Whether it's because it wants to compensate declining smartphone sales with higher profit margins or due to other reasons, there's no denying that Samsung has been cutting some corners with its new S Pen flagships. This is true for both the Galaxy Note 20 and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, and it applies to some markets more than others.
For example, Samsung is no longer offering a pair of AKG USB-C earbuds with the new Galaxy Note 20 series in the USA. Customers can still get the earbuds if they ask for them, but they're no longer included in the retail box. This is true for the US market but not for Europe.
So what other corners has Samsung cut with its new S Pen flagships? What other cost-cutting measures are there aside from the obvious fact that the Galaxy Note 20 has a plastic back panel and Gorilla Glass 5 protecting the 60Hz (instead of 120Hz) display?
No extra S Pen tips, lower RAM for LTE model, 25W charging and more
Aside from the AKG USB-C earbuds missing from the Galaxy Note 20 retail boxes in the USA, we also got a lot of reports from Samsung customers in various other markets that the S Pen tip removal tool and the extra tips are no longer included in the retail package. Right now it's unclear if this is true for the Galaxy Note 20 series everywhere or in select regions only.
Similarly, the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra are no longer accompanied by a protective case in markets where this accessory was previously provided for free along with older flagship phones. India is one of the markets where you won't get a protective case when you buy one of the new S Pen flagships.
A couple of other cost-cutting measures that affect the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra in particular apply to the global market. The phone has 25W fast-charging instead of 45W, and the LTE model has 8GB of RAM instead of 12GB like the 5G variant. There is no 16GB of RAM option either, whereas the Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G does exist in this configuration.
The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra camera is also limited to 50x zoom compared to the Galaxy S20 Ultra's 100x zoom capabilities, and its selfie camera has a resolution of 10MP instead of 40MP.
In the USA and other markets, there is no 256GB variant for either the Galaxy Note 20 or the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. The flagship duo is offered with a base level of 128GB of storage in some markets, while in others, both phones have a minimum of 256GB of built-in memory.
Were you aware of all these corners cut or only some of them? Have you ordered a Galaxy Note 20 or Galaxy Note 20 Ultra? Do you know of any other Galaxy Note 20 cost-cutting measures that we might've missed? At this point, we're calling this a ‘developing story' in case new details come to light so stay tuned and feel free to leave a comment below.
SamsungGalaxy Note 20
