Radical Samsung Galaxy Note 20 design change confirmed

We already had an inkling that the Galaxy Note 20 would be Samsung’s first S Pen-toting phone to have a flat screen since the Galaxy Note 5, thanks to the first cases arriving on Alibaba. Now our gut feeling has been justified by prolific leaker Iceuniverse.

The leaker with a strong knack of getting his predictions bang on tweeted: “Aristotle said: The earth is round. Icecat said: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is flat.”

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That seems like a slightly elaborate way of saying what we already suspected. Rather than having the curved edges on the screen, the Galaxy Note 20 will be flat. 

To be honest, while it undoubtedly looks a little less fancy, this is a change we’re quite happy to get behind. Not only do curved edges make a smartphone that bit more vulnerable to drops and expensive repairs, but Samsung has really struggled to justify the existed of curved glass from a usability point of view. 

With the S6 Edge, Samsung pushed the curved edge as a way to see notifications and access apps quickly, but it wasn’t any better than just using the regular screen. Now the curve is on most Samsung flagship phones, it’s just acknowledged as something to look swish, rather than offering any real tangible usability benefits.

However, we still suspect you’ll be able to buy a curvy Note 20 if that’s your wish. The Alibaba leak above showed a second case which suggests a curved screen will still be present and correct on the Note 20 Plus. Given Samsung kneecapped the cheaper Note 10 by removing the 2K screen and microSD card of past releases while leaving them on the Note 10 Plus, it wouldn’t be surprising if this was just another way of pushing buyers to splash a bit more cash on a more expensive Note 20.

We don’t have too long to wait to find out for sure. The next Unpacked event, where we expect to see the Note 20 alongside new Galaxy Watches and a Galaxy Fold 2 is rumored to be on August 5. So just 54 days to wait, then... 

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