If you upgraded from a Galaxy Note 10 Plus to a Note 20 Ultra, you probably noticed the two phones feel almost identical in the hand. They are the same width to a tenth of a millimetre. That coincidence has cost a lot of people the price of a case.
The measurements
- Galaxy Note 10 Plus (SM-N975 / SM-N976 5G): 6.8-inch curved display, 162.3 x 77.2 x 7.9 mm, 196 g, 4,300 mAh
- Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (SM-N985 / SM-N986 5G): 6.9-inch curved display, 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm, 208 g, 4,500 mAh
Identical width. 2.5 mm difference in height, 0.2 mm in thickness. On paper it looks like a marginal call, and a soft TPU shell might even stretch onto the wrong phone. It still will not work, and the reason is on the back.
The camera module moved and grew
The Note 10 Plus has a slim vertical camera strip in the top-left corner — three lenses stacked in a line, plus a small depth sensor, in a housing that barely protrudes. The Note 20 Ultra has a large horizontal block that occupies a substantial portion of the upper third of the back, housing a 108 MP main sensor and a periscope telephoto with 5x optical reach.
There is no version of a Note 10 Plus case that has a hole in the right place or the right size. Force one on and you cover the main sensor.
The S Pen silo also moved. On the Note 10 Plus it sits bottom-left; on the Note 20 Ultra it is also bottom-left, but the recess geometry differs, and a case cut for one can foul the ejection click on the other.
Keeping a Note 10 Plus in service
The Note 10 Plus is a genuinely good phone that a lot of people never wanted to replace. Its practical weak points now are battery capacity after years of cycles and the curved glass on both faces. An aluminium frame case gives you a raised lip on the curve and structural corners without adding much depth.
Phones of this age often get demoted to outdoor, boat or workshop duty. That is exactly the job a sealed full-body case with a built-in screen protector is designed for.
If you would rather carry cards than a wallet, a leather folio for the 162.3 mm body handles both.
Everything cut for this model is in the Galaxy Note 10 Plus Cases collection. Note 20 Ultra owners want Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Cases instead.
Screen protectors do not carry over either
Both phones have curved displays, and both use ultrasonic in-display fingerprint readers. But the Note 10 Plus has a centred punch-hole front camera and the Note 20 Ultra's is also centred — the difference is in the panel size, 6.8 inches versus 6.9 inches, and in the exact curve radius.
Practical advice for either phone: on a curved screen, flat tempered glass will lift at the edges eventually. Flexible film follows the curve and stays put. Whichever you use, re-register your fingerprint after fitting.
What does transfer between the two
- The S Pen itself is physically compatible in either silo, though the Note 20 Ultra's own pen is the only one that delivers its 9 ms latency on the Ultra.
- USB-C chargers. The Note 10 Plus supports 45 W wired, the Note 20 Ultra 25 W — so a Note 10 Plus brick is more than enough for either.
- Qi wireless chargers and Wireless PowerShare on both.
- Universal car and vent mounts that grip the case rather than a magnet plate.
Frequently asked questions
Will a Note 10 case (non-Plus) fit either of these? No. The base Note 10 is 151.0 x 71.8 x 7.9 mm — more than 11 mm shorter than the Note 10 Plus.
Does the Note 10 Plus have a headphone jack? No. Samsung dropped it on the Note 10 series, so a case does not need to clear one on either phone.
Can I use a Note 20 Ultra screen protector on a Note 10 Plus? No. Different panel size and curve, and the sheet will overhang.
Do both support microSD? The Note 10 Plus does; the Note 20 Ultra does as well. Neither tray position is affected by a properly cut case, but check that any wallet case does not sit over the tray.
How do I be certain which phone I have? Settings > About phone > Model number — SM-N975/N976 for the Note 10 Plus, SM-N985/N986 for the Note 20 Ultra. Or reach us via the Contact page or 978-797-0223.
The bottom line
Same width is a coincidence, not compatibility. The camera module is the deal-breaker: a thin vertical strip versus a large horizontal block. Buy to the model number and check that the S Pen silo is clear before you commit.