One thing Samsung knows for sure: it is interested in budget flagships. This category makes sense these days as users are increasingly reluctant to spend more than $ 1,000 on new phones. This is doubly the case during the COVID-19 pandemic as people leave the home far less often and simply no longer have the disposable income they once had amid the economic slowdown and widespread unemployment.
It is less certain how such a device is positioned. Samsung has gone through many different names, including most recently the “Lite” line. This name made sense from a utility point of view. The S10 Lite was simply a lower version of the flagship of the similar name. Ultimately, however, I suspect Samsung decided that from a branding perspective, pointing out the device’s shortcomings isn’t ideal. That is why we are currently looking at the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE – or the “Fan Edition”.
Credit: Samsung
The name implies that the product is an update of the S20, which is firmly aimed at the fans of Samsung. Here is what Mobile Head TM Roh said about the new device: “We are constantly talking to our fans and receiving feedback. We heard what they love about our Galaxy S20 series, which functions they use the most and what they would like for a smartphone. The S20 FE is an addition to the Galaxy S20 family and the beginning of a new way to bring meaningful innovation to even more people so they can do the things they love with the best of Galaxy. “
That’s true from a certain perspective. Samsung says it did some focus groupings to find the right combination for the FE which I believe. It is also probably true that “cheaper” was a big feature that many people have been looking for in their cell phones in recent years. From that standpoint, Samsung has fan base numbers here – $ 699 for something approaching a flagship isn’t that bad these days.
And Samsung’s goal is to include the products in here in order to keep prices down. The biggest changes from the rest of the S20 series are a downgrade in materials, from glass and metal to plastic (polycarbonate), design, display and camera specifications. At 6.5 inches, the screen size is actually between the S20 and S20 +, but has been reduced from a QuadHD + resolution to FHD + – similar to the Galaxy A71. The refresh rate stays at 120 Hz even though the curved screen is gone.
Credit: Samsung
The S20’s 8GB of RAM has been reduced to 6GB, although the standard 128GB storage remains the same. You’ll find the same Snapdragon 865 on board, and interestingly, the battery has actually been upgraded from 4,000 mAh to 4,500 mAh due to a larger footprint. There are three rear-facing cameras, with the telephoto lens dropping from 64 megapixels to eight – although the front-facing selfie camera has been upgraded from 10 to 32 megapixels.
Not the latest and greatest, but pretty reasonable overall compromises made in the name of reducing the $ 300 off the starting price of the device. Pre-orders start today. The device will be shipped from October 2nd.