Samsung Galaxy Note 20 leak reveals bad news for the camera

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Galaxy Note 20 Plus Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
(Image credit: Windows United)

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 won't have a periscope telephoto camera, according to a leaked case for the upcoming flagship phone.

Ice Universe has revealed an image of a case for the Galaxy Note 20, with cutouts for the camera lenses rather than the whole camera block. That gives us one of our best looks yet at the size and shape of the sensors. 

The three larger cutouts to the left are presumably a trio of cameras, with the smaller holes to the right likely being a flash module and a depth sensor. 

You can tell that there isn't a periscope camera here as all of the cutouts are round. Periscope sensors have square openings in order to make room for the mirrors that allow for the increased zoom ability. So unless Samsung's about to radically change up the design of these sensors, it's safe to say the Note 20 doesn't have one. 

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 case design

(Image credit: Ice Universe)

This doesn't mean there isn't a telephoto lens at all. But the phone likely won't have the 4x magnification of the Galaxy S20 Ultra, or the 5x magnification of other phones like the Huawei P40 Pro. More likely than not, the standard Note 20 will have the 64MP 3x telephoto camera seen on the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20 Plus, which does the job admirably if not better than the Ultra's 100x "Space Zoom" camera.

If you want a Note 20 with a periscope lens, you may still be in luck. We're expecting a 50x zoom camera on the higher-end Note 20 Ultra. It's not certain that this is a periscope lens, but with a maximum zoom that high, it's very likely this is a modified version of the S20 Ultra's camera.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 case design

(Image credit: Ice Universe)

Another change revealed by these cutouts is the slot for the S Pen stylus, which has been moved from the Galaxy Note 10's right-hand side postition of the left for the Note 20.

Other rumored details for the Note 20 series include Snapdragon 865 Plus chipsets, 120Hz refresh rate displays, and a new S Pen with refreshed features. We're expecting to see the phone debut in August, potentially alongside the Galaxy Tab S7 tablet. The Galaxy Fold 2 was also believed to be launching at this time, but new rumors now suggest this will get its own launch event in September.

Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.

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