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The new Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is the fourth phone in the S line this year. There’s a version of it that doesn’t include the two Note 20 phones and the seemingly countless A-series phones Samsung has released this year. You may need spreadsheets, calculators and actors to wait and try to figure out what the right mix of features and prices are.
Update Three S20 Fe Review
Fortunately, Samsung’s S-series and most flagship phones have a lot going for them: fast processors, good build quality, great screens, and decent cameras. I’m not saying you can’t go wrong, but the S20 FE retains enough of the essential “flagship” components to justify its $699 price tag.
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It’s also proof positive that even if Samsung wants to change phones quickly, it can. The development began shortly after the announcement of the three original S20 phones in March 2020, as it became clear that the pandemic would hurt the economy.
But the Galaxy S20 FE doesn’t seem like a rush job. It has some quality components, and the cheap parts don’t detract much from the experience.
The Galaxy S20 FE sports a 6.5-inch 1080p OLED display. It’s a completely flat display with a nicer, but more prominent bezel than other S20 devices.
The fact that the screen is “only” 1080p isn’t a problem at this size either. What you get instead is a higher refresh rate of 120Hz, which makes scrolling smoother and renders some games better. I’d like to see it on a $700 phone, especially since Samsung put it on the more expensive Galaxy Note 20.
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Samsung sticks with color and vibrancy on this screen – which means it’s a bit silly out of the box. Fortunately, you can hunt down and adjust the “natural” display mode.
But the hardware element that will attract criticism is the back of the phone. It’s plastic, but don’t let that throw you off. Overall, the phone still feels solid and solid. Samsung also offers it in six different colors: navy, lavender, bread, red, white and orange. Everything is a “cloud” color, which, in Samsung’s words, means it’s matte.
The S20 FE is a bit squarer than other S20 phones, but for the most part it feels like it belongs in the family. It’s well built and my only gripe is the chrome ring that surrounds the punch-hole camera. It always takes the spotlight and distracts – and is completely unnecessary. Samsung does this with some series phones too, but I don’t get it.
It supports wireless charging and fast charging, the charger in the box does not have enough wattage for fast charging. The battery is pretty big for a 4500mAh phone. In my testing, I got two days with average use. A total of around six hours of screen time should be good, unless you’re doing something really battery-intensive.
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Samsung needs to cut costs somewhere, and cameras are one of them. However, I didn’t miss Samsung’s complete abandon. Instead of Samsung’s new high-megapixel ultra sensors, the S20 FE has three 12-megapixel sensors.
That means there are wide-angle, ultra-wide and telephoto cameras. All three take great pictures in good conditions. I’m impressed with Samsung’s improvements in night mode. S20 can’t do FE
It competes directly with the Pixel or iPhone 11 Pro, but it comes close. The video is also what you’d expect: the quality is average. Unlike other S20 devices, the FE can’t record 8K – no big deal.
So the camera has its own feature, but it doesn’t make any sense. It’s out, but where did I leave it, but I have some applications to file for a long time. Samsung is still stuck with three bad camera habits. Neither of these are bad deal breakers, but they’re worth a look.
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First, Samsung is still limited in terms of bright pictures and increased vibrancy. I think a lot of people might like it, but in certain lighting conditions it makes things look a bit neon to my eyes. You can adjust some of these with Pro mode and crop some things in post.
Second, Samsung continues to sell lenses with 30x zoom capabilities. Technically speaking, however, the result at that magnification looks like someone spilled water on a printed copy. If you keep the zoom level at 10x or lower, you’ll be really happy with the results.
As a result, Samsung insists on over-smoothing the face, especially with the 32-megapixel camera. Even if you turn off all the filters, you will see something very different from what your mirror shows.
As I said, I don’t think any of this is a reason to avoid the S20 FE. But all three are disappointing because they’re not the result of any hardware defect; it’s just a decision Samsung made with the software.
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Samsung has included the parts that most people care about in terms of performance: the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor and 5G. Both are not necessary for a fast and good phone (especially 5G). That said, the S20 FE was fast enough for everything it needed to be.
Speaking of 5G, it’s worth noting that Verizon’s version of the phone is another $50. That’s because it must include the necessary components for Verizon’s mmWave 5G network. The panel, it should be added, only works if you’re close to one of the city’s rare visible ears.
While I didn’t have any issues with speed, lag, or startup times, I didn’t push this phone to the limits that some phones can today. However, power users may exceed the limits of the phone. Samsung has cut some costs by reducing the RAM from 12GB to 6GB, which can affect the crowd and Samsung’s DeX desktop interface. It also limits the S20 FE to a single storage configuration: 128GB, but expandable via microSD.
Samsung’s software UI is the same on the S20 FE as it is on the other S20 and Note 20 phones. I enjoyed many of the added features and thought the overall design was harmonious and even in places. It’s also very annoying that Samsung finds little corners to place ads or ask you to sign up for partner services.
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I also don’t like Bickby, which is a terrible digital assistant. You can still use Google Assistant, with a little software glitch, you can even change the assistant’s power button with the remote.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE comes at a very interesting time and as part of an interesting trend. Only the launch of the Google Pixel 5 (at the same price) is ahead of the new iPhone. That Pixel and at least one of those iPhones is the same as the Galaxy S20 FE.
Phone companies have accepted the idea that people who don’t want to spend $1,000 on a phone want a new phone, not just a discounted old phone. Samsung, as it often does, is leading the way by ensuring that store shelves are stocked with products at affordable prices. The S20 FE was quickly developed not only to combat the economic downturn, but also to make sure Samsung had something new in that $699 range.
While the Galaxy S20 FE might be considered a box of junk in an emergency, that doesn’t mean Samsung didn’t do something great here. It worked. The combination of speed, a large high-refresh rate screen, a good battery, a capable camera and Samsung’s quality add up to a result close to the tone: flagship features of the S20 at a more affordable price. All S20 phones share those qualities; flagships only have a few more.
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Samsung phones also share another quality: frequent and sometimes significant discounts. My friend Dan Seifert and I have been drinking our bellies over and over again, always waiting to see if the price drops or if you can get a step-up phone for the same price.
If you get the Galaxy S20 FE, you’re in for a treat. But if you can find a regular S20 or S20 Plus for the same price, you’ll be luckier.
Every smart device requires you to agree to a few terms before you can use it—a contract that no one reads.
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