Updated | Galaxy Note 20 series: Samsung may be playing its fake zoom games again and is re-using multiple cameras from the Galaxy S20 series

The launch of the Galaxy Note 20 series is almost upon us, with Samsung having teased that it will unveil its next flagship smartphones on August 5 at a virtual Galaxy Unpacked event. Plenty of aspects about the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra have already been revealed, including their designs, as we have previously reported. Samsung has done a share of leaking itself, with the company having "accidentally" published renders of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra on a Russian product page for the Galaxy Note 8.

Based on multiple renders, the two Galaxy Note 20 devices have three rear-facing cameras along with a single front-facing sensor. Now, we have the specifics of the three rear-facing cameras for both devices, courtesy of Roland Quandt. The same 12 MP ultra-wide-angle sensor will be present on both devices, which has a pixel size of 1.4 µm and an aperture of f/2.2. The 1/2.55-inch sensor also has a 120° field of view (FoV). 

The similarities end there, though. According to Quandt, Samsung has gone with a 12 MP primary camera for the Note 20 that has an f/1.8 aperture, a 1/1/72-inch sensor size, a pixel size of 1.8 µm and OIS. If those specifications sound similar, then it is because Samsung is re-using the 12 MP sensor that it used in the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20 Plus.

Similarly, the Note 20 Ultra will have the 108 MP camera from the Galaxy S20 Ultra, which supports OIS and has a pixel size of 0.8 µm. The Note 20 Ultra has a 12 MP telephoto sensor too<strike>, which does not support optical zoom</strike> that has an f/3.0 aperture, OIS and a pixel size of 1.0 µm. Quandt has not revealed the zoom capabilities of the 1/3.6-inch sensor, though. However, it is clear that the Note 20 Ultra will have a different telephoto sensor than the one Samsung used in the Galaxy S20 Ultra. <strike>Hence, the Note 20 Ultra will probably use the same "fake zoom" tricks that the Galaxy S20 Ultra does.</strike>

In comparison, the Note 20 will have a 64 MP telephoto sensor that supports 3x zoom. Quandt also mentions that the sensor has an f/2.0 aperture and a pixel size of 0.8 µm, Additionally, the sensor will be optically stabilised and a 76° field of view. These specifications sound similar to the 64 MP telephoto sensor that Samsung used in the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20 Plus. It remains to be seen whether the 3x zoom will be optical or hybrid. The Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20 Plus only support 1.06x optical zoom and crop 64 MP images to create a zoom effect, which is inferior to the 4x optical zoom that the Galaxy S20 Ultra offers. If the Note 20 has the same telephoto sensor as the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20 Plus, then it may also use their "fake zoom" tricks on which we have previously reported.

Both devices will be capable of shooting in multiple resolutions and framerates. According to Quandt, the Note 20 series will support 60 FPS at up to 4K and 8K videos at 24 FPS. Slow-motion videos will return too, but at up to 720p and 960 FPS.

Correction

We have corrected the erroneous statement about the Galaxy S20 Ultra and its zoom capabilities.