Add yet another phone to the Samsung Galaxy line-up. This one doesn’t fall into the top of the line category or the budget category. It’s promises to be the goldilocks of Galaxy phones, right in the middle. Is it “just right” for your needs? I took the new Galaxy S20 Fan Edition for a test.
Samsung says after the release of the S20 5G they asked consumers what they liked the most about that phone. The company says they used those responses to shape the S20 FE into a phone that costs less but maintains the most important features that “fans” want. Let’s start with the hardware.
The guts of the phone
The S20 FE 5G feels like a Galaxy phone. It’s thin, feels solid and has glass on the front. A camera bump on the back has 3 cameras and a flash. The screen doesn’t have the curved edges but still comes in at an impressive 6.5″ AMOLED screen. The screen has a 120Hz refresh rate which means super smooth scrolling. You may not understand these specs but it truly makes for an awesome experience. Navigating apps feels buttery smooth and the screen simply pops. It’s a highlight of this phone for sure and I didn’t find myself missing the curved edges that I’m used to on other Galaxy phones.
The processor in the S20 FE 5G is the same high-end Snapdragon that you’ll find in the high-end S20 models. This isn’t a budget phone by any stretch of the imagination. It’s an S20 through and through and the Snapdragon 865 processor is a clear indication of that. The S20 FE 5G doesn’t skip a beat even when loading up high-end games and apps.
Say Cheese
Let’s talk about the cameras… since that’s usually the most important feature for many of us. It’s not a huge surprise that people told Samsung the same thing. You won’t find the insane 108 Megapixel camera that Samsung packed into the S20 Ultra 5G. The highest resolution camera on the S20 FE 5G is actually the 32MP selfie camera. On the back you’ll find a 12MP ultra wide angle camera, a 12MP wide angle camera and an 8MP telephoto camera. These numbers don’t sound impressive but I’m a firm believer that megapixels isn’t everything. The S20 FE 5G, in my testing, takes GREAT pictures and video. It’s the quality we have all learned to expect from Samsung. Pictures look sharp, colors pop and 4K video is smooth and clear. Unless you really need the high-end sensors found in the S20 Ultra 5G, the cameras in the S20 FE 5G will give you the awesome pics you’re looking for.
Galaxy confusion
The biggest struggle that the Samsung Galaxy line is going to face now is confusion. There are too many models and for many consumers figuring out which is which may prove difficult. You have the Galaxy S20 5G, the S20+ 5G, the S20 Ultra 5G and the new S20 FE 5G. I love phones and even I’m a little overloaded. That’s not to say the S20 FE 5G isn’t a great phone… it is! I just feel like things are getting a little more complicated than they need to be.
Should I buy it?
Yes! It’s a great phone. The S20 FE 5G is the S20 for the rest of us. It maintains the high-powered Snapdragon processor but removes some of the extras that most of us won’t miss. The cameras aren’t as overpowered as other S20s but they are definitely good enough for most of us. The screen lacks the fancy curved edges but most of us won’t notice or care. I’m convinced the S20 FE 5G is the phone that most shoppers should buy. High-end guts for a mid-range price.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G sells for $699 through major cell phone carriers, most electronic stories or directly from Samsung.