Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
The Snapdragon 865 performs better in benchmark tests than the Exynos variation, but the real wins come with the improved battery life – something you can read more on below. As you’d expect from the flagship chipset, performance is top-drawer. 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. The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE has a 4500mAh battery, matching the Galaxy S20 Plus and outperforming all the other S20 models in my tests. This is almost certainly down to the Snapdragon 865 chip, which seems to be far more efficient than its Exynos counterpart. Samsung sent us the 5G variant of the S20 FE for this review, which means we can finally judge whether or not non-UK Samsung owners have been getting the better end of the deal until now. This pricing puts it directly in competition with the some of the best mid-range phones like the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8T, Moto Edge and LG Velvet. It’s also a similar price to the iPhone 11, which will likely be replaced by an iPhone 12 very soon. Design and Screen So, how did the two phones fare? As it turns out, single-core performance is largely similar between the two chipsets, but the multi-core result highlights a serious advantage for the Snapdragon 865. With a final score of 3,167, compared with the Exynos 990’s 2,779, the S20 FE 5G is roughly 18% faster with regards to multi-core processing.
Flipping between focal lengths is easy and the S20 FE takes good snaps at both ultra wide and 3x zoom. Neither of these are of the same quality as the main sensor and the results can be soft, especially when zooming, but they offer a nice bit of versatility. 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… 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. Depending on what your old device is and its current state, you can get a quite good return on your old phone. This doesn’t mean much when it comes to real-world performance, though. I’ve been using a Note 20 Ultra (with an Exynos 990) as my daily driver for the last month or so and I haven’t noticed any performance issues. Both phones are blisteringly fast to boot-up, whizz across the user interface without any stuttering (even at 120Hz) and neither grinds to a halt when running CPU-heavy applications such as Adobe Lightroom and Xbox Game Pass.Low light performance is fine and you can get good shots without great light either in the default mode or the more specific Night option. I find Samsung’s Night mode a little behind some of the rivals, tending to over-brighten and blow out highlights. Still, it’s there if you’re in a very dark situation.
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. At 6.5-inches, the FE sits between the smaller S20 and the larger S20 Plus. 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. Join in the fun and games with the Samsung Health app. Challenge your friends or take on the community. Let the phone auto detect your walks and then record your fitness progress. There are even more options available if you pair your device with a smart watch from the Galaxy Watch Active range (sold separately).With all of this in mind, it is worth also looking at Samsung's newer handsets to see how they weigh up in your mind. If you have an old device you're looking to get rid of when you switch to the FE, you can get some good money for it by recycling it. While there are a number of recycling services out there, SellMyMobile seems to be one of the best. However, the FE does have to make a few sacrifices to get that lower cost. The body is a glass/plastic cross with a slightly cheaper feel and although the S20 FE has a larger battery, it does drop the screen quality and the amount of GB on offer. Is the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE worth its price tag? Are the pictures better than the Pixel 4a? For me, no. But that’s subjective and you certainly do get crispier details and brighter colours here. The Pixel 4a still pips it for dynamic range, natural bokeh and, importantly, night mode.
It’s not just large, it’s also a technically capable display. In our tests, the Galaxy S20 FE’s panel covered 93% of the sRGB colour gamut, with a total coverage of 97% in the phone’s ‘Natural’ display setting. On a general note, colours looked as they should, with only a few inconsistencies with some dark red, brown and green tones. An average Delta E (colour accuracy) of 2.01 is better than the 2.64 of the regular S20, too. Many have complained about the decreased performance and battery skills of the Exynos version vs the Qualcomm so it’s great to see Samsung deciding to give a wider launch to the arguably superior model.Still, the Galaxy S20 FE excels in a few key areas. Pictures taken in daylight are filled with intricate details and they have a little more contrast and less visual noise than the iPhone 11. Likewise, the S20 FE’s 3x zoom camera is an added bonus, since the iPhone 11 only has a dual-camera array, consisting of just a pair of 12MP wide and ultra-wide sensors. Display Size: Measured diagonally, Galaxy S20 FE's screen size is 6.5" in the full rectangle and 6.3" with accounting for the rounded corners; actual viewable area is less due to the rounded corners and camera hole. The big question, however, is whether the arrival of the S20 FE softens the appeal of the regular Galaxy S20. With the option to pay less with minimal sacrifice when it comes to important features, why would you pay more? You can also choose from any other Samsung mobile in our range, including the Samsung A02s, the Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G, or the Samsung Galaxy A32 handset.
John Lewis plc, registered office: 171 Victoria Street, London SW1E 5NN. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Register no. 724309) for the purpose of introducing the credit provided by Creation Consumer Finance Ltd, registered office: Wellington Buildings, 2-4 Wellington Street, Belfast BT1 6HT. It comes in a number of nice colours too, including a very on-trend navy blue and a striking red. 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. The main 12MP sensor takes some really great snaps, which shouldn’t come as a surprise as it’s a camera we’ve seen multiple times before and been impressed with on each occasion. Samsung remains the king when it comes to colour-rich, deeply saturated and slightly oversharpened shots and those traits are clear to see here. These images are primed for social media and I can completely understand why they’re so popular. Speaking of which, the two phones are closer in performance when it comes to graphics processing. In the GFXBench Manhattan 3 offscreen test it was a dead heat between the S20 FE and S20, with the phones producing off-screen results of 129fps and 122fps, respectively.User Available Memory : User memory is less than the total memory due to storage of the operating system and software used to operate the device features. Actual user memory will vary depending on the operator and may change after software upgrades are performed. Creation Consumer Finance Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Register no. 311518). Both of these devices are pretty similar with the biggest difference being in the S20 FE's lower price tag. It comes in a couple of hundred pounds less than the S20 making it the most affordable of the range.
Great Deal 
New Comment