Google discontinues Pixel 4 and 4XL
Less than a year after unveiling and a month after 3a is discontinued
Manufacturers
August 6, 2020
Broadening ecosystem also includes wearables, earbuds and Microsoft cloud gaming partnership
Samsung unveiled the latest in its S-Pen toting flagship Note series, the Galaxy Note20, as well as a new foldable device, the Galaxy Z Fold2.
At its first virtual Unpacked event, the Korean manufacturer revealed the devices as part of a growing Samsung ecosystem, alongside new tablets, earbuds, and wearables.
Note20
The Note20 comes in two variants, the Note20 (right) and Note20 ultra (left). The Note20 has a 6.7-inch screen, while the Note20 Ultra’s is the largest Note screen yet, at 6.9 inches. The Note20 has a 60Hz screen refresh rate, while the Note20 Ultra has a 120Hz screen refresh rate.
While the Note20 has a “glasstic” back and Gorilla Glass 5 on the front, the Note20 Ultra is housed in Gorilla Glass 7 on its front and back. Both phones are also IP68 certified for water resistance.
Both variants run Android 10 on Samsung’s Exynos 990 chipset and are 5G-capable. However, there is a 4G-only version of the Note20. The Note20 has 8GB RAM, while the Note20 Ultra has 12GB RAM.
With 4,300mAh (Note20) and 4,500mAh (Note20 Ultra) batteries, Samsung claims that 25W fast-charging can restore 50 per cent of battery in 30 minutes.
In the camera department, both phones have a triple rear-camera setup, with a single front camera. The Note20 has a 64MP telephoto lens with 30x Space Zoom, as well as a 12MP wide lens and a 12MP ultra-wide lens.
Meanwhile, the Note20 Ultra has a 108MP telephoto lens with 50x Space Zoom as in the S20 Ultra, and also has a 12MP wide lens and 12MP ultra-wide lens. Both variants can shoot 4K video at 60fps. On the front, both phones have a 10MP front camera.
The cameras also have a Pro Video mode with an optional histogram and audio measurement.
The Samsung S-Pen now has 9Ms latency compared to 42Ms on the Note 10 series. There are five distinct gestures that can aid in navigation, and upgraded ease of access to Samsung DeX.
DeX can now be used wirelessly, making TV or computer screens act as a secondary screen to the Galaxy Note20.
The Note20 comes in Mystic Bronze, Mystic Grey and Mystic Green colours, while the Note20 Ultra comes in Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black and Mystic White colours.
Both variants are available for pre-order from August 6 and will be released on August 21, with the Note20 starting at £849 (4G-only) and £949, and the Note20 Ultra starting at £1,179.
All four UK MNOs have confirmed they are ranging the device, with Sky Mobile and giffgaff also offering it.
Z Fold2
Following on from announcing a 5G version of the Z Flip, Samsung has unveiled the Z Fold2, a follow-up to last year’s Galaxy Fold.
While Samsung did not reveal full specs or pricing, it said that it had two edge-to-edge, “nearly bezel-less Infinity-O Displays”.
The phone’s cover screen is 6.2 inches and the main screen is 7.6 inches, larger than its predecessor, while product imagery shows a triple-camera setup.
Additionally, the phone has a more durable hinge, with a screen made of “ultra thin glass” that can fold at the hinge point. Like the Z Flip, and unlike the Galaxy Fold, it can be folded at multiple angles.
It will come in Mystic Bronze and Mystic Black colours, as well as a version made in partnership with New York fashion house Thom Browne.
The phone will be on full display at a launch event on September 1, when it will also be available for pre-order.
“Going forward, 5G and foldables will be the main pillars of Samsung’s future,” said Samsung’s global executive SVP Federico Casalegno.
Other devices
Samsung’s other big announcements from the event included the Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+ tablets.
Samsung has moved the cameras on the Tab S7 and S7+ to landscape to reflect user tastes when using previous iterations of the devices. The Tab S7 starts from £619 and the Tab S7+ will start from £799 on August 21.
Samsung also announced new Galaxy Buds Live wireless earbuds, and the Galaxy Watch 3, which is simultaneously larger, lighter and thinner than its predecessors. It comes in 41mm and 45mm variants from £399 and £419 respectively. Both of these devices will be available from August 6.
When paired with a Samsung phone, Galaxy Buds Live can be used to cut out background noise in a video.
Microsoft
Samsung’s partnership with Microsoft will see Xbox Game Pass Ultimate available for Galaxy phone and tablet users, making the latest Xbox games playable on these devices through the cloud and with an Xbox controller.