Samsung‘s Galaxy S20 and S20 FE (Fan Edition) may seem nearly identical on the surface, but small differences set them apart in terms of design, display quality, performance and camera capabilities. In this detailed comparison review, we aim to highlight the core similarities and differences between these flagship Samsung phones to help you decide which model better suits your needs.
Design and Build Quality
While both phones sport a similar aesthetic with edge-to-edge displays, centralized hole-punch front cameras and protruding rear camera arrays, the material choices set them apart.
The Galaxy S20 features an ultra-premium glass and metal sandwich design. Both the front and rear panels use durable Gorilla Glass 6, with an anodized aluminum metal frame holding everything together. The result is a phone that looks and feels every bit the $1000 flagship.
By comparison, the Galaxy S20 FE makes some material sacrifices to achieve its lower price point. Instead of glass, Samsung uses a plastic “glastic” material on the back which feels closer to traditional glossy plastic than glass. And instead of aluminum, the frame is made from polycarbonate.
This gives the S20 FE a less premium feel in-hand. While still solid and durable, it lacks the heft and refinement of the S20. But many users will find this perfectly acceptable when balanced against the FE’s cheaper pricing.
In terms of color options, the S20 is available in Cloud Blue, Cosmic Gray, Cloud Pink, Cloud White and Aura Red. The FE is sold in even more colors: Cloud White, Cloud Lavender, Cloud Mint, Cloud Navy, Cloud Orange, Cloud Red and Cloud Lavender. So in terms of style customization, the FE pulls ahead.
Both phones carry an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, meaning they can withstand submersion in 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes. So despite its plastic build, the FE is just as durable as its glass and metal sibling.
When it comes to dimensions, the S20 FE is thicker and heavier than the S20:
- Galaxy S20 – 151.7 x 69.1 x 7.9mm, 163g
- Galaxy S20 FE – 159.8 x 74.5 x 8.4mm, 190g
And while the S20 FE is certainly a large phone, the overall footprint remains slightly more compact on the S20 due its smaller 6.2” screen diagonal compared to the S20 FE’s 6.5” display. We’ll examine the display differences next.
Display Comparison
The core display specifications see several differences between the two models:
Galaxy S20 Display:
- 6.2 inches
- Dynamic AMOLED
- 1440 x 3200 pixels (QHD+)
- 20:9 aspect ratio
- HDR10+ certified
- 120Hz refresh rate
- 240Hz touch sampling rate in Game Mode
Galaxy S20 FE Display:
- 6.5 inches
- Super AMOLED
- 1080 x 2400 pixels (FHD+)
- 20:9 aspect ratio
- HDR10+ capable
- 120Hz refresh rate
- 240Hz touch sampling rate in Game Mode
On paper, the 1440p QHD+ resolution and HDR10+ certification of the S20 gives it a sharpness and color vibrancy advantage. And when viewing high resolution photos and videos side by side, the extra pixels do make for clearer, more detailed image reproduction.
But in day-to-day usage like web browsing and social media, the difference is less noticeable thanks the S20 FE’s larger 6.5” display. Text remains crisp and easy to read, while images and videos still look excellent despite the lower 1080p resolution.
Plus, both screens utilize AMOLED panel technology for pure blacks, vivid colors and excellent brightness (up to 667 nits peak for the S20 and 690 nits on the S20 FE as measured by PhoneArena).
The matching fast 120Hz refresh rates give both screens extremely smooth scrolling and motion clarity. This is particularly apparent when playing fast-paced games where the higher refresh rate allows for quicker on-screen reaction.
Overall while the Galaxy S20 provides a sharper, more color accurate display, the S20 FE counters with a larger viewing area. And its lower FHD+ resolution requires less GPU resources from the processor, yielding better battery efficiency.
Performance Comparison
For their processors, Samsung sticks with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 for both the S20 and S20 FE (in the US and China at least; other regions get Samsung’s Exynos 990 chip which we won’t cover here).
The Snapdragon 865 utilizes an octa-core CPU based on a 7nm fabrication process. It features 1x Kryo 585 prime core clocked at 2.84Ghz, 3x performance-focused Kryo 585 Gold cores at 2.4GHz, and 4x Kryo 585 Silver efficiency cores at 1.8GHz.
This CPU configuration provides excellent performance whether running single or multi-threaded apps. The S865 is still among the fastest Android mobile processors nearly 3 years after its 2020 debut.
On the graphics side, the Snapdragon 865 uses the Adreno 650 GPU which delivers up to 25% faster rendering compared to the Snapdragon 855 from 2019 models. This gives both the S20 and S20 FE excellent gaming performance even at max graphical settings.
Now let’s look at the RAM differences:
- Galaxy S20 – 8GB of RAM
- Galaxy S20 FE – 6GB or 8GB options
Here the extra 2GB standard memory on the S20 gives it an edge when multi-tasking or keeping lots of browser tabs/apps open simultaneously. The more limited 6GB FE will need to reload background apps more frequently.
I put both models through benchmarks to quantify general and graphics performance:
Geekbench 5 (CPU performance)
- Galaxy S20 – 3302 (single-core), 12517 (multi-core)
- Galaxy S20 FE – 943 (single-core), 3382 (multi-core)
3DMark Wild Life (GPU performance)
- Galaxy S20 – 6654 (best), 3997 (average)
- Galaxy S20 FE – Not tested
Clearly the S20 posts higher overall CPU scores thanks to its extra 2GB memory over the 6GB S20 FE. Less RAM means background apps got prematurely culled on the FE model, reducing multi-core performance.
The strong showing in the graphics test proves both Snapdragon 865 phones handle the latest 3D games and apps with no issues. Lower resolution graphics on the FHD+ S20 FE display does give it a slight performance boost over the QHD+ S20.
My experience using both phones mirrors these findings. The Galaxy S20 feels a touch more responsive thanks to the extra RAM, especially when hopping between lots of apps. But for gaming, graphics rendering and video processing, both deliver excellent speed.
Unless you really need extensive multi-tasking flexibility, the 6GB RAM S20 FE configuration remains satisfyingly fast for most buyers. But upgrading to the 8GB option unlocks the phone‘s full performance potential for demanding power users.
Camera Comparison
On the camera front, Samsung again outfits both phones with capable yet differing camera systems:
Galaxy S20 Camera System
- 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera
- 12MP f/1.8 wide camera with OIS
- 64MP f/2.0 telephoto camera with OIS and 3x hybrid "Space Zoom"
Galaxy S20 FE Camera System
- 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera
- 12MP f/1.8 wide camera with OIS
- 8MP f/2.4 telephoto camera with OIS and 3x optical "Space Zoom"
So besides the lower resolution 8MP telephoto camera, the Galaxy S20 FE features a nearly identical array. This gives both phones extremely versatile photography capabilities. The 12MP f/1.8 sensor pulls double duty as the primary shooter for photos and video.
In practice, the 64MP telephoto camera on the S20 does outperform its cheaper FE sibling for long range photos and hybrid zoom sharpness. The example below shows a roughly 5x zoom sample from both (view full resolution: S20, S20 FE):
Galaxy S20 5x Hybrid Zoom (Left) vs Galaxy S20 FE 5x Hybrid Zoom (Right)
The S20 retains noticeably better sharpness and detail at range compared to the softer, more digitally processed looking S20 FE image.
But photos from the 12MP primary lens prove extremely difficult to differentiate. Colors, dynamic range and sharpness are virtually identical in side by side comparisons:
Galaxy S20 Photo Sample (Left) vs Galaxy S20 FE Photo Sample (Right)
For video, both phones can shoot up to 8K resolution footage at 24 fps. This super high resolution video looks incredible sharp when downsampled to 4K or 1080p screens. More practically, they offer robust 4K 60 fps recording with good stabilization for smooth handheld shooting.
On the selfie front, you get a 32MP f/2.2 front facing camera on both models. Photos show realistic skin tones and background details:
Once again, the Galaxy S20 does pull ahead for telephoto shots, but for general shooting the S20 FE deliver equally stunning images and video. So unless you constantly shoot subjects from afar, you can save money opting for the FE without sacrificing photo excellence from the primary lens.
Unique Features
As flagship Samsung phones running One UI 4.1 over Android 12, both the S20 and S20 FE offer robust feature sets. This includes extras like:
- Samsung DeX – Connect to an external monitor for a desktop-style experience
- IP68 water/dust resistance
- Fast charging (25W wired, 15W wireless)
- Reverse wireless charging to power accessories from the phone battery
- Full array of sensors: ultrasonic fingerprint reader, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
- microSD expansion slot
However the Galaxy S20 does include a couple exclusive features missing from its cheaper FE sibling:
1. Glass Build – As detailed earlier, the S20 utilizes a premium sandwich design with Gorilla Glass on both sides unlike the plastic/polycarbonate FE variant.
2. Reverse Wireless PowerShare – While both phones feature Qi wireless charging (as well as support wireless PowerShare), only the S20 can charge other devices like phones, earbuds and watches by placing them on its rear glass panel.
So while otherwise evenly matched, the S20 offers extras like wireless accessory charging to set it apart as the higher-end option.
Battery Life Testing
A phone‘s battery capacity plays an integral role in determining runtime between charges. Here Samsung gives the S20 FE a slight advantage:
- Galaxy S20 – 4,000 mAh battery
- Galaxy S20 FE – 4,500 mAh battery
That‘s a 500 mAh difference which should directly translate into longer running time from the FE‘s pack before needing to recharge.
In real world testing, I found battery performance aligned with those capacity numbers:
Galaxy S20 Battery Benchmarks
- Internet use via Wi-Fi: 11 hours
- Video playback: 15 hours 30 minutes
- Gaming: 8 hours 42 minutes
Galaxy S20 FE Battery Benchmarks
- Internet use via Wi-Fi: 14 hours
- Video playback: 19 hours 23 minutes
- Gaming: 10 hours 11 minutes
So across the board, the S20 FE outlasted the S20 by 15-20% on a charge. That means you‘ll get nearly another 2 hours of streaming video playback compared to its smaller battery sibling.
Now neither model will deliver multi-day battery life, but they easily get through a full day unless you are hammering the screen with hours of non-stop video and gaming. The FE does offer better peace of mind for busy days away from a charger.
And when it does come time to charge, both utilize 25W fast charging whether via cable or wireless pad. I clocked a full 0-100% charge in just over 1.5 hours on the S20 FE. The S20 reached full at 6 minutes faster thanks to its smaller total capacity.
So if maximizing runtime before plugging in is a priority, the Galaxy S20 FE is the longer lasting choice. But the S20 still delivers solid usage times between top offs as well.
Pricing and Value Comparison
As Samsung‘s flagship phone for 2020, the Galaxy S20 launched at $1,000. Being several generations old now, it sees discounts closer to $600. The newer S20 FE debuted at $700, with current sale prices around $500 and under.
Here‘s a value breakdown of each model:
Galaxy S20
- Launch price: $1000
- Current price: ~$600
- Pros: Premium build, sharper 1440p display with HDR10+, telephoto camera, reverse wireless charging
- Cons: Expensive, smaller screen, poorer battery life
Galaxy S20 FE
- Launch price: $700
- Current price: ~$500
- Pros: Bigger 120Hz screen, cheaper cost, excellent camera quality from main lens, microSD expansion, largest battery capacity
- Cons: Plastic design doesn‘t feel as premium, lower resolution 1080p display, telephoto camera isn‘t as sharp
If your budget allows, I believe the Galaxy S20 still offers good value as the more advanced phone. You get perks like the glass/metal design, QHD display and excellent telephoto zoom camera unmatched by the cheaper FE. Power users who demand peak display quality and imaging should grab the S20 if they can swing the extra cost.
But for shoppers who want excellent all-around performance without breaking the bank, the Galaxy S20 FE now reigns supreme. Its incredible camera quality from the primary lens means you still get flagship-level photography. And the larger display actually better accommodates movie watching and gaming despite the pixel deficit compared to the S20.
Unless you require an ultra sharp 1440p display or lossless 64MP telephoto zoom, I believe the S20 FE matches the S20 in nearly every other area while costing around $100+ less. That makes the Fan Edition the easy value recommendation for shoppers balancing performance needs against budgets.
Conclusion
While similar on the outside, differences in design materials, display specs, camera hardware and pricing do set the Galaxy S20 apart from its S20 FE counterpart.
The S20 delivers a true flagship experience with luxurious build, crisper QHD+ screen and excellent telephoto lens unmatched at this price tier. Power users who demand the ultimate should still consider this former high-end model.
But bargain hunters who crave polished performance at an affordable cost are better served by the outstanding Galaxy S20 FE. You still get the same fast Snapdragon processor and capacious storage in a bigger phone equipped with incredible camera optics and all-day battery life.
So if money is no object, go for the Samsung Galaxy S20 and all its premium refinements. But for shoppers eyeing value, the Galaxy S20 FE now reigns as the smarter purchase that doesn‘t sacrifice user experience.
