This is my biggest wish for the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
The new Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is the phone that many people have been anticipating for quite a while.
I reviewed it and loved pretty much everything about it: it's a powerhouse, it has a brilliant camera system that can now do long-range zoom, it performs extremely smoothly, and the S Pen now comes in its most responsive version yet, a joy to use for casual note-takers and artists.
But as you might have noticed in that detailed review, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is not exactly a battery champ. Despite having a large, 4,500mAh battery inside, the Exynos model that we have tested just doesn't last very long. With average use, it will get you through a day, but... not much more! And heavier use tends to drain the battery even quicker.
All of this has a logical explanation: the new 120Hz refresh rate! After using it for a while, for me, this is the killer feature: the fast refresh rate just makes everything run so much smoother and it eliminates those tiny bits of stutter in Samsung's interface that have been an annoyance for quite a while. It is a transformative feature. But the 120Hz option also results in a big hit on battery life, even if now the phone is able to automatically fall back to a lower refresh rate and conserve some power when you are not scrolling around (the S20 Ultra was the first Samsung phone with a 120Hz screen and it ran at a fixed 120Hz rate).
I can already guess what our dear commentators would be quick to point out: "Okay, Victor, it's easy to criticize, but do you suggest a solution, something to actually remedy this problem, or are you just here to bash Samsung?"
The solution, dear reader, is something simple that I fail to understand why Samsung hasn't done so far: give us, users, a 90Hz option!
I have been using the new Asus Zenfone 7 Pro for a short while, and it is a brilliant new phone that appears to run in the same buttery smooth manner as the Note but... at 90 Hertz. Honestly, while I can notice the difference between 60Hz and 90Hz, I find it hard to notice the difference between 90Hz and 120Hz. Previously, I was impressed by the performance of the OnePlus 8, which also runs at 90 Hertz.
Both those phones have excellent battery life AND smooth moves. And while I sure don't mind a 120Hz option like the Note 20 Ultra provides for extra smoothness, I would like to see Samsung give users a slightly less battery-draining option that would help get much better battery life. Anyone with me on this?
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