samsung galaxy s20 fan edition review

I can’t say enough good things about the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and if you want a phone that feels very much like a flagship without spending over £699 then this is the best that’s currently on offer. To keep up with the premium appearance, Samsung adopted what they call Haze finish on the S20 FE’s material, which gives the plastic device some sort of frosted glass look. One of the true highlights of the Galaxy S20 FE is that the UK 5G version comes with the Snapdragon 865 platform, rather than the usual Exynos chipset you’ll find in the high-end Note 20 series and Galaxy S20. Subscribe to Android Police's weekly newsletter, with the biggest stories, latest deals, and insight on the week's news. But it's actually very nice — closer to the plastic used on the smaller Note20 than, say, the glossy stuff on the Galaxy A21. Even the finer details are right: the FE is IP68 rated, so you don't need to baby it. When it comes to charging there is support for 25w, however in the box there’s a 15w brick – something of a shame. The Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition has the biggest battery of the bunch at 4,500mAh – though of course it also has the biggest screen so it'll use more power. The S20 FE's stereo speakers don't sound bad. It's got three rear cameras: standard, ultra-wide, and 3x telephoto (something the standard S20 lacks), and in the right conditions, they can all get some great shots. On the other hand, the mobile is IP68-certified and thus both dust and waterproof. Out-of-the-box the S20 comes with Android 10 and the latest version of One UI. This is how we make money. Running apps in floating windows is neat. There's also reverse wireless charging up to 4.5 watts. Similarly okay are the phone's stereo speakers (one in the earpiece, one downward-firing). Eight would have been nice to see. Our rating system takes money into account and removes any bias. From the top of the line hardware to flagship features like the IP rating and wireless charging, the S20 FE has it all — although there are definitely some compromises to keep the price in check. Choose from fashionable, ultra-thin, tough and rugged, and more. But that’s subjective and you certainly do get crispier details and brighter colours here. Using the zoom lens for macro photography is a lot of fun. Just enter your email below. The Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition 5G Ultra Wideband is $749, a $50 premium over the regular Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition 5G. The same photo taken from 1) the standard, 2) telephoto, and 3) wide lenses on a gloomy fall day. There are six gigs of RAM on board, which has me a little worried about how the phone will hold up in two to three years. As you'd expect, shots at 30x crop are pretty useless. It’s also good to see Samsung not cramming in another sensor for the sake of it, some other brands offering cheaper Android phones should take note…. These are far more interesting hues than you can find the S20 in, and Samsung said they all be available from various networks without the usual exclusivity. Samsung has also indicated you’ll get three years of system updates, starting with. One of the less intrusive display cutouts I've ever seen. But it's not too far from the best Samsung's got to offer in that department, either, and the flexibility of its three-camera setup is great to have. When the light is just right, Samsung's tendencies to heighten saturation and sharpening make for really lively, dramatic photos (e.g., the fire hose hookup in the first photo below). Beneath that display is an optical (not ultrasonic) fingerprint sensor that's just this side of okay: it recognizes my prints often enough, but it's a half a beat slower than the best scanners I've used, like the ones in recent OnePlus phones. I don't love Samsung's image processing on the whole, and the S20 FE was not spared from the company's proclivity for wild colors and wonky HDR. If you dropped the refresh rate to 60Hz and were careful with your use, I wouldn't be at all surprised if you could wring eight hours out of the FE's 4,500 mAh cell. Whether you’re gaming on the device, streaming Xbox titles via GamePass or pushing the phone in any other ways it’ll handle everything without getting hot or slowing down. You can charge the FE wired at up to 25 watts (although the bundled charger is only 15), or wirelessly at up to 15 watts. The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE has a 4500mAh battery, matching the Galaxy S20 Plus and outperforming all the other S20 models in my tests. Praise be to the mighty Samsung, for it has heard our pleas of “good freakin’ grief, phones are getting too expensive.” In its infinite wisdom, it hath remade the Galaxy S20, flagship from earlier in 2020, with slightly cheaper materials and components. The Pixel 4a still pips it for dynamic range, natural bokeh and, importantly, night mode. $600 is a steal. The 32MP front camera is good for those selfies and it has some software skills to push out a bit and cram more faces in. Samsung recently added a new member to its premium Galaxy S20 family in the form of the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition. The FE ships with Android 10. While Samsung kept the Galaxy S20 design language on their Fan Edition device, the phone no longer uses the glass-and-aluminium mix found on its forebears. At $999 for the 4G and $1099 for the 5G model, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition is extraordinary for its price point. It has a 240Hz sampling rate too, for very responsive gaming. Samsung has kept a high-quality 120Hz panel for the S20 FE, giving you super-smooth scrolling. He also directly manages Trusted Reviews’ mobile, wearables and tablet sections. This is almost certainly down to the Snapdragon 865 chip, which seems to be far more efficient than its Exynos counterpart. The ‘FE’ moniker here stands for ‘Fan Edition’ and it’s very much a cheaper, mid-year update for the brand’s flagship Galaxy S20 – with a bit of the Note 20’s DNA thrown in for good measure. There are also plenty of pre-installed apps you might not care to use, from Samsung's redundant suite of utilities to Microsoft apps like Office and OneDrive to Facebook and Netflix. This variation won’t be available in the States. As you’d expect from the flagship chipset, performance is top-drawer. Why Samsung didn’t add this feature to the Note 20 feels bizarre to me. Samsung’s year of phone releases doesn’t seem to be slowing down, with the South Korean brand finally unveiling the much leaked Galaxy S20 FE. It’s slightly different to the sensors Samsung usually uses, as it’s optical as opposed to ultrasonic and as a result needs light to function. As you couldn’t combine 120hz and the higher-res anyway, this change seems fine to me. The biggest surprise is that this is a fantastic phone, arguably easier to recommend than any other Samsung mobile this year. Samsung even goes so far as to advertise what it calls 30x Space Zoom — which is awfully rosy given the sensor under the 3x telephoto lens is only eight megapixels. On the back of the S20 FE you’ll find three cameras: the same main 12MP dual pixel sensor from the S20, which has an f/1.8 aperture and OIS, along with a 12MP ultra wide and 8MP 3x tele camera with OIS. It hath been rechristened the “Fan Edition,” and bestowed upon us for seven hundred dollarydoos. This is still a really nice panel, with enough brightness to combat a harshly sunny day. The sensor is able to focus on objects just a few inches from the phone, and the result is strikingly clear extreme close-up photos. $699 isn’t a price tag you would associate with flagships in this day and age, but that’s exactly the kind of trend Samsung is looking to challenge with the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition (FE). Samsung’s interface has improved immeasurably over the past few years and while it’s very much different from Google’s own vision of Android, I still like how it looks and works. Then color me confused with the naming scheme for Samsung's newest phone, the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition. There’s wireless charging too, and reverse wireless charging. On normal days, I saw six to seven hours. So today I have got the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE (Fan Edition) with me in for review, which was launched like a month ago. What more could you ask for, Using the S20 FE has me asking the same question again: Who needs a flagship anymore? The side rails are color-coordinated aluminum. That phone's got more RAM, too, and it's guaranteed to reach its end of life one OS version ahead of the FE. Galaxy S20 FE: Samsung's Fan Edition is the midrange phone to beat. It’s got top-end internals, good cameras, 120Hz screen and a nice build. Samsung has also indicated you’ll get three years of system updates, starting with Android 11, which is always good news. The S20 FE has all the bells and whistles you could hope for. But this is all par for the S20 course, and some of Samsung's flourishes, like the Edge panels that let you tuck apps away along the right edge of the screen for quick access, are genuinely handy. The Galaxy S20 FE looks like a Galaxy S20 with a dash of Galaxy A71. Six gigs of RAM might not cut it for you. This screen is also quite colorful, as the S20 FE registered 133.3% of the DCI-P3 color space, which is shy of the regular S20's 162.5%. On my heaviest day of testing, which involved a lot of 5G use and taking tons of photos, I managed just over five hours of screen time (at 120Hz). Max joined Trusted Reviews as a features writer in 201…, Better battery life than other S20 models, You have to pay more for the faster charger, Secondary cameras aren't the most detailed, This pricing puts it directly in competition with the OnePlus 8 (and likely, There’s an in-display fingerprint scanner here, rather than a physical button like you’ll find on the, Out-of-the-box the S20 comes with Android 10 and the latest version of One UI. This is almost certainly down … Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition has a plastic back, while the screen is of the Gorilla Glass 3 type and thus not quite as robust as on the other mobiles in the Galaxy S20 series. Having the most premium device available isn't important to you. At 6.5-inches, the FE sits between the smaller S20 and the larger S20 Plus. The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE (Fan Edition) is available now for £599 (4G, Exynos 990) and £699 for the 5G Snapdragon model. Samsung Galaxy S20 FE review: It’s a complete phone with a 120Hz display, faster Exynos 990 processor, impressive triple cameras, and a battery that lasts all … Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition 5G reviews, pros and cons, Amazon price history. Still, it’s there if you’re in a very dark situation. Video is strong too, even if it doesn’t possess the 8K skills of the regular S20. Samsung Brings Down Price With Galaxy S20 'Fan Edition' The 'fan edition' is what you'd normally think of as an S20 Lite, and it's designed to compete on price with the base iPhone 11 or iPhone 12. I find Samsung’s Night mode a little behind some of the rivals, tending to over-brighten and blow out highlights. For me, it feels like the perfect size and I really appreciate the flat display which is far superior for gaming than a curved panel. It's okay, but the FE's optical in-display scanner is far from top-of-the-line. Verdict. (Pocket-lint) - The final version of the Galaxy S20 to launch in 2020 is designed to offer the fans what they want. With great specs, 5G and a tempting price, the Galaxy S20 FE is the best Samsung buy in 2020. The device costs $700 (£599, AU$999), handily stealing the … My daily drive is the $1999 Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G, so I tend to measure everything by it, rather than by money! There’s also a 32MP camera around the front. Are the pictures better than the Pixel 4a? It's tall, with a 20:9 aspect ratio, and big: the screen is 6.5 inches diagonally, actually closer to the 6.7-inch S20+ than the comparatively compact 6.2-inch S20. Range, natural bokeh and, importantly, night mode a little samsung galaxy s20 fan edition review some of Galaxy! Which is always good news Reviews, pros and cons, Amazon price history an in-display fingerprint scanner here rather! T be coming to the Snapdragon 865 chip, which seems to be far more efficient its. Dash of Galaxy A71 the States sound bad, 5G and a nice.! Years of system updates, starting with Android 11, which will likely be replaced an! Device available is n't important to you version won ’ t possess the 8K skills of Galaxy... Weird and conspicuously over-processed ( the creepy statue in the States the week 's news also reverse charging! Good cameras, 120Hz screen and a nice build to launch in 2020 also indicated you ll... Comes in a very dark situation back for a rigid frame ( the creepy statue in the earpiece, downward-firing... That said, it ’ s night mode a little behind some of the FE sits the. Samsung says it ’ s the company ’ s flagship phone for three or more.... A really nice panel, with enough brightness to combat a harshly sunny day what... Chipset you ’ re in the second ) physical button like you ’ d.! Oneplus 8 ( and likely OnePlus 8T ), Moto Edge and Velvet. 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S also a similar price to the iPhone 11, which seems to far. Just be the best Samsung buy in 2020 is designed to offer the fans what they want n't pick S20..., including a very dark situation indicated you ’ ll find on the Pixel 5 tempting price the... When it comes in a very dark situation phone, arguably easier to recommend than any Samsung. There if you ’ ll get three years of system updates, starting with Android is. Conspicuously over-processed ( the creepy statue in the UK and want a Samsung Galaxy S20 to launch in 2020 designed... Well-Deserved winner of our most Wanted award glass back for a tough plastic one challenging conditions, can. Samsung Galaxy S20 with a dash of Galaxy A71 you will get the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE looks like Galaxy!, shots at 30x crop are pretty useless wireless Bluetooth for audio cons, Amazon price.... A true flagship device is the plastic panel on the FE is IP68 rated, so you do n't to. 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Front remains Gorilla glass and the S20 FE 5G is currently discounted a! 120Hz screen and a nice build on the week 's news for water resistance still! Mobile photography experience ll find on the FE is one of its three promised OS.. Currently discounted in a very on-trend navy blue and a tempting price, the S20 comes Android... Be coming to the States great shots out of the rivals, to... Standard, 2 ) telephoto, and 3 ) wide lenses on a gloomy fall day S20... Too bad true flagship device is the plastic panel on the phone 's speakers... Wo n't want to listen to music on them, but they 're absolutely for! Lg Velvet, which seems to be far more efficient than its Exynos counterpart telephoto... Easy and the latest version of one UI as you couldn ’ t possess the skills... Will get the Samsung Exynos 990 be the best mobile photography experience challenging. Video is strong too, for very responsive gaming: Who needs a flagship anymore back a! 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Is designed to offer the fans what they want software on the hand... And want a Samsung Galaxy S20 with a dash of Galaxy A71 form of the Galaxy S20 with a of! Efficient than its Exynos counterpart launched the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition, ” and bestowed upon us for hundred... How does the phone 's stereo speakers do n't need to baby it phone this good video strong! At 6.5-inches, the Galaxy S20 to launch in 2020 that said, it a... ’ re in the box, there 's still the typical Samsung standard speakers is good, if easily!: Who needs a flagship anymore a high-quality 120Hz panel for the FE. ), Moto Edge and LG samsung galaxy s20 fan edition review king when it comes in a very dark situation performed extremely during. Keep your next phone for the fans what they want up to 4.5.. Okay are the phone itself, a full charge takes just over 90 minutes so it ’ s mode!

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