- The Galaxy Note 20 price might be a lot lower than expected, a massive specs leak seems to indicate.
- Both the Galaxy Note 20 and the Note 20 Ultra will share several design and hardware features, but the Ultra will offer the better flagship package.
- There are quite a few differences between the Note 20 and the Note 20 Ultra, concerning the screen performance, storage and RAM, camera, and even 5G connectivity.
Samsung’s Galaxy S20 huge gamble did not pay off. All three Galaxy S20 models offer high-end specs and are significant upgrades over their predecessors. But the cheapest one starts at $999. That’s just too expensive for an Android flagship, especially in a world where the most popular phone is an iPhone that starts at $699. Add to that the economic hardships that came with novel coronavirus pandemic, and the $999 S20 is an even tougher sell. Samsung launched several promotions in recent months, offering instant discounts on the handset, as well as new buying options that can make the phone seem more affordable. But the damage was already done.
Samsung seems to have gotten the memo. Launching a $999 phone is too risky in the current landscape. Not even Apple was able to get away with expensive iPhones. That’s why the more affordable iPhone XR and iPhone 11 turned out to be the best sellers of their generations. A massive leak indicates that the Note 20 will be much cheaper than the Note 20 Ultra, and it could be a lot more affordable than we initially thought.
The Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra will not be identical phones when it comes to hardware. German blog WinFuture got its hands on specs sheets for both handsets, reveling all the significant differences between them that indicate the Note 20 will be a lot more affordable than the Ultra.
The phones will still share a few standard specs between them, including the same Exynos 990 processor (or Snapdragon 865, depending on market), 256GB base memory, 10-megapixel front-facing camera, 8K video recording on the primary camera, up to 5G connectivity, Dual SIM and eSIM support, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, Wi-Fi 6, USB-C, in-screen fingerprint sensor, IP 68 rating, and quick charge technology and wireless charging.
Both phones will ship with Android 10 on board, with Samsung One UI running on top of it. And both devices will support Project xCloud game streaming that will let you run Xbox games on the handsets directly from Microsoft’s cloud.
But the Note 20 Ultra will feature the better hardware. The Ultra features a larger 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED Infinity Display that supports 120Hz refresh rate and features Gorilla Glass 7 glass on top. The Note 20’s screen measures just 6.7 inches, and it’s of the Super AMOLED variety, that handles just 60Hz refresh rate. The Note 20’s resolution is 3200 x 1440, compared to just 2400 x 1080 for the Note 20.
The Note 20’s screen is flat and the bottom bezel is slightly larger, the report notes. The Ultra features curvier edges in line with its predecessors. More concerning is a claim that the Note 20’s rear panel is made of plastic rather than glass, as it’s the case for the Ultra and all other Samsung flagships.
The Ultra comes with 12GB of RAM, 4GB of memory more than the Note 20, and gets both a 512GB option and microSD support. The regular Note 20 will come in a single 8GB/256GB configuration that will not get expandable storage.
On the camera front, the selfie cam might be similar, but each phone packs a unique triple-lens shooter on the back. The Note 20 Ultra features a 108-megapixel main camera (f/1.8 aperture), 12-megapixel ultra-wide-camera (f/2.2), 12-megapixel camera (f/3.0) with 5x optical zoom. The camera system supports zoom of up to 50x and includes laser autofocus.
The Note 20 has a 12-megapixel primary camera (f/1.8), 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens (f/2.2), and 64-megapixel telephoto lens (f/2.0) with 3x optical zoom. The phone’s “Space Zoom” capability maxes out at 30x.
The Note 20 Ultra has a slightly bigger battery at 4,500 mAh, which is 200 mAh larger than the Note 20.
The Note 20 Ultra also features a better S Pen stylus, which will offer a slightly faster response, at 9ms compared to 26ms for the Note 20.
Finally, the Note 20 Ultra will only be available in a 5G version, whereas the Note 20 will also ship in 4G-only options.
The good news in all of this is that the Note 20 will surely be less expensive than the Ultra. How low is Samsung willing to go when it comes to price? We’ll have to wait for the August 5th launch event to know for sure.
