Last month when the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE went on sale in India I thought it was a steal for Rs. 50000. For a phone that shares the same internals as the flagship S20/S20+, it seemed too good to be true. The S20 was priced way higher than any phone at the time since it was the flagship coming out of Samsung so when the S20 FE came out it seemed like a good deal.
Even though it looked like the right choice for me I decided to hold off on buying one. That was until last week when I got a call from my local Samsung Retailer saying the S20 FE was on sale for just Rs. 35000. So I had to go ahead and cop one for myself. A straight Rs. 15000 drop was kind of a shock to me. I know with the S21 coming right around the corner it makes sense but a phone with a sticker price of Rs. 67000 and sold for Rs. 50000 now going for Rs. 35000, these companies really get in with the high-profit margins.
What is FE?
FE or Fan Edition seems to be a more toned-down version of the Flagship S20/S20+ without sacrificing much. The main difference between the FE and the Flagship S20 lineup is the Plastic Back instead of the glass back on the S20 line but the FE still manages to keep the metal rim like on the S20 and S20+. The FE has a 1080 x 2400 pixels display compared to the 1440 x 3200 pixels display on the S20 and S20+. The S20 FE comes with a 6.5-inch Display size which is not as big as the 6.7-inch display on the S20+ but still bigger than the S20’s 6.2-inch display. I feel Samsung made the right choice with this.
Surprisingly Samsung has given the S20 FE a 32 MP front camera compared to the 10MP camera on the S20 and S20+ but lacks Auto-HDR (still has regular HDR) but heavily compensates for that with the gyro-EIS for stable video recording unlike that on the S20 and S20+. The Rear Camera is a different story which I will cover later on in this article.
Specs
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE gets an Exynos 990 processor globally except in the US where the FE comes with a Snapdragon 865. Is there any difference between the two processors? Yes, the CPU performance in the Snapdragon might be a tiny bit better than that on the Exynos but the GPU performance is the same as per what I’ve read. Exynos processors are also said to be less power efficient than their Snapdragon counterparts. But since Samsung has optimized these phones for their proprietary Exynos Processors I don’t think you will be getting much more out of the Snapdragon varients.
The S20 FE comes with a 4500 mAh battery like in the S20+ which again better than the 4000 mAh battery on the S20. It also comes with 25W Fast Charging, 15W Fast Wireless Charging, Reverse Wireless Charging, and a 120 Hz refresh rate all features which have never been seen before for a phone at this price range. It is quite impressive to see these features being offered on the S20 FE while most Flagship Phones from other brands still lack these features.
Accessories and other things.
Samsung decided to sell the phone with a 15W Charger despite supporting 25W charging but at this price it seems reasonable to cut such costs. In fact the only accessory that comes with the S20 FE is the Charger, no earphones, not even a USB-C Headset Jack Adaptor since the S20 FE like the rest of the S20 lineup has killed the Headphone Jack.
So how is it using one?
The S20 FE is everything I expected and even more. It looks and feels like a flagship phone. It is as smooth as butter. The 120 Hz refresh makes the phone way faster than any phone I’ve used. I have yet to play any games on this phone but I assume it will be great. I’m not going to lie the phone does heat up a bit but it doesn’t really bother me much.
The biggest let down of the S20 FE is its battery life. Don’t get me wrong the battery life isn’t bad but the 120 Hz refresh rate really drains the battery. You could set it to 60 Hz and might be able to get in more time but I have yet to try that.
The Camera
The S20 FE comes with 3 lenses in the back. A 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm wide-angle and a 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm ultrawide like in the S20 and S20+ which are great cameras. Then there is the 8 MP, f/2.4, 76mm telephoto lens which in my opinion really lacks in quality. It has a grainy texture and would not use that lens whatsoever. Despite only having a 1080p screen the S20 FE can record 4K@30/60fps which is great.
Conclusion
The S20 FE is a great choice for those looking for a budget smartphone but still wanting those flagship features. It is something new that has never been done before by Samsung or any other brand. As I’m writing this article Samsung has started rolling out the One UI 3.0 Android 11 update for the S20 FE. The Galaxy S20 FE does pack a punch when it comes to value for money. You can call it the Flagship Killer from Samsung.
Check out my other article on Google Analytics:
SAMSUNG GALAXY S20 FE SPECS COMPARISON CHART
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE | Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra | OnePlus 8 Pro | Apple iPhone SE (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display size, resolution | 6.5-inch super AMOLED; 2,400×1,080 pixels | 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X | 6.78-inch AMOLED; 1,440×3,168 pixels | 4.7-inch Retina HD; 1,334×750 pixels |
| Pixel density | 405ppi | 511ppi | 513ppi | 326ppi |
| Dimensions (inches) | TBA | 2.99 by 6.57 by 0.35 in. | 6.51 by 2.93 by 0.35 in. | 5.45 by 2.65 by 0.29 in. |
| Dimensions (millimeters) | 159.8 by 75.5 by 8.4mm | 76.0 by 166.9 by 8.8mm | 165 by 74.4 by 8.5mm | 138.4 by 67.3 by 7.3 mm |
| Weight (ounces, grams) | 190g | 7.76 oz.; 220g | 199g | 5.22 oz.; 148g |
| Mobile software | Android 10 | Android 10 | Android 10 | iOS 13 |
| Camera | 12-megapixel (standard), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 8-megapixel (3x telephoto) | 108-megapixel (wide-angle), 48-megapixel (telephoto), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), time-of-flight camera | 48-megapixel main, 8-megapixel telephoto, 48-megapixel ultrawide, 5-megapixel “color filter” | 12-megapixel |
| Front-facing camera | 32-megapixel | 40-megapixel | 16-megapixel | 7-megapixel |
| Video capture | 4K | 8K | 4K | 4K |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (5G) Samsung Exynos 990 (4G) | 64-bit octa-core processor (Max 2.7GHz + 2.5GHz + 2GHz) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 | Apple A13 Bionic |
| Storage | 128GB | 128GB, 512GB | 128GB, 256B | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB |
| RAM | 6GB | 12GB, 16GB | 8GB, 12GB | Not disclosed |
| Expandable storage | 1TB | Up to 1TB | None | No |
| Battery | 4,500 mAh | 5,000 mAh | 4,300 mAh | Not disclosed, but Apple claims it has the same battery life as iPhone 8 |
| Fingerprint sensor | In-screen | In-screen | In-screen | Home button |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C | Lightning |
| Headphone jack | No | No | No | No |
| Special features | 120Hz screen refresh rate, support for 30W fast charging and 15W fast wireless charging | 5G enabled; 120Hz refresh rate; 100X zoom; water resistant (IP68) | 5G enabled, Fast-charging, fast wireless charging, 120Hz display | Water resistant (IP67); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging |
Samsung used the “Fan Edition” suffix when it tried selling refurbished Galaxy Note 7 units in South Korea with smaller, safer batteries. The move might have helped Samsung recoup some of the losses it suffered following the catastrophic and embarrassing global launch (and subsequent global bans) of the Galaxy Note 7, but this was never going to be a mass-market phone. “Fan edtion” basically acknowledged that only those people who are fervently dedicated to the Samsung brand would actually buy it.
That’s why it’s a little surprising to see a brand new model launch in multiple countries with the same branding – that too one aimed at a much more mainstream audience than its siblings. You don’t have to be a fan of the brand to like this phone.
What Samsung has got right though is the balance of cost and features. You don’t get the full flagship experience, but if people are happy with so-called flagship killers, you now have a pretty good choice within the Samsung lineup. What works for the Galaxy S20 FE is its fit and finish, high-quality screen, and useful cameras.
Pricing is an unavoidable issue, though. People who pre-ordered or bought the Galaxy S20 FE early are going to be justifiably upset because of the rapidly reduced price and 256GB storage option. The bigger issue is Samsung now selling the far superior Galaxy S20+ at exactly the same price that the Galaxy S20 FE launched at. No matter how good this new phone seems and how much it gets right, Samsung itself offers stronger competition as long as prices stay where they currently are.
Samsung offers the S20 FE in a wide range of vibrant hues, but I think the deep navy blue of my review model is much more “classy” than it is “cool” — it’s a nice sport coat instead of a neon parka; a steak and glass of chianti instead of a burger from a van; an HBO drama instead of WWE highlights. It’s much more attractive than the sinfully dull gray of the S20 Ultra, but then just about anything is.
Its rear panel is made from plastic, but its frosted finish makes it look and feel more like glass to me (Samsung even calls it “glasstic”). There’s toughened Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and aluminum on its edges. It feels sturdy and comfortable to hold and the matte texture of the back means fingerprints aren’t much of a problem.
There’s no headphone jack, so hopefully you’ve invested in some bluetooth headphones by now (you won’t get any headphones in the box) but the phone does have IP68 waterproofing, which will keep it safe from spilled drinks or heavy rain.
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE cameras
Considering how heavily Samsung emphasised camera quality as the defining feature of the Galaxy S20 family, it will be interesting to see how this lower-priced model fits in. The Galaxy S20 FE has a scaled-down set of cameras, starting with a 12-megapixel f/1.8 primary camera with OIS. There’s also a 12-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide camera and an 8-megapixel f/2.4 3X optical telephoto camera. For selfies, you get a 32-megapixel f/2.2 camera.
Unsurprisingly, the camera app is jammed with features and options. Modes include Samsung’s Single Take composition tool, pro mode, food mode, night mode, live focus for stills and video, slow motion and super slow motion, and hyperlapse. You can download additional filters or create your own based on the colour profile of any photo, if the default selection ever gets boring. The Scene Optimiser feature is on by default and will display a shortcut to enable Night Mode quickly if it thinks it’s necessary.
The Galaxy S20 FE locked focus quickly and metered scenes quite well during the day. Colours were vibrant, verging on oversaturated in some instances. Shots came out looking sharp and subjects were well defined. Detail on objects at a distance was also quite good. Close-up shots were excellent, with minute details reproduced very well and a very pleasant natural depth of field.
In fact, close-ups taken in the default Photo mode were often better than when using the Live Focus mode, which requires you to stand back quite a distance from your subject. If you do use this mode though, you can refocus shots, adjust the blur intensity and type, and remove all colour except for the object in focus.
The wide-angle camera does introduce significant distortion and quality is not bad if you’re just checking your shots on the phone’s screen. Colours aren’t drastically different because of the re-framing. The 3X optical telephoto camera also captures excellent detail, and shots hold up even when seen fully magnified on a large monitor. The three cameras that Samsung has chosen are all genuinely useful without being gimmicky, and could all come in handy regularly.
hings get a little less satisfactory at night – focus was sometimes inaccurate but tapping the screen manually will result in a quick lock. The good news is that you can capture decent shots even if it’s too dark to see your subject in the viewfinder, if you know where to tap. The Scene Optimiser will force a slow shutter by default, but this isn’t the same as Night Mode, and results did differ slightly.
Low-light shots were a little grainy and colours were sometimes off depending on the kind of lighting around. The wide-angle and telephoto cameras do suffer thanks to their narrower apertures but shots are still usable. Using Night Mode did usually result in better colour reproduction and slightly improved detail.
The camera is one of the main areas that’s seen some compromises to keep the cost down. The rear camera setup includes a 12-megapixel standard zoom camera, a 12-megapixel 3x optical zoom and an 8-megapixel ultrawide-angle camera. Those are lower resolutions than you’ll find on more premium Galaxy phones. The FE also lacks features such as the 100x “Space zoom” and 8K video recording that you’ll get from the S20 Ultra.
While I certainly don’t think you’ll miss 8K video or the 100x zoom (the quality at that zoom level is so poor you’d never want to do anything with those images) I really enjoyed using the 5x and 10x zoom options on the S20 Ultra, and loved the creative shooting options it provided. Would I spend hundreds more to have it though? Absolutely not.
Shots from the S20 FE are punchy with a good exposure balance between bright skies and dark foregrounds, helped by the auto HDR mode. It’s by no means the best camera around — I find the white balance can be a bit hit and miss at times — but for drool-worthy shots of coffee and cake to make your Instagram followers jealous, it’ll suit just fine.
Samsung’s Galaxy S20 FE’s combination of solid specs, 5G connectivity and approachable price tag has earned it a CNET Editors’ Choice award for 2020. Its great balance of performance and value makes it a stronger value proposition than its pricey S20 Ultra or Note 20 Ultra siblings, but doesn’t force you to sacrifice the features you’ve come to expect from a higher-end phone.
While the S20 Ultra and Note 20 Ultra are packed to the hilt with the latest, greatest tech, they also come with sky-high prices to match. That makes them a tricky sell at a time when purse strings are tightening and rivals like Google, OnePlus and even Apple are making great phones at more affordable prices. But the Galaxy S20 FE, which stands for “fan edition,” packs many of the great features of its flagship siblings, including a solid triple camera, a powerful processor, IP68 waterproofing and 5G connectivity, all for a much more affordable price.
The battery and charging, the S20 FE comes backed by a 4500mAh battery with support for 25W fast charging. Samsung has retained the WPC Qi wireless fast charging support and reverse Wireless PowerShare feature. But unfortunately, the company couldn’t retain a 25W fast charging adapter in the box. Instead, you get a 15W two-pin charger and USB Type-C to USB Type-C charging cable.
However, it’s likely Samsung had more nefarious purposes in mind for the Galaxy S20 FE. The phone’s features, design, and price put it in direct competition with the latest phones in the “affordable flagship” segment — most notably those from OnePlus. Although OnePlus has been around for about seven years, this is the first time Samsung has so aggressively tried to grab customers directly from OnePlus’ usual market.
As a long-time OnePlus fan, I wanted to try out the so-called “OnePlus killer” myself. I used the Galaxy S20 FE for about three days to get a feel for it.
