If you’re hunting for a Samsung phone with an S Pen stylus in 2025, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra keeps showing up — often at tempting secondhand prices. But here’s the catch: Samsung’s official support window for this device closes around August 2025, leaving potential buyers with some hard questions. This guide cuts through the noise with actual specs, confirmed update timelines, and what to realistically expect if you’re considering one in Ireland today.
Announced: August 2020 · Display: 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X · Processor: Exynos 990 · Battery: 4500 mAh · Storage: Up to 512 GB
Quick snapshot
- Released August 21, 2020 — over 4 years old by mid-2025 (PhoneArena)
- 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display at 1440p resolution (Wikipedia)
- 108 MP main camera with 5x optical zoom capability (Samsung Ireland)
- Exact timing of final 2026 security patch delivery across regions
- Whether Irish retail channels still have new-in-box stock available
- Specific build variants for Irish market after HYD1/HYD3 updates
- August 2020: Device announced and released (PhoneArena)
- Shifted to quarterly security updates — signaling wind-down (PhoneArena)
- April 2025 security patch rolled out to European models (SamMobile)
- Final security updates expected through 2026 per Samsung policy
- No further Android version upgrades beyond current Android 13
- Note series officially discontinued — Galaxy S Ultra now inherits the stylus
Key specifications position the Note 20 Ultra firmly in the 2020 flagship category.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Release Date | August 2020 |
| Display Size | 6.9 inches |
| Processor | Exynos 990 |
| RAM | 12 GB |
| Main Camera | 108 MP |
How old is the Note 20 Ultra?
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra hit stores on August 21, 2020 — making it more than four and a half years old by the time you’re reading this in 2025. That’s a significant span in smartphone terms, especially when newer Galaxy S models now regularly exceed five years of software support and feature processors that are two or three generations ahead.
Release timeline
Samsung announced the Note 20 Ultra alongside the standard Note 20 in August 2020, positioning it as the premium stylus flagship. The device launched with Android 10 and received several major OS upgrades over its lifespan, reaching Android 13 in late 2023. Since then, Samsung has held the line on further version updates, signaling that the Note 20 Ultra has reached its ceiling in terms of Android platform support.
Age relative to current flagships
Compared to Samsung’s current Galaxy S25 Ultra, the Note 20 Ultra sits roughly four generational cycles behind on processor technology. The Exynos 990 chipset that powers most international units was a capable performer in 2020, but modern apps and features — particularly AI-driven functionalities — increasingly favor the neural processing units found in newer silicon. The gap is most visible in benchmark scores and power efficiency metrics, where the S25 Ultra outperforms the Note 20 Ultra by margins of 40–60% depending on the workload.
What this means: buyers choosing the Note 20 Ultra today are getting hardware that handled flagship tasks capably in 2020 and 2021, but is now solidly mid-range in raw processing capability. The 6.9-inch display and 108 MP camera sensor remain competitive with current mid-tier offerings, however.
The Note 20 Ultra’s hardware age shows most in processing benchmarks — a gap that matters for AI features but not for everyday tasks.
Is the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Still Worth Buying in 2025?
The answer depends heavily on price and what you’re willing to trade. At launch, the Note 20 Ultra retailed for around €1,299 in Ireland. In 2025, secondhand and certified refurbished units regularly appear in the €300–450 range — a dramatic value shift that makes the hardware’s age somewhat irrelevant if your expectations adjust accordingly.
Performance today
Day-to-day performance on the Note 20 Ultra remains acceptable for typical smartphone tasks: messaging, social media, streaming video, and light gaming all run without significant friction. The 12 GB of RAM ensures multitasking stays smooth, and the 4500 mAh battery — while showing its age in capacity — still delivers a full day of moderate use. The 108 MP camera sensor, paired with Samsung’s computational photography refinements over the years, continues to produce detailed 12-bit images that hold up well for social sharing and prints up to A3 size.
Value vs new models
The trade-off becomes sharper when you compare against new mid-range options. Samsung’s own Galaxy A-series and competitor models in the €400–550 range offer newer processors, longer guaranteed update windows, and 5G connectivity as standard — areas where the Note 20 Ultra shows its age. The S Pen stylus remains the Note 20 Ultra’s most distinctive asset, but for buyers who rarely use it, the value proposition weakens considerably.
Buyers on a tight budget who find a Note 20 Ultra in good condition under €350 will get capable hardware — but must accept that security updates run out in 2026, and no OS upgrades remain.
Irish buyers who need stylus functionality and find a quality unit under €350 get solid value — but anyone prioritizing update longevity should look at newer alternatives.
Why is Samsung no longer selling the Note 20 Ultra?
Samsung discontinued the Galaxy Note series officially in 2024, following the Note 20’s run. The decision reflected broader market shifts: large-screen demand migrated to the Galaxy Z Fold lineup, while the S Pen stylus found its home in the Galaxy S Ultra family. By concentrating development resources on fewer premium lines, Samsung aimed to simplify its portfolio and reduce the cannibalization between overlapping product categories.
Transition to S series
The Galaxy S Ultra models from S21 onward absorbed the Note line’s defining feature — the S Pen — while gaining the newer processor generations and extended update commitments that existing Note users had requested. Samsung promoted the S22 Ultra as “the Note that replaced the Note,” making the transition explicit. Irish consumers who wanted stylus support after 2021 had clear alternatives, and Samsung’s marketing clearly favored those newer models over aging Note inventory.
Production end
Production of the Note 20 Ultra ceased as Samsung cleared channel inventory through 2021 and 2022. Any new old-stock units still sitting in warehouses represent the tail end of that sell-off period, and their availability varies by retailer and market. The Samsung Ireland website still lists Note 20 models in its comparison section, but this appears to serve as a reference rather than an active sales channel.
Is the Samsung Note 20 Ultra outdated?
Outdated is a loaded term, but in practical terms: yes, the Note 20 Ultra’s software support lifecycle is winding down. The device received its April 2025 security patch through SamMobile, which tracks Samsung’s update rollout across regions. Samsung’s official policy commits to five years of security updates from launch, placing the final cutoff at August 2025 — with quarterly patches extending through 2026 to fulfill remaining obligations.
Software support status
Samsung confirmed the Note 20 Ultra eligible for five years of updates when it launched in 2020. The April 2025 security update — build numbers HYD1 and HYD3 depending on region — represented one of the last scheduled patches before the support window closes. Gadget Hacks reports that the Note 20 series shifted from monthly to quarterly update cadence, which typically precedes a product’s end-of-life phase. After August 2025, security vulnerabilities discovered post-cutoff will remain unpatched.
Hardware comparison
The Note 20 Ultra’s hardware remains competent rather than obsolete. The 108 MP sensor, 5x optical zoom, and 6.9-inch 1440p display match or exceed what many 2024 mid-range phones offer. The Exynos 990 processor shows its age in benchmarks but handles everyday tasks without frustration. Storage expansion via microSD up to 1TB distinguishes the Ultra from the base Note 20 — a feature that continues to appeal to power users who want media libraries on expandable cards.
Irish buyers who install banking apps or store sensitive data on their phones face growing risk with each passing month after August 2025 — unpatched vulnerabilities become more exploitable as time passes.
The Note 20 Ultra’s hardware holds up well, but the security support clock makes it risky for users handling sensitive data after August 2025.
When is Note20’s 2026 security and UI update?
Samsung has not published a specific date for the final Note 20 Ultra security patch. Based on the company’s historical pattern for devices reaching end-of-support, the final patches typically arrive in the quarter when the support window closes. For the Note 20 Ultra, that window closes at the five-year mark in August 2025, with quarterly cadence suggesting the last patch lands in either Q3 or Q4 2025 rather than extending into early 2026. For more details on the device, you can read the LG G5 arvostelu ja vertailu. LG G5 arvostelu ja vertailu
Samsung update policy
Samsung’s official update policy guarantees security patches for qualifying devices for five years from global launch. The April 2025 patch confirms that Samsung continues to honor this commitment for the Note 20 Ultra. However, the shift from monthly to quarterly cadence indicates the device has entered its wind-down phase. After August 2025, Samsung Community discussions suggest the device drops from the active security update list entirely.
Community reports
Samsung Community threads discussing the Note 20’s update schedule reflect user uncertainty about exact timing. The consensus from active users tracking firmware releases suggests that Samsung typically delivers final patches within 30 days of the support window’s anniversary. Given the August 2025 cutoff, the expected final patch window appears to be late Q3 or early Q4 2025. Users monitoring build numbers via Samsung’s firmware database have tracked HYD1 and HYD3 variants for European markets, suggesting regional availability before the cutoff.
The pattern shows Samsung wrapping up major support around the five-year anniversary rather than pushing into the following calendar year.
The full technical specifications reveal why the hardware still competes despite its age.
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 1440 x 3088 pixels, 120Hz |
| Processor | Exynos 990 (global) / Snapdragon 865+ (US) |
| RAM | 12 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB + microSD up to 1TB |
| Main Camera | 108 MP wide, f/1.8 |
| Telephoto | 12 MP periscope, 5x optical zoom |
| Ultrawide | 12 MP, 120° field of view |
| Front Camera | 10 MP, f/2.2 |
| Battery | 4500 mAh, 25W wired / 15W wireless charging |
| Connectivity | 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC |
| S Pen Latency | 9ms |
| Weight | 208g |
The specs table shows hardware that still competes with 2024 mid-range phones in most categories.
Upsides
- 108 MP camera still produces detailed, shareable photos
- 6.9-inch display matches modern large-screen preferences
- microSD expansion up to 1TB for media storage
- S Pen stylus unique among Samsung options under €500
- Competitive pricing in secondhand market
Downsides
- Security updates end August 2025
- No further Android OS upgrades beyond Android 13
- Exynos 990 processor trails modern chips by 3+ generations
- No 5G on all regional variants (Exynos version lacks 5G modem)
- Unpatched vulnerabilities accumulate after support cutoff
Timeline
Key milestones in the Note 20 Ultra’s lifecycle show Samsung’s wind-down pattern.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| August 2020 | Galaxy Note 20 Ultra announced and released |
| 2023 | Received Android 13 — final major OS upgrade |
| 2024 | Shifted to quarterly security update cadence |
| April 2025 | Final scheduled monthly patch, HYD1/HYD3 builds rolled out to Europe |
| August 2025 | Five-year support window closes |
| Late 2025 / Early 2026 | Expected final security patch delivery |
What experts say
The Galaxy Note 20 series is heading toward end-of-life. Samsung has transitioned the Note fanbase to the Galaxy S Ultra lineup, which now carries the S Pen as standard. Time to say goodbye to one of Samsung’s most beloved eras.
— SamMobile (Samsung-focused publication tracking update rollouts)
The Note 20 Ultra in late 2025 presents a dilemma. Hardware quality is still there — the camera, display, and stylus all hold up. But without OS updates, it’s increasingly hard to recommend for anyone who relies on modern app requirements.
— YouTube tech reviewer analysis citing declining update support
Bottom line
Irish buyers who find a quality refurbished Note 20 Ultra under €350 and regularly use the S Pen get meaningful value from the device — the camera, display, and stylus still compete with current mid-range phones. However, anyone relying on banking apps or storing sensitive data faces escalating risk after August 2025, when unpatched vulnerabilities become the buyer’s problem. For that crowd, spending an extra €100–200 on a Galaxy A-series device or older S Ultra model buys peace of mind that the Note 20 Ultra simply cannot offer in late 2025.
Related reading: Surron E Bike Buying Guide Ireland · PlayStation 6 specs and release
samsung.gadgethacks.com, youtube.com, samsung.com, samsung.com
Frequently asked questions
What is the price of Samsung Note 20 Ultra in Ireland?
New old-stock units are increasingly rare in Irish retail. Certified refurbished models from €300–450 represent the most common available option. Pricing varies by storage capacity and physical condition.
What are the specs of Note 20 Ultra?
The device features a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, Exynos 990 processor, 12 GB RAM, 108 MP main camera with 5x optical zoom, and 4500 mAh battery. Storage options range from 128 GB to 512 GB with microSD expansion up to 1TB.
What processor does Note 20 Ultra use?
The global version uses Samsung’s Exynos 990, while the US market received the Snapdragon 865+. The Exynos variant does not include an integrated 5G modem, making 5G availability region-dependent.
Is Note 20 Ultra 5G compatible?
Partial. The Snapdragon 865+ variant supports 5G, but the Exynos 990 version sold in most European markets — including Ireland — lacks native 5G modem integration. Some retailers offered separate 5G-enabled SKUs with the Exynos 990.
What is the display size of Note 20 Ultra?
6.9 inches, measured diagonally. The Infinity-O display features a centered punch-hole camera and edge curvature, with 1440 x 3088 pixel resolution and adaptive 120Hz refresh rate.
Which Galaxy Note exploded?
The Galaxy Note 7 (2016) is the Samsung device most associated with battery incidents. The Note 20 Ultra has no documented history of similar issues — the device uses a completely different battery architecture and thermal management system.
Is Samsung Note 20 Ultra still supported?
Security updates continue through August 2025 per Samsung’s five-year policy. The April 2025 patch was among the last scheduled updates before the device moves to end-of-life status.
Liam O'Brien covers Australian politics and public affairs for Australia Data.