50 PCWorld OCTOBER 2020REVIEWS SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 20 ULTRA
The laser zoom is so fast and precise, the center of subjects are often too in focus, leaving blurry edges.48MP on the S20 Ultra), the Note 20 Ultra
takes better zoom shots.
The other big improvement is with
autofocus. Focusing was an issue with the
Galaxy S20 Ultra that has never been
satisfactorily resolved. For the newgeneration, Samsung added a laser
autofocus sensor to the Note 20 Ultra. It
makes a huge difference over the S20 Ultra
and is a far more useful fourth lens than a
macro or depth one. I’ve never used a
phone that focused this quickly without
needing to tap the screen, and
it helps all aspects of the Note.
However, at times it works a
little too well. When the
foreground is similar to what’s
behind it, the Note 20
occasionally locked onto the
wrong part of the picture. Other
cameras were smarter. When it
got it right, photos often had an
aggressive bokeh effect even
without using Live Focus. In the
photo of the flower above, for
example, the back petals areEven without a dedicated time-of-flight sensor, the Note 20 Ultra
(left) takes portraits that are as crisp as the S20 Ultra’s.