Features

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 rumor roundup: Snapdragon 865+, 120Hz, new S Pen

Can’t wait for August!

Published

July 4, 2020

Luigi Leonardo

In around a month, Samsung is launching the hugely anticipated Galaxy Note 20 series. As always, the premium smartphone series will round out Samsung’s traditional slate of flagships for the year.

By itself, this fact isn’t a big surprise. Unless plans change drastically, the company always releases the next Galaxy Note series in August. However, as the launch date draws near, what can we expect from the series this year?

Fortunately, several leaks and rumors have already revealed almost everything about the upcoming series. From its hardware inside to what it looks like, we have a good idea of what the Galaxy Note 20 will launch with. Let’s take a look at what we know about the series so far.

Three devices or two?

Earlier this year, Samsung launched three variants of the Galaxy S20 series: the usual one-two punch and an ultra-premium Galaxy S20 Ultra. Naturally, everyone asked whether the next launch will also have three variants.

In one of the first leaks regarding the Galaxy Note 20 series, Ross Young revealed only two variants: the Note 20 and the Note 20+. The series will not have a third Ultra variant. Further, Ice Universe approved the leaks, adding some legitimacy to the claim.

Highly accurate leaks @DSCCRoss pic.twitter.com/3ngyl7urQn

— Ice Universe (@UniverseIce) May 11, 2020

However, despite the affirmation, Ice Universe continues to refer to the second device as the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, especially in subsequent leaks. Are there actually three phones coming? If there are just two, what will they call the second phone — the Note 20+ or the Note 20 Ultra?

The return of 120Hz

As we mentioned, Young’s leaks are the first ones we know about the series. Besides revealing the number of variants, he also mentions the continuation of the 120Hz LTPO screen and a slight bump in size for both variants. The Note 20 will have a 6.42-inch 2345 x 1084 resolution, 404ppi screen. The Note 20+ will have a 6.87-inch, 3096 x 1444 resolution, 497ppi screen

The leaked detail holds a lot of promise for the two devices’ picture quality and energy optimization. With lower power needed, the series can look brilliant even in an always-on mode.

Samsung cat tells all

Naturally, as time went on, the weight of the leaks got even more substantial. Just a few weeks ago, Ice Universe leaked the most comprehensive rundown of the series’ hardware so far.

For one, the leaker confirmed the Note 20 Ultra’s larger screen. However, it’s not just the size. Samsung is also reducing the bezels by a fair bit. All four sides have narrowed down by a fraction of a millimeter. Further, the punch-hole camera’s diameter is reducing by a full millimeter. Given how thin bezels are today, the reduction will be clearly noticeable on the upcoming device.

According to the current data, Note20 Ultra compares to Note10+:
The bezel on both sides are narrowed by 0.29mm.
The forehead and chin together narrowed a total of 0.4mm.
The hole diameter is reduced by 1mm.
The thickness of the fuselage is reduced by 0.3mm. pic.twitter.com/fiQPXyis8c

— Ice Universe (@UniverseIce) June 19, 2020

Concurrently, the account also reveals more about the hardware inside. According to two tweets, the Note 20 Ultra will sport the unreleased Snapdragon 865 Plus processor. Based on a separate rumor, Qualcomm will reportedly launch the upgraded chipset later this month, making it in time for the Note 20’s launch in August. That said, the upcoming chip will also grace the remaining devices in Samsung’s flagship lineup this year.

But Samsung seems to have eaten half of the Snapdragon 865+ processor.
Note20 series
Tab S7 series
Fold 2
Z Flip 5G
Will use the Snapdragon 865+ processor

— Ice Universe (@UniverseIce) June 29, 2020

Additional speculations

Rounding out this list, Ice Universe also hints at a new camera feature and a new S Pen. We don’t know much about the Note 20’s cameras yet. According to a few leaked designs (which we’ll get to later), the rear will likely have three cameras. However, the performance remains a mystery.

If anything, Samsung was working on impressive 150-megapixel and 250-megapixel cameras earlier this year. The source claims that the former is already set for a launch this year, potentially for the Note 20 series. Since the Galaxy S20 series tops out at a 108-megapixel camera, it’s not far-fetched to assume a 150-megapixel shooter on the Note 20 series.

9ms

— PhoneArt (@UniverseIce) June 19, 2020

On the other hand, we haven’t heard a lot about the upcoming S Pen functionalities. Ice Universe leaks that the stylus will have a considerably reduced latency at 9 milliseconds, making it extra responsive to a user’s writing. Of course, latency is different from functionality. What can the Note 20’s S Pen do?

Perhaps the most obscure speculation about the stylus comes from a leaked patent early last year. Samsung filed an enigmatic patent for an S Pen built with a camera inside. The rumored spy pen got nowhere fast especially last year. However, patents are finicky. You’ll never know when they’ll pop up. Is this the S Pen’s unknown feature this year? We doubt it, but who knows?

What does it look like?

The leaks surrounding the series’ design are contentious. Some got nowhere, while some were simply wrong.

The first design leak comes from the tandem of OnLeaks and Pigtou (who previously leaked a pop-up camera from Samsung earlier this year). The duo created renders of what they thought the series will look like, based on rumors. Though substantial, the renders were simply just third-party renders. The world still wanted more controversial leaks from supposedly insider sources.

They got what they wanted with Ice Universe’s leak at first. The aforementioned hardware leaks came with a depicted phone which were assumed to be the Note 20 Ultra. Unfortunately, a lot of people were wrong (including us, admittedly). In a follow-up tweet, the leaker revealed that they were actually just photos of the Note 10+ used for representation.

Dispelling all of this confusion, Samsung accidentally leaked the device’s design themselves. In a rare hiccup, the company’s Russian website mistakenly displayed the Note 20 Ultra in the pinkish Mystic Bronze color. In one go, Samsung destroyed all rumors and revealed so much about the upcoming device already, including the triple rear cameras and the sleek S Pen.

When is it coming?

To cap everything off, we turn to the very first time the Note 20 was ever mentioned. In an earnings report released earlier than Ross Young’s leaks, Samsung confirmed that the Note 20 series will still come as scheduled — that is, in August.

Further, a recent report confirms an impending launch window between August and October for three unreleased devices. As expected, August will host the Note 20 series. Meanwhile, September and October will debut the Galaxy Fold 2 and the Galaxy S20 Lite.

It won’t be long now before the Note 20 series launch. Though we know a lot about the series already, Samsung can still surprise us with a few tricks up its sleeve.

Related Topics:Galaxy Note 20 Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Samsung

Features

Can the REDMI Note 15 Pro+ 5G Survive?

REDMI Titan Durability Challenge!

Published

January 17, 2026

GadgetMatch and Michael Josh Villanueva

As someone who travels and is outdoors a lot, THE Michael Josh will be the first to admit that he is NOT gentle with his phones.

They live in his pockets, bags, hands. They get dropped, they get wet, and they get dusty.

So when REDMI asked him to test something they call “REDMI Titan Durability,” he figured the only fair way to do it was to put the REDMI Note 15 Pro+ 5G to the ultimate durability test.

Reviews

POCO M8 Pro review: Goin’ loco over this POCO

POCO starts 2026 with some bang

Published

January 15, 2026

Vincenz

Looking back at my first few months with GadgetMatch back in 2018 nostalgically evoked my Pocophone F1 core memory. It was touted as THE “flagship killer for less.”

Pre-pandemic, that “Pocophone” simply became “POCO” and became an “independent” kiddo who moved out of its parent’s house.

Almost eight years after that very first iteration, I’ve finally had my first (and long overdue) POCO-perience with the latest POCO M8 Pro.

Design: Repurposed with a purpose

While I have not held a POCO phone until very recently, I am still aware of the brand’s offerings over the years.

Seeing the POCO M8 Pro for the first time instantly reminded me of last year’s Redmi Note 14 Pro series. That’s not me saying POCO blatantly ripped the aesthetics as the POCO X7 also had the same design language.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Like a full circle moment, the aforementioned phones were launched back a year ago.

In all honesty, it still confuses me which direction Xiaomi is heading, especially with the non-stop rebadging of existing POCO and REDMI phones — just with scrambled internals and CMF (color, materials, finish).

Having said that, I still consider the M8 Pro a level up from the last M7 Pro. The former’s design felt like it was not given much importance.

The centered camera island with a squircle cutout seemed like a signature design element of Xiaomi’s newer midrange line moving forward.

I also love how the phone felt in my hands. Even with that plastic back, it felt grippy enough when held.

You have to be wary of fingerprint smudges though — especially if you rock the black colorway. Luckily, the green shade I have still looks clean despite those unwanted smears.

And, if you’re brave enough to clean it in running water, the POCO M8 Pro boasts not just one, not two, but quadruple IP ratings: IP66, IP68, IP69, and even IP69K. These used to be exclusive only among 2025 flagships.

Now Playing: IDOL I

Much like my fanaticism to anything tech, the same can be said with Korean Pop Stars. More known as “K-Pop Idols”, I have been a huge geek of K-Pop for 16 long years (and still counting).

Interestingly, after finishing a series that just ended in Netflix, IDOL I swiftly came by. Even if I am the type of viewer who values the drama’s synopsis more than the cast involved, this K-Drama instantly hit two birds in one.

For one, its starred by a true iconic idol herself: Choi Sooyoung — or one of the nine members of SNSD / Girls’ Generation a.k.a the ultimate 2nd generation K-Pop girl group I’ve been stanning since my youth.

Although Maeng Se-na here is a heartless and “selfish” lawyer, she is the opposite for being a huge (yet silent) fan of “Gold Boys” with Do Ra-ik as his “Ult” (or Ultimate Bias).

In a wild turn of events, the idol became a “murderer” overnight — blaming him for the sudden death of his co-member after waking up from their drinking session.

But, no matter how the general public looks at him as the prime suspect, finding faults against Ra-ik is difficult. That’s pointing out the fact that he was just sleeping in his bed while his former bandmate slash loyal friend got stabbed without clear answers.

I can pretty much say the same thing with the 6.83-inch screen of the POCO M8 Pro: I cannot see any fault at all.

For one, it’s an AMOLED display that made me enjoy binging the first four episodes non-stop. But, being able to display 68.7 billion Colors and 12-bit color depth aside from the usual HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support? That’s likely unusual for a phone in such price point.

And, with a 1.5K display resolution plus a pixel density of 447 ppi, it’s as crisp as it could get. Watching it outdoors is neither a problem with its mighty 3200 nits peak brightness.

While my eyes aren’t very sensitive to light and flicker, its 3840Hz PWM dimming and TÜV Rheinland Flicker-Free and Low Blue Light certifications are still worth mentioning — especially if you stay up all night binge-watching hours worth of titles like yours truly.

On Queue: Apink’s RE:LOVE + Chuu’s XO, My Cyberlove

Pumping up the volume by 60%, it’s expected that the POCO M8 Pro possesses a louder than ever sound output. However, my audio assessment doesn’t end just there.

Just like POCO starting the year with a bang, the K-Pop scene in January 2026 has already exploded with real hit bangers.

First and foremost, Apink finally gathered again to released their 11th Mini Album (their previous Mini Album dates back to 2020). As per usual, I used Apple Music to take full advantage of that Lossless format.

Their title track “Love Me More” not only brought a lot of the group’s nostalgic intro and dance break instrumental during their early days in the industry, it also reminded me of the pre-millennium K-Pop era back in the early 90s.

Pair that with b-sides such as “Sunshine” that sounded pure and soulful, this latest mini album will truly make Pink Pandas’ hearts flutter.

In addition, Chuu (LOONA) finally releases her 1st Full Album titled “XO, My Cyberlove.” It is a complete opposite of her first ever solo song “Heart Attack” almost a decade ago which highlighted her cutesy, innocent charms.

The comeback track of the same title is as quirky and whimsical as it gets. Not only does it highlight Chuu’s light yet ethereal vocals, but it shows her newer, more mature side.

Furthermore, lyrics that evoke unexpected budding love in this digital era where everyone enjoys making connections through the cyber world.

With POCO M8 Pro’s speakers, I fully enjoyed playing the entirety of her freshly-baked album while I was writing this piece. Teeny Tiny Heart and Love Potion are currently my fave b-sides from this release.

Such music fulfillment was possible with the Dolby Atmos stereo speaker setup and Hi-Res Audio support of the M8 Pro. Not only its proudly loud, the audio produced is full and immaculate with clear line between its highs, mids, and lows.

Performance: Adequate for most

On paper, the POCO M8 Pro runs Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 SoC based on a 4nm process. As confusing as it seems, this is different from the more powerful Snapdragon 7 Gen 4.

That being told, game settings will vary depending on how demanding one is.

For instance, CoDM (Call of Duty: Mobile) runs in Very High and Max settings upon first set-up.

Meanwhile, Racing Master (based on NVIDIA’s PhysX engine) can run Ultra settings at 60fps.

However, it throttles during the first two ranked races.

Fortunately, the game detects if it gets sluggish — suggesting lowering down the settings altogether.

Lastly, playing Zenless Zone Zero is doable but, at the lowest graphics by default.

You wouldn’t dare to go past it as Combat Mode will literally feel like combatting the phone itself due to how heavy the game is.

The only “remedy” for these hardware limitations? It’s none other than the Game Turbo mode that boosts graphics performance and input through Xiaomi’s software advancements. And it sort of helped make the gameplay smoother, but not fully.

For the rest of apps that are not graphics-intensive, the M8 Pro can breeze through various apps without hiccups, do split-screens, or multitasking along floating windows with ease.

I can truthfully say that the only thing dragging the POCO M8 Pro down is the software as a whole.

After experiencing the beauty of vivo’s OriginOS 6 and HONOR’s MagicOS 10, Xiaomi’s HyperOS still feels like an after-thought. While it can keep up with the modern-day Android features, its stability and optimizations simply don’t make the cut.

Besides, its built-in AI tools, device ecosystem, as well as cross-compatibility functionality aren’t as polished as what you get on other Chinese brands. Let alone, a rip-off from everyone’s fruit rival without much feature improvements.

Seriously, Xiaomi?

Worst thing? Maybe the ad slash bloatware infestation found not just on the lock screen. Even transferring personal files through Xiaomi’s native File Manager app plays an unskippable ad.

Battery: Eat it up! Eat it, eat it up! 🍝🎶

At 8.31mm, the POCO M8 Pro is as slender as it can get. How they were able to fit a 6500mAh battery inside its chassis is a true feat of engineering.

For the record, this is the first POCO M-series smartphone to have such a ginormous battery. It joins the same league as the POCO F8 Ultra, F7, and the X7 Pro (in India).

For added context, the M7 Pro, as well as the X7 with a similar form factor, only had a 5110mAh battery. But, numbers are just part of the story.

In day-to-day scenarios with light to moderate usage, the POCO M8 Pro can last you a full day — even more when you hit the bed with around 30% to spare.

As one would expect though, the biggest hogging can be felt when playing games.

During my gameplay stress test, downloading resources in Racing Master for about 30 minutes already consumed 5% charge (92% down to 87%). An hour of racing ate up 11 percent — from 87% down to 76%.

Letting it rest on my desk for 18 hours, the phone depleted to 51%.

At around 9 in the evening, I then started playing HoYoverse’s Zenless Zone Zero for exactly an hour. Battery charge went down further to 36%. Then, a 1.5-hour game in CoDM resulted to a 28% battery percentage. And, as of writing, the POCO M8 Pro still had a 3 percent charge left in its massive tank.

That said, the POCO M8 Pro comes with Xiaomi’s 100W wired HyperCharge speeds — adapter still bundled in the box.

By default, the battery charging speed is set in regular with the prompt / option to enable boosting.

In my GadgetMatch Charge Test results, it can be seen that the difference isn’t too far off.

	*Boosted HyperCharge*	*Regular HyperCharge*	*PPS Charging* (UGREEN 100W Nexode)
*START TIME* *From 0%*	1:11AM	3:10PM	4:06PM
3 minutes	10%	8%	1%
5 minutes	17%	11%	4%
*10 minutes*	25%	18%	13%
15 minutes	40%	23%	21%
20 minutes	46%	32%	28%
*30 minutes*	70%	50%	46%
45 minutes	88%	71%	67%
*1 hour*	99%	91%	84%
1 hour 15 minutes	–	99%	96%
*END TIME* *100%*	2:14AM 1 hour 3 minutes	4:27PM 1 hour 17 minutes	5:30PM 1 hour 24 minutes

PPS Charging is also possible. Although the device only showed “Quick Charge” while being filled up, it’s safe to say that it performs as fast as Xiaomi’s regular HyperCharge with a super close margin of only seven minutes.

Cameras: Surprisingly Satisfying

Prospective buyers of the M8 Pro wouldn’t have a hard time dealing with its conventional camera configuration: a 50MP f/1.6 main (wide) camera based on Light Fusion 800’s 1/1.55-inch sensor. That’s paired with a less outstanding 8MP f/2.2 UWA (ultra-wide angle) camera.

For the most part, the main camera does its job very well considering this type of device.

With the satisfactory 1x image sensor, 2x zoom is also possible, thanks to in-sensor cropping.

I honestly used the 2x mode more than I thought — especially when capturing my cats and food I devour.

You can go beyond the bounds. But, with obvious hardware limitations, the camera processing can only do so much.

Once that natural light disappears, it will be tricky to take low-light shots as this has NO dedicated Night Mode feature. No luck if you are using them indoors with artificial light around.

Instead, regular Photo Mode automatically detects a low-light subject and toggles Night Mode processing by itself.

While most results are satisfying, it’s also a testament that its cameras are far from being flawless.

Good thing, the flash exists for a funkier look in subjects that suit it — food specifically.

Portraits weren’t missed. Although it only relies on some software-based processing, it still gets the job done of separating the subject away from the background — humans and pets alike.

Personally, the aperture function was a bit of a nuisance.

For context, these shots were set to a low “f/1.8 aperture.” But, the M8 Pro rendered DoF (Depth of Field) that isn’t as shallow as what it’s supposed to show.

My frustration continues as the setting defaults back to f/4.5 after quitting and re-opening the camera app. That’s not even the standard lens opening when taking portrait photos.

And while we’re already here, selfies taken with its front-facing shooter.

Is the POCO M8 Pro your GadgetMatch?

While this isn’t the “flagship killer” most expect from a POCO phone, it’s hard not to go loco over how well-rounded yet wallet-friendly this POCO phone is — especially in the year 2026 where inflation is still unstoppable alongside the almost instantaneous and ridiculous RAM price hike.

ICYMI, the POCO M8 Pro has a starting price of GBP 299 / SG$ 389 / RM 1199 / PhP 16,999 (around US$ 279) for the 8+256GB configuration.

Meanwhile, the 12+512GB variant that I handle is priced at GBP 349 / SG$ 449 / RM 1499 / PhP 19,999 (approx. US$ 359).

Its closest rival is none other than the HONOR X9d. Coincidental or not, it was launched just a day after the unveiling of the M8 Pro.

Frankly, the only thing you’ll let go from HONOR’s sweet treat are its monstrous 8300mAh battery and more polished OS. This POCO-ffering blows it out of the water with a greater chipset, faster wired charging, bigger and better display, capable cameras, durability never forgotten.

Although it wasn’t totally highlighted, the POCO M8 Pro is undoubtedly a rebadged REDMI Note 15 Pro+ — Xiaomi’s midranger that heavily markets its “Titan Durability” capabilities.

The POCO M8 Pro has them all: from its sturdy aluminum frame, four IP ratings, even the fully-shielded front glass care of Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The biggest disparity? REDMI has a 200MP main camera over POCO’s 50MP shooter.

Despite some inconsistencies, the POCO M8 Pro is still an all-around midranger that will satisfy most users who want to purchase a shiny new smartphone without burning holes in your pockets.

It is a Swipe Right, Super Swipe, and a worthy recipient of the GadgetMatch Seal of Approval.