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Samsung is facing an uphill battle against the looming Apple iPhone 12 and Google Pixel 5.
The Korean company launched three expensive phones in February – starting at $999 and ending at $1399 – that crammed-in every possible feature and specification you can imagine.
5G pushed the price of the S20 range up, but so did a new camera setup and an expensive processor. But Samsung’s pricey new phones landed just before the worst of COVID-19 took hold – with tech companies not only impacted in terms of manufacturing but also sales.
We’re now seeing how those same tech companies are responding. Apple could keep the price of its entry level 5G iPhone 12 at the same price as itsnon-5G iPhone 11. Google could use a cheaper processor in the Pixel 5, to bring the price below $700. Whereas Microsoft knocked $50 off its Surface Earbuds, Apple is considering slashing AirPods pricesand the Pixel 4a will be $50 cheaper than expected.
Whilst Samsung is not shy about engaging in promotions and deals, its technology is the definition of high-end. It is renowned for its premium smartphones – so a heavily discounted 5G Note 20 isn’t looking likely. Especially considering the rumoured specifications.
Of those rumoured specifications, one new feature caught my eye: the battery size. Earlier this week SamMobile did some detective workand discovered the Note 20’s battery size based on information it found in China’s 3C certification database.
The site deduced that the battery model number likely references a 4300mAh battery in the smaller of the two upcoming Note phones (the other being the Note 20 Plus), as SamMobile explains:
“The battery carries model number EB-BN980ABY, which has a rated capacity of 4,170mAh, and that is different from the 4,000mAh capacity that was revealed last month. Even the Galaxy Note 10+ had a rated battery capacity of 4,170mAh, but Samsung marketed its typical capacity as 4,300mAh, which means the company will do the same with the Galaxy Note 20.”
This, if accurate, gives us a small insight into how Samsung plans to fight off the newly cheap competition – by improving the other thing that’s important to consumers alongside price: battery life.
The rumoured Note 20 battery is significantly bigger than the Note 10 (3500mAh), much larger than the iPhone 11 (3110 mAh) and the iPhone 11 Pro Max (3969 mAh). It’s also larger than the Pixel 4 XL (3700mAh) and the Galaxy S20 (4000mAh), but it’s not bigger than the experimental S20 Ultra’s 5000mAh.
I’d be willing to bet that the new Note 20 power-pack will be larger than anything Apple or Google produces this year. It very much looks like Samsung is hoping to blow the competition out of the water when it comes to long-lasting, big-brand, flagships.
The question is: will it work? Will consumers who are more financially worse off now than three months ago still shell out for an expensive phone with an outstanding battery life, over a rival that’s cheaper but doesn’t last as long? I think it’s possible.
Value for money isn’t just the upfront price, but also what you get for that price. This is why OnePlus phones are good value for money: the company’s focus on speed with high amounts of RAM and optimised software means the device stays fast well past the 12 month upgrade cycle.
A phone that pushes battery power comfortably into two-day territory would be a rare but welcome beast – and also a powerful marketing tool for Samsung.
Surveys show that battery life tops the list for most important smartphone features, so it’s no surprise that the Korean company is doubling down on larger phone batteries.
But there also needs to be a financial incentive. People need to be able to literally afford the phone, so Samsung would do well to keep the price at least close to Apple and Google’s devices, whilst delivering the longest lasting battery experience on the market. If it can do that, then it will have a winning device on its hands later this year.
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