If you are thinking of buying a high-end mobile at this point in the year 2020, but you do not want to spend the 1,000 euros –or more – that they ask for terminals such as the Galaxy Note20 Ultra, the new iPhone 12, or the OnePlus 8 Pro, I am very much afraid that the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is made just for you.
With the Galaxy S10 Lite, Samsung has already conquered more than one by perfectly simplifying what many were looking for in a high-end mobile. And this year, the South Korean has taken it even further with the Galaxy S20 FE, improving everything that could be improved from the previous model, and creating a device that, after having been able to test it for several days as a personal device, I think that even it comes to outshine the top models of the S20 series. This is our review of the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE.
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE datasheet
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE | |
| specs | |
| Dimensions | 159,8 x 74,5 x 8,4 mm, 190 grams |
| Screen | 6.5-inch Infinity-O Super AMOLED 120 Hz refresh rate |
| Resolution | 2,400 x 1,080 pixels |
| Processor | Samsung Exynos 990/ Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (5G) |
| RAM | 6/8 GB LPDDR5 |
| Operating system | One UI 2.5 based on Android 10 |
| Storage | 128 GB UFS 3.1 expandable by micro SD up to 1 TB |
| Cameras | Rear 12 MP (main) ƒ / 1.8, OIS. 12 MP (wide angle) ƒ / 2.2. 8 MP (telephoto) ƒ / 2.0 Frontal de 32 MP /2.0 |
| Battery | 4,500 mAh with fast charging of 25W and wireless charging of 15W |
| Others | On-screen fingerprint reader, IP68 certification, USB 3.2 Type C, stereo speakers |
| Departure date | September 2020 |
| Starting price | From 699 euros |
The best of the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
The best screen in mobile of its price
AMOLED, Full HD +, 120 Hz, and flat glass: those are the four features most important of one of the jewels in the crown of this Galaxy S20 FE: its screen.
And it is that without reaching the level of the panel of the S20 or Note20, the screen of the Galaxy S20 FE is, without a doubt, the best that we have been able to test in mobile of its price in terms of viewing angles, contrast, sharpness and reproduction of colors. Using the S20 FE is simply a delight, and the fact that its screen is so good certainly plays a part.
One of the best things about the screen of this S20 FE is its high refresh rate, 120 Hz, which makes moving around the interface a much smoother and more fluid experience than in other similarly priced mobiles. A finishing touch to a panel that shows that high-quality screens are not just a matter of the most expensive phones on the market.
The main differences concerning the original S20 are found when talking about brightness since the panel of this S20 FE is somewhat less luminous than that of the more expensive models –which is more noticeable outdoors-; as well as the size of the margins that surround it, more pronounced on its four sides.
It is also something different – although not worse for that – the fingerprint reader. This year, it’s built into the screen and uses an optical sensor rather than an ultrasonic sensor like the S20 and Note20 Ultra. This makes it slightly slower, although I have not found too many differences in accuracy when detecting the fingerprint. In any case, I would have preferred a side fingerprint reader like the one on the S10 Lite.
Excellent performance, supported by an excellent autonomy
There are two different versions of the Galaxy S20 FE: one with an Exynos 990 processor and another with a Snapdragon 865. Only the second incorporates 5G.
Leaving aside the extra 5G connectivity that the model with a Snapdragon chip provides, I would recommend everyone to buy the Galaxy S20 FE with Snapdragon 865 that I have been lucky enough to test these days despite being more expensive. Then the model. with Exynos 990…
And it’s not that the Samsung chip is terrible. It is not. However, the differences in energy efficiency and performance, especially in the graphic section, make this model less attractive than the more expensive version.
In any case, the S20 FE, in the version with 5G that has passed through my hands, offers excellent performance under any circumstance, at the level of the best phones available in the Samsung catalog, and even exceeding the S20, Note20, and other models with Exynos 990 chip.
Despite dragging specific problems, Samsung’s good work in delivering increasingly polished, consistent, and streamlined software with One UI 2.5. LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage also help make the speed of the S20 FE one of its strengths. They make the S20 FE one of the fastest and best-performing phones that have passed my hands in this unusual year.
Only its 6 GB of RAM can be a problem for some users. It is not a burden, but I have found more background app closings than I would like, especially when opening more or less heavy apps or games simultaneously.
The is also excellent autonomy of the S20 FE. With 4,500 mAh, the terminal can handle them without problems day and a half of use, reaching six or up to 7 hours of screen on. Yes, these figures may vary from one user to another based on their usage habits.
When charging, we have the option of fast charging at 25W; Samsung has not forgotten about wireless charging, present in this device supporting a maximum power of 15W, something not too familiar in terminals of this price.
The worst of the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
Small details
It has been challenging for me to find negative points about this Galaxy S20 FE. Or at least harmful enough to be highlighted in their section. And that says a lot about the latest terminal that Samsung has pulled out of its sleeve.
And is that the Galaxy S20 FE hardly has buts. It is only detailed, more or less important, that.
- The plastic on the back does not offer a sensation to the touch as pleasant as that of other mobiles made of the same material, as with Google’s Pixel 4a. A slightly rougher finish would have done him wonderfully.
- Its vibration motor is less “firm” than that of the more expensive models. The haptic response is not as pleasant as in the other devices of the S20 series.
- Does not include a 25W charger in the box. You have to settle for one of “only” 15W or buy one separately.
In short, small details that, although they may influence to some extent when deciding on this model or a similar one such as the new OnePlus 8T, are more than justified taking into account the difference in the price of this model with compared to the more expensive variants of the S20 series.
So are the cameras of the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
The photographic system that leads the back of the S20 FE is not very different from that of the “normal” Galaxy S20, so I recommend you look at the section dedicated to photography in our review of the Samsung Galaxy S20.
Again, we find ourselves with the exact 12-megapixel resolution primary sensor, along with an 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle. The main difference is the inclusion of a sensor telephoto, which the S20 and S20 + lack, which offers us an optical zoom of three increases zoom, and digital of up to 30.
All the sensors are capable of offering an excellent result in most scenes and situations, being in broad daylight – as is logical – how much they all give their best and allow to capture bright and detailed images, with an excellent dynamic range and colors that, as usual in Samsung, can become more garish than average.
The new telephoto offers us the possibility of capturing good photos with a zoom of up to 10x. However, the loss of quality is quite noticeable as soon as that threshold is exceeded. Underneath, the sensor can preserve a good level of detail when the brightness is on our side since it is a sensor with a smaller aperture and, therefore, unable to capture as much light as the main one.
Something similar happens with the ultra-wide-angle: when the light accompanies, the results are good despite a significant loss of detail and a dynamic range not as great as that of the primary 12-megapixel sensor, and it is certainly a fun addition and convenient .
One of the things that we do not find in this mobile concerning the rest of the S20 series models is the possibility of recording video at 8K resolution. Instead, we are limited to capturing 4K video at 60 FPS, more than enough for most situations, and with top-notch image quality, comparable to “normal” S20s.
As for the selfies, although the image quality is good, we find the classic Samsung manias again when it comes to processing its captures in which human faces appear: too noticeable softening, a certain tendency to overexpose the captures, and a white balance that tends to the warmer side for no apparent reason.
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, opinion and final thoughts from Andro4all
It is much easier – and brief – to review the negative aspects of the Galaxy S20 FE than to re-list one with all the benefits of this device. And it is that Samsung has taken an – already excellent – Galaxy S20 and has transformed it into a cheaper mobile based on making the necessary and fair cuts.
These cuts are a somewhat less modern and premium design than the rest of the models, 2 GB of RAM less, stereo speakers of not so good quality, and not incorporating a fast charger in the box.
For everything else, the S20 FE is an S20 with all of the laws, at the level of the best mobiles of this year in terms of performance, screen quality, and autonomy, without leaving out additions such as wireless charging or IP68 protection, all this added to a photographic system that, despite inheriting the already classic Samsung hobbies in terms of processing, generates excellent results and offers versatility at the level of the best terminals for photography.
All this leads me to the conclusion that the Galaxy S20 FE is not only the best S20 of this year, but it is also one of the best high-end phones available today and one of the most intelligent purchases of 2020. Samsung has reacted well to the situation facing the planet and need not be a fan of the company to realize that this mobile can become one of the biggest selling this generation.
Price and where to buy the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
The Galaxy S20 FE is already on sale in two different versions, with and without 5G connectivity. The model that we have been able to test can be bought in stores like Amazon at a price of about 700 euros .
Those who are satisfied without 5G connectivity and with a not so efficient processor have at their disposal the model with Exynos 990, on sale for about 600 euros.
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, opinion and Andro4all note | |
| Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE? | |
| In favor |
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| Against |
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| Conclusions | Alongside the Pixel 5 and iPhone 12, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is one of the best affordable flagships and one of the smartest purchases of this year. Contrary to what happened with the previous S10 Lite, the more you use this S20 FE, the more difficult it is to realize the cuts carried out by Samsung to offer this mobile at this price. The S20 FE is an exceptional mobile, not only for everything it offers and at the price it does, but also for the situation in which it arrives when the idea of paying 1,000 euros for mobile has vanished from the mind of Many. ost intelligent |
| Punctuation |
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE “FE”, de “Fenómeno”. |
Sharlene Meriel is an avid gamer with a knack for technology. He has been writing about the latest technologies for the past 5 years. His contribution in technology journalism has been noteworthy. He is also a day trader with interest in the Forex market.
