Samsung Galaxy Note 20: What we know (June 11)

Update, June 11, 2020 (11:00 AM ET): We’ve updated the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Plus/Ultra rumor hub below with more information about a release date, camera specs, and the number of possible models. Read on for all the info!

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Original article, April 17, 2020 (5:44 PM ET): Samsung’s Galaxy Note series has long been the preferred choice for Android power users. The Galaxy S line, on the other hand, has traditionally appealed more to the masses. Samsung changed that up a bit recently with the “power user lite” Galaxy Note 10 as well as the top-of-the-line Galaxy S20 Ultra, which is now a power user’s dream. So, where does that leave the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 20 line?

As of right now, we’re still in the early days, so rumors are thin for the phones. With that being said, there’s still a bit we know and a lot we can infer.

This is everything we know (or at least think we know) so far about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series.

Name and release date

Samsung has not confirmed the Galaxy Note 20 moniker, but it’s a safe bet to assume this will be the name of the series’ next iteration. Samsung’s Note and Galaxy lines have mirrored each other pretty closely over the years. Most recently, the Galaxy line name jumped from 10 to 20, so it makes sense for us to expect a Samsung Galaxy Note 20 this year.

There’s also evidence of this name within the kernel source code of the Galaxy S20 line. The folks over at XDA Developers scoured the code and found evidence of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 name.

The Galaxy Note 20 series is allegedly on schedule for an August 2020 launch.

If we can expect the Galaxy Note 20 name, what about the device variants within the series? At first, we assumed Samsung would go the route it went last year and release two models: a Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and a Note 20 Plus. However, the existence of the Galaxy S20 Ultra made us think there could be a third, absurdly over-powered Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

Eventually, evidence arrived that strongly suggests there will be a Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. We just don’t know if that means there will be three models (vanilla, Plus, and Ultra) or just two (vanilla and Ultra). The evidence does very strongly suggest that there will be an Ultra variant, though.

As far as the release date is concerned, various leaks point to August 5, 2020, as being the possible launch date for the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series. There could be some other devices there, too, such as the Galaxy Fold 2.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20: Design

Roland Quandt (Twitter)

An early leak of the upcoming handset’s possible phone case reveals a bit about what we can expect from its design. The leaked photos show what appears to be an inlay mold for the official Samsung Galaxy Note 20 LED View Cover.

Winfuture.de editor Roland Quandt posted the images on his Twitter account, and we can see the front and the back of the inlay. Check them out:

‘scuse me, Note 20 (Plus/Pro/whatever), yes. Thx @TechMarcin for correcting me 😉 https://t.co/yL6z1ltPI0

— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) March 31, 2020

There are a couple of things we can deduce about the handset from these images. First, if these leaked images are to be trusted, we can probably expect a robust camera setup similar to what we see on the Galaxy S20 Ultra.

We can also see that the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 could possibly move the hardware buttons to the right side of the device. The Galaxy Note 10 was the first Note handset to shift them to the left, but Samsung might move them back.

Followed by this leak of possible case molds, we got a look at the leaked renders for both the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Plus (or Ultra, maybe) in May. The renders show that both the new Note phones will have big screens, chunky camera modules, and a design that remains largely unchanged compared to the Galaxy Note 10 series.

As per the Galaxy Note 20 render leak, the phone will get a 6.7-inch display. Meanwhile, the Note 20 Plus/Ultra is said to come with a larger 6.9-inch screen. Both phones could come with a quad-camera setup at the back. Obviously, camera specs could vary and you can scroll down to read more on that in the specs and features section. Meanwhile, take a look at the leaked renders below, courtesy of Pigtou.

Note that the curved displays of the Galaxy Note 10 series are dialed way back here. We expect flat displays to make a solid return this year as the industry moves away from the curved trend.

The position of the S Pen housing has also changed on both the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Plus/Ultra. Samsung usually slots the stylus on the right side but renders for both phones show that it’s now placed on the bottom left.

Colorways for both the Galaxy Note 20 phones also leaked recently. The standard Galaxy Note 20 might come in gray, copper, and green colorways. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Note 20 Plus/Ultra is tipped to arrive in black, copper, and gold colorways.

Specs and features

It’s practically a guarantee that both the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Plus/Ultra will feature the latest Snapdragon 865 SoC and 5G connectivity. The 865 is the most powerful mobile chipset on the market so there’s no other option for Samsung’s most powerful phones.

Unfortunately, we also expect Samsung to stick to its usual method of not putting the SD865 in every model. Handsets in specific markets will almost certainly tout Samsung Exynos processors — likely the Exynos 992.

Read also: Snapdragon SoC guide: All of Qualcomm’s smartphone processors explained!

We also expect the phones to feature an IP68 water-resistance rating, at least 12GB of RAM, no less than 256GB of internal storage, wireless charging, an in-display fingerprint scanner, and a multi-sensor camera setup. Only the Note 10 Plus featured expandable storage, so at least the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Plus/Ultra should see it this year, but hopefully, all Note 20 models will.

A recent report from SamMobile suggests the Samsung Galaxy Note 20’s battery capacity will start at 4,300mAh. This would be larger than the standard Galaxy Note 10’s 3,500mAh battery. If this is the case, the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Plus/Ultra should at least feature at least a 4,500mAh battery, but we hope to see a 5,000mAh rating, similar to what we saw on the Galaxy S20 Ultra.

Unfortunately, Samsung has now done away with the headphone jack on its premium flagship devices, so don’t expect to see a comeback with the Note 20 series.

The Galaxy Note 20 series will pack some mighty camera specs, if the leaks are to be believed.

As far as cameras go, prolific tipster Ice Universe has shared apparent Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Plus/Ultra camera specs. According to the leak, the bigger of the Note 20 devices will pack a 12MP “2L3” ultra-wide camera (referring to Samsung’s Isocell Fast 2L3 sensor) and a 13MP “3M5” periscope camera (referring to the company’s S5K3M5 camera sensor). The latter would be a big drop in resolution over the S20 Ultra’s 48MP periscope camera. If true, this suggests the firm may have decided better low-light quality was more important than more megapixels.

The leaker also alleges that the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Plus/Ultra will have the same Isocell Bright HM1 108MP main camera as the S20 Ultra.

While the aforementioned specs and features are what we’ve gathered from rumors so far, we also have our own set of expectations from the new Galaxy Note 20 series. Here’s what we want to see on the phones.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20: Pricing and availability

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series will likely be some of the most expensive on the market. We haven’t heard any rumored pricing yet, but the company’s previous handset prices can give us an idea of what to expect.

• $949: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage
• $1,049: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 5G (Korea only)
• $1,099: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage
• $1,199: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage
• $1,299: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage
• $1,399: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage

Since the Galaxy Note 20 series will likely come with the Snapdragon 865 SoC, we expect all models to support 5G connectivity. So, if last year’s pricing is anything to go by, expect even the lowest-tier Galaxy Note 20 to start at no less than $1,000.

As far as availability is concerned, you can expect a Samsung Galaxy Note 20 global launch. That means we will most likely see it land in the US, Europe, South Korea, and more.

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Those are all the details we have on the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 so far! Be sure to bookmark this page and check back often as we will update it with new information as we get our hands on it.