Samsung
Samsung took the wraps off its latest Galaxy phone, the S20 Fan Edition, on Wednesday in its third online-only event in the past two months. The S20 FE is Samsung’s response to the coronavirus pandemic: A premium phone that aims to offer a well-rounded experience at a more attractive price. Pricing starts at $700 (£599, AU$999). The 6.5-inch S20 FE features a 2,400×1,080-pixel, AMOLED display with ultrafast refresh rates (120Hz) for smooth scrolling. It also has the most advanced Snapdragon 865 processor (allowing it to support 5G), a large battery and three rear cameras complete with a telephoto lens.
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But it’s hardly the only value-for-money option in the premium phones category. The S20 FE joins the OnePlus 8 and soon to be one-generation-old iPhone 11 and Pixel 4 in this segment. Google’s Pixel 4 launched at $799, making it the most expensive of the pack, while the rest started at $699 for varying levels of RAM and storage. See the chart below for variant and international prices.One key feature that sets the S20 FE apart is the option to expand storage by up to 1TB — you won’t find that on any of the rivals mentioned here. It’s a feature that’ll likely prove useful, especially if you plan on buying the base 64GB variant.While all four phones have premium looks, the S20 FE uses a polycarbonate (plastic) back in lieu of glass, which is found in its three rivals. Samsung likely made that decision to drive down costs. All four phones also have two or three camera lenses on their backs, but only the Galaxy 20 FE and the Pixel 4 come equipped with sought-after telephoto lenses. The S20 FE sports a 12-megapixel main shooter, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and an 8-megapixel lens. Samsung’s latest Galaxy phone is available for preorders now, with in-store sales starting on Oct 2.
Galaxy S20 FE vs. rivals
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
iPhone 11
Google Pixel 4
OnePlus 8
Display size, resolution
6.5-inch super AMOLED; 2,400×1,080 pixels
6.1-inch LCD Liquid Retina; 1,792×828 pixels
5.7-inch OLED; 1,080×2,280 pixels
6.55-inch AMOLED; 1,080×2,400 pixels
Pixel density
405ppi
326ppi
444ppi
402ppi
Dimensions (Inches)
6.29×2.97×0.33 inches
5.94×2.98×0.33 inches
2.7×5.7×0.3 inches
6.3×2.8×0.31 inches
Dimensions (Millimeters)
159.8×75.5×8.4mm
150.9×75.7×8.3 mm
68.8×147.1×8.2 mm
160×72.9×8.0 mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams)
6.7 oz; 190g
6.84 oz; 194g
5.7 oz; 162g
6.35 oz; 180g
Mobile software **at launch
Android 10
iOS 13
Android 10
Android 10
Camera
12-megapixel (standard), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), 8-megapixel (3x telephoto)
12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide)
12.2-megapixel (standard), 16-megapixel (telephoto)
48-megapixel (standard), 16-megapixel (ultra-wide), 2-megapixel (macro)
Front-facing camera
32-megapixel
12-megapixel
8-megapixel
16-megapixel
Video capture
4K
4K
4K
4K
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (5G) Samsung Exynos 990 (4G)
A13 Bionic
2.84GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
Storage
128GB
64GB, 128GB, 256GB
64GB, 128GB
128GB, 256GB
RAM
6GB
Not disclosed
6GB
8GB, 12GB
Expandable storage
1TB
None
No
No
Battery
4,500 mAh
Not disclosed, but Apple claims it will last 1 hour longer than iPhone XR
2,800 mAh
4,300 mAh
Fingerprint sensor
In-screen
None (Face ID)
No
In-screen
Connector
USB-C
Lightning
USB-C
USB-C
Headphone jack
No
No
No
No
Special features
5G enabled, IP 68 rating, 120Hz screen refresh rate, support for 30W fast charging,15W fast wireless charging
Water resistant (IP68); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging
Soli motion sensing and touchless gestures; 90Hz display; water-resistant (IP68); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging
5G enabled; Warp Charge; 90Hz refresh rate
Price off-contract (USD) **at launch
$700 for sub-6 5G; $750 for Verizon model with mmWave 5G
$699 (64GB), $749 (128GB), $849 (256GB)
$799 (64GB), $899 (128GB)
$699 (8GB RAM/128GB), $799 (12GB RAM/256GB)
Price (GBP) **at launch
£599 (4G) £699 (5G)
£729 (64GB), £779 (128GB), £879 (256GB)
£669 (64GB), £769 (128GB)
£599 (8GB RAM/128GB), £699 (12GB RAM/256GB)
Price (AUD) **at launch
AU$999 (4G), AU$1,149 (5G)
AU$1,199 (64GB), AU$1,279 (128GB), AU$1,449 (256GB)
AU$1,049 (64GB), AU$1,199 (128GB)
UK converts to: AU$1,180 (8GB RAM/128GB), AU$1,370 (12GB RAM/256GB)
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