Samsung's Galaxy Note 20 will reportedly eliminate the time-of-flight (ToF) sensor from its rear camera array, citing low user interest and software improvements. This is a reasonable move, but could come under attack from Apple's iPhone 12.

A Korea Industry Post report (via SamMobile) claimed that Samsung is considering removing this sensor from its upcoming Galaxy Note phones. This is despite the fact that it was added extensively to the company's flagships last year and was considered for inclusion in less expensive devices.

The ToF sensor is one of several types of depth sensors, cameras that do not take pictures but help measure the distance between the phone and the object being photographed. This is useful for improving the quality of photographic effects, especially blur-style portrait effects, and is also used in augmented reality apps. However, this is an expensive sensor with features that can also be achieved with software.

The first Samsung phone with a ToF sensor was the Galaxy S10 Plus 5G in 2019. It was followed by the Galaxy Note 10 Plus late last year, and the Galaxy S20 Plus and Galaxy S20 Ultra launched in February this year.

The Note 10 Plus was launched with a 3D modeling feature, intended to show off the advantages of the ToF camera. However, this feature was not used much, did not work well, and required several updates to make it work properly.

We expect Apple to add a LiDAR sensor to the iPhone 12 Pro model, as they did with the 2020 iPad Pro. LiDAR is a similar technology to ToF, but more advanced. LiDAR can read the environment in front of it and react faster and react much more quickly, helping to make the use of AR apps much smoother. Hopefully, we'll see an even better version in iPhone 12 and more apps that can use it thanks to Apple's updated ARKit for developers.

Currently, the only other major manufacturers using ToF sensors in their phones are Huawei's Mate 30 Pro and P40 Pro devices. However, Huawei's technology is not sold in the U.S. due to government regulations, and Samsung's decision could make it the only flagship smartphone manufacturer to focus on ToF-based AR and photo effects for 2021.

With Samsung's photo quality lagging behind the iPhone, this decision could be detrimental. However, losing the ToF sensor could lower the Note 20's manufacturing costs and give it a price advantage over the new iPhone 12. Alternatively, it may free up resources to develop other features that may prove more popular.

The Galaxy Note 20 will likely appear this August alongside the Galaxy Fold 2. Expected upgrades include a 120 Hz refresh rate display, a new S Pen feature, a new exterior design similar to the Galaxy S20 series, and incremental improvements in battery life and performance.