Samsung Galaxy Note 20: Top 12 things you need to take note of

The Galaxy Unpacked Event for 2020 has just concluded, with Samsung appeasing fans with a bunch of new devices—including the ANC-enabled Galaxy Buds Live, a new smartwatch, and the successor to the Galaxy Fold. However, the headlining act was arguably the Galaxy Note 20, with the latest update to the iconic Note series coming with all the high-end specs you’d expect out of a 2020 flagship smartphone.

But smartphones in the Note series haven’t really been the most typical of smartphones, have they? The Galaxy Note 20 is no different in this sense, so here are the top 12 things that you need to know about the Galaxy Note 20.

1. Powered by the Exynos 990 in Malaysia… still

To start things off, I’ll answer the same question that gets asked about every Galaxy flagship smartphone in recent years. No, we’ll still be getting the Exynos 990 processor in the Malaysian market, with the U.S. to get the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+. That’s mated with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM, along with up to 256GB (in Malaysia) of UFS3.1 storage.

2. No 4G model for the Galaxy Note Ultra

If you aren’t a believer of 5G, or if you’re looking for the cheapest way to pick up a Galaxy Note 20, you’ll have to go with the standard Galaxy Note 20. The range-topping Galaxy Note 20 Ultra does not have a 4G-only version, although there are 5G versions for both models. Additionally, WiFi 6 is also supported, so you’ll have the gold standard in connectivity—more or less.

3. That huge display 6.9″ QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 120Hz

Like other smartphones in the Note series, the Galaxy Note 20 features some of the best, and largest screens on a flagship smartphone. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has a huge 6.9″ Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X (496ppi) display, which has a 120Hz refresh rate.

Meanwhile, the standard Note 20 features a slightly watered-down 6.7″ Full HD+ “flat” Super AMOLED Plus display, with a fairly disappointing pixel density of 393ppi. Additionally, you won’t have a high refresh rate on the standard Galaxy Note 20’s screen—not even 90Hz—so you’ll have to live with good ol’ 60Hz.

4. 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging

To charge the Galaxy Note 20, both models support USB PD 3.0 (PPS) fast-charging speeds of up to 25W. You can also wirelessly charge the Galaxy Note 20 via Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, which basically means that you’ll need a charging pad which can push 15W of juice.

Wireless PowerShare is also available, and as always, you’ll be able to use the Note 20 to wirelessly charge any Qi-compatible device—so long as your smartphone has more than 30 percent of battery left, that is.

5. MicroSD storage still supported, but only on Ultra

Along with up to 256GB (Malaysian spec) of onboard UFS3.1 storage for the Galaxy Note Ultra, you’ll also have the option to expand storage via microSD—and up to 1TB is supported. For some reason, Samsung decided to only include a hybrid SIM tray for the range-topping Ultra, so that’s that.

6. 108MP camera comes back, but only with the Note Ultra

Just like the Galaxy S20 Ultra, the Galaxy Note Ultra also comes with a 108MP main camera which features PDAF and OIS. The rest of the triple-camera setup is made up of a 12MP ultra-wide shooter, a 12MP telephoto lens, and a Laser AF (auto-focus) sensor.

This means that you get ‘Space Zoom” on the Note 20 Ultra, just like the S20 Ultra. Cool names aside, you’ll be able to zoom at 50x, while optical zoom maxes out at 5x.

7. New “Anywhere Actions” for S Pen

The S Pen is probably the most distinctive thing that makes the Galaxy Note 20… well, a Note. Samsung regularly updates its stylus with added features at every Note release, and now, the S Pen has been improved for even better accuracy and responsiveness.

Something that’s new is the addition of “Anywhere Actions”. Building upon Air Actions, you now have five new gestures that can be customised to allowing you to control various aspects of the Galaxy Note 20—by waving the S Pen around like a wand, of course.

8. Support for Xbox game streaming—but not in Malaysia

As we covered earlier, Microsoft has announced that Project xCloud game streaming will be available to supported Android devices from the 15th of September as part of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

This means that subscribers will be able to play over 100 Xbox titles on the Galaxy Note 20, with no extra cost (besides the Ultimate subscription fee). Samsung has announced that the Galaxy Note 20 will support Microsoft’s cloud gaming service, which could potentially be a game-changer in the mobile gaming industry.

Unfortunately, Samsung Malaysia has confirmed to us that the service will not be available in Malaysia.

More details here.

9. No more wires needed for Samsung DeX

This is a pretty big deal, or at least it is to me. Samsung DeX has always felt a little diluted as a PC replacement. However, the Galaxy Note 20 now supports wireless connections for DeX with a compatible Smart TV—which is a first for DeX, and Samsung as a whole.

You’ll need a Smart TV with Miracast support, while both the TV and phone need to be connected to the same WiFi network.

10. You only get “Glasstic” for the Standard Galaxy Note 20

It probably isn’t what Samsung wants to hear, but “Glasstic” doesn’t really cut it for a flagship smartphone. If you want a more premium build, you’ll have to pick up the Galaxy Note Ultra—that has a glass back, along with a metal frame.

However, the standard Galaxy Note 20 uses “Glasstic” for the back, which is basically plastic materials that are designed to emulate the premium feeling of glass. This has been seen in some of the company’s lower-end A-series smartphones, so perhaps this is a cost-cutting measure.

11. Toughest smartphone Gorilla Glass ever

Samsung touts the glass display of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra as the “toughest Gorilla Glass” on any smartphone in the market, which is a pretty big claim to make.

Gorilla Glass Victus (whatever happened to the number sequence?) supposedly survives 2m drops and offers twice the scratch resistance that Gorilla Glass 6 does, so this one will be appreciated by those with butter fingers, for sure.

12. A new “Mystic Bronze” colour

Samsung says that feedback from fans has led to a prediction that Mystic Bronze will be the colour of choice for many—what do you think? The colour is a first on a Note smartphone, with designers saying that it is “gender-fluid”.

While Note 20 Ultra uses glass, and the standard Note 20 is made up of polycarbonate on the back—Samsung promises that both models will look equally good in Mystic Bronze. Plus, they’re claiming both will “feel the same”, too.

Official local pricing is as follows:

Galaxy Note 20 (LTE) – RM3,899
Galaxy Note 20 5G – RM4,299
Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G – RM5,199

Pre-orders start on the 6th of August at 10am until the 20th of August 2020. The devices will be available in Malaysia officially on the 21st of August 2020.

For more information on the Galaxy Note 20, scroll down to the related reading section. Additionally, we’re also covering the other devices launched—some of which are really, really interesting—so be sure to check out the full coverage on SoyaCincau.com.

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