Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (SM-N950F) vs Samsung Galaxy Note 20 (SM-N980F)

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Side by side comparison between Samsung Galaxy Note 8 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 20 phones, differences, pros, cons and full specifications. What's the better?

9/27/2020 9:18 PM, updated: 11/21/2022 8:01 AM

Compare Samsung Galaxy Note 20 X Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (SM-N950F) 11Points

Specifications Compare Models Pictures

6.3"
AMOLED

1440x2960

12.2
MP

8mp

6GB
RAM

Octa-core

3300
mAh

(Non removable)

21Points Samsung Galaxy Note 20 (SM-N980F) Compare Samsung Galaxy Note 8 X

Specifications Compare Models Pictures

6.7"
AMOLED

1080x2400

12.2
MP

10mp

8GB
RAM

Octa-core

4300
mAh

(Non removable)

What's the better phone? Samsung Galaxy Note 20 (SM-N980F)

The phonemore's choice is much more technical than personal. Therefore, you shouldn't only consider this. Our goal is to help you, but what's important to us may not be important to you. You decide which one is the best! Comment!

11 Advantages Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (SM-N950F)	vs	21 Advantages Samsung Galaxy Note 20 (SM-N980F)
+Until 1TB microSD, microSDXCAdvantage More external storage for files using memory cards	vs	Not supported
+Aluminum frame, glass front/backAdvantage More resistant material	vs	Plastic body, glass front
+1440x2960 pixels64% Higher resolution screen	vs	1080x2400 pixels
+522 PPI33% Crisper display of text, images and videos because it has more pixels per inch (ppi)	vs	393 PPI
+Dual-LED flashAdvantage The Dual-LED flash helps in dark places or in low light	vs	LED flash
+f/1.7 (aperture)6% Diaphragm opening (Aperture) of the camera which has the smallest F number takes photos with better light exposure.	vs	f/1.8 (aperture)
+Heart rateAdvantage Sensors help you use the device	vs	Not supported
+Iris scannerAdvantage Sensors help you use the device	vs	Not supported
+SpO2Advantage Sensors help you use the device	vs	Not supported
+3.5mm jackAdvantage Headsets with 3.5mm Jack size are more common and easy to find in stores	vs	Type-C reversible connector
+FMAdvantage The radio lets you listen to your songs and sports in general	vs	Not supported
2.3GHz 64bit Octa-core (10nm)	vs	+2.73GHz 64bit Octa-core (7nm)28% More powerful processor, you can open your applications faster
6GB LPDDR4X	vs	+8GB LPDDR533% More RAM memory. Typically more responsive and better for multitasking.
64GB (53GB available)	vs	+256GB (221GB available)3 times More internal storage for applications and files
UFS 2.1	vs	+UFS 3.0Advantage Fastest write and read storage.
195 grams (6.83 ounces)	vs	+192 grams (6.72 ounces)2% Lighter
8.6 millimeters (0.34 inches)	vs	+8.3 millimeters (0.33 inches)4% Thinner
HDR10	vs	+HDR10+Advantage The HDR10+ display provides vibrant colors and more details
6.3"	vs	+6.7"6% Larger screen
(dual camera) 12.2MP + 12MP	vs	+(triple camera) 12.2MP + 64MP + 12MP3 times Higher resolution main camera
1/2.55" inches	vs	+1/1.76" inches45% The larger sensor camera lets you take photos with better depth.
(dual front camera) 8MP + 2MP	vs	+(front) 10MP1% Higher resolution secondary camera to take pictures and selfies
4K UHD (3840x2160)	vs	+8K UHD (7680x4320)3 times More image quality for recording videos with the primary camera
(front) 2K UHD (2560x1440)	vs	+(front) 4K UHD (3840x2160)125% More image quality for recording videos with the secondary camera
Android 9.0 Pie	vs	+Android 13Advantage Android 13 is newer and safer
(4G LTE-A) 1024 Mbps	vs	+(4G LTE-A) 2000 Mbps95% Faster for surfing the internet and download files
3300 mAh	vs	+4300 mAh30% Battery - higher amperage (mAh) allows more device usage time, but it also depends on the hardware and use
15W	vs	+25W67% More power (watts) to charge the battery faster. Sometimes, the charger that comes with the device doesn't have the same power supported by the device. Check before you buy it.
Mono sound (not stereo)	vs	+Stereo soundAdvantage Better sound quality for listening to music or clearer hands-free calls
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac [wifi5]	vs	+802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax [wifi6]Advantage WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax [wifi6] is newer and faster
Not supported	vs	+DLNAAdvantage With DLNA technology you can access and play media files on TV, tablet or DLNA compatible device.
USB 3.1 Type-C, USB OTG On-The-Go	vs	+USB 3.2 Type-C, USB OTG On-The-GoAdvantage Newer and faster USB version for transferring photos, mp3 or data.

32 Common items in both devices

Super AMOLED / Super AMOLED Plus

60Hz

16 million

Digital and optical zoom

PDAF on back camera and autofocus front camera / PDAF: phase detection autofocus on both cameras

OIS: Optical stabilization

BSI sensor

+25 specs and more in the table below

Check the comparison table below for more items that are not evaluated in comparison score above.

Highlight differences

📱 Model features
	Galaxy Note 8 (SM-N950F)	Galaxy Note 20 (SM-N980F)
Change model		Choose the model
Model	Galaxy Note 8 (SM-N950F)	Galaxy Note 20 (SM-N980F)
Other model names	Galaxy Note8 N950F Single-Sim, Samsung Baikal	Galaxy Note20 4G-LTE SM-N980F Single-SIM (Exynos)
Country or region available	(Europe), Australia	(Latin America), New Zealand
Brand	Samsung	Samsung
Release date	9/1/2017, Announced: 8/23/2017	8/21/2020, Announced: 8/5/2020
Depth	8.6 millimeters (0.34 inches)	8.3 millimeters (0.33 inches)
Size (width x height)	74.8 x 162.5 millimeters (2.94 x 6.4 in)	75.2 x 161.6 millimeters (2.96 x 6.36 in)
Weight	195 grams (6.83 ounces)	192 grams (6.72 ounces)
Build, materials	Aluminum frame, glass front/back	Plastic body, glass front
Protection against water and others	IP68 certified: water-resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30min and dust-resistant	IP68 certified: water-resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30min and dust-resistant
📲 Display
	Galaxy Note 8 (SM-N950F)	Galaxy Note 20 (SM-N980F)
Display type	Super AMOLED	Super AMOLED Plus
Screen size	6.3" inches	6.7" inches
Screen-to-body ratio	~82.9% (screen-to-body ratio)	~89.2% (screen-to-body ratio)
Display resolution	1440x2960 pixels (18.5:9)	1080x2400 pixels (20:9)
Touchscreen	Capacitive Multitouch 10-points	Capacitive Multitouch 10-points
Pixel density (dot pitch)	522 PPI	393 PPI
Colors	16 million	16 million
Scratch-resistant glass	Gorilla Glass 5	Gorilla Glass 5
Refresh rate	60Hz	60Hz
Display features	HDR10 Always-On Display	HDR10+ Always-On Display
🤖 Operating System
	Galaxy Note 8 (SM-N950F)	Galaxy Note 20 (SM-N980F)
System version	Android 7.1.1 Nougat	Android 10
Firmware update	Android 9.0 Pie	Android 13
User Interface	Grace UX UI	One UI 2.5 / 3.1 / 4.1 / 5.0
⚙️ Processor
	Galaxy Note 8 (SM-N950F)	Galaxy Note 20 (SM-N980F)
Chipset	64bit: Samsung Exynos 8895 (10nm)	64bit: Samsung Exynos 990 (7nm)
CPU	Octa-core, 2 processors: 4x 2.3GHz M2 Mongoose (Quad-core) 4x 1.7GHz ARM Cortex-A53 (Quad-core)	Octa-core, 3 processors: 2x 2.73GHz Mongoose M5 (Dual-core) 2x 2.5GHz ARM Cortex-A76 (Dual-core) 4x 2GHz ARM Cortex-A55 (Quad-core)
GPU graphical controller	ARM Mali-G71 MP20 (546MHz)	ARM Mali-G77 MP11 (800MHz)
Performance (benchmark)	AnTuTu: 262850 (v8) Geekbench: 6748 (v4.4) GFXBench: 13fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)	feature not registered
💽 Memory and storage
	Galaxy Note 8 (SM-N950F)	Galaxy Note 20 (SM-N980F)
RAM memory	6GB LPDDR4X	8GB LPDDR5
Internal storage	64GB (53GB available) UFS 2.1	256GB (221GB available) UFS 3.0
External storage	Until 1TB microSD, microSDXC (dedicated slot)	Not supported
📶 Mobile networks
	Galaxy Note 8 (SM-N950F)	Galaxy Note 20 (SM-N980F)
Dual-SIM	Not supported	Not supported
SIM card	1 slot (Single-SIM) nano-SIM (4FF)	1 slot (Single-SIM) nano-SIM (4FF)
Maximum Download / Upload	1024/150 Mbps	2000/316 Mbps
Network technology	2G, 3G, 4G	2G, 3G, 4G
Frequency, bands	Expand band details Collapse details
GSM MHz band	Quad-Band 850/900/1800/1900	Quad-Band 850/900/1800/1900
Primary 2G network	GSM 850/900/1800/1900	GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Primary 3G network	TD-SCDMA 1900/2000 UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100	UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100
Primary 4G network	LTE Cat16 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28) TD-LTE (38, 39, 40, 41)	LTE Cat20 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 66) TD-LTE (38, 39, 40, 41) VoLTE
Primary 5G network	Not supported	Not supported
Primary data network	GPRS, EDGE, TD-SCDMA, UMTS, TD-HSDPA, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, TD-LTE, LTE, LTE-A	GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, TD-LTE, LTE, LTE-A
Secondary 2G network	Not supported	Not supported
Secondary 3G network	Not supported	Not supported
Secondary 4G network	Not supported	Not supported
Secondary data network	Not supported	Not supported
📷 Camera
	Galaxy Note 8 (SM-N950F)	Galaxy Note 20 (SM-N980F)
Back camera (main camera)	(dual camera) 12.2 megapixels 12MP telephoto f/2.452mm1/3.6"1.0µmAF2x-optical-zoom	(triple camera) 12.2 megapixels 64MP telephoto f/2.027mm1/1.72"0.8µmPDAFOIS3x-hybrid-zoom 12MP ultrawide f/2.2120°13mm1/2.55"1.4µm
Main camera resolution	4032x3024 pixels	4032x3024 pixels
Video recording (primary)	4K UHD (3840x2160) 30 fps	8K UHD (7680x4320) 24 fps
Flash	Dual-LED flash	LED flash
Focal aperture	f/1.7 (aperture)	f/1.8 (aperture)
Focal length	26mm (lens)	26mm (lens)
Sensor size	1/2.55" inches	1/1.76" inches
Pixel size	1.4µm pixel	1.8µm pixel
Autofocus	PDAF on back camera and autofocus front camera	PDAF: phase detection autofocus on both cameras
Touch focus	Supported	Supported
Image stabilization	OIS: Optical stabilization	OIS: Optical stabilization
Zoom	Digital and optical zoom	Digital and optical zoom
Face/smile detection	Face detection, Smile detection	Face detection, Smile detection
BSI sensor	Supported	Supported
HDR	HDR photo/video on both cameras	HDR photo/video on both cameras
Camera extras	feature not registered	4K@60fps 1080p@240fps 720p@960fps
📸 Front camera
	Galaxy Note 8 (SM-N950F)	Galaxy Note 20 (SM-N980F)
Front camera (secondary)	(dual front camera) 8 megapixels 2MP irisscanner	10 megapixels
Front camera resolution	3264x2448 pixels	3872x2592 pixels
Video recording (secondary)	2K UHD (2560x1440)	4K UHD (3840x2160)
Front flash	Not supported	Not supported
Focal aperture	f/1.7 (aperture)	f/2.2 (aperture)
Focal length	25mm (lens)	26mm (lens)
Sensor size	1/3.6" inches	1/3.2" inches
Pixel size	1.22µm pixel	1.22µm pixel
🔉 Sound and multimedia
	Galaxy Note 8 (SM-N950F)	Galaxy Note 20 (SM-N980F)
Loudspeaker	Mono sound (not stereo) 32-bit/384kHz	Stereo sound 32-bit/384kHz Dolby Atmos Tuned by AKG
Active noise cancellation	2 microphones or more	2 microphones or more
Radio	FM	Not supported
TV	Not supported	Not supported
Video formats	MP4, H.265, H.264, H.263, DivX, XviD	MP4, H.265, H.264, H.263, XviD, MKV
Audio formats	MP3, OGG, eAAC+, FLAC	MP3, WAV, WMA, eAAC+, FLAC
🔌 Connectivity
	Galaxy Note 8 (SM-N950F)	Galaxy Note 20 (SM-N980F)
USB	USB 3.1 Type-C, USB OTG On-The-Go	USB 3.2 Type-C, USB OTG On-The-Go
Audio output	3.5mm jack	Type-C reversible connector
TV output	USB Type-C (reversible)	USB Type-C (reversible)
Bluetooth	5.0 + A2DP/LE	5.0 + A2DP/LE
WiFi	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac [wifi5] (2.4GHz, 5GHz) + MIMO WiFi Direct, hotspot	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax [wifi6] (2.4GHz, 5GHz) + MIMO WiFi Direct, hotspot
DLNA	Not supported	Supported
GPS	A-GPS, GeoTagging, GLONASS, GALILEO, BeiDou	A-GPS, GeoTagging, GLONASS, GALILEO, BeiDou
NFC	Supported	Supported
Infrared port	Not supported	Not supported
🧭 Sensors
	Galaxy Note 8 (SM-N950F)	Galaxy Note 20 (SM-N980F)
Sensors	Accelerometer Ambient light sensor ANT+ Barometer Compass Face unlock Fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted) Gyroscope Hall effect Heart rate Iris scanner Proximity sensor SpO2	Accelerometer Ambient light sensor ANT+ Barometer Compass Face unlock Fingerprint sensor (under display) Gyroscope Hall effect Proximity sensor
Vibrating alert	Supported	Supported
🔋 Battery
	Galaxy Note 8 (SM-N950F)	Galaxy Note 20 (SM-N980F)
Battery type	Li-Ion: lithium-ion (Non removable)	Li-Ion: lithium-ion (Non removable)
Battery capacity	3300 mAh	4300 mAh
Charger, watts	15W Wired fast charging Quick Charge 2	25W Wired fast charging USB Power Delivery 3.0
Inductive / wireless charging	Qi wireless charging (Qi/PMA)	15W Qi wireless charging (Qi/PMA) 4.5W Reverse wireless charging
Talk time autonomy	22 hours	feature not registered
Standby	feature not registered	feature not registered
➕ Other features
	Galaxy Note 8 (SM-N950F)	Galaxy Note 20 (SM-N980F)
Call control	Voice dialing, Voice recorder, Voice commands	Voice dialing, Voice recorder, Voice commands
Messaging	SMS (T9), MMS, E-mail, Push mail	SMS (T9), MMS, E-mail, Push mail
Hands-free calling	Supported	Supported
Video calling	Supported	Supported
Ringtones	Polyphonic and customized	Polyphonic and customized
Web browser	HTML, XHTML, HTML5	HTML, XHTML, HTML5
Antenna	Internal antenna	Internal antenna
Qwerty physical keyboard	Not supported	Not supported
Miscellaneous	• Colors: Black, Blue, Gold, Orchid Gray • Samsung DeX (desktop experience) • Curved edge screen • Corning Gorilla Glass 5 back panel • Samsung Gear VR compatible • Samsung Pay	• Colors: Mystic Gray, Mystic Green, Mystic Bronze, Mystic Red, Mystic Blue • Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor • Bixby • Samsung Wireless DeX • Samsung Pay (MST, NFC) • Stylus pen (Bluetooth integration)
☢️ Radiation rate
	Galaxy Note 8 (SM-N950F)	Galaxy Note 20 (SM-N980F)
SAR 1.6W/kg (USA, Mexico, etc.)	feature not registered	feature not registered
SAR 2W/kg (Europe, UK, etc.)	feature not registered	0.359W/kg (head), 1.366W/kg (body)