After the Galaxy S20 Ultra, iFixit repairers dismantled the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Noting some differences in the construction of the two devices, they note the same problems related to the excessive use of glue. Difficult to repair, it gets a low 3 out of 10, the same rating as that of the Galaxy S20 Ultra.
Special mention for Star Wars fans on the motherboard in the shape of AT-AT. Credit: iFixit
The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has received a very favorable review in our columns. Design, performance, autonomy, photo, take-in (with the S-Pen), the high-end smartphone ticks virtually every box. Of course, the phablet is not perfect, since some flaws and clumsiness(including the price)tarnish the portrait. But, overall, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is a good vintage.
Read also – Galaxy Note 20: the battery is almost impossible to replace!
This view is not shared by everyone. For example, the website iFixit, which specializes in dismantling electronic products, this week issued a negative verdict on the product. Of course, the criteria of the repair site are not the same as ours. Indeed, iFixit's opinion is based on the ease, or difficulty, of repairing the tested products and not on the user's grip. And, as with the Galaxy S20 Ultra, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra proves very difficult to repair. He receives the same score: 3 out of 10.
A problem that sticks to Samsung's skin
This result is not really a surprise. The use of glue to seal the phone and ensure its sealing makes opening the mobile very delicate (even if Corning's Gorilla Victus glass resists a lot of abuse). Most importantly, the profusion of glue between the battery and the screen greatly complicates the replacement of both components in the event of a failure. This glue problem is recurrent since the Galaxy S6… The few points won by the Galaxy Note 20 come from the modularity of the other components: USB port type-C, photo modules, connectors, electronic maps).
The Galaxy Note Ultra and the Galaxy Note 20 (since they were disassembled together) receive the same rating as the Galaxy S20 Ultra, but iFixit notes a notable difference between the recent phablets and that of early 2020: the Note 20 Ultra incorporates several layers of graphite under the motherboards. This material is used to dissipate the heat emitted by the chipset and modem, two components with a fiery temperament, and to redirect it outwards (including the aluminum chassis). Graphite here replaces the copper steam chambers usually used by Samsung.
Source: iFixit