The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra were announced at a Galaxy Unpacked on Wednesday, bringing many exciting new advances over last year’s Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus. Samsung also announced several other Galaxy-branded devices, including a new version of its vertically folding phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 2, new Galaxy Tab S7 and S7 Plus tablets, a new smartwatch and new Galaxy wireless earbuds. Unpacked was packed.

The Galaxy Notes are known by some as phablets, due to the size being almost that of a small tablet. These large and powerful phones are typically the stars of these mid-year events and that appears to have held true for 2020. The Note series are flagship level phones, featuring the fastest processors, the largest and brightest screens and incorporating key innovations that Samsung is known for, including the S Pen, which inspired the phone’s name and helps Samsung retain a loyal following. For many Galaxy Note users, they already know their next phone will be another Note, based on the S Pen alone.

Related: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Series: Camera Features & Improvements Explained

The new Galaxy Note 20 will, of course, shine with the latest and greatest advances in technology, as every new Note does. Some of the biggest announcements are the amazingly high resolution cameras, up to 108-megapixels, with the infamous Space Zoom that allows as much as a 50x zoom, and 5G connectivity. The cameras are quite similar to those found on the Galaxy S20 and S20 Ultra phones released earlier this year. The screen increases are small this year, up to 6.9 inches for the Ultra. Samsung's bright and beautiful AMOLED display has not changed, but it is hard to improve on such a high grade display, which takes up the entire face (and part of the sides) of the device. Samsung has unveiled new finishes with what it calls a Mystic finish in 3 different colors for each size. This is a matte textured glass, using the latest, super strong Gorilla Glass Victus, which Corning claims can withstand a two meter drop without cracking. That is all in addition to the IP68 rating, the same as the previous Note 10. Overall, these are some serious upgrades over last year's Galaxy Note.

Even More Samsung Changes & Improvements

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 20 Compared

The Note 20 and Ultra can also shoot 8K video, versus the Note 10’s maximum resolution, 4K video. This is the highest resolution video and to even appreciate so many pixels would require a very large TV, which Samsung also makes. With 8GB to 12GB RAM and 128GB to 512GB storage, and starting prices of $999.99 for the Note 20 and $1,299.99 for the Ultra, these are the phones that competitors like Apple will have to strive to match. The Note 20 phones are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865+, the fastest currently available for Android devices. With so much power, large batteries are required and capacities are slightly improved over those included with the Note 10. For example, the Note 20 has a 4,300 mAh battery and the Ultra is fitted with a 4,500 solution, resulting in a big step up for the smaller size Note 20 (compared with 3,500 mAh found on the Note 10), but only a small increase for the larger size Note 20 Ultra (compared to the Note 10 Plus' 4,300 mAh). Samsung promises all-day life for both, and both new phones support quick charging, so battery top-ups should be painless.

Moving on the the signature feature of the Galaxy Note, the new phones feature an improved S pen. Samsung describes the pen as much more responsive than previous S pens and mentions a pen to paper feel when drawing or writing notes. It’s too soon to know whether this will appeal to existing users as a change to the tactile feel of the pen that's used so frequently by many may be a risky move. However, Samsung is no stranger to controversy and they often step boldly where others fear to travel. A good example is the inclusion of a new wireless DeX desktop mode for the Galaxy Note 20 phones. DeX is the software that allows the user to plug the phone into a monitor and creates a sort of desktop computer experience, but powered by the phone. While available on previous Samsung phones, it can now also work wirelessly, meaning it can connect to any TV that supports screen mirroring.

More: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 Foldable Phone: Price & Release Date Explained

Source: Samsung