Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Hands-On Video Could Leave You Conflicted

Samsung made a few wrong turns with the Galaxy S20 series, especially the Galaxy S20 Ultra, and it wasn't just about the timing of its exorbitant price. It packed a lot of features, some of which didn't live up to Samsung's promises. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra may be scaling back on some of those excesses but it might also be making some wrong turns of its own, as hinted by a hands-on tour of what is claimed to be Samsung's next big Galaxy.

The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra will apparently live up to its name. It's definitely wider and taller than its predecessor, the Galaxy Note 10+, which makes it an almost better device to scribble and draw on. Except for the fact that the screen still curves at the sides, creating a literal slippery slow for the S Pen.

The other obviously huge thing about the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is its camera bump, noted to be even bigger than the one on the Galaxy S20 Ultra. That's despite the fact that it will be lacking a 3D time-of-flight or ToF sensor, presumably the cause of the Galaxy S20 Ultra's focusing problems, ironically. It will be replaced by a laser AF system that doesn't take up much space either.

Unfortunately, that camera size has one other side effect not related to aesthetics. It practically forced Samsung to relocate the S pen and, consequently, the bottom speaker, to the left side of the phone. Left-handed people will probably appreciate the change but it wasn't done over ergonomics or convenience.

As with the Galaxy S20 Ultra, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra seems to be a mixed bag of features. Hopefully, Samsung will be able to make a better case for it than it did earlier this year. Perhaps that's why Samsung will be throwing everything it has in the next three months to make sure that they'll be able to sell something despite the world's current economic situation.