Hitting the high note

Did anyone ask for this size of a phone? Probably not. But the fact that it exists is reason to believe that big might just be better. At least for Samsung!

- Nishant Padhiar

The first thing you notice about the Note20 Ultra is the newly coined Mystic Bronze finish. It’s matte, fingerprint resistant and oh-so-sexy. It’s doing what Space Grey did a few years ago and we wanted all our gadgets in matching finishes. The 6.9in display does make for large dimensions and awkward hand positions just to pick up the Note20 Ultra from a desk. Don’t even try thinking your hands are big enough for onehanded use. This is a phone unapologetically for those who want to be seen.

The triple-lens camera housing around the back is perhaps its most distinguishing feature after the Mystic Bronze finish and it might not be an accident. With Apple continually churning our camera module designs that become instantly recognisable on screen, in a crowd or from a distance, Samsung is clearly hoping to create its own identity for the Note20 Ultra while being pressed against someone’s ear. No matter how you look at it, the Note20 exudes premiumness and commands a second look.

The 108MP wide (ƒ/1.8), 12MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom (ƒ/3.0) and the 12MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.2) create quite a bump at the back, along with the laser auto-focus.

To infinity and beyond

The curved screen, dubbed the edge Infinity-O is made of Corning’s new Gorilla Glass Victus, said to be the toughest ever glass made for a smartphone and up to 4x more scratch-resistant than its competitors. 6.9in is a lot but the Edge Panels make shortcuts easy.