Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra vs Xiaomi 15 Ultra
The Verdict
Samsung's Galaxy Note 20 Ultra delivers a refined flagship experience with its iconic 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display at 1500 nits and versatile camera system featuring an 108MP main sensor with laser autofocus plus 5x periscope zoom. The Snapdragon 865+ handles everything smoothly, though its 4500 mAh battery with 25W charging feels dated. Xiaomi's 15 Ultra counters with newer hardware: Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, dramatically superior 3200-nit display with 1-120Hz LTPO, and substantially larger 5810 mAh battery supporting 90W wired and 50W wireless charging. Camera comparison favors Xiaomi, offering a 1-inch 50MP sensor with better low-light capability, 200MP telephoto with 5x zoom and OIS, plus superior 8K video at 30fps versus Samsung's 24fps. Xiaomi includes 16GB RAM and up to 1TB storage versus Samsung's 12GB and 512GB maximum. The $300 price gap matters significantly: Xiaomi provides newer Android 15 with HyperOS 2, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.4 against Samsung's dated Android 10 foundation. Samsung's 208g weight advantage and established One UI ecosystem appeal to note-taking fans, but Xiaomi's across-the-board technical superiority, superior battery capacity, and lower price make it the stronger choice for most users seeking current-generation performance.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra if…
- →S Pen with ultra-low 9ms latency
- →120Hz adaptive QHD+ display
- →108 MP camera with 50x Space Zoom
Buy the Xiaomi 15 Ultra if…
- →200MP periscope telephoto with 5x optical zoom rivals Galaxy S25 Ultra
- →1-inch main sensor with Leica optics produces stunning photos
- →Titanium frame gives a premium, durable build
Category Scores
Pros & Cons
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
Pros
- S Pen with ultra-low 9ms latency
- 120Hz adaptive QHD+ display
- 108 MP camera with 50x Space Zoom
- 5x optical periscope telephoto
- Samsung DeX for desktop-like experience
Cons
- Slow 25W charging for a $1299 device
- No charger in the box in some regions
- Large and heavy
- S Pen silo location changed
- microSD slot removed
Xiaomi 15 Ultra
Pros
- 200MP periscope telephoto with 5x optical zoom rivals Galaxy S25 Ultra
- 1-inch main sensor with Leica optics produces stunning photos
- Titanium frame gives a premium, durable build
- 4K@120fps video recording is industry-leading
- 90W fast charging and 50W wireless on a huge 5810 mAh battery
Cons
- Heavy at 229 g and thick at 9.17 mm
- Very expensive at $999 with limited global availability
- HyperOS software experience lags behind iOS and One UI
- Camera bump is extremely large
Full Specifications
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra | Xiaomi 15 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Software | Android 10, One UI 2.5 | Android 15 (HyperOS 2) |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 208 g | 229 g |
| Material | Stainless steel frame, Gorilla Glass Victus | Titanium frame, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Dimensions | 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm | 161.1 x 75.2 x 9.17 mm |
| Camera | ||
| Main camera | 108 MP, f/1.8, OIS, laser AF | 50 MP, f/1.63, OIS (1-inch sensor) |
| Front camera | 10 MP, f/2.2 | 32 MP, f/2.0 |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps | 8K@30fps, 4K@120fps |
| Periscope | 12 MP, f/3.0, 5x optical zoom | — |
| Ultrawide | 12 MP, f/2.2 | 50 MP, f/2.0, 128-degree |
| Telephoto | — | 200 MP, f/2.6, 5x periscope optical zoom, OIS |
| Memory | ||
| RAM | 12 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage options | 128 GB, 512 GB | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB |
| Battery | ||
| Capacity | 4500 mAh | 5810 mAh |
| Charging | 25W wired | 90W wired |
| Wireless charging | 15W wireless | 50W wireless |
| Display | ||
| Size | 6.9 inches | 6.73 inches |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X | LTPO AMOLED |
| Resolution | 3088 x 1440 | 3200 x 1440 |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz | 1-120Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 1500 | 3200 |
| Processor | ||
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.09 GHz + 3x2.42 GHz + 4x1.8 GHz) | Octa-core (2x4.32 GHz + 6x3.53 GHz) |
| GPU | Adreno 650 | Adreno 830 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| Connectivity | ||
| 5G | ||
| NFC | ||
| USB | USB-C 3.2 | USB-C 3.2 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.4 |
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This comparison is based on verified manufacturer specifications covering display, performance, camera, battery, and build quality. Scores are generated by analyzing specs across weighted categories on a 10-point scale. Learn more about our methodology.
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