Samsung Galaxy Note 20 leak just confirmed launch date

(Image credit: OnLeaks/Pigtou)

If you’ve been counting down the days until the Galaxy Note 20 phablet arrives from Samsung, the date where you’ll be able to finally lay eyes on the new phone looks like it’s been set.

Samsung hasn’t announced anything officially, but Gizmodo UK is reporting that the Galaxy Note 20 will debut at a special event on August 5. That report is based on a source that’s described as “a trustworthy source of information in the past.”

The August 5 date isn’t exactly out of left field. Other rumor mongers have suggested that Samsung will unveil the Galaxy 20 on August 5, though this new report adds more weight behind the reported date.

The Galaxy Note 20 won’t be the only phone on display at this Samsung Unpacked event. The Gizmodo UK report also says we’ll see the Galaxy Z Flip 5G on August 5. That’s the rumored update to Samsung’s foldable flip phone that will add 5G connectivity.

The original Galaxy Z Flip debuted in February at Samsung’s last Unpacked event. A compact phone that folds out to reveal a 6.7-inch display, the Galaxy Z Flip costs $1,380. The Gizmodo UK report suggests a £100 premium for the 5G version over the UK price, which would be in line with how much 5G phones cost in the US, too.

There’s no mention in this report of an August 5 Samsung event of another phone that had been rumored for a debut alongside the Galaxy Note 20. That would be the Galaxy Fold 2, the anticipated update for Samsung’s other foldable phone. Most Samsung watchers expect that phone to debut soon, introducing larger screens and camera improvements.

Should the August 5 date come to pass, that doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll get our hands on the Galaxy Note 20 on that date. Typically, a couple weeks pass between a Samsung Unpacked event and when the phones announced there actually ship. Rumors suggest an August 21 release date for the Note 20, which would fit that pattern. Samsung watchers expect any foldable phones to start shipping in September.

The Galaxy Note 20 is rumored to come in two versions — a 6.42-inch standard edition and a 6.87-inch model likely to be called the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. The phablets are expected to adapt the camera array introduced in this spring’s Galaxy S20 release, though the Ultra model is likely to get a laser focus sensor to improve autofocus. We’re expecting both phones to be powered the upcoming Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset and feature screens with 120Hz refresh rates.

Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.