Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G Camera test : Excellent wide and ultra-wide
This device has been tested in 2020. Please note that the score and contents below refer to an older Camera test protocol.
Hot on the heels of their S20, S20 and S20 Ultra standard smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G is the South Korean manufacturer’s latest business/consumer-oriented “phablet.” Equipped with a stylus for slicker note-taking, doodling, or photo editing, the Note20 Ultra 5G offers a sizable 6.9-inch dynamic AMOLED display with a 1440 x 3088-pixel resolution, HDR10, and a 120 Hz refresh rate. Powered by an octa-core CPU and 12 GB of RAM internal memory, there’s plenty of processing oomph for the multi-tasking professional.
For photography, Samsung has dropped the time-of-flight (ToF) sensor found on the S20 Ultra and made some changes to the tele-camera setup on the Note20 Ultra. The primary camera looks essentially the same, featuring the same 1/1.33 MP, 108 MP-resolution sensor, with 3×3 pixel binning for outputting a 12 MP final image. This is coupled to a standard wide-angle 26 mm-equivalent lens that features an f/1.8 aperture, laser and PDAF autofocus, and optical image stabilization (OIS).
The tele-camera on the Note20 Ultra 5G now utilizes a standard-array 12 MP resolution with a 120 mm periscope-style lens for 5x optical zoom shots (or 4.6x if you’re being pedantic), compared to the 48 MP Quad-Bayer sensor with a 103 mm lens on the S20 Ultra. With a slightly underwhelming performance for zoom shots on the S20 Ultra in our tests, it will be interesting to see how this latest configuration compares. For ultra-wide shots, Samsung has unsurprisingly stuck with its tried-and-tested 12 MP 1/2.55-inch sensor and 13 mm-equivalent f/2.2 lens setup, which has performed admirably on many of their recent devices.
Finally, if you’re interested in moving images, the Note20 Ultra 5G captures 8K video at 24 fps, 4K at up to 60 fps, FHD up to 240 fps or HD up to 960 fps. There’s also HDR10 live image processing on video, stereo sound recording, as well as both gyroscope-enabled electronic image stabilization (gyro-EIS) and OIS.
That’s a lot of technology. Let’s find out how it performed in our DXOMARK Camera tests.
Key camera specifications:
- Primary: 108 MP 1/1.33-inch sensor, 26 mm-equivalent f/1.8-aperture lens with laser PDAF and OIS
- Telephoto: 12 MP sensor with 1.0µm pixels, 120 mm-equivalent periscope-style (5x optical) f/3-aperture lens with PDAF and OIS
- Ultra-wide: 12 MP sensor, 13 mm-equivalent f/2.2-aperture lens
- LED flash
- Video: 8K 4320p/24fps, 4K 2160p/60 fps (2160p/30 fps tested)
- Exynos 990 chipset (Snapdragon 865 in USA)
About DXOMARK Camera tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphone camera reviews, DXOMARK engineers capture and evaluate over 1600 test images and more than 2 hours of video both in controlled lab environments and in natural indoor and outdoor scenes, using the camera’s default settings. This article is designed to highlight the most important results of our testing. For more information about the DXOMARK Camera test protocol, click here. details on how we score smartphone cameras are available here.
Test summary
With 121 points, the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G is a very capable device for smartphone photography and makes it into the upper regions of our DXOMARK Camera rankings alongside the Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro Premium and the Huawei Mate 30 Pro. Just a point behind its sister model S20 Ultra at 122, the two Samsung devices display very similar image quality in many respects. With a very good Photo score of 130, it’s a solid performer in most of our test categories; key strengths include vivid color rendering, fast autofocusing, and generally accurate exposure.
Outdoor images on the the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G display good exposure with fairly wide dynamic range and excellent color rendering.
The primary camera delivers excellent exposure in most conditions, and although dynamic range isn’t quite as extended as we’ve seen with some devices, and low-light images can be slightly underexposed, it does a very good job overall. Exceptional color rendering ensures high levels of saturation for very vibrant images, and aside from some very minor color casts, white balance is accurate. Fast and accurate autofocus means images are almost always in sharp FOCUS and the level of detail is acceptable in all conditions, although we did observe slightly more noise on the Note20 Ultra than we’re used to on Samsung devices.
The triple camera setup provides lots of shooting options for smartphone photographers, although the implementation of a 120 mm-equivalent tele-lens has some implications for the quality of its zoom shots. At long range it’s excellent, recording good detail in outdoor and indoor images. Exposure and color are generally very nice in all zoom shots, too, but significant problems are evident in medium-range zoom shots (approximately 4x magnification), where numerous artifacts are visible and a strong loss of texture and detail occurs in the outer field.
The ultra-wide camera is much more successful. While the field of view isn’t quite as wide as our new top-ranked wide device (the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra), the Note20 Ultra’s module still squeezes lots of image into the frame. Globally, ultra-wide image quality is very good, with the same excellent exposure and color from the main camera filtering down to the wide. Noise is often visible, detail is a little lower, and common wide-angle artifacts are slightly visible, but there’s nothing too problematic and overall it does an admirable job.
Inconsistent texture rendering in the outer field and visible artifacts in the center are weaknesses in medium-range zoom shots.
Portrait mode is another strength on the Note20 Ultra. When successfully activated, bokeh quality is very good, with a strong depth-of-field effect, well-contrasted bokeh spotlights, and a natural-looking blur gradient effect. It can be a little unreliable, though, and depth estimation isn’t quite as good as we saw on the S20 Ultra, with edge artifacts occasionally visible and faces lacking a little detail, too. Those issues aside, the overall effect is often pleasant, and continued excellent color and exposure ensures that portrait mode often yields nice results.
For nocturnal photography enthusiasts, the Note20 Ultra also delivers some nice results with the flash turned off, thanks to accurate exposure, color, and white balance. It’s slightly less successful in flash-auto mode, however, where low-light cityscapes aren’t quite as well exposed. Noise is generally a little more prevalent and detail is slightly lower in the Note20 Ultra’s nighttime images compared to the best performers in our rankings, but it is nevertheless more than capable, and the dedicated night mode often improves image quality in very dark scenes.
The overall depth-of-field effect is pleasant in bokeh shots, although slight edge artifacts are occasionally evident.
Night mode on the Note20 Ultra ensures that good exposure and nice color are captured even in very low light conditions.
Tested and scored at its 4K/30fps setting (which offers the best results), the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G achieved an overall Video score of 101 points. This ranks slightly behind such flagships as the S20 Ultra and the iPhone 11 Pro Max at 102 points, as well as our top-performing Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra at 106. Performance is very close to the S20 Ultra’s, particularly for exposure, color, texture and autofocus, where there is very little between them. The Note20 Ultra’s stabilization system has been slightly improved, however, with particularly stable results for static handheld videos.
Photo scores explained
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G achieves a very good Photo score of 130, but doesn’t quite reach the heights of our top performers for stills, which are now breaking the 140 barrier. The camera delivered good results in most tested categories, with just a few minor niggles that affected its overall Photo score. In this section, we take a closer look at how each sub-score was determined and compare image quality against some key competitors.
Exposure and Contrast
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G
The Note20 Ultra 5G is close to the top score for exposure and contrast, with accurate target exposure in most tested conditions and fairly wide dynamic range. In lab tests, target exposure measurements were a little high in bright light, but fell just within our acceptable range and remained good in indoor conditions. In our perceptual analysis, dynamic range isn’t quite as good as the best devices for very high-contrast scenes, with slightly more highlight clipping evident on the Note20 Ultra 5G. You can see in this example that the Mi 10 Ultra recovers highlights better:
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Time to trade up
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is the spiritual successor to the Note 20 Ultra and carries that burden with pride. With a vast 6.8-inch canvas, the S Pen has never been better in this form factor.
- Variable refresh rate at 1440p
- Bigger battery
- Four years of Android updates ahead
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is the last phone released under the Note brand The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra was the last of the beloved Note family. It may be getting long in the tooth, but it’s still a powerful smartphone with decent specs, good cameras, and the mighty S Pen.
- Flawed zoom system
- No more Android updates
- Smaller battery
- Unable to run 120Hz at 1440p
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra was the last phone to be released under the Note name before it was merged into the Galaxy S Ultra lineup. It’s the pinnacle of what the Note range achieved and is still considered an excellent smartphone.
Now, two and a half years after the release of the Note 20 Ultra, many people still using one may be looking to upgrade. Enter the newly-announced Galaxy S23 Ultra, the latest phone to carry the S Pen, and push the envelope in terms of tech specs. Is this the phone to upgrade to? Let’s break down the pros and cons and compare experiences, starting with the specs:
Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
Galaxy S23 Ultra
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform For Galaxy
6.9-inch QHD Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz
6.8-inch QHD Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz
Operating System
Front Camera
Rear Cameras
200MP f1.7 primary, 12MP f2.2 ultra-wide, 12MP f3.0 5X telephoto
200MP f1.7 primary, 12MP f2.2 ultra-wide, 10MP f2.4 3X telephoto, 10MP f4.9 10X telephoto
Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Mystic White
Standard: Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender/ Exclusive: Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red
Price and availability
The Note 20 Ultra is an older phone now, so unlike some of the best Samsung phones, you’ll only find it on the used market. The S23 Ultra is a different story, available in dozens of countries unlocked and on most major networks. While the S23 Ultra starts at 1,200, many preorder deals make it significantly cheaper, especially if you’re trading in an older phone.
Design and build quality
The Galaxy S23 Ultra inherits much of its design from the Note 20 Ultra. The boxy design is iconic at this point, and from the front, it can be hard to tell these phones apart. Things get easier around the back, with the Note 20 Ultra housing its cameras within a camera bump, while the S23 Ultra has individual lenses. Overall, the S23 Ultra is better looking — but a lot can be said about the Mystic Bronze color that the Note 20 Ultra made so popular.
Although the build quality is exceptional for both phones, the material quality is better on the S23 Ultra. The older Note is made of stainless steel and Gorilla Glass Victus, while the S23 Ultra uses armor aluminum and Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
Both phones come with the legendary S Pen, stored within the phone where it charges wirelessly. One thing the S23 Ultra lacks compared to the Note is a microSD card slot, but with the S23 Ultra starting at 256GB and maxing out at 1TB, the lack of expansion will only be an issue for some.
Software and performance
The Note 20 Ultra shipped with Android 10 but now runs Android 13 with One UI 5.0 on top. The S23 Ultra is launching with One UI 5.1 atop Android 13. One UI 5.1 adds some handy new features, like a battery widget, easy access to the Expert RAW app, and more. The Note 20 Ultra should get updated to One UI 5.1, but that’s it for major updates. Android 13 is the last Android version it will see, but it will continue to get security patches.
The Note 20 Ultra was no slouch when it launched in 2020. With a Snapdragon 865 and 12GB of RAM, this phone lived up to the reputation set by its predecessors as a multitasking powerhouse. But times have changed, and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the S23 Ultra is more powerful and efficient. Unfortunately, it comes with less RAM than the Note unless you pay extra for the 512GB model. But even so, the S23 Ultra will feel noticeably faster.
Battery and charging
Despite the S23 Ultra having a slightly smaller display and still housing an S Pen, its battery is much larger at 5,000mAh versus the 4,500mAh cell found in the Note. However, charging specs are the same, with 45W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging available on both phones.
Customizing the Galaxy Note 10 Plus: making it mine
Although we haven’t been able to test the battery life on the S23 Ultra yet, it’s almost a given that it’ll be better than the Note 20 Ultra’s battery. In addition to the battery being 500mAh larger, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will be much more power efficient. The 8 Gen 1 helped last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 attain solid endurance with a battery the same size as the Note 20, so pairing its successor with a 5,000mAh cell should result in some impressive numbers.
Display
The Note 20 Ultra has a 6.9-inch QHD display that can reach 120Hz, while the S23 Ultra has a 6.8-inch QHD display that can also reach 120Hz. Besides the 0.1-inch, there are some significant differences. For example, the Note 20 Ultra doesn’t have a variable refresh rate, so you can run it at either 60Hz or 120Hz, choosing between them in the settings menu. It’s also unable to run at 1440p and 120Hz simultaneously, so you need to pick between smoothness and sharpness.
The S23 Ultra doesn’t make any of these sacrifices, and it can automatically vary its refresh rate anywhere from 1-120Hz based on the content being displayed. It’s also much brighter, reaching a maximum brightness of 1,750 nits, while the Note maxes out at 1,500 nits. Overall, the newer display in the S23 Ultra walks all over the older panel in the Note.
Cameras
The Note 20 Ultra uses the first-generation 108MP sensor paired with a 12MP 5X periscope zoom lens and a 12MP ultrawide. These cameras were excellent at the time, but the S23 Ultra is far better. The 5X lens on the Note was great for taking photos of things far away, but if you only wanted a small amount of zoom, say 2X or 3X, the Note would be digitally cropping the 108MP sensor.
The S23 Ultra has dual 10MP lenses, one a 3X telephoto and the other a 10X periscopic lens. This makes the camera system far more versatile. The ultrawide is about the same, though it can double as a macro camera in the newer phone.
The big upgrade on the S23 Ultra versus any of Samsung’s older phones is the new 200MP primary sensor. We’ll have to wait until we’ve spent more time with it before commenting on photo quality. But on paper, this should be the best camera Samsung has ever put on a phone.
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 release date, price and specs
In the past, there were speculations that Samsung could kill its 2020 Galaxy Note flagship – likely to be called Galaxy Note 20. The argument was that the Note series wasn’t much different from the Galaxy S series. The only major difference between them is the S Pen stylus. But a bunch of leaks and rumors suggest that the Galaxy Note 20 is very much alive. Let’s check out what the rumor mill has unearthed about the next-gen Note flagship.
Code-names revealed
In mid-March, Max Weinbach of XDA Developers discovered evidence of Galaxy Note 20 in the Galaxy S20’s kernel source code. Weinbach found files with references to Project XYZ, Project Canvas, and Project Winner2. The Project XYZ was said to be the Galaxy S20 series.
Galaxy S22 Ultra long-term review: 5 months later
The Galaxy Note 20 is code-named Project Canvas. Later, reliable tipster Ice Universe also revealed that the Note 20 was code-named Project Canvas. Weinbach suggests there could be two different models of Galaxy Note 20. The Project Winner2 is believed to be the Galaxy Fold 2. Last year’s Galaxy Fold was code-named Project Winner.
The design appears to be of an early stage prototype. It indicates the new Note will continue to support the S Pen stylus. The schematics have openings for the S Pen, the microphone, the speaker, and a USB-C port. The volume and power buttons are on the left side. There is no sign of buttons on the right side.
The 3.5mm headphone jack is gone for good. Don’t expect it to make a comeback in 2020. A Samsung patent filed with the Intellectual Property India (IPI) for the Galaxy Note 20 shows no room for the audio jack. The patent was filed in November 2019 and published in January 2020.
On its mid-range phones, Samsung has experimented with rotating cameras and pop-up cameras to get rid of the hole-punch and the notch. But just like other companies, Samsung is working to figure out a way to integrate the selfie camera under the display to offer a fully bezel-less, all-screen design.
Folks at Windows United have shared renders of three handsets in the Galaxy Note 20 series – Note 20, Note 20 Plus, and Note 20 Ultra. According to renders, all three of them have a slot for the S Pen stylus. All three models have a hole-punch Infinity-O display.
Windows United expects the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra to sport a display even larger than the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s 6.9 inches. The Note 20 can be seen in black and grey colors. The Note 20 Plus renders are in red, dark blue, grey, and black colors. The Ultra variant is rendered only in grey and black colors.
Display
The Display Supply Chain Consultants CEO Ross Young said in a tweet on May 11 that the standard Note 20 would sport a 6.42-inch display with 2345 x 1084 resolution, 404ppi of pixel density, and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. It would have a 60Hz refresh rate. Samsung is keeping the faster 120Hz refresh rate exclusive to the Note 20 Plus, said Young.
The Note 20 Plus would sport an innovative LTPO panel with 120Hz refresh rate. The standard Note 20 will be using the current generation LTPS technology to keep costs low. The ridiculously high price tags of Samsung’s flagship smartphones have hurt their sales.
According to a new report from reliable tipster Ice Universe, the Galaxy Note 20 Plus display would offer a “more fine-tuned” 120GHz refresh rate. The current OnePlus 7T Pro comes with a 90Hz refresh rate while gaming phones such as Asus ROG Phone 2 and Razer Phone 2 boast 120Hz refresh rate. The faster refresh rate enhances the gaming and video watching experiences.
The Note 20 Plus is said to feature a larger 6.87-inch display with 497ppi pixel density, 3096 x 1444 pixels resolution, and 19.3:9 aspect ratio.
Features and specs
The Galaxy Note 20 will undoubtedly have top-of-the-line specs. Sources familiar with the matter told ZDNet Korea that Samsung is working on the Exynos 992 chipset, which could debut with the Note 20 series. The US variant of the device is expected to run Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865. The new Exynos 992 will be built using the 5nm EUV process technology.
The next-gen Exynos and Snapdragon chips will reportedly support LPDDR5X RAM, meaning you can expect a blazing-fast multitasking. We expect it to offer 5G connectivity as a standard. Samsung’s biggest rival Apple will also bring 5G to this year’s flagship iPhones.
We also expect the Note 20 series to offer up to 16GB RAM and up to 1TB of internal storage. The Korean company will also likely add support for external storage via a microSD card slot. Samsung is expected to use the UFS 3.0 storage technology.
tipster Ice Universe has learned from sources that the Note 20 lineup will have the same camera setup as the Galaxy S20 series.
In terms of camera, the Note 20 could sport a quad-camera setup on the back. It would consist of a 108MP main sensor that uses 9-in-1 pixel binning method to deliver crisp and clear 12MP photos. XDA Developers has found code suggesting such a sensor in the Samsung Camera app. There is also talk that the 2020 Samsung smartphones will have a 48MP telephoto lens with 10x optical zoom.
The Note 20 will reportedly be capable of recording 8K resolution videos at 30fps. The 108MP main camera should be able to handle 8K footage with ease. According to XDA Developers, it could also get a Director’s View mode to let users switch between multiple cameras while recording videos. Other expected features include a Night Hyperlapse mode, a Single Take Photo option, Custom Filters mode, and a Vertical Panorama mode.
SamMobile recently spotted the Note 20 on China’s 3C certification site, which revealed its battery capacity. The upcoming Note flagship will need massive batteries to power the display and 5G connectivity through the day. The Note 20 would pack a 4,300mAh battery while its larger sibling would get a 4,500mAh battery. Both models are expected to support reverse wireless charging, fast wireless charging, and at least 25W fast charging.
Galaxy Note 20 price and release date
Samsung has traditionally released new Galaxy Note flagship models in August. The Galaxy Note 10 was unveiled on August 7th, the Note 9 debuted on August 9th, and the Note 8 was unveiled on August 23rd. The phablets go on sale a couple of weeks after the unveiling.
The Korean company will reportedly skip a physical Galaxy Unpacked event for the Note 20 this year. Instead, it will host an online event due to the coronavirus pandemic. Sources familiar with the matter told Korean publication Donga that the Note 20 series will be launched along with the Galaxy Fold 2 on August 5th.
Donga reports that Samsung executives held internal discussions recently. They agreed on holding a virtual Note 20 Unpacked Event on August 5.
Don’t expect the Note 20 to be cheap, especially with the addition of 5G technology. The of 5G phones are expected to fall this year as modems get cheaper, but it will still be expensive.
The Korean company has just launched the Galaxy S20 with the starting price of 999. The Galaxy S20 Plus starts at 1,199 and the S20 Ultra has a price tag of 1,399. In all likelihood, the Galaxy Note 20 would be priced in the same range or even higher.
Last year’s Note 10 had a starting price of 949. The Galaxy Note 10 Plus had a price tag of 1,099 while the Note 10 Plus 5G was priced at 1,299. We expect the 5G-ready Galaxy Note 20 to start at 1,000 or more. The Plus variant could cost even more.
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra vs. Galaxy S20 Plus: Which should you buy?
The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is the most powerful phone in 2020. There’s a massive 6.9-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate, the latest Snapdragon 865 chipset with global 5G connectivity, an S Pen that has just 9ms latency, outstanding 108MP primary camera at the back, and a gorgeous new design that allows the phone to stand out. You’re paying a lot here, but you are getting an incredible phone.
Samsung Galaxy S20
If you don’t need the S Pen, the Galaxy S20 is a fantastic choice. The phone has the same great AMOLED panel with 120Hz refresh rate, and the Snapdragon 865 chipset is just as good. You get 5G connectivity here, the same wired and wireless charging, and the same software. The 108MP camera on the Note 20 Ultra is marginally better, but otherwise these two phones are very similar.
Samsung Galaxy S20
With three phones in the Galaxy S20 series and two options in the Note 20 series, you have a lot of choice if you’re in the market for a Samsung flagship right now.
Galaxy Note 20 Ultra vs. Galaxy S20 Plus: What are the similarities and differences?
The distinction between the Galaxy S and Note series is getting thinner and thinner with every generation, and that’s evident when you look at what the Note 20 Ultra has to offer. The hardware is near-identical to the Galaxy S20, with both phones offering the same AMOLED panel tech with a 120Hz refresh rate that makes scrolling feel so smooth. This makes either device stand out from Samsung’s earlier flagships, and it is one of the biggest reasons to switch if you’re using the Galaxy S10, Note 10, or older flagship.
Continuing down the hardware front, both phones come with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM as standard, and the base variants have 128GB of storage. The S20 has a UFS 3.0 storage module, while the Note 20 Ultra has a UFS 3.1 module. Both phones have a microSD card slot and feature IP68 dust and water resistance, but you won’t find a 3.5mm jack though.
Right now, there’s a 100 difference between the Note 20 Ultra and the Galaxy S20, and they’re both high-end flagship devices. The differences boil down to this: if you care about the S Pen at all, the Note 20 Ultra is the obvious choice. If you want a phone that’s less cumbersome to hold and use, pick the Galaxy S20.
Harish Jonnalagadda is a Senior Editor overseeing Asia at Android Central. He leads the site’s coverage of Chinese phone brands, contributing to reviews, features, and buying guides. He also writes about storage servers, audio products, and the semiconductor industry. Contact him on at @chunkynerd.
Samsung is about to unveil its next big Galaxy Note phone — here’s everything we know about it so far
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- Samsung is expected to announce its next Galaxy Note phone at an upcoming event on August 5.
- The phone is rumored to come in two variants and will likely come in a new bronze color.
- Other rumors suggest it could include a triple-lens camera, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 processor, and a new S Pen with a pointer feature.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Samsung is holding a virtual event on August 5, where it’s expected to unveil its next major addition to its smartphone lineup: the Galaxy Note 20.
Samsung typically announces its new Galaxy Note devices in the August and September time frame, and recent rumors and reports are suggesting this year will be no different.
The main difference between the Galaxy Note and Galaxy S phones is the Note’s included S Pen stylus, which has been a hallmark of the lineup since the first Note launched in 2011. In their earlier years, Samsung’s Note phones also stood out for their larger screens and longer battery life — and a higher price tag to go along with those benefits — but the Note has grown increasingly similar to the Galaxy S line in recent years.
The next Galaxy Note phone, likely to be called the Galaxy Note 20, is expected to come in a new bronze color, may feature a larger design, and could come with a new S Pen feature, according to various leaks.
The launch of a new high-end phone like the Note would come as Samsung and other smartphone makers have been focusing on more affordable devices recently to combat slowing sales across the industry. The International Data Corporation reported in June that it expects the worldwide smartphone market to plummet 11.9% year-over-year in 2020 as the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic influence consumer spending.
Here’s a closer look at everything we’re expecting to see.
It may have a larger design that resembles the Galaxy S20.
The Galaxy Note has always been known for having a larger than usual screen, and it looks like Samsung is focusing on size again this year.
The Galaxy Note 20 is said to be noticeably larger than last year’s Note 10, according to leaks from YouTuber Jimmy Is Promo and tech accessory maker Pigtou.
The design will also look familiar to anyone who’s seen the Galaxy S20, according to the leaks, as the phone is expected to have a borderless screen with a hole punch cutout from the camera.
The phone is expected to launch in two versions: the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra or Plus.
Samsung is reportedly planning to launch the Note 20 in two variants, marking a departure from last year when it debuted three versions of the Galaxy Note 10.
But reports vary on what the high-end version of the phone might be called. Frequent leaker Ice Universe has referred to the more premium model as the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, while other media reports such as the one translated story from Korea Joongang Daily have called it the Note 20 Plus.
Pigtou reports that the standard Note 20 will have a 6.7-inch screen, while the larger Note 20 could have a 6.9-inch curved screen.
Ice Universe also suggests the bigger variant could have a “more fine-tuned” version of the S20’s 120GHz refresh rate technology for its screen.
The Note 20 and Note 20 Plus will reportedly have triple-lens cameras, but won’t have 100x zoom like the Galaxy S20 Ultra.
According to Ice Universe, which claims to have shared details about the Note 20 Plus’ camera on the Chinese social network Weibo, the Galaxy Note 20 Plus will have a triple camera with a 108-megapixel main camera, a 13-megapixel periscope camera, and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera. It will also reportedly have improvements when it comes to focusing.
The standard Galaxy Note 20, comparatively, could have a 12-megapixel main camera, a 64-megapixel telephoto camera, and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, reports CNET citing Korea Joongang Daily and Ice Universe.
The Note 20 Plus, however, is not expected to have the same 100x zoom feature as the Galaxy S20 Ultra, according to Ice Universe.
It may also come in a new bronze color.
Samsung may have accidentally posted a picture of the Galaxy Note 20 in a new bronze color, as multiple outlets, such as Android Authority, CNET, and others, reported.
XDA Developers writer and leaker Max Weinbach also posted the image on. which Samsung has since taken down. In one of the biggest clues of all, Samsung has featured this same bronze color in its event invite for August 5.
The color looks similar to the pinkish gold color available for some of Apple’s products, such as the MacBook Air and iPhone 11 Pro.
The S Pen may get a new feature that lets it act as a pointer.
The Note 20’s S Pen may be able to serve as a pointer for selecting content on screen, according to Jimmy Is Promo.
A leaked screenshot posted by Jimmy Is Promo shows how Galaxy Note 20 owners may be able to choose the size of the pointer as well as its color and speed. It looks like users will be able to activate the feature by pressing the S Pen’s button and moving the stylus.
Samsung already offers a similar feature on the Note 10 called Air Actions, which makes it possible to control the phone’s camera, volume, and certain apps. It looks like the Note 20 could include some type of expansion of this feature.
It’ll likely be powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 865 processor.
The Galaxy Note 20 will reportedly run on Qualcomm’s new processor: The Snapdragon 865. That’s again according to Ice Universe, which tweeted near the end of June that the Note 20 as well as other rumored Samsung products, like its next-generation versions of the Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Z Flip, will run on this processor.
Qualcomm just announced the Snapdragon 865 in early July, and the company says the processor is designed with 5G, artificial intelligence, and gaming in mind.
We’ll learn more on August 5, when Samsung is expected to debut the device.
