Samsung’s Note 20 series is finally here, courtesy of Samsung’s 5 August Unpacked stream. After months of rumours and leaks, the Korean tech giant unveiled two new phablets – the Note 20 and the Note 20 Ultra – amid a myriad of other new Galaxy wares.
Alongside the Notes, Samsung also showcased the Galaxy Buds Live , Galaxy Watch 3 , Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Z Fold 2 at the same event.
When is the Note 20 on sale?
Both the Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra were unveiled of 5 August, with pre-order availability from 6 August to 20 August . The phones went on sale in select markets, including the UK, on 21 August .
Related: Where to buy the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 & Note 20 Ultra
How much does the Note 20 cost?
Although we were hoping Samsung would keep prices low to counter the loss in sales caused by the global pandemic, the Note 20 line is as flagship as they come in both feature-set and cost.
In the UK, Note 20 costs £849 for the 4G version and £949 for the 5G version model, while the Note 20 Ultra starts at £1179 and features 5G as standard.
It’s worth noting (pun unintended) that the Note 10 went on sale at £899/$949 , with the Note 10+ at £999/$1,099 , while the 5G variant started at £1,099/$1,299 .
How many Note 20 models are there?
Despite initial speculation around three flavours of Note 20, Samsung actually kept things simple(r) and produced just two at Unpacked; the aforementioned Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra.
The Note 20 comes in both 4G and 5G variants, sports a smaller, lower-resolution, flat display, less RAM and a smaller battery compared to the Ultra. The Note 20 Ultra opts for a 6.9in curved display with a higher WQHD+ resolution and an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate.
The Ultra also boasts a beefier camera setup – complete with a 108Mp main sensor and new laser focussing system, as well as superior 9ms latency when using that all-important S Pen.
What does the Note 20 line look like?
We were lucky enough to get some early hands-on time with everything Samsung was planning to reveal at Unpacked, including both the Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra.
Sure enough, the majority of the recent leaks and renders were right on the money.
The Note 20 (left) and the Note 20 Ultra (right), both in Mystic Bronze
The Mystic Green finish is a Note 20-exclusive
The display on the Note 20 Ultra is superb
What are the Galaxy Note 20 specs?
Once again, the leaked specs were almost completely on the money. Here are the standout specs on the Galaxy Note 20:
- Flat 6.7in Full HD+ 20:9 60Hz AMOLED display
- In-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor
- S Pen (40% latency improvement from Note 10)
- Samsung Exynos 990 (Europe), Snapdragon 865+ (US)
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB storage
- 12Mp main camera, 64Mp telephoto camera w/ 3x ‘hybrid’ zoom, 12Mp ultrawide camera
- 10Mp front-facing camera
- Samsung Knox security
- 4G and 5G models
- WiFi-6
- 4300mAh battery
- 25W fast charging
- IP68 certified
- 192 grams
- Gorilla Glass 5 front, ‘Glasstic’ premium polycarbonate back
- Colours: Mystic Bronze, Mystic Green, Mystic Grey
And here are the Note 20 Ultra’s specs:
Curved 6.9in WQHD+ 19.3:9 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2x display
In-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor
S Pen (9ms latency)
Samsung Exynos 990 (Europe), Snapdragon 865+ (US)
12GB RAM
256GB/512GB storage + microSD expandability
108Mp main camera, 12Mp telephoto camera w/ 5x optical zoom, 12Mp ultrawide camera, laser autofocus
10Mp front-facing camera
Samsung Knox security
5G
WiFi-6
4500mAh battery
25W fast charging
IP68 certified
208 grams
Gorilla Glass 7 front and back
Colours: Mystic Bronze, Mystic White, Mystic Black
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