The US models of the upcoming Galaxy S20 family just got confirmed by the FCC, as the official cases for the eventual 5G versions of the S20 and S20+ variants got a stamp of testing approval in the latest listings there.
Yes, there will be LED View Cover and Back Cover cases for the S20 roster, just like there are for the S10 portfolio, and no, the FCC engineers are keeping the pictures of said cases under wraps for now, so we can't really tell you if the camera island will look like on the leaked renders so far.
The pics and manuals are under embargo for the FCC to post until the summer, but we'll see both the phones and their cases soon. The only thing that can be seen are the outlines of the cases and the place where the FCC ID label will be affixed there.
The label lists the same 3V 40mA battery as on the LED covers for the S10, and it should be pretty similar in form and function on the S20 as well. Here's the writeup for the LED View model of the S20 and S20 Ultra:
The Equipment Under Test (EUT) is the SamsungLED View Cover FCC ID: A3L-EFNG985. The EUT is an NFC powered cover that snaps onto a representative mobile handset (Model: SM-G986U). The test data contained in this report pertains only to the emissions due to the NFC transmitter of the EUT.
The Equipment Under Test (EUT) is the SamsungLED View Cover FCC ID: A3L-EFNG980. The EUT is an NFC powered cover that snaps onto a representative mobile handset (Model: SM-G981U).
And the LED Back Smart Cover for the S20 and S20 Ultra refers to the model numbers SM-G981U and SM-G986U, respectively:
The Equipment Under Test (EUT) is the SamsungLED Back Cover FCC ID: A3L-EFKG985. The EUT is an NFC powered cover that snaps onto a representative mobile handset (Model: SM-G986U).
The Equipment Under Test (EUT) is the SamsungLED Back Cover FCC ID: A3L-EFKG980. The EUT is an NFC powered cover that snaps onto a representative mobile handset (Model: SM-G981U).
What strikes us as odd is the G981 and G986 numbering scheme. The S10 5G, for instance, is SM-G977, while the S10+ is SM-G975, and the S10e is SM-G970. The G981 and G986 could thus be denoting 5G connectivity for the smaller members of the upcoming Samsung flagship trio as well, while the S20 Ultra is said to come as SM-G988.
In fact, from the leaked official S20 family case listings that the fine folks from MobileFun tipped us about yesterday, we learn that the Ultra model will be landing an exclusive wrapper that isn't listed for its smaller brethren. Made by the Danish fabric boutique Kvadrat, it should be similar to what Samsung did with its partnership for the exclusive Alcantara cases before.
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Kvadrat does luxury upholstery with some crazy designs like corn husk, so we are expecting the green, red and grey colour options to feel funky to the touch. On the other hand, at the listed £29.99 price for the Official Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Kvadrat Cover Case, it shouldn't be made from any leather or other more premium material, so funky fabric it is, come release time in a few weeks. We'd wager to guess it may be something from recycled material, or similar to the straps that Kvadrat does for Skagen that you can see below:
Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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