News
Samsung Galaxy S20+ rumor roundup: 120Hz display, ultrasonic fingerprint scanner
Launching on February 11
It’s every Samsung user’s favorite time of the year. Every January, the grapevine inevitably ramps up the discussion surrounding the year’s upcoming Samsung flagships. For years, the Galaxy S series reveals its latest iteration around this time. January 2020 is no different.
Following a closed-door meeting during CES 2020, Samsung has confirmed the next flagship’s naming convention. Instead of the Galaxy S11, the flagship series will fast forward to the Galaxy S20 number scheme.
Since then, more details have followed. Here’s a short roundup of what we can expect from Samsung’s release this year.
120Hz display
Since last year, the smartphone market has quietly adopted a new trend in display technology: the 120Hz refresh rate. The new display adds in smoother screen animations and scrolling. According to a leak, Samsung’s flagship will allow users to choose between 60Hz and 120Hz. With a 120Hz refresh rate, the Galaxy S20 series will introduce the technology’s first introduction into the company’s phones.
Additionally, the Galaxy S20+ will have a 20:9 aspect ratio, outputting a 3200 x 1440 resolution. No word yet on the other Galaxy S20 smartphones.
Ultrasonic fingerprint scanner
By now, the under-screen fingerprint scanner is already a common feature among smartphones. This time, Samsung is improving the technology even further. Supposedly, the Galaxy S20+ will carry an improved ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, compared to its variant last year. Showcased by Qualcomm last year, the new scanner features a bigger area — almost half the entire screen! — in which you can unlock your phone.
Penta-lens camera
According to Ice Universe, the Galaxy S20+ will have four rear cameras: a 12-megapixel + 64-megapixel + 12-megapixel + ToF camera setup. Similarly, the higher-tier Galaxy S20 Ultra will have a remarkable 108-megapixel + 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel + ToF camera setup.
S20:12MP+64MP+12MP
S20+:12MP+64MP+12MP+ToF
S20U:108MP+48MP+12MP+ToF— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) January 14, 2020
Similar design philosophy
Finally, a leak has revealed a quick glimpse of the Galaxy S20+. Based on the short video, the smartphone will sport a similar design to last year’s Galaxy S10 series. The front panel carries a peephole camera resting comfortably on the screen’s center. Meanwhile, the rear panel will have a multiple lens camera setup.
Under the hood, the Galaxy S20+ will allegedly carry the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset, 12GB of RAM, and 128GB of internal storage, and 4500mAh of battery.
Thankfully, the rumors will come to an end on February 11, Samsung’s confirmed date for this year’s first launches.
Spec sheet leak
The latest leak might be the biggest one yet revealing the names and exact specs of the three Samsung Galaxy S20 models that will be unpacked on February 11. A tweet by user @ishanagarwal24 leaves very little to the imagination in terms of what we should expect come launch day.
Exclusive: Full specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Series are here! Some interesting details: Exynos 990 for all three phones in European and Asian Markets. 40MP (?!) Front Camera for S20 Ultra! Checkout the image!
LINK(Please add link in credits): https://t.co/az6WmSkNK7 pic.twitter.com/XsDfaINkbE— Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24) January 17, 2020
Pricing leak
The latest round of leaks show Euro pricing for all the Samsung Galaxy S20 series models. If previous models are of any basis, these should be right around the ball park of what we expect from Samsung flagships.
So just heard S20 prices. Expect these to be lower than listed but at the moment we are expecting:
S20 5G: €900-1000
S20+ 5G: €1050-1100
S20 Ultra 5G: €1300Galaxy Z Flip is supposed to be about €1400 but I expect that to change before launch.
— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) January 20, 2020
SEE ALSO: Awesome Screen! Samsung Galaxy A51 now official
We’ll update this article with every new leak and/or rumor on the Samsung Galaxy S20
Gaming
The Steam Controller literally screams when you throw it
Please throw it at padded surfaces only.
We love harmless Easter eggs. Think of Chrome’s jumping dino or Android’s yearly quirk. It’s always fun when a device or app hides a special surprise for those in the know. Today, Valve is keeping the tradition alive by putting a screaming Easter egg in its new Steam Controller.
The first of its trio of new hardware, the Steam Controller converts the iconic layout of the Steam Deck into controller form. Besides offering an accessible controller, it also connects seamlessly to Steam, offering an easy doorway to plug and, literally, play.
Since it launched on May 4, users have already been playing around with their Steam Controllers. Presumably, this also includes a few rage moments that involve throwing the controller over a frustrating game.
If you threw your controller already, you might have heard an interesting surprise. As spotted by users online, the Steam Controller lets out a Wilhelm scream whenever it’s thrown.
For the unaware, the Wilhelm scream is the world’s most iconic scream. If you’ve watched a few movies, there’s a high chance that you’ve heard it before, as it’s often used as a background scream in many, many movies.
Notably, this has a cooldown of approximately one minute, so you can’t spam it over and over again. This also works on padded surfaces, so you don’t need to throw your controller at a hard wall. It’s just one of those nice Easter eggs that add a little spice to a favorite controller.
All that said, please don’t throw your Steam Controller at hard surfaces.
Gaming
Assassin’s Creed Hexe leak reveals the return of a major character
Is Ezio Auditore coming back?
Undoubtedly, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is the most hype that the franchise has enjoyed in a while now. A lot of gamers are excited to replay one of the most prolific entries in the vast history-hopping series. But Black Flag isn’t the only entry getting some eyeballs. The mysterious Codename Hexe is also getting some love, and we might finally have some more information about the game, thanks to a new leak.
In 2022, Ubisoft teased Codename Hexe as a darker entry in the franchise. Four years later, the game is still shrouded in mystery. Today, a leaker (@xj0nathan on X) has shared some interesting details about the game.
For one, the game will reportedly be set during the Wurzburg Witch Trials in the 17th century, confirming earlier rumors that the setting would be dark one. Adding to that, Codename Hexe might have most of its gameplay in forest biomes, using a lot of trees to parkour around.
The return of an icon
Confirming rumors is just a tiny part of the leak. The more interesting bit is the alleged return of the franchise’s most beloved character: Ezio Auditore da Firenze.
Ezio has not been seen in an Assassin’s Creed game in over a decade. His story concluded in Revelations (with a neat epilogue in a short film called Assassin’s Creed: Embers).
In Codename Hexe, the iconic assassin will reportedly return to mentor the game’s protagonist named Anika. Currently, it’s unclear how he appears in the game’s setting. Some rumors hint that Isu technology might be involved.
Finally, the leak concludes with a blurry photo. Unfortunately, Ubisoft has been taking down reposts of the photo, so we won’t include it here. The original leaker himself took it down as well. It can, however, be described as a female assassin trudging through a dark forest with creepy lights in the background. It doesn’t reveal a lot of details, but it’s substantial enough to warrant takedowns.
SEE ALSO: Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced launches on July 9
Apps
Instagram takes on Snapchat yet again with new Instants feature
Posts disappear after they’re viewed once.
The popularity of Snapchat’s competitors is as fleeting as their disappearing messages. However, despite how volatile the market is, Instagram wants to try again with a new feature (and app) called Instants.
Pardon me if you’ve heard this premise before. Instants is a feature that lets users share disappearing photos. However, unlike the 24 hours allotted for Stories, Instants will disappear right after a friend views them, but they can still react and reply to them.
The idea of Instants is to trim the excess fat from what Instagram is these days. Instagram’s Adam Mosseri admits as much when he said users want as easier way to shoot content.
As such, users won’t have access to Instagram’s editing tools. They also can’t upload pre-shot content from their camera roll. Like its contemporaries like BeReal, the new Instants feature is about living in the moment and sharing exactly what users see.
Despite disappearing after a single view, Instants will be automatically archived, so they can be reuploaded as normal Stories later on.
It isn’t the Wild West, though. Even if it pares down all the extra features, Instants will still use the safety features available to all of Instagram. Users, especially young ones, can mute and block others’ Instants. Likewise, parents will have control over when and how their young children interact with the feature.
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