Between their rumored persicope zoom cameras, 120Hz displays and 5G connectivity, the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra seem as though they could be Samsung's priciest smartphones ever when they launch on August 5. However, one report out of Korea suggests that the Note 20 series might actually be slightly more affordable than its predecessor.
Naver (via Android Central) claims that the Note 20 will start at 50,000 won less than the Note 10 did in South Korea. Given that the Note 10 cost 1.25 million won, which translates to about $1,040, that would mean the Note 20 should start at the equivalent of $1,000. In the U.S., the Note 10 cost $949 when it launched last year, while the Note 10 Plus cost $1,099.
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Now, as anyone who follows smartphone leaks knows, prices of products aren't merely converted across regions. So even if the Note 20 is cheaper than the Note 10 in Korea, that might not be the case elsewhere in the world.
However, because the explanation for the reduction in price seems to be Samsung anticipating soft demand due to the ongoing global pandemic, based on Naver's reporting, there's certainly a chance that the Note 20 will be cheaper in various markets than it otherwise might have been.
This comes nearly a week after one leaker, Ricciolo on Twitter, teased that the Note 20 would be "the most expensive Note ever." Around the same time, a Greek site called Techmaniacs reported that the Note 20 could start as high as $1,400 — and that would be the regular model. The Note 20 Ultra purportedly would demand more than $150 on top of that.
For those keeping score, the Galaxy S20 Ultra is currently Samsung's priciest handset (well, at least among those that don't fold.) It starts at $1,399, but can go up to $1,599 for the version with 512GB storage capacity and 16GB RAM. It would be surprising to see Samsung release a Note product that is cheaper than its priciest S20, but the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic turmoil has pretty much forced the entire industry to modify its strategies on the fly.
With all these contradicting reports surrounding the Note 20's price flying about, we probably won't have a definitive answer until Samsung officially reveals these devices at its Unpacked 2020 event on August 5. Price is often the hardest thing to anticipate in the run up to any new product launch, and Samsung has rationale to go higher or lower here. We'll be watching closely to see how it all shakes out.
