Here’s what to expect from Samsung’s Galaxy Note 20 ‘Unpacked’ event

Unlike previous years, Samsung’s August 5th ‘Unpacked’ event is an online-only stream given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Just like every recent Samsung product launch, the constant stream of leaks and rumours surrounding the event is near impossible to follow. That said, we know Samsung will likely reveal two new Note devices, the successor to the first Galaxy Fold, a pair of high-end Bluetooth earbuds, the follow up to the Galaxy Watch and a new tablet. The Unpacked event streams at 10am ET/7AM PT on August 5th.

In this round-up, I’ve broken down everything we know so far about devices we are expected to see at the event, including the Galaxy Note 20, the Note 20 Ultra, the Galaxy Buds live, the Galaxy Fold 2 (Galaxy Z Fold 2), the Galaxy Watch 3 and the Galaxy Tab S7.

Galaxy Note 20/Note 20 Ultra

Note10 or Note20 ？ pic.twitter.com/kdtreN55e6

— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) July 14, 2020

Thanks to an overwhelming stream of leaks about Samsung’s next pair of Note devices, we know nearly everything about the Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra ahead of their official reveal.

The Note 20 is rumoured to feature a flat 6.42-inch 2345 x 1084 display, though a leak from Ice Universe indicated that the Note 20 might only include a 1080p screen locked to 60Hz. On the other hand, the Note 20 Ultra reportedly features a curved 6.87-inch 2345 x 1084-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate.

Reports also indicate that you’ll be able to still have the 120Hz refresh rate turned on when the smartphone’s display is configured to 1440p, unlike the Galaxy S20 Ultra.

Thanks to renders accidentally posted to Samsung’s Russian website showing off a ‘Mystic Bronze’ colour, as well as leaked real-world video from ‘Jimmy is Promo’ and renders from the often-reliable Evan Blass, we know the S20 Ultra features three cameras and a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor.

It’s also worth pointing out that more recently, high-resolution, very official-looking renders of the smartphone also appeared, courtesy of Winfuture.

The front-facing hole-punch camera is centred with both the Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra. Other design features include smaller bezels and a substantial camera bump very similar to the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s. The Note 20’s bump is a little less pronounced, doesn’t feature a ToF sensor and only includes three cameras on its rear, according to rumours.

The Note 20’s S Pen is tipped to get a new ‘pointer’ feature that displays an on-screen indicator when you hold down the S Pen button and point the stylus at the Note 20. It’s unclear how this feature will come in handy, but Samsung has implemented several not-very-useful S Pen features over the past few years, so this rumour tracks.

Regarding cameras, the Note 20 Ultra appears to feature a periscope lens similar to the S20 Ultra’s. Leaks courtesy of Winfuture indicate the smartphone’s main camera will feature a 108-megapixel main sensor, 50x zoom instead of the S20 Ultra’s gimmicky 100x ‘Space Zoom,’ and a 13-megapixel sensor instead of a 48-megapixel sensor. Given the S20 Ultra’s 100x zoom shots are absolutely horrible, this seems like a smart move on Samsung’s part.

Other rumoured specs include Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865+ processor, 5G connectivity and optimization with Microsoft’s Project xCloud video game streaming platform.

Galaxy Z Fold 2 (Galaxy Fold 2)

Fold 2 pic.twitter.com/ysdw6oIjqc

— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) June 24, 2020

Since Samsung already revealed the Galaxy Z Flip 5G, it’s likely the tech giant has plans to show off its second-generation Galaxy Fold device during its upcoming Unpacked event.

Though the smartphone was first rumoured to be called the Galaxy Fold 2, more recent rumours courtesy of SamMobile hint Samsung has plans to shift the device’s name to the Galaxy Z Fold 2.

While a wordy, awkward name, from a branding perspective this makes sense given the technical issues the first Galaxy Fold suffered from prior to its release. This shift also unifies all of Samsung’s foldable devices under the ‘Z’ branding.

The Z Fold 2 is expected to feature a larger display on the outside of the device, which hopefully makes the screen usable. Other changes include a smaller hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera inside the foldable smartphone, 5G and an 8-inch display that features the same ultra-thin (UTG) glass as the Galaxy Z Flip.

Regarding the foldable device’s cameras, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 reportedly features a 108-megapixel camera rear camera, a Snapdragon 865 processor and an S Pen. That said, there are some reports Samsung wasn’t able to get the stylus to work reliably with the foldable screen.

Galaxy Watch 3

Reports indicate Samsung has plans to skip the Galaxy Watch 2 and jump right to the Galaxy Watch 3. Leaked renders of the smartwatch from back in June reveal a bezel that rotates physically and that the wearable will come in 41mm and 45mm sizes. Additionally, reports suggest the watch supports an ECG, blood pressure monitor and heart rate sensors.

Other notable specs include LTE and Wi-Fi-only variants, and a significant revamp to Samsung’s Tizen wearable operating system.

Galaxy Buds Live

Samsung’s bean-like Galaxy Buds Live are one of those rare devices that look so futuristic it seems like there’s no way they could possibly exist.

While the Galaxy Buds+ only released a few months ago and were generally well-received, it looks like Samsung also aims to enter the high-end wireless, Bluetooth earbud market with a pair that features active noise-cancellation.

The somewhat crazy looking Galaxy Buds Live reportedly feature six hours of battery life instead of 11 like the Galaxy Buds+, though it’s worth pointing out this is still longer than Apple’s AirPods Pro.

https://twitter.com/h0x0d/status/1284150455019290625?

Finally, given the weird shape of the Buds Live, it looks like they’ll just sit in the wearer’s ear instead of being in-ear like other high-end wireless earbuds. We’ve seen an official-looking render of the Galaxy Buds Live courtesy of Evan Blass and even a video of the wireless earbuds in action from WalkingCat (seen above).

Finally, the Buds Live also recently appeared in the Canadian government’s Radio Equipment (REL) database.

Galaxy Tab S7 and Tab S7 Plus

Last and probably actually least in most people’s minds, Samsung is expected to reveal the Galaxy Tab S7 and Tab S7 Plus during its upcoming Unpacked event.

While not many people are likely interested in an Android tablet in 2020, it’s somewhat refreshing to see Samsung still release a new Galaxy Tab device ever year. Thanks to SamMobile and Evan Blass, most of the upcoming tablet line’s specs have leaked.

Rumours point to the Tab S7 and Tab S7 Plus featuring 11-inch and 12.4-inch displays respectively, a Snapdragon 865 +processor, either 6GB or 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage. There are also rumours hinting at the release of a 5G version of the Tab S6 Plus.

Other specs include an in-display fingerprint sensor, though it remains unclear if it’s optical or ultrasonic.

MobileSyrup will be covering everything from Samsung’s upcoming Unpacked event, so make sure to check out our coverage of the event on August 5th. 

Image credit: @evleaks (2) (3) (4), @MaxWinebach,Winfuture 

Source: Jimmy is Promo, @evleaks (2) (3), @MaxWinebach, @UniverseIce (2), Winfuture, SamMobile (2), WalkingCat