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Insider says the Galaxy Note 20 model you want will never exist

Published May 14th, 2020 6:50AM EDT
Galaxy Note 20 Plus Specs
Image: Framesira/Shutterstock

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  • The Galaxy Note 20 series will not have an Ultra model, as it’s the case for the Galaxy S20 phones.
  • An insider revealed specs details for both the Galaxy Note 20 and the Galaxy Note 20+, which are in line with the Galaxy S20 series.
  • The new Note will have a larger fingerprint sensor than other Samsung handsets, featuring Qualcomm’s new 3D Sonic Max tech.
  • Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

The Galaxy S20 series is one of the highlights of the first half of the year in terms of smartphone flagships, but the phone wasn’t quite the success Samsung wanted it to be. The device hit stores just as the world braced for the worldwide coronavirus health crisis, and most markets entered lockdowns soon after that. Smartphone sales were hurt in the process, as the world’s population was started prioritizing other purchases. Even without COVID-19, Galaxy S20 would have suffered thanks to Samsung’s surprising pricing policy for the series. The cheapest S20 you can buy starts at $999, which is $300 more than the cheapest iPhone 11. Since mid-February, Samsung started running all sorts of promos to sell more S20 stock, just as more Android vendors launched more affordable flagship featuring Galaxy S20-like specs. Samsung isn’t done launching phones with crazy specs, and the Galaxy Note 20 is the next in line. The phone is expected to launch in early August and will feature high-end hardware like the S20 series. Unlike the S20, however, the Galaxy Note 20 won’t have an Ultra version.

Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants took to Twitter a few days ago to relay plenty of Note 20 information, including the revelation that there won’t be a Note 20 Ultra in stores this year. According to him, the Galaxy Fold 2 will act as the Ultra. That’s the second-gen Fold handset that’s supposed to launch alongside the Note 20 series.

Young provided several Note 20 display specs on Twitter, saying that both phones will feature 120Hz OLED screens and slightly increased resolutions. The Galaxy Note 20 will have a 6.3-inch screen, while the Note 20+ display will measure almost 6.9-inch.

YouTuber GregglesTV interviewed Young after he posted his Galaxy Fold and Note 20 leaks, and that’s’ where the display expert revealed additional details about the upcoming Galaxy Note 20 series.

The Note 20 and Note 20+ will both feature a new in-display fingerprint sensing technology, as they’ll incorporate Qualcomm’s 3D Sonic Max fingerprint reader inside the display. That’s the brand new sensor that Qualcomm unveiled in December. The 3D Sonic Max tech will support two fingers, and it’ll be 17 times larger than previous versions.

Young also said that the Note 20 phones will have 16GB of RAM as standard and that they’ll feature battery packs ranging anywhere from 4,000 mAh to 5,000 mAh. Both phones will have a design similar to the Galaxy Note 10 and S20, featuring a hole-punch selfie camera placed in a central position.

The phones will be unveiled in early August and hit stores a few weeks later, Young added. The pricing structure for the two handsets hasn’t leaked.

These revelations are hardly surprising, especially if you’re familiar with Samsung’s launch strategy for the Galaxy S and Note series. The S20 and Note 20 will not only share design lines but also the main specs, as it was the case with their predecessors. The Note 20 will sport a built-in S Pen stylus and a bigger in-display fingerprint sensors compared to the S20 phones.

That said, there is an essential aspect that Young failed to address, and that’s the camera of the Note 20 series. Without a Note 20 Ultra in the works, there’s no telling whether an Ultra-like camera system will be available on the Note 20+ or not. The full interview follows below.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.