Samsung’s Galaxy Note series has always been one of the foremost series when it comes to productivity and creativity. With its signature S-Pen and its large display, the series was responsible for revolutionising the smartphone space – the effects of which we still feel until today. This year, the company is looking to do more of the same when it comes to the brand new Samsung Galaxy Note20 series.
The Galaxy Note20 series will consists of only two devices: the Galaxy Note20 Ultra and the regular Galaxy Note; unlike the Galaxy S20 series. However, the gap between the two new flagships is a little more pronounced. The Note 20 Ultra builds on the series’ legacy while the Note20 serves as an entry point for people looking to explore the Note series for the first time.
Swifter Response, More Natural Writing
The new Galaxy Note series comes with a more fortified S Pen. The new S Pen on the Galaxy Note20 comes with a 9ms response time compared to the 42ms in the Galaxy Note10 series. The improved S Pen response time is supposed to provide a more natural writing experience on the smartphone. The higher response time will translate into a more seamless experience and the stroke appearing on the screen as soon as S pen hits the surface. This would also mean that it would be even more natural taking notes and creatives will definitely revel in the feel when their creating on the Note.
That said, the S Pen doesn’t just gain a faster response rate, it also turns into your navigation tool. The new S Pen gains more Air Actions to help with navigation and quick actions. The new Air Actions allows you navigate the Android UI with the S Pen. Gestures like scribbling to cover the screen will trigger a screenshot. It’s hard to describe all of them but it seems like there will be a lot more wizards appearing with Notes in their pockets.
More Features on Samsung Notes and DeX Untethered
Samsung’s Notes app gets a little boost too with the updated Galaxy Note series. It gains the ability to annoted PDFs and even PowerPoint files. Of course, if you’re already a Galaxy Note user, you’d know this functionality is already there with Samsung’s Write on PDF app. However, with the Note20, it comes baked into the Samsung Notes app and users will also be able to export their files to PDF and PowerPoint formats for easy editing.
The productivity features on the Note20 series also get a boost with a new improvement to Samsung’s DeX – it’s now wireless. The untethered DeX experience not only brings the full DeX experience to any capable wireless screen, it also allows your phone to be used as a second screen. This allows you to project and share while keeping items like your messages to yourself. This feature will be compatible with all
The Note20 series also introduces what Samsung is calling Ultra Wide Band (UWB) technology. The new tech comes as Android’s – yep, you read that right, ANDROID’s – answer to AirDrop. The new tech is now being used as a means to quickly and seamlessly share files between phones and has been in development for a while now. The technology is pioneered by a partnership between Google and Samsung. That said, the most interesting feature that we got to see was the Point to Share feature which allows you to share files by simply pointing and tapping on the detected phone. Samsung is looking to use this technology as to develop access keys and more in the future.
Augmented Camera features for a better Creator Experience
Last year, Samsung explored the Note series’ prowess when it came to creator experiences. This year, the series take another leap with more creator focused features primarily focused on the camera.
The new Note20 series will be the first Samsung device to have an improved Pro Video mode which gives creators better control of the camera when they are creating. The new pro video mode brings granular sound control; allowing creators to play with volume levels and also choose their sound source. This will allow users to choose between the device mics as well as Bluetooth devices such as the Galaxy Buds Active. The camera also has variable zoom speed just in case you need that extra splash of drama.
The camera also comes with the capability to shoot 8K video with support for lower resolutions. Users can select frame rates of up to 120fps for resolutions below 4K. You can even use DisplayPort over USB-C or USB-C to HDMI for video out.
Powerful Specs that Allow You to Get More Done
As always, the Galaxy Note series comes supped specifications to keep you ever at the ready. The Galaxy Note20 and Note20 Ultra come with top of the line processors capable of 5G connectivity. They will be coming with either the Exynos 990 or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ depending on your region. This will be complemented by either 8GB or 12 GB of RAM and a minimum of 256GB onboard memory. The Galaxy Note20 Ultra will have expandable memory via microSD card slot while the Note20 will not.
The Galaxy Note20 Ultra will be coming with a 6.9-inch, curved Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with Quad HD+ resolution of 3088×1440 pixels. The Galaxy Note20, on the other hand, will be coming with a 6.7-inch flat Super AMOLED+ display with Full HD+ resolution of 2400×1080 pixels. They will both come with the signature S Pen with all its bells and whistles as well.
On the camera front, the Note20 Ultra comes with a triple camera setup which has a 108-megapixel main sensor complemented with a 12-megapixel ultra wide sensor and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera. The Note 20 comes with a similar setup replacing the 108-megapixel sensor with a 12-megapixel main sensor and the 12-megapixel telephoto sensor with a 64-megapixel telephoto sensor. The Note series ditches the 100X Space Zoom for a more sensible 50X Space Zoom on the Ultra while the regular Note20 has 30X Space Zoom. The front camera is a 10-megapixel wide sensor. Both smartphones come with Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF) and Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), however, the Galaxy Note20 Ultra comes with Laser Autofocus.
The Galaxy Note20 series will be 5G capable with 4G connectivity being the standard across all regions. The phones will support both the Sub6 and mmWave bandwidths for 5G – support for actual 5G connectivity will depend on your carrier/telco. The Galaxy Note20 and Note20 Ultra will also support WiFi 6 (802.11 ax). This comes in addition to normal WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac. The smartphones will also have Bluetooth 5.0 LE and GPS connectivity.
The Note20 will be powered by a 4,300mAh battery while the Ultra will have a larger 4,500mAh battery. Both will support fast charging. This includes wireless fast charging. They will also be capable of Wireless PowerShare as well.
Pricing & Availability
The Galaxy Note20 will be available for pre-order starting September 6, 2020 for USD$999.99 (MYR4,194.84) internationally. In Malaysia, prices will be starting at MYR3,899 for the Note20 and MYR4,299 for the Note20 5G. It will be available in Mystic Green, Mystic Grey and Mystic Bronze.
The Galaxy Note20 Ultra will be available starting at USD$1,299.99 (MYR5,453.30) internationally. In Malaysia, it will be retailing at MYR5,199. It will be available in Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black and Mystic White.
Pre-orders for Malaysia kick off on 6 August, 2020. Pre-orders of the Note20 Ultra will be entitled to a free pair of Galaxy Buds Live worth MYR699 while Note20 pre-orders will be entitled to a free of Galaxy Buds+ worth MYR599.
Official Specifications
