The as-yet-unannounced Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series will effectively be identical to the Galaxy S20 series, with few changes. That’s based on reports citing two of the industry’s top insider sources — Ice universe and Max Weinbach. Both sources recently took to Twitter to indicate as much.
First, the Samsung Galaxy Note 20’s hardware specifications will not be “significantly changed.” Neither will the cameras.
Mr. Weinbach has gone so far as to specify that “basically everything is the same” and the Galaxy Note 20 can be thought of as an “S series” device. The key difference will be that it arrives with an S Pen in tow. Of course, the overall design will differ in that the Note series features a more “square” design too.
What’s expected from the Galaxy Note 20 and what does this mean for Samsung fans?
The above description of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is not necessarily promising for fans of the series. That’s if the expectation is taken at face value. The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is expected to arrive in a base model and a Samsung Galaxy Note 20+ variant. There has been speculation about a third, Ultra-branded version as well but that has yet to be substantiated.
That’s not entirely surprising. Samsung’s Galaxy S20 series devices all essentially shipped with the same hardware on the inside. Slight variances in terms of storage, RAM, battery size, overall display size, and cameras were all that set the devices apart.
Previous reports also indicated that storage in the upcoming flagships starts out at 128GB. That aligns well with the expectation that these devices will follow the Samsung Galaxy S20’s footsteps. That handset started out at 128GB of space, with only the S20+ and S20- Ultra offering 256GB and 512GB options. Samsung backed that up with 8GB RAM in the LTE variants and 12GB memory in the 5G versions. The ‘Ultra’ Galaxy S20 featured an additional 16GB RAM configuration.
Samsung set battery capacity in the Galaxy S20 at a respectable 4000mAh. The larger two gadgets received 4500mAh and 5000mAh power supplies, respectively.
If Samsung sticks with tradition here, its Galaxy Note 20 will be almost identical to the Samsung Galaxy S20+. Conversely, the Samsung Galaxy Note 20+ might more closely mirror the Galaxy S20 Ultra. In previous generations, Samsung used screen size, battery capacity, and camera hardware to set apart its two Note series devices.
This doesn’t tell everything about the upcoming devices
Samsung seems likely to mirror the larger of the two previous Samsung flagships but that may only be apparent in size. The latest rumors regarding pricing put the cost of the two expected Note devices closer to the smaller S20 series handsets. Namely, the expectation is that the Galaxy Note 20 will likely be around $1049, and the Galaxy Note 20+ around $1199.
The pricing appears to suggest the specs will be closer to the standard Samsung Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+ instead of the ‘Ultra’.
It’s possible that Samsung could choose undercut its own pricing to offset lackluster Galaxy S20 series sales while keeping specs and features closer to the more pricey S series gadgets. But it’s not out of the question that Samsung will launch three Galaxy Note 20 devices that match its S series. If that’s the case, the only real difference might be the inclusion of an S Pen and a squared-off design.
Basically everything is the same. Just think S series with an S Pen and squared off corners. https://t.co/XJVQdCVcjN
— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) March 21, 2020