Samsung Galaxy S20 vs Samsung Galaxy S20 FE

If you’re late to the Samsung Galaxy S20 or S20 5G party, the S20 FE and S20 FE 5G handsets are absolutely worth considering. They’re both cheaper than their older Samsung siblings, with a better battery, bigger screens, and a better front-facing selfie cam. Still, the S20 and S20 5G have some premium perks that still warrant their consideration.

It’s been rumoured and leaked for a while, but the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE has finally arrived. So, what is it exactly? That “FE” bit tacked on at the end is short for “Fan Edition” and, if the specs are any indication, there’s a bit to cheer about.

For the most part, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is a more affordable take on the core Samsung Galaxy S20. While priced in a way that won’t see it added to our list of best budget smartphones, you can have a taste of top-end features for a more reasonable price, plus there’s a slightly more expensive 5G variant in the mix, too.

First, let's take a look at some of the most popular Samsung Galaxy S20 FE plans.

If you’d like to future-proof your Samsung Galaxy S20 FE purchase with the 5G model (128GB), the plans below are popular picks to pair with the pricier handset.

Before we dive into the side-by-side comparisons for the Samsung Galaxy S20 and the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, let’s take a closer look at the two S20 FE versions that Samsung released. There’s the regular, cheaper S20 FE ($999RRP) and the more expensive S20 FE 5G variant, which costs $1,149RRP for the 128GB model and $1,249RRP for the 256GB upgrade.

Outside of 5G support for the more expensive model, their specs are otherwise identical.

The shared specs between the two S20 FE handsets are as follows:

• Display: 6.5-inch Infinity-O Super AMOLED Display
• Resolution: Full HD+ (2400x1080)
• Max refresh rate: 120Hz
• Rear cameras: 12MP (wide and ultra-wide), 8MP (telephoto)
• Front camera: 32MP
• Zoom: Space Zoom (30x digital)
• Expandable storage: Up to 1TB MicroSD
• Memory: 8GB RAM
• Speakers: Stereo (with Dolby Atmos technology)
• Battery: 4,500mAh
• Operating system: Android 10
• Weight: 190g
• Dimensions (h/w/d): 159.8x74.5x8.4mm

No, those aren’t typos in that subheading. Because Samsung released a regular S20 FE and S20 FE 5G, it makes sense to do side-by-side comparisons across all four to see how they stack up. Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the relevant official specs for the Samsung Galaxy S20, Samsung Galaxy S20 5G, Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, and Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G.

There are several identical features between the two handset camps. For starters, all models share the same super-fast charging, wireless charging, and PowerShare capabilities. Photography fans will also find 30x digital Space Zoom, Single Take, and Bright Night features across all four.

In terms of internal storage, all of these smartphones come with a generous 128GB, and all can be expanded by up to an extra 1TB via MicroSD card. As for connectivity, the Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20 FE both have the same 4G capabilities, and the same is true for 5G support with the 5G models. On top of this, all four handsets support the latest wireless standard in WiFi 6. Finally, all four models share the same IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.

Whether you opt for a Samsung Galaxy S20 FE or S20 FE 5G, you’re looking at a cheaper handset compared to the original S20 and S20 5G models. It’s a $50 saving for both phones: $1,099RRP for the S20 FE, compared to $1,149RRP for the S20; and $1,249 for the S20 FE 5G, compared to $1,299 for the S20 5G.

Whether that saving is worth it will ultimately be determined by what’s most important to you in the following category comparisons.

Winner: S20 FE and S20 FE 5G

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and S20 FE 5G outright pricing

If you’d rather buy either the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE or Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G outright, these are the best places to buy online.

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and S20 FE 5G both have identical screens, and the same is true of the comparison between the S20 and S20 5G. But it’s a case of size vs quality when comparing the two duos. While all sport Infinity-O displays, the S20 FE and S20 FE 5G have larger screens at 6.5 inches, while the S20 and S20 5G have 6.2-inch screens.

Winner: S20 FE and S20 FE 5G

Screen size doesn’t tell the full story, though. The S20 and S20 5G both sport a Dynamic AMOLED display, whereas the S20 FE and S20 FE 5G only have Super AMOLED displays. This means the S20 and S20 5G have superior screens thanks to HDR10+ support. On top of this, the S20 and S20 5G have a better screen resolution: 3200x1440 (QHD+) compared to the 2400x1080 (HD+) resolution of the S20 FE and S20 FE 5G.

Winner: S20 and S20 5G

The bigger screen on the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and S20 FE 5G means slightly larger handset dimensions and slightly more heft. While the S20 and S20 5G measure in at 151.7x69.1x7.9mm apiece, the S20 FE and S20 FE 5G stretch out to 159.8x74.5x8.4mm each. In terms of heft, the S20 and S20 5G weigh in at 163g each, while the S20 FE and S20 5G FE are slightly heavier at 190g. Ultimately, though, these extra dimensions and weight are negligible considering the larger screen of the S20 FE and S20 FE 5G.

Winner: Draw

The S20 FE and S20 FE 5G are the clear winners in the battery-capacity comparison, with larger-capacity 4,500mAh batteries compared to the shared 4,000mAh battery in the S20 and S20 5G. This extra juice is particularly important in the age of high-refresh-rate screens (up to 120Hz across handsets) and especially for the 5G models, which tend to need more battery power for 5G connectivity.

Winner: S20 FE and S20 FE 5G

This category really depends on whether your photographic preferences are with the front or back cameras. For selfie lovers, the 32MP front camera on the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and S20 FE 5G blitzes the 10MP alternative on the S20 and S20 5G.

That said, while there’s parity in rear cameras for wide and ultra-wide cameras on the back of these handsets (all 12MP apiece), the 64MP main telephoto rear camera on the S20 and S20 5G easily beats the 8MP alternative on the S20 FE and S20 5G.

What tips it over the edge for us, though, is that the S20 and S20 5G are both capable of recording in up to 8K resolution, whereas the S20 FE and S20 FE 5G can only reach half that resolution (up to 4K).

Winner: S20 and S20 5G

These days, 4GB of smartphone RAM is a decent amount, with more system memory particularly handy for those who tend to multitask between multiple apps without regularly closing them down. That said, manufacturer optimisations can also make a little bit of memory go a long way.

Both the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and S20 FE 5G comfortably clear the 4GB recommended amount at 6GB apiece. It’s a faster affair for the S20 and S20 5G, though, each with 8GB of RAM.

Winner: S20 and S20 5G

This will either not matter at all or it’ll matter a lot, depending on how closely you follow the Exynos vs Snapdragon debate. Long story short, US versions of the Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20 5G have Snapdragon 865 processors, which are considered to be better than the Exynos 990 CPUs that are in the Australian models. While the S20 FE has the same Exynos 990 processor as the S20 and S20 5G, the S20 5G FE boasts the beefier Snapdragon 865 processor. Everyday users won’t notice the difference, but those invested in the debate will likely appreciate the bump up.

Winner: S20 FE and S20 FE 5G

In a straight comparison of categories where there are differences, the S20 FE and S20 FE 5G come out on top by one point. But there’s still a strong case to be made for sticking with the older S20 and S20 5G.

Ultimately, it really boils down to which categories matter most to you. Selfie fans, for instance, could easily count the camera category as a win for the S20 FE and S20 FE 5G camp, which would give the newer handsets an even bigger lead. That said, if screen quality and resolution, system memory, and a power rear camera are more your speed, the S20 and S20 5G are still worth the extra $50 each.