Galaxy Note 10 Lite, Note 10, Note 20 go head-to-head for under $1,000

There have never been as many Galaxy Note options on the market as there are now. If you’ve never owned a Galaxy Note model and you’re considering making a change, now might be the best time to do it; even more so if the latest rumors turn out to be true and the Galaxy Note 20 will be the last of it kind.

The S Pen will not go away anytime soon but the Galaxy Note series might go through drastic changes next year. Certain reports suggest that the S Pen will become a Galaxy S and/or Galaxy Fold accessory while the Galaxy Note series will be discontinued. And with the end of the year bringing various discounts along with it, you might never get a better chance of owning a Galaxy Note model before it may be phased out.

Now, we don’t advise smartphone users to decide making purchases based on early rumors but regardless of the series’ future, the end of 2020 is the first time in a decade when Samsung fans have the option of choosing from three relatively new Galaxy Note models that cost under $1,000. They are the Galaxy Note 10 Lite, the Galaxy Note 10, and the Galaxy Note 20, and today we’ll be taking a quick look at some of the reasons why you may want to buy one model over the others.

Reasons to pick the Galaxy Note 10 Lite

If you’ve never owned a Galaxy Note model and you’d like to buy one as your secondary driver rather than fully committing to the S Pen then the Galaxy Note 10 Lite might be your best choice. It’s the most affordable Galaxy Note model from the three and you can generally find it unlocked for around €450-470, though it’s worth noting that it’s the only model listed here to lack an IP rating for dust and water resistance and DeX support.

Other noteworthy characteristics include all-day battery life, compatibility with Samsung Pay via MST and NFC, a decent main camera combo and good performance. It’s also the only Galaxy Note model of the three to still offer a standard 3.5mm audio port, and it has the largest battery with a capacity of 4,500mAh.

The Galaxy Note 10 Lite was released running Android 10 and One UI 2.5. This technically makes it eligible for three major Android OS updates up to Android 13, whereas the full-fledged Galaxy Note 10 is only guaranteed to receive Android 12.

Galaxy Note 10 Lite review

Reasons to pick the Galaxy Note 10

You’ll find that the base Galaxy Note 10 model costs about the same as the standard Galaxy Note 20 variant in most markets but you might want to pick the 2019 model over the sequel for a few reasons.

To begin with, the Galaxy Note 10 is the only model of the three to have a premium finish with a glass back panel. The Galaxy Note 10 Lite and the Galaxy Note 20 have a plastic back panel instead. Similarly, the Galaxy Note 10 offers Gorilla Glass 6 protection whereas the Galaxy Note 10 Lite and Galaxy Note 20 have Gorilla Glass 3 and Glass 5, respectively.

If you’re buying your S Pen device in the USA then the Galaxy Note 10 offers the most storage for the price. It has 256GB whereas the Galaxy Note 20 in the USA ships with 128GB.

Lastly, the Galaxy Note 10 is the only model to have a curved display wrapping around the side edges, though this might not necessarily be an advantage for a device that ships with a S Pen.

Galaxy Note 10 review

Reasons to pick the Galaxy Note 20

Last but not least, you should aspire towards the Galaxy Note 20 if you’re looking for the most modern S Pen experience for under $1,000. The new model has an improved S Pen with a lower, 26ms latency, down from the Galaxy Note 10’s 42ms.

The display is larger compared to the 2019 model as it clocks in at 6.7 inches but the resolution is nearly the same. The display’s flat design is arguably a better choice for an input device like the S Pen, but you won’t be gaining any additional frames as the panel remains limited to a 60Hz refresh rate.

Because it’s the most recent model of the three, the Galaxy Note 20 will benefit from the best firmware support and it’s guaranteed to receive three major Android OS updates throughout its lifetime.

Galaxy Note 20 review

Which one of these three Galaxy Note models do you think would make for a good sub-$1,000 choice for people who haven’t experienced the S Pen before? Join us in the comment section and refer to the device comparison widget below for a better look at what makes these three Galaxy Note models tick.