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Samsung might’ve just leaked its most stunning smartphone design yet

Published Apr 22nd, 2020 6:50AM EDT
Galaxy Note 20 Release Date
Image: Jacob Siegal/BGR

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  • A teaser image suggests the Galaxy Note 20 might get a significant display upgrade this year.
  • An image that Samsung shared suggests the new handset might feature an under-screen camera, the holy grail of smartphone screen design right now.
  • However, there’s no proof to back up the teaser, which is probably just a placeholder image.
  • Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

Samsung is widely expected to unveil its next flagship series in early August, regardless of what happens with the novel coronavirus health crisis. That’s the Galaxy Note 20, which will be joined by a new foldable, the Galaxy Fold 2. The Galaxy Note 20 is expected to look a lot like the Galaxy S20 when it comes to the overall design. The handset will feature an all-screen display and multi-lens camera on the back, but it’ll also feature a built-in S-Pen stylus like every Galaxy Note generation to date. A brand new leak suggests the phone might get the most significant display upgrade in a few years, but the technology might not be quite there yet.

Placing a camera under the display is the holy grail of smartphone design right now. The selfie camera is the only obstacle that remains in the quest for the perfect smartphone design. Most handsets have all-screen displays right now, but they feature notches, holes, and tiny bezels. Under-screen camera technology was demoed last year, but those early prototypes showed that camera quality left a lot to be desired. That may be the main reason why we don’t have a camera under the screen. Selfies are still very popular and widely used, and no smartphone maker is willing to compromise that particular camera feature.

Image source: Samsung via SamMobile

Samsung used the image above inside the Samsung Rewards section of its Galaxy Store, under the $1 Spot Themes category, per SamMobile. The phone in the middle is placed between the Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy S20, and it resembles the Galaxy Note 10.

There’s nothing to prove the device is the Note 20, although that’s the most immediate guess. Also, we have no idea whether the handset has a hole-punch selfie camera or not. The Note 10 featured a selfie camera in the center, just like the Galaxy S20. That unknown device in the middle there could have a hole-punch camera in the top left corner.

Samsung manufactures some of the best OLED screens available for mobile devices, and it’s likely its display unit is already developing screens with built-in cameras. But there’s no indication the technology is ready for widespread adoption. A separate rumor says the Galaxy Fold 2 will have a hole-punch design exactly because under-screen cameras aren’t ready yet.

The closer we get to August, the more Note 20 leaks we’ll see, and it’s just a matter of time until the phone’s final design is revealed.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2007. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he closely follows the events in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming new movies and TV shows, or training to run his next marathon.