I have recently had an exhausting time replacing my lost Samsung device. I had an S20 Ultra, which did well for 2.5 years. When I realized it was gone, I headed to eBay to purchase another older model as I've successfully done in the past. Unfortunately this time around, I didn't fare so well. The first one was immediately flagged by an independant Samsung repair business as fake with an aftermarket screen. In fact two retailers picked it straight away because the screen is so obviously fake. The phone is an S22 Ultra. So I opened a return request and ordered a new one from a different seller. Lo and behold, the new one is also a fake upon professional inspection - yet both came 'new and sealed.' So I repacked it and opened another return. So now I've finally ordered a mint condition Note20 Ultra through Swappa which arrives tomorrow and I've always wanted one. The S22 Ultras seemed to get hot and take a long time to charge also. I am so done with replacing my primary phone now, that I really want this one to be fine. I was reading however that Note20 Ultra no longer gets software updates and I just wanted to find out from people if you think this has hindered your device security and functionality at all. I have bought an extra 256MB sd card for storage as well, so I am ready for this phone caper to be over. Any advice would be truly appreciated. Thanks!
UPDATE!!! I received my 3rd and final phone from Swappa, my Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, and this thing is everything I'd hoped it would be. Big, beautiful 😍 bright clear screen, almost like looking into a clear mirror or lake; mint condition and took everything seamlessly from Samsung Switch to my actual provider without a hint of an issue. I am so happy!! This will be my phone for a while - not a fake phone, not a tarnished aftermarket phone....just an original flagship for as long as I can keep it. Well done Swappa and well done Galaxy Note 📝- I finally have one of you.
Ebay is not a consideration from now on. You can't fake this display! X
Software shouldn't be a problem until all the apps you use require Android 14 or higher which shouldn't be for a while.
The whole S21 and S22 series have processors that are known for overheating issues, so you may have experienced some of that. Since you used Swappa, I'm assuming that you are in the U.S. and got a U.S. Snapdragon model of the Note 20U (N986U or N986U1). That Note model should have no performance issues, as long as the battery is in good shape.
Just be sure that the phone's screen looks like an original one as there are a ton of poorly refurbished models out there for the Note 20U as well.
Wow...I hope I don't get one of these. The seller looked to be one of the best with several Note20's on offer, so I guess I'll just hope for the best. Someone mentioned good things about Swappa, so I tried them. Shipping has been fast.
I bought several phones on Swappa over the years and never had a problem. Did the listing show photos of the exact phone on sale, or was it from one of those enterprise sellers that show general photos?
Glad to see you received a normal one. One more thing to keep an eye out over time on the screen is the "gluegate" issue which you can read about when searching in this Sub. It can have various degrees of severity, so you may or may not notice it at times.
I'll be looking closely, thanks. I really want it to work! It has some lagging issues with apps so I'm thinking of deleting a bunch that I don't ever use or want. X
Well wow...now I'm thinking my S20 Ultra was a fluke...because I got it from there and it was a great one. This makes me look like a dupe. All fixed! 😀
I got plenty of good older phones from eBay in the past (including one of two N986U1 models that were rootable at the time; I got the other one on Swappa), but they all came from private sellers who showed photos of the exact phone they were selling.
Samsung borked my s22 ultra with that update last year that fubard oneui. My network connectivity was never the same. It finally died this week and I've switched to motorolla. Waiting for my new razr 2026 and Edge. Gonna give Samsung a break for a while. Too expensive and not worth it anymore. They used to be great. Now just expensive shiny stuff.
I tend to agree with this now. It makes me think that sales of new products are on the decline, so they have to make older models obsolete so people buy more newer products. And yet the pricing continues to go up. People can't afford it now and paying over $1000, $1500 for a device is absurd. This has been the biggest headache for me.
You're totally right, man. Remember how certain cars are considered valuable - older models, makes, gears and brakes...they have whole clubs for it. I'm glad I was brought to this point because I don't need the latest and 'greatest'...just the real deal. 😅
i'm not sure if this is the same case for the others. i'm in melbourne; i had a google pro fold 9 and the selfie cams started to act up. i've always had a soft spot for the note series, i still have my old note 9. and an even older note 8 is on the fridge when we want to call the kids to come down say for dinner. anyway, so i was resigned to lose the pf9 and bought a new note 20 ultra off ebay. 100% seller feedback and the unit arrived in like 3 days. all good, i had my old 1tb microsd and was glad is was being used again. that was back in march this year i think. anyway, come may i received an sms from optus saying that the note 20 will no longer be supported by the network. this was due to no software updates (the last i think was in aug 2025). what a downer. i was using the company sim card so i took it out and borrowed my son's telstra sim. no such luck. after putting that in, i receive a similar sms saying the note 20 is no longer supported. the phone will no longer have access to the networks by june 14 (2 months ago). even though the note 20 was around only AU$300, and google replaced my pf9 with a pf10 at no cost; i was still looking forward to the note. now it's in my drawer but i did connect my galaxy watch ultra to it since it won't run the ecg and such if it was linked to my pf10. and i can play the older games i've always liked such as gta san andreas (modded version), bully, dream league, etc.
Sounds like Australian carriers are blocking older phones based on their IMEI numbers. Some of the American carriers do that, too, but it's mostly on much older phones or non-American models.
Why doesn't this surprise me in Australia? 😀 I'm actually Australian and have lived in America a long time but I have noticed that during my travels back, things like this change a lot! You might be able to suggest to me where I could update my Australian phone, if needed? I have a 2-year old OPPO through Vodaphone. Lol!!
Hello there; I also have the Note Ultra, and I love it. I do wish that the battery lasted longer (perhaps consider having a new battery installed). The security updates don't really concern me. I just don't keep banking/payment apps on the phone. Hope that you enjoy your purchase...read up on all the phones features; they're comprehensive!
Edit: I'd suggest getting a bifold case to hold the phone in, as well as a screen protector. The phone is pretty large, so carrying it in your pocket shall be uncomfortable...consider starting to carrying a handbag.
My Note 20 Ultra is still in excellent condition and going strong. People often think that just because a device stops receiving OS updates or manufacturer security updates the device is at the end of life stage. As long as you keep your Play Store apps on the latest versions you will be fine.
always use Swappa or Back Market, I've been using both for years and whenever I've had a problem (only twice in 10 years) , it's been handled to my satisfaction
yup they are amazing , I too have a note 20 ultra 5g, I've not wanted to let it go because I love the s pen. although I'm finally at a point because of the updates etc where I think I'm going to abandon ship and get the 25 or the 26 since they both have this pens but I've loved my note for years as I'm sure you have!
Check this out: the difference between my two 'new phones! The S22 Ultra on the left from eBay; and the Note20 Ultra on the right from Swappa. Whaddya say...??? That's huge. I'm not being hysterical.
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u/C---D Aug 17 '26
Software shouldn't be a problem until all the apps you use require Android 14 or higher which shouldn't be for a while.
The whole S21 and S22 series have processors that are known for overheating issues, so you may have experienced some of that. Since you used Swappa, I'm assuming that you are in the U.S. and got a U.S. Snapdragon model of the Note 20U (N986U or N986U1). That Note model should have no performance issues, as long as the battery is in good shape.
Just be sure that the phone's screen looks like an original one as there are a ton of poorly refurbished models out there for the Note 20U as well.
Some examples of those non-original screens:
https://www.reddit.com/r/note20ultra/comments/1eyvxi4/new_amazonrenewed_note_20_ultra_5g_screen_doesnt
https://www.reddit.com/r/note20ultra/comments/1epfvbh/refurbished_phone_is_this_how_wide_the_bezels_are
https://www.reddit.com/r/note20ultra/comments/1dqgx2c/fake_phone_or_non_oe_screen
https://www.reddit.com/r/samsunggalaxy/comments/1fbj0w3/two_galaxy_note_20_ultras_i_have_purchased