Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G review: The best Galaxy S of the year

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G is probably the most surprising device from Samsung this year. So far we only had one fan edition of a Samsung device, the Galaxy Note 7. But the S20 FE 5G is more than just another S20 device. TechnikNews tested it.

Design and workmanship

The design of the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G is similar to that of the S20 series, which was launched in March and will be replaced by the S21 series in January. But compared to this, the device has no curved display and no glass back. At first I was very much against this development, but after two weeks of use I actually see the positive sides of the decisions Samsung had to make to justify the lower price. For example, the back can no longer break and fingerprints are no longer visible.

As usual with Samsung, the workmanship is very good. I couldn't find any defects during my test period.

Display

The S20 FE 5G has a 6,5-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ and a refresh rate of 120 frames pro Second. Exactly this combination is perfect for me in a smartphone, since a resolution of QHD+ usually drains the battery much faster. I personally like flat displays more than rounded ones, but I can understand anyone who prefers curved display glass.

I like the design of the Galaxy S20 FE 5G very much. (Picture: TechnikNews)

Hardware

The hardware of the Galaxy S20 FE 5G is completely convincing. Finally, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 20 is also being installed in an S865 device in Germany, which compared to the Exynos 990 Prozessor achieved better battery life - with an improvement between 10 and 15 Procent you can count. In the 5G version of the device, however, the aforementioned Qualcomm is used. To the Prozessor has either 6 GB RAM with 128 GB memory or 8 GB RAM with 256 GB memory, which can be expanded using a microSD card.

The device performs really well in everyday life. I never noticed any stuttering and the RAM cached everything well, i.e. the apps didn't have to be reopened. Everything a smartphone needs to be able to run was also available in terms of apps. Regardless of whether it was games or the energy-guzzling Chrome browser.

The S20 FE 5G also has a lot to offer in terms of wireless standards. WLAN 6, Bluetooth 5 and NFC are installed, as is the latest 5G cellular standard, which is also the namesake of this version of the S20 FE. What I am missing is support for dual SIM and microSD at the same time. If a microSD card is used, the second SIM must be removed. eSIM is also not supported.

Technical data (overview)

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Proprocessor
• 6 GB RAM
• 128 GB storage space
• Triple camera (12 + 12 + 8 megapixels)
• 32 megapixel front camera
• 4.500 mAh battery

Kamara / s

Samsung uses two 12MP sensors on the back of the camera, each of which is the main camera and an ultra-wide-angle camera. The telephoto camera only has a resolution of 8 MP; despite the low resolution, a 3-fold optical and 30-fold digital zoom is possible.

On the front there is a 32 MP selfie camera, which, like the S20 series, was installed in the middle of the display. Strangely, this is surrounded by a silver frame, which was not the case with the S20 series or the Note 20.

If you think now: "You always need sensors with huge megapixel values ​​like the S20 Ultra or Note 20 Ultra", you will be caught off guard by the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G. Just like Google or Apple, Samsung shows that the MP numbers are only half of a good picture.

The S20 FE 5G is not a device that should convince with super great, perfect or impressive images. It is supposed to take simple everyday pictures and thanks to the ultra-wide angle and the zoom it offers great further possibilities to do this. This is exactly what the S20 FE 5G does and it does it with flying colors.

The images are sharp, bright and realistic colors can be recorded without the built-in AI. With this AI, however, the colors are strongly adjusted.

The ultra wide angle is also (almost) lossless, but the quality drops a little at the corners of the picture.

Battery

The battery has a capacity of 4500 mAh and can be recharged in 90 minutes with the supplied power adapter, and the device can charge for 80 minutes in an hour Procent. However, the device also supports wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, so other smartphones or headphones can also be charged on the back of the device, provided they support wireless charging.

The battery is really good, which can be compared to the QualcommProzessor can thank. A screen time between five and six hours was not Problem, I always got through the day without having to worry. Two days are also indoors with moderate use.

Software

OneUI 2.5 based on Android 10 is installed on the device, an update to OneUI 3.0 based on Android 11 is announced for February 2021. OneUI is a heavily customized interface, but I like it. It is easy to use, the settings are clear and, above all, the integration of other Samsung devices such as the Galaxy Buds works great. Security updates were also distributed very quickly, I received the security update for the month on December 12nd, great! Samsung promises three years of “upgrades” for all of their new devices, so the device will also get Android 13 and XNUMX. Unfortunately only a few months later than the devices from Google - but you already know that.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G is the smartphone that I can recommend to most Samsung prospects. Not because it folds or you can control it with pen gestures like Harry Potter, but because it has mastered the basics of a smartphone. A super nice display, great hardware and cameras that can take exactly the pictures that a normal user would like to take. This is made possible for hours by a very good battery and charging is not too slow either (but could be a bit faster for my taste). The software takes getting used to, but getting used to it is quick. For these reasons, the Galaxy S20 FE 5G is the best Galaxy S smartphone of the year for me.

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