Compare and Recycle
23/09/2020

The Galaxy S20 Fan Edition: This Is What You Get for Your Money

Samsung did another Unpacked event on Wednesday the 23rd of September at 3pm (BST) to announce an unknown device. Now that the launch has happened, we know that the device in question is the Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition. This model is a rehash of the Samsung Galaxy S20 which came out in February 2020, but with some notable additions. Read on to find out what Samsung had to offer.

The refreshed Galaxy S20 FE comes with several improvements which some fans were requesting from the Galaxy S devices. The main marketing focus of this model is new colour finishes in navy, mint, red, orange, white and lavender, which are more vibrant options than what was previously available.

How Much Does The Galaxy S20 FE Cost?

The cost of the Galaxy S20 FE is fairly similar to what the Galaxy S10 retailed for last year, and it will become available to buy on Friday the 2nd of October 2020. The 4G model will start at £599 and £699 for a 5G variant.

What Does The Galaxy S20 FE offer for £599?

The Galaxy S20 FE now has a completely flat 6.5-inch Super AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. This is a good option for anyone that prefers a flat screen to Samsung’s curved screen models. Some people find that photos and videos ‘spill’ over the edges of the device, which can be less than ideal if you are watching a film and you want to be able to see all of the details in front of you. The device however cannot be used at both Quad HD+ resolution and with 120Hz refresh rate. If you are concerned about the device's durability, it comes with an IP68 certification, so this should reassure you that it will not break easily.

On the back of the phone you will find a triple camera: a 12MP ultra wide lens with a 123 degree view angle, a 12MP wide lens and a 8MP telephoto lens with up to 30x zoom. Samsung put their Bright Night camera feature under the spotlight, so you can expect some excellent shots in low light conditions. The front camera is now 32MP, and is housed in the centre of the display in a smaller punch hole than ever before, so this is an appealing change for anyone that prefers their front facing lens not to take over the display.

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE Battery and Performance

The Galaxy S20 FE comes with a 4500 mAh battery, which should give you a comfortable full day of power, and could stretch into the next day if used sparingly. As well as this sizeable battery, it comes with the very useful features of both wireless charging and wireless powershare for convenient charging without the need for a cable (although this is still an option). You can use the wireless powershare feature to charge other phones and wireless headphones as well, which will be helpful if you need these charged quickly and you do not have a charger for them to hand.

Samsung has kept the expandable storage of up to 1TB as an option alongside 128GB internal storage and 6GB of RAM. We know that with Samsung devices, a processor plays a key part in performance as depending on your region you will either get a Samsung in-house built Exynos or Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipset. Samsung has been criticised for this differentiation countless times over the years, but the Galaxy S20 FE could be the first step in the right direction. The 4G model will feature the Exynos 990 7 nm+ chip, while the 5G variant will come with the Snapdragon 865 7 nm+. This is the primary difference between the models and we can already see the 5G variant winning the hearts of the majority of Samsung fans.

What Is Missing From the Galaxy S20 FE?

Some of the features that Samsung decided to leave behind put the Galaxy S20 FE somewhere in an ‘almost-flagship’ space. There is no 8K video recording available, and the S20 FE misses out on rear cameras with more megapixels. Having said this, from our experience we would argue that extra megapixels are not essential, and you are unlikely to notice much of a difference. Samsung also opted out of an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor, as they went for a less high-end optical in-display sensor instead. The charging speeds and Gorilla Glass 3 protection are not exactly ‘flagship’ either.

As an addition to the Samsung portfolio, the Galaxy S20 FE is quite confusing, as it does not differ much from the Samsung Galaxy S20 that came out earlier in the year. Having said this, the Galaxy S20 FE looks as though it will be a great device for Samsung loyalists that want all of the best features.

Antonia

See more posts by Antonia

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