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Samsung Galaxy Note20 launch: 5x zoom and Xbox gaming

Samsung has launched its latest attempt to woo premium smartphone buyers with its Galaxy Note20 series of stylus-equipped phablets with Xbox gaming.

The South Korean manufacturer will hope that the revamped Note, which aims to be more than just a phone with “PC power” aided by its partnership with Microsoft, will propel it out of a Covid-19-related dip in which it was beaten into second place by Huawei for the first time.

The Note20 and Note20 Ultra 5G both feature top-spec chips, large screens, Samsung’s popular S Pen stylus, in-display fingerprint scanners and updated cameras. The smaller, cheaper Note20 starts at £849 and is available in both 4G and 5G versions. It has a 6.7in FHD+ screen running at a 60Hz refresh rate and a triple camera system with a 3x hybrid optical zoom similar to the Galaxy S20 launched at the start of the year.

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But it is the bigger, more expensive Note20 Ultra 5G, which starts at £1,179, that is the star for the brand’s superfans. It has a larger 6.9in WQHD+ AMOLED screen with a refresh rate up to 120Hz, matching displays from rivals such as OnePlus. The phone also has Samsung’s triple camera system with a 5x optical zoom and 50x “Space Zoom” first debuted in the Galaxy S20 Ultra.

Samsung is heavily leaning on Microsoft for software tricks, which it hopes will help it against Apple and its extensive integration between iPhones, iPads and Macs. Debuting with the Note20 series will be greater integration with Windows 10, allowing full screen mirroring, the use of up to six apps at once and multi-window drag and drop between phone and PC.

It will also be one of the first smartphones to support Xbox game streaming through Microsoft’s popular Game Pass Ultimate subscription, allowing users to play full Xbox games on their phone with an optional Xbox controller.

Galaxy Tab S7, Galaxy Buds Live and Galaxy Watch 3

Alongside the Note20, Samsung also unveiled two new S-Pen-equipped Android tablets, the £619 Galaxy Tab S7 and £799 Galaxy Tab S7+ with 11in and 12.4in screens respectively. Samsung is one of the only premium Android tablet manufacturers still standing after Google abandoned the idea in favour of Chromebooks that could run Android apps.

Samsung also launched a new version of its popular true wireless earbuds. The new £179 Galaxy Buds Live feature a completely different kidney-bean shaped design that fits inside the ear and doesn’t protrude. They have an open-air design without a silicone ear tip and active noise cancellation.

Samsung announced an update to its popular smartwatches too. The Galaxy Watch 3 follows on from the well-received original Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Watch Active 2. The Watch 3 resembles a traditional analogue watch, with a bigger screen and a slimmer, lighter body than its predecessors, available in 41mm and 45mm case sizes costing £399 and £419 respectively. Samsung’s favoured rotating bezel returns for controlling the watch, while blood oxygen monitoring, fall detection and enhanced running analytics help enhance its health-tracking abilities.

Galaxy Z Fold 2

Samsung also unveiled its third device with a folding screen. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is a follow up to the original folding smartphone-tablet hybrid, the Galaxy Fold, and joins the flip-phone type device the Galaxy Z Flip.

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a more refined design, a much larger 6.2in display on the front, a larger 7.6in folding display and improved cameras on the back. It uses similar display technology to the Galaxy Z Flip, which stood up well to months of real-world use.

The new 5G device is expected to cost similar to the £1,900 price of its predecessor.