I received the 5G edition of the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, which for us here still isn’t of much use yet, so I simply used the phone as I would any other non-5G one.
Apparently, this phone had been created as a response to the pandemic, which got serious just after Samsung’s release of its 3 original S20 phones in March 2020.
Immediately, the brand jumped on creating this FE version, which stands for “Fan Edition”.
It’s essentially a phone that takes the most important features that Samsung believes its fans care about, and puts it into a more affordable body.
Upon taking out the Cloud Navy phone I got, which was a rather gorgeous matte deep blue finish on the back, it felt solid and sturdy in my hands.
It didn’t easily give away the fact that it’s meant to be a more budget-friendly copy of Samsung’s high-end phones.
Display Never Disappoints
Samsung has never disappointed me with its displays so far. With a 6.5-inch, 1080p Super AMOLED display, of course everything I did on the phone looked good.
Everything looked crisp and vibrant, and ran smoothly across the screen, be it videos or games. The standard 120Hz refresh rate made sure of this.
I had nothing to complain about in this department.
Rather Perfect Performance
Any phone that lands in my hands typically would not experience any heavy-duty usage, so its 6GB RAM allotment was fine with me.
Even with cost-cutting, Samsung kept the Snapdragon 865 processor in, which claims to have the fastest CPU speed from 2.84GHz to 3.1GHz.
Well, those are really just numbers to me, and I’m not sure in what everyday scenario I would be able to push the phone to its limits here.
I do know that this matters for hardcore mobile gamers, though, so in that case, the S20 FE makes for a pretty attractive package, considering my next point.
Boast-Worthy Battery Life
For my daily usage of WhatsApp messaging, phone calls, Twitter, YouTube binge-watching and some smatterings of gameplay thrown in, the S20 FE usually lasted 2 days or more before battery life got dangerously low.
While I like the fact that its 4,500mAh battery means longer usage times, I truly dislike the wait of juicing it back up once it’s drained.
Without putting a strict timer on it, I could safely say it still took me over 2 hours before I could unplug the phone.
Perhaps a wireless charger or fast-charging one would make my life easier, but I’m not thinking of investing in such a thing just yet.
Passable Photo-Taking Capabilities
I’m not sure if the majority of everyday Samsung phone users have simply grown used to how much the filtering qualities are amped up post-capture, but it’s something that has always bugged me.
On the S20 FE, I notice the same.
Depending on my surroundings and lighting, it sometimes works to my benefit; other times, it can get awful.
When it works in my favour, it makes my photos look pretty darn good! When it’s bad is when you can begin to see the filters working extra hard to mask whatever imperfections the shot has.
Outdoors in the shade, the good lighting works to the camera’s advantage 
Indoors by the window, the picture comes out well too 
Further from the window, it still looks pretty good! 
Ultra-wide angle of my little garden 
Okay, for this picture, I’m not sure why it turned out so crispy looking. The filters failed me here, even though this was taken outdoors in good lighting
It’s far from being my favourite phone camera, or even the best, but it’s still one of the better Android cameras I’ve used so far.
Audio Is Alright
The S20 FE has a pretty loud speaker, but the audio quality is nothing to sing home about.
You’re better off playing your music through a Bluetooth headset, as the phone’s speakers won’t do it justice, and there’s not headphone jack.
It performs well on calls though; the other person’s voice on loudspeaker was clear, and I was told that my own voice was clear too, so the microphone functions well.
Verdict
Once again, Samsung’s phones don’t disappoint (too much), and that’s scary to an Apple fan like me.
It’s like, “Wow, their products are actually pretty good”.
But of course it’s all up to personal preference, and mine just happens to lie with Apple still.
However, Samsung fans who are looking for a high-spec phone that’s a little easier on the wallet would be sure to love this phone.
For the specs it offers, I wouldn’t personally consider its RM3,399 price tag cheap by any means, but it’s still cheaper than the rest of the S series phones released this year.
If you’re looking to get a quality Samsung phone while saving up a few hundred bucks, I’d say look no further.
| Pros | Cons |
| Great battery life | Camera still overdoes the filters at times, leading to artificial-looking pictures |
| Good performance and crisp display |
- You can find out more about Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G here.
- You can read more Samsung product reviews here.
VP Verdict is a series where we personally try and test out products, services, fads, and apps. Want to suggest something else for us to try? Leave a comment here or send the suggestion into our Facebook page.
