Samsung Galaxy Note 20 5G

Software and security updates remain the Achilles heel of Android devices. If you buy an Android phone for a few hundred euros, you don't really have to expect ever getting an Android upgrade. If you spend a little more then you should be happy if there is 1 update and if you are really lucky then your phone will get 2 updates. Samsung is now leading by example and starting from the Galaxy S10, Note and Galaxy Z models Samsung you will get up to 3 generations of Android updates.

That sounds good, but nothing beats Apple on this subject. Version 14 of iOS will even be released for the iPhone 6s from 2015. But 3 generations is a good start as far as we are concerned. After 3 years, most phones are in need of replacement anyway. Samsung's promise starts retroactively with the Galaxy S10. Also included are the recently announced Galaxy Note 20, 20 Ultra and Z Fold2. Galaxy A models also get updates, but as long as their hardware allows. No hard guarantees where given.

Android 11 + One UI 3.0

Promising updates is one thing, getting them is quite another. As we now know, it takes some time for Google to come up with an Android update and the manufacturer to roll it out on your phone. This has several reasons and has gotten better in recent years but it always takes some time. Especially compared to Apple.

Fact is that Samsung is working hard at Android 11 and Samsung's own One UI 3.0. Currently the beta opened to S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra owners from China, Germany, India, Poland, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. When Android 11 is available for Samsung phones: your guess is as good as ours.

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Samsung once again sprinkled us with new products during its famous Unpacked event. The main focus was on the all-new Galaxy Note20 series consisting of the Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra with its improved S Pen.

Galaxy Note20

Apart from the Note20 the most powerful Note to date (how could it be otherwise), many new functions have been added. These can be found, for example, in the S Pen which now has Anywhere Actions. These allow you to link actions to a pen scribble of your choice. Samsung Notes also gets the necessary updates including auto-save and export to PowerPoint.

Samsung's Galaxy Note 20 is aimed at the Note-lover who wants a powerful phone with a pen to write and draw with. The Note20 Ultra is for those who want the best of the best. The Ultra has a larger and rounded 6.9 inch screen with a higher Quad HD+ resolution. The Note 20 Ultra is also the device with a higher 120Hz refresh rate, something that the entry Note 20 unfortunately misses.

Other differences can be found at the camera. The Note20 has to manage with a 64+12+12 camera system while the Note20 Ultra gets a 108MP sensor. Both have Space Zoom but only the Ultra can go up to 50x digital and 5x optical. The Note entry level does not exceed 30x digital and 3x optical.

Microsoft collaboration

Striking during the presentation was the amount of Microsoft collaborations. For example, Note20 users can link and use their device with Windows 10, many Samsung apps have integration with Microsoft products such as OneNote, Outlook and Teams, and you can even play Xbox games from your device. You can play up to 100 titles from Xbox's cloud gaming platform.

Galaxy Z Fold2

Unpacked was also the place where Samsung announced the second generation Fold. This is now in the Galaxy Z-series, which will eventually include all the so-called foldables. The Fold2 will have a larger screen that is now almost borderless. In terms of design it looks almost the same although there are many improvements under the hood after feedback from customers and users.

Galaxy Tab S7 and Tab S7+

Also new are the Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+. Again, many references to Microsoft products. For example, both tablets become an extension to your PC so you can be extra productive. Both tablets will have a 120Hz screen with support for the renewed S Pen.

Galaxy Watch3 and Buds Live

In the area of wearables, Samsung released the Watch3 and Buds Live. A smart watch made out of premium materials like stainless steel or titanium, a rotating ring and a pulse oximeter (SpO2) to measure the amount of oxygen in your blood. Via a later update to the Samsung Health app, the watch should also be able to measure your blood pressure and create an ECG. Although this will need to be approved for each market.

The Galaxy Buds Live are Samsung's new wireless earplugs with a completely new design. The earbuds are tuned by AKG and feature 12mm speakers for rich bass sound. There is Active Noise Cancellation and the battery is big enough for 6 hours of music listening. Fast charging is available and Samsung promises an hour of listening time after just 5 minutes of charging.

Availability

The Galaxy Note20 and Note20 Ultra will be in-store as of August 21 and will be available in 4G and 5G versions although it will vary by market. The 5G versions cost 1049 and 1299 euros respectively. In addition to the device, you get 256 GB of storage in return. Prices of the Z Fold2 are expected later.

The Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+ are also expected on 21 August. Prices start at 699 euro for the WiFi version and 799 euro for the 4G version. The S7+ starts at 899 euros for the WiFi only model and 1099 euros for the 5G version.

Those who have the Galaxy Watch 3 in mind can choose between a 41mm version and a 45mm version. The watch will be on the market August 7th and prices are 429 euros (41mm) and 459 euros (45mm). The titanium version is expected later in 2020 and will receive a recommended retail price of 649 euros. The Galaxy Buds Live finally, August 21 is expected for an amount of 189 euros.

It will be a few months before the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is expected. Usually Samsung announces it somewhere around the IFA trade show in September. But because of the coronavirus outbreak, that launch date is far from certain. The now published drawings show some distinct changes compared to the existing Note 10.

For example the new location of the S Pen. It's shifted from the lower right corner all the way to the left corner. Possibly this is because Samsung has moved all buttons to the right side or maybe some other components inside have been moved making the new placement necessary. If we turn the Note 20 around, we see a rectangular camera island that strongly resembles that of the S20 Ultra. Not only that, possibly the next Note will also get a 108MP camera. However, this will not be the same Space Zoom camera as on the Ultra. That one appeared to have some focus problems and was also poorly received by the writing press. Especially because it was more of a marketing stunt than functional.

Unknown source

Although the images seem to be of high quality, it is advisable to take this whole report with a grain of salt. As this is from an as yet unknown source. It is therefore wise to wait for other leaks before drawing conclusions. That sure won't take long, because the source thinks that a launch will take place around August. Two versions with different formats would then be announced. Let's see and wait what happens.

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The image was noticed by a reader of SamMobile and shows three Galaxy phones. We know two of them; the S10+ and the S20 but what is that phone in the middle? According to the source it is the Galaxy Note 20. We don't want to go that far, it might just be a placeholder. In any case, it is not handy from Samsung.

This feeds the rumors and in the near future they will be about even thinner screen bezels and a missing punch-hole selfie camera. So where is it? Maybe behind the screen, maybe it's a pop-up camera, who knows. You won't hear the answer from us. We don't know either, and we certainly don't lift too much weight from the image above. We want to see more evidence before we say anything meaningful about it.

Note 20 renders

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 will take some time before it becomes official. Samsung usually introduces its next Note in the fall and summer hasn't even started yet. We have not seen any CAD-renders or possible specifications. All signals that tell us it is still too early to draw any conclusions.

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