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Samsung may soon release a more affordable version of the popular Galaxy S20 FE
Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE was one of the best phones of 2020, and it came very close to being the Android Police 2020 Readers' Choice Smartphone of the Year. While the US market only received the 5G variant of the phone, consumers in the UK, Germany, and India, among others, had the chance to pick up a 4G variant powered by the Exynos 990. In what seems to be a way of acknowledging the drawbacks of its in-house processor (and/or the dropping costs of last-gen silicon), the company is all set to unveil a 4G variant of the phone that's powered by the Snapdragon 865+.According to WinFuture, the phone will be available in a bunch of European countries and replace the prevailing Exynos variant. In fact, the phone (SM-G780G) has already been listed on the Swedish website. Apart from the fact that it won't support 5G networks, it is identical to its 5G counterpart. You'll get a 6.5-inch 120Hz OLED display, three 12MP cameras on the back, a 4,500mAh battery, IP68 certification, and support for wireless charging.If you're a sucker for details, you might be aware that OEM buyers of the Snapdragon 865 chip need to mandatorily purchase the discrete 5G X55 modem. So, how is Samsung shipping a 4G variant of a phone that uses the same chip?Even though modems support a wide variety of network frequencies, smartphone companies need to certify their devices to work on them. There's money involved in the process, and this is why it's common to see smartphone companies certify only those bands which are relevant in a particular market. For instance, the OnePlus 9 in India — where 5G networks don't exist yet — only supports two 5G bands, whereas the US variant supports a lot more. It's safe to assume that Samsung is resorting to a similar practice in this case.There's no word on when the Galaxy S20 FE 4G will be officially announced, but it shouldn't be too long now. It's expected to be available in four colors and have a sticker price of €750.
The Snapdragon Galaxy S20 FE 5G gets an aggressive introductory price in India
Owners of the Exynos model now have another reason to cry into their pillow
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Like most markets outside North America, India got the Exynos variant of Samsung’s fantastic upper-mid-range Galaxy S20 FE. This model simply isn’t on par with its Snapdragon-powered sibling on several fronts, including 5G connectivity. Now, Samsung is bringing the S20 FE 5G to the Indian market right around the time OnePlus is set to drop its 9-series flagships in a similar price bracket.
Last year's Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition blew us away: for $599 (it's hardly ever sold for its $699 MSRP), it offered performance nearly identical to that of phones that cost twice as much thanks to its Snapdragon 865 chipset. It was also among the first phones to offer a 120Hz display at a mid-range price. But it was released in October, which means it's coming up on six months old. So, is it still worth buying in 2021? Let's discuss.On its face, the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition is still a very good phone. Made with high-end parts where it counts, it's hardly aged — Samsung said it wanted to distill the essential experience of its flagship phones into something less expensive with the FE, and it was successful in doing that. Although it's "only" got six gigabytes of RAM, the S20 Fan Edition doesn't feel any older than any of Samsung's high-end 2020 models — it continues to handle any task you could conceivably throw at a phone with alacrity. It's even 5G-compatible, if that's something you care about.
Samsung's February security update reaches more US carrier devices
Our continuously updated Samsung security patch roundup
Samsung kickstarted its February 2021 patch rollout a bit early this time, with the European Galaxy S20 line being the first recipient. Now, these latest Android security updates are spreading to the US, starting with the unlocked Galaxy S20 models and the Note20 Ultra, and more recently followed by a couple of older and budget devices on AT&T and Verizon.
Should Galaxy S20 Fan Edition owners upgrade to the Galaxy S21?
Even with Samsung's generous trade-in values, the S21 is more of a side-grade
The Galaxy S20 Fan Edition was one of the best smartphones of 2020, as it included most of the features of Samsung's more expensive phones at a lower $700 (or 0, or $550) price point. It clearly served as inspiration for the newer Galaxy S21 series, as the phone has the same plastic casing and flat display as the Fan Edition.
One of 2020's best phone deals just got a spec bump. The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, originally only available in a 128GB storage configuration, is getting a new 256GB model that offers twice as much space for just $70 more. Sales for this upgraded version open at midnight (ET) tonight.This is otherwise the phone you've come to expect, and potentially one of the best phones of 2020. You get the same Snapdragon 865 chipset, a slightly limiting 6GB of RAM, a 6.5" 120Hz 1080p AMOLED display, 4,500mAh battery, and all the other expected perks like an IP rating, in-screen fingerprint sensor, wireless charging, and Android 10-based OneUI (soon to be Android 11). And, of course, it's got that extra G everyone's excited for/up in arms about, though it's "missing" mmWave support —not that you should care. Lastly, Samsung's camera may tend to radioactive-looking results sometimes, but the combined value offered by the S20 FE is one of the year's best.It's worth pointing out that the "base" $700 128GB Galaxy S20 FE has microSD expandable storage, so this new model may not be necessary for many (if not most) people. Of course, built-in storage is faster (UFS 3.1) and easier for apps to access and use, but if you just need the space to hold less frequently-accessed stuff like bulk media, you may be better off spending a few bucks on a big card instead.If the extra storage was the tipping point in your own purchasing decision, you can pick one up starting at 12:01 AM (ET) tonight at Samsung's site. Prices range from $320/13.34 a month at maximum trade-in value to $770 when purchased outright. It will only be available in one color: Cloud Navy.Source: Samsung
Technology is supposed to become cheaper as it improves, but prices for high-end smartphones have done nothing but rise over the past few years. However, 2020 represents something of a change in attitude, as several companies have opted to revamp their pricing. There have always been options for cheaper smartphones, but now both Samsung and Google have released flagship-tier options for lower-than-normal prices.
Reports of issues with the aggressively-priced Galaxy S20 FE's touchscreen have been circulating in recent weeks. This includes so-called "ghost touch" problems and issues with swipes being processed as a series of taps. Since a screen is your primary way of interacting with a phone, this sort of problem is pretty frustrating. However, Samsung tells us it's aware of these reports and working to resolve the issue.
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE review: This could be the best phone of 2020
$600 buys a whole lot of phone here
Samsung's top-end phones are getting more and more expensive at an alarming rate, as evidenced by the fact that very few people bought an S20 during the series's launch window. Seeing the gap to fill between bargain-bin budget phones and outright luxury devices, this week, Samsung launched the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition. It costs $700 (currently $600 on sale), and it packs a ton of features we're used to seeing in flagships with very few compromises. This might just be the best phone of the year.
The Pixel 5 isn't even out yet, and Samsung already beat it
The Snapdragon 865-equipped Galaxy S20 FE is launching weeks earlier at the same price
Today, Google officially announced the extremely leaked Pixel 5. It's a lovely device with a very cool green colorway option, and as an unrepentant Google hardware fan, I'm struggling against the urge to buy it. Honestly, there's only one thing stopping me: the Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition, launching early next month, is the exact same price at $699. And on paper, it's a much better value.
With the Galaxy S20 FE, Samsung looks poised to eat OnePlus's lunch
This phone is going to clean up in the US at $699
Samsung makes a lot of affordable phones in its A series, but its flagships have become notoriously pricey — case in point, the uber-premium Note20 Ultra starts at $1,300. Today, at its Unpacked for Every Fan event, Samsung is officially announcing a sort of middle ground in the Galaxy S20 FE, a surprisingly well-equipped device at a refreshingly fair price. OnePlus better watch out.
Samsung shares 'Unpacked for Every Fan' September 23 event teaser video
Expect to see new Galaxy S20 variants
Yes, you read that title right. Even though Samsung just had an Unpacked event slightly over a month ago, where the Galaxy Note20, Galaxy Buds Live, Galaxy Watch3, and other products were revealed, Samsung is going to hold yet another livestream in just a couple days.
The Galaxy S20 Fan Edition is coming to Verizon, leaked renders reveal
It'll be available in three colors
We've already seen some renderings of the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition, but thanks to some not very well-disguised 360-degree views hosted on Verizon's website, we now know that this S20 Lite of sorts will be coming stateside. The phone will come in three pretty eye-catching colors.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition will come in at least 6 colors, may have Snapdragon option in Europe
It keeps the standard S20's 120Hz display but downgrades the camera system
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When Samsung launched the Galaxy S20 earlier this year, we really liked it. But it hasn't caught on with your average phone-shopper as strongly as last year's S10 series had. Following rumors of a lower-priced alternative to the original S20, some new specs and renders of this Galaxy S20 FE (Fan Edition) 5G have surfaced.