Samsung’s Galaxy S20 FE’s combination of solid specs, 5G connectivity and approachable price tag has earned it a CNET Editors’ Choice award for 2020. …
Samsung’s Galaxy S20 FE’s combination of solid specs,5G connectivity and approachable price tag has earned it a CNET Editors’ Choice award for 2020. Its great balance of performance and value makes it a stronger value proposition than its pricey S20 Ultra or Note 20 Ultra siblings, but doesn’t force you to sacrifice the features you’ve come to expect from a higher-end phone. While the S20 Ultra and Note 20 Ultra are packed to the hilt with the latest, greatest tech, they also come with sky-high prices to match. That makes them a tricky sell at a time when purse strings are tightening and rivals like Google, OnePlus and even Apple are making great phones at more affordable prices. But the Galaxy S20 FE, which stands for “fan edition,” packs many of the great features of its flagship siblings, including a solid triple camera, a powerful processor, IP68 waterproofing and 5G connectivity, all for a much more affordable price. At $700 in the US, it’s a hell of a lot cheaper than the Note 20 Ultra, which retails for $1,300 (£1,179, AU$1,849). In the UK and Australia, a 4G version of the S20 FE is available for £599 or AU$999, with the 5G version going for £699 or AU$1,149. Even better, the street price for an unlocked model in the US is currently hovering around $600 at major retailers like Amazon and Best Buy — no activation required, no strings attached. Trade-ins and other activation options available at Samsung and elsewhere might get that price down to an even lower level. Read more: The best phone to buy for 2020 Even if you’re paying $700, that’s the same US price as the recently announced Google Pixel 5 (which is a little cheaper in the UK and Australia). But the S20 FE does offer benefits over the Pixel in the form of an additional telephoto lens, expandable storage and a more potent processor. We’ll have to wait to get the Pixel in our hands to work out exactly how these two stack up. But overall, the Galaxy S20 FE is not a revolution in mobile technology, but it’s not designed to be.
