Now that Samsung's recently introduced a 108-megapixel camera in its Galaxy S20 Ultra, all eyes are on the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 20 line to see how the phone maker could improve upon its innovative — if buggy — imaging hardware.
A leak courtesy of WinFuture's Roland Quandt (opens in new tab) and reported by PhoneArena (opens in new tab) hints at what Samsung may be planning. Quandt has published a picture of what he claims is a Galaxy Note 20 inlay mold, used to shape the phone's back panel. Of particular note is the elongated camera cutout — a narrow rectangle that looks to be roughly the same proportions as the module on the back of the S20 Ultra.
- The best big phones available now
- The best camera phones: Top smartphones for photography
- Just in: The iPhone 9 may launch this week as cases hit retailers
Here's a fun one. This is a mold for an inlay for the official Samsung Galaxy Note 11 (Plus) LED View Cover. (Ignore the markings and the aspect ratio could be a little off, too). pic.twitter.com/kAZEFmTXhBMarch 31, 2020
The similarity with Samsung's $1,399 range-topping Galaxy S20 would hint that at least one Note 20 model may receive the same quartet of lenses, perhaps even including both the Ultra's 108-MP primary sensor and 48-MP telescopic optical zoom lens. That wouldn't be surprising, considering Samsung typically reappropriates the Galaxy S series' imaging stack for the next Note device due later in the year.
If Samsung does decide to implement the Ultra's sophisticated camera setup in the Note 20, we at least hope this time the company avoids the glitches that plagued the photo-taking experience in the most-expensive S20 variant. S20 Ultra users have reported jumpy autofocus and a softness applied to selfies — something we also experienced when we reviewed the device last month. Almost two weeks ago, Samsung issued a software update designed to patch some of those bugs.
Camera clues aside, Quandt's Galaxy Note 20 leak also shines a light on the general shape of the phone, which looks to retain the sharp, squared-off aesthetic established with the Galaxy Note 10. While the Galaxy S series gets progressively rounder with every passing generation, the Note has taken on a more hard-edged style — a design that's perhaps more suitable for such a productivity-focused device.
We're still many months away from the Galaxy Note 20's expected reveal, which typically occurs near the end of the summer, in late August. That said, no schedule is set in stone these days, and the ongoing global pandemic could force the tech giant to delay its plans — so stay tuned over the coming months.