Samsung Galaxy Note 20 leak reveals big upgrade

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 front and back
(Image credit: Windows United)

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is reportedly still on track for an August launch, and now comes word that it's going to get a big upgrade that should help it last longer on a charge than the Galaxy Note 10.

According to a report from Galaxy Club (picked up by Sam Mobile), the Galaxy Note 20 will have the same size battery as the standard Galaxy S20, which is good news. And this is just one of two Galaxy Note 20 models that Samsung is expected to release this year.

The Galaxy Club report says that the standard Galaxy Note 20 will ship with a 4,000 mAh battery, which is the same one found in the Galaxy S20. The rated capacity is 3,880 mAh but the typical capacity is 4,000 mAh.

By comparison, the Galaxy Note 10 has a battery capacity of 3,500 mAh. In the Tom's Guide battery test, which involves continuous web surfing for cellular, the Note 10 lasted for just 9 hours and 25 minutes. The devices on our best phone battery life list tend to last 11 hours or longer.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus features a 4,300 mAh battery and that phone lasted a longer 10:47 in our test. Galaxy Club does not yet have the battery capacity for the rumored Galaxy Note 20 Plus, but it's reasonable to predict that it could get the 4,500 mAh battery in the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus or maybe even the 5,000 mAh pack in the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra.

There are a couple of important variables at play here that will likely impact the battery life of the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Plus. First, both phones will have 5G connectivity by default, which can suck up power. And the two Note 20 phones will probably have 120Hz displays. We've found that 120Hz screens can significantly decrease battery life when set to that mode. The good news is that you can choose 60Hz when you want to save juice.

The standard Galaxy S20 lasted 9 hours and 31 minutes on our web surfing test over 5G, the Galaxy S20 Plus lasted 10:31 and the Galaxy S20 Ultra endured for an excellent 11:58. However, in 120Hz mode those numbers fell to 8:04, 8:55 and 9:13. So we're hoping that Samsung figures out a way to make its 120Hz tech more efficient.

Other rumored features for the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Plus include larger displays, maybe even surpassing 7 inches for the Plus model, as well as Snapdragon 865 power and possible faster eUFS 3.1 storage. In addition, Samsung is said to be working on a more fine-tuned 120Hz display for these phones. You can also expect upgrades to the S Pen, as Samsung's internal code name for the Note 20 is Canvas.

Check out our in-depth Galaxy Note 20 leaks and rumors page for everything you need to know about Samsung's upcoming phablets. You can also check out the latest Galaxy S20 deals below if you don't want to wait.

Mark Spoonauer

Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in chief of Tom's Guide and has covered technology for over 20 years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at key industry events and appears regularly on TV to discuss the latest trends, including Cheddar, Fox Business and other outlets. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.