Samsung Galaxy Note 20’s killer new accessory just leaked

The coronavirus is unfortunately still wreaking havoc around the world — especially in the U.S. —  and it looks like Samsung is planning on releasing at least one product designed for these pandemic-hit times.

WinFuture’s Roland Quandt shared a photo of three Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra cases, and each one has the words “Antimicrobial Coating” prominently displayed on the packaging. 

Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra cases. pic.twitter.com/QnUQAVoAiMJuly 24, 2020

The logo alone doesn’t say exactly what microbes the cases will protect against, although research has shown that certain coatings can prove effective in defending against the spread of the novel coronavirus. If Samsung has managed to build this defence into a case – and LetsGoDigital believes it has – then this would be an enormous incentive to go with a first-party Galaxy Note 20 case.

Can a case protect against COVID-19?

To be clear, even if this coating does protect against coronavirus, it’s unlikely to be a magic bullet. The antimicrobial coating highlighted in the research above is capable of reducing the amount of virus on it by 90% in ten minutes and 99.9% within two hours, even two weeks after first being application. It apparently has to be reapplied every three to four months.

“It’s not a substitute for regular cleaning and disinfecting, but it covers you in between regular disinfecting and cleaning,” the study’s senior author Charles Gerba told Barron’s. He added that its best use cases would be for subways and buses “because you could disinfect them but then the next people that come in there will recontaminate the surfaces.” 

That’s obviously not the expected use case for smartphones, where typically one person will be holding them all the time. But any peace of mind is better than no peace of mind, and it’s clear that Samsung has been giving smartphone hygiene some thought in this pandemic-stricken world.

A few weeks ago Samsung unveiled a hybrid UV steriliser and wireless charger, which disinfects your phone while it charges. It’s on sale in various markets for just over $50.

Galaxy Note 20 Ultra colors confirmed — and 4G version

It’s unclear how big a deal Samsung is going to make about Galaxy Note 20 accessories when it reveals the smartphone to the world on August 5, but look closer at the picture, and it reveals two other interesting things about the phone.

Firstly, the colors pretty much confirm that the Note 20 Ultra will come in copper, white and black. But more interestingly, the text at the bottom describes the case as fitting both the Note 20 Ultra and Note 20 Ultra 5G. That means there could be a LTE-only version of the Note 20 Ultra, which is a bit of a surprise – albeit a welcome if the price winds up being lower.

For a quick recap, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra will be a real powerhouse. We’re expecting a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus powered device (Exynos 990 in some regions), backed by 12GB RAM and either 256- or 512GB onboard storage. It’ll have a 120Hz screen to make doodling with the improved S Pen more responsive than ever, and it’ll have a triple-camera array, spearheaded by the excellent 108MP lens that made the Galaxy S20 Ultra such a joy.