Camera test: S21 Ultra vs. Note20 Ultra

Portraits

Both phones have faux bokeh modes, but only the one on the Note20 Ultra is still called 'Live focus', while the S21 Ultra adopts the more common 'Portrait' name.

Naming aside, the two modes behave similarly. There are two magnifications to choose from, and both are captured on the main camera - one is its native field of view, the other is a zoomed-in 2x-ish magnification. The latter is the default on both phones, and it offers a better perspective and shooting distance.

It doesn't help with detail, however - as we already showed, the 2x zoom level is about the least likable for daylight shot detail, so it's no surprise that these images don't quite stand up well to pixel-level scrutiny. An S21 or an S20 non-Ultra take more detailed zoomed-in portraits.

The Note's images have warmer skin tones, with a faint pink-red tint to them, while the S21 Ultra is a bit more conservative and realistic. That approach continues into the skin texture, where the new phone maintains a more detailed, grittier rendition, whereas the Note20 Ultra prefers smoother, more flattering cheekbones. Both phones do a great job with subject detection and separation, and the default blur level is just right, in our opinion.

Portrait mode samples, crop mode: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

The wide mode leverages the camera's full resolution potential, and the shots are consequently sharper and more detailed. The apparent parity in subject detection remains, as do the differences in skin tones and texture.

Portrait mode samples, wide mode: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

Low-light portraits turn out to be a difficult task for either phone, be it in crop mode or in wide mode. Still, the Note manages to deliver slightly sharper results in both scenarios.

Portrait mode samples, low light, crop mode: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

Portrait mode samples, low light, wide mode: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

Subject detection is generally competent with non-human subjects as well. The Note appears to be slightly better - it's defined the street sign's left edge where the S21 Ultra hasn't managed to, and hasn't failed the torture test with the flower quite as badly.

Portrait mode samples, non-human subjects, crop mode: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

In wide mode, it's hard to point a difference in the two phone's results.

Portrait mode samples, non-human subjects, wide mode: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

Selfies

As part of this year's shift in facial features processing, the S21 Ultra applies the same closer-to-reality take to selfies. You'll get more detail and texture in your pictures (yeah, wrinkles too), and we ultimately like the level of detail.

The Note's approach brings smoother skin (with all the beautification turned off to the best of our ability) and a bit less detail. The S21 Ultra handles backlit scenes with a lot more grace and will expose your face properly, the Note - not so much.

Selfie samples: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra • Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

Portraits have a comparable level of subject separation competence between the two phones. That is to say, if you look closely, you'll find imperfections around clothes lines and stray hair can look unnaturally blurred on occasion, but neither camera will clip your ear into blurry oblivion.

Selfie portrait samples: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra • Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

Low-light selfies have never been a strong suit for Samsungs, and we're not loving the ones we're getting out of the Ultras - in our admittedly pretty demanding scene, that is. The Note managed to deliver a sharper photo, albeit pretty noisy, and it also got the colors right. Meanwhile, the S21 Ultra's sample is soft and with a pink color shift.

Selfie samples, low light: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

Things are looking a little better in Night mode, with both phones producing similarly sharp results.

Selfie samples, low light, Night mode: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra

Portrait mode, in the dark, why not? The Note has a minor advantage in this test, with the S21 Ultra still not managing to deliver a sharp photo. The new phone has a Night Portrait mode, however, and that improves its result, though we'd still pick the Note's image out of the three.

Selfie samples, low light, Portrait mode: Note20 Ultra • S21 Ultra • S21 Ultra (Night portrait)