Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy S20 Fan Edition processors make for tough choices

By JC Torres/

The days are closing in before Samsung's second big 2020 event but it seems that the outlook may not be so positive for the company's next mobile devices. The Galaxy Z Fold 2, if that is really its name, is reportedly delayed by a month and the Galaxy Note 20 is shaping up to be a rather mixed bag. Ignoring the 5G revision of the Galaxy Z Flip, which practically leaves the Galaxy S20 Lite as the most positive thing Samsung has to show next month.

The Galaxy S20, particularly the Ultra, was marked by excessive features and the Galaxy Note 20 was supposed to tone it down a bit. It seems, however, that Samsung may have been conflicted about the direction it would take. That might have caused the Galaxy Note 20 to have features that are neither here nor there.

There is already some agreement that Samsung has cut down on the camera features, for example, taking out the 100X Space Zoom and swapping out the 3D ToF sensor for a Laser AF module. Despite that, the cameras will still take up as much space as the Galaxy S20 Ultra, forcing the S Pen to the other side of the phone.

Now there's also word that Samsung will be stirring up the hornet's nest again with its processor strategy for the Galaxy Note 20. Some will have an overclocked Snapdragon 865+ announced last month while the other set will have last year's Exynos 990. Given the highly publicized disparity between Qualcomm's Snapdragons and Samsung's own Exynos chips, this is almost begging for trouble.

According to a Geekbench listing, the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition will also use a non-plus Snapdragon 865, but that's fine for a "Lite" flagship. In fact, depending on how the rest of its specs turn out, this phone might actually be an easier sell, presuming it will have a more accessible price as well.

Recommended