4K video clip to 1080p using the Adobe Premiere Rush app, the Galaxy S21 Ultra took 1 minute and 2 seconds to complete the task. The Note 20 Ultra needed a little bit longer at 1:16.
On Geekbench 5, which measures overall performance, the S21 Ultra scored 3,400 on the multi-core portion of the test, compared to 3,294 for the Note 20 Ultra.
However, the Galaxy S21 Ultra may be the better option for gamers, as it scored considerably higher on the 3DMark Wild Life graphics test. It notched an average of 33 frames per second, while the Note 20 Ultra mustered only 24.9 fps.
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Battery life
(Image credit: Future)
Both the Galaxy S21 Ultra and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra will get you through a full day on a charge, especially if you use the 60Hz display mode on each phone. But the S21 Ultra has longer endurance overall.
On the Tom’s Guide battery test, which consists of continuous web surfing over 5G on 150 nits of screen brightness, the Galaxy S21 Ultra lasted an impressive 11 hours and 25 minutes in 60Hz screen mode. That’s good enough to land this device on our best phone battery life list. With the display’s adaptive mode on, which goes up to 120Hz, the runtime dropped to a still-good 10:07.
The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra didn’t fare as well in our testing, as it lasted 10:26 in 60Hz screen mode and 7:59 with the adaptive mode turned on. That’s a pretty big drop.
The S21 Ultra and Note 20 Ultra both offer fast 25W charging, but only the Note comes with a charger in the box.
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Special features
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
The most special thing about the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is its S Pen, but now that the Galaxy S21 Ultra supports S Pen input, what’s the difference?
For one, you have to buy the S Pen separately with the S21 Ultra. A combo case and S Pen costs $69.99. Plus, this case adds bulk to an already hefty phone, and the S Pen doesn’t support Bluetooth. A separate S Pen Pro will be coming later.
The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is the phone to get if you want to expand storage, as it offers a microSD card slot. Samsung got rid of this perk on the S21 Ultra along with a bundled charger.
The S21 Ultra does have some welcome special features, such as its more powerful Space Zoom and zoom lock feature. In addition, there’s a handy object eraser feature in the camera software and a Director’s View feature on the S21 Ultra when recording video, which allows you to record using the front and back cameras at the same time.
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Verdict
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
If I were paying with my own money, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is the clear winner. It offers a brighter display, longer battery life and especially better cameras. The image quality difference is pretty stark, especially when taking portraits and zooming in outdoors.
If you want to use an S Pen with your next phone, I would recommend the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra instead. Yes, the Galaxy S21 Ultra supports the S Pen, but I would rather have it built in to the phone without needing a bulky case.
Overall, though, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is the better value.
The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.
The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.
However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”
Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.
At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.
A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”
Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.
Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.
Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.
While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.
Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.
The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
