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Samsung Galaxy Note 20: Features we want from Samsung’s next flagship
June 08, 2025
Every year Samsung relies on the Galaxy Note series to serve as a showcase for its technical advancements, such as multiple cameras orDexfor PC-like computing. Invariably, the Note sets the tone for Samsung’s mobile phones for the next 12 months, as some of the tech will trickle down to subsequent models.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20, expected to arrive in August, is on deck to play catch up in some ways. The recentflood of flagships, such as theLG V60,Motorola Edge Plus,OnePlus 8 Pro, andSamsung Galaxy S20, brought a range of advanced features to today’s phones, including 120Hz screens and super zoom cameras. While Samsung often leads the way, the2019 Note 10 serieshas now fallen behind. That means the Galaxy Note 20 will need to leapfrog what’s in the market today to retake its standing as a technical showpiece.
Can Samsung do it? Here’s what will help put the Galaxy Note 20 back on top.
Want the latest on Note 20 specs, expected price, release date, and more?
Check out our Note 20 rumor hub for the latest leaks
1. Size: Keep it in check
There’s no need to go any bigger. Samsung sort of admitted last year that not everyone likes a big phone. For the first time, the Note 10 series came in two sizes: the6.8-inch Galaxy Note 10 Plusand the6.3-inch Galaxy Note 10. The latter gave people an option if they found the former to be too much phone. This strategy made sense — until Samsung went even bigger with theGalaxy S20 Ultra. The Ultra has a 6.9-inch display and many (including us) found the overall form factorexcessive. We hope Samsung shows some restraint and doesn’t crack the 7-inch mark with the Note 20.
Based onthe latest rumors, it probably won’t, and we’reunlikely to see a Galaxy Note 20 Ultra either. Right now, the Galaxy Note 20 Plus is slated to have a 6.87-inch screen and the Note 20 will slot in below that with a 6.42-inch screen. While the screens are both bigger, here’s to hoping Samsung keeps bezels — and the total footprints — as compact as possible given the display dimensions. I think we’ll be satisfied as long as the Galaxy Note 20 size is smaller than the S20 Ultra, even if only fractionally.
See also:How big is too big?
2. Cameras: Don’t over-do it (also, make sure they work)
The Samsung Galaxy S20 series, and the Ultra in particular, demonstrated how it’s easy to take things too far. Not only was the camera module of the S20 Ultra utterly massive (and gross), but the features of the camera itself were simplyover the top.
The centerpiece of the S20 Ultra camera was the100x zoom, called Space Zoom, which was accomplished thanks to a mix of optics and digital cropping of ahigh-pixel-count sensor. Anything beyond 10x zoom was unusable. This simply isn’t warranted or required for a modern smartphone. Sure, we want to see good 3x and 5x optical zoom, and perhaps a hybrid 10x zoom that looks good. Anything beyond this is excessive and a waste of tech — and based on the rumor mill, it seems Samsungmay now feel the same. We’d rather see the best-possible set of secondary sensors (wide-angle, etc.) accompany the main shooter.
More importantly, we’d rather Samsung make sure the Galaxy Note 20 cameraactually works. The S20 Ultra hadmajor issuesthat haveyet to be resolved.
The KISS mantra — keep it simple, stupid — is often the best approach, even when trying to sell a flagship smartphone. Stick to standard, ultra-wide, and telephoto lenses that all deliver results and people will be happy. Leave the gimmicks to the competition.
See also:Camera shootout: S20 Ultra vs Pixel 4 XL
3. Screen: A new rate
It’s time for the Note line to adopt a fast refresh rate. Samsung has long offered Quad HD+ screens on the Note series. These pixel-rich AMOLEDs are among the best available. But the competition has chosen a different spec to fret over:refresh rate. The Note 10 family has the standard refresh rate of 60Hz. This means the screen refreshes 60 times each second. Starting with gaming phones such as theROG Phonein 2018, and later competing models fromOnePlusand evenGoogle, phone makers have jumped to 90Hz and even 120Hz panels. Samsung’s ownS20 familyoffers 120Hz refresh rates.
Whyworry aboutthe rate? The faster rate provides a much smoother experience on the screen, particularly when it comes to motion, such as scrolling, panning, and zooming. The 120Hz screens we’ve seen this year are simply luscious. The Galaxy Note 20 needs to jump straight to 120Hz, if not144Hzor higher. This would make the Galaxy Note 20 a monster gaming phone.
See also:Refresh rates explained
4. Cost: Earthbound pricing
Please, please, Samsung, make the Galaxy Note 20 affordable! The three S20 phones cost $999, $1,199, and $1,399, with optionsranging up to $1,599. These prices areout of control, and Samsung got hammered for it.
Unfortunately, Samsung has painted itself into a bit of a corner. It’s hard to introduce a new device that has more tech than its predecessorsandhappens to cost less. Surely the price will be over $999, but hopefully not more than $1,399. If anything, thedismal sales of the S20 lineshould have opened Samsung’s eyes a bit to consumers’ dislike for phones that cost as much as — and sometimes more than — laptops.
We know, wishful thinking.
See also:Samsung S20 family better, but at what cost?
5. Unhinged: A fold in store?
The world is waiting fora sequelto last year’sGalaxy Fold, but Samsung has remained quiet about it so far. Could Samsung blend the Note and Fold lines to generate a Note that also folds?
All the rumors for both theGalaxy Note 20andGalaxy Fold 2point totraditional sequelsthat carry over the preceding form factor.
What Samsung Galaxy Note 20 feature do you want most?
But seriously, think of a combined Note/Fold? The Galaxy Note 20 Fold edition, or some such (serious, Samsung has had worse names for phones). It could be the ultimate device, with a massive set of screens, unparalleled multitasking, and more room for productivity. Hell, such a beast could usher in an entirely new mobile computing paradigm. Sure, it would cost $2,000, but it just might be worth it.
A pipe dream? Perhaps. But the Galaxy Note 20 needs a killer feature to set it apart from the huge number of super slabs already in the market. This would be it.
What do you want to see from the Galaxy Note 20? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check out some of our other Samsung content below:
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