Samsung Galaxy S20 FE review – the best features for the right price

• The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE has been launched in India at a price of ₹49,999, making it the most affordable S20 series phone.
  
• It offers the flagship Samsung experience at a fraction of the price, marking a new trend in the company’s strategy in India.
  
• While Samsung has optimized the features to deliver the S20 FE at a better price, it still features a smooth display, great cameras and long battery life.
  

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is the latest flagship-grade smartphone from the Korean phone maker. By aiming to make a smartphone custom-made for its fans, Samsung has created a potential winner in the form of the Galaxy S20 FE. In doing so, Samsung has trimmed a few features to make the phone a lot more affordable than its other S20 siblings.

Apart from cutting the flab and trimming the price, Samsung has also added a lot of colour to the mix to appeal to the younger generation. The S20 FE comes in five colours in India, offering plenty of options to buyers.

I’ve been using the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE for a couple of weeks now and here’s my full review of the most affordable S20 smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE price in India and availability

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE price in India is ₹49,999. It comes in five colour options – navy, white, lavender, mint, and red.

It is available for purchase from Samsung India online store, Amazon, and authorized Samsung retailers across India.

To make the deal more attractive, Samsung has announced launch offers that make the S20 FE cheaper by another ₹8,000 – an instant cashback of ₹4,000 on HDFC Bank debit and credit cards, and a voucher worth ₹4,000 that can be used on Samsung’s website.


Samsung Galaxy S20 FE design – premium doesn’t have to be expensive

Despite having to cut corners in some areas to keep the price low, Samsung has done an excellent job in the design department. Instead of the glossy finish that its expensive S20 siblings have, the S20 FE gets the matte treatment on the back.

This is great for two reasons – first, it solves the problem of fingerprints and dust accumulating on the back. Second, it hides the fact that it’s made of plastic.

As a bonus, the matte back finish feels great when you hold the phone. It’s also easier to grip, and you will probably end up using it without any case.

Apart from this, the rest of the design is mostly minimal. The camera module resembles that of the other S20 phones. It’s noticeably thicker and houses three cameras and an LED flash.

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE display – sharp, smooth, bright

The S20 FE sports a 6.5-inch display with a punch-hole notch in the center, just like its other S20 siblings. The display is flat – while this means the bezels are ever so slightly thicker, it should be a lot easier to manage.

Samsung has used a 120Hz refresh rate panel, which is good to see in a phone at this price. This results in an overall smoother user experience, especially in some games which are optimized for it.

Overall, the S20 FE’s display gets bright enough in direct sunlight. It’s also sharp, and the colours are punchy and vivid.

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE performance and software

The S20 FE uses the same chipset that its more expensive S20 siblings use – Exynos 990. This is paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage – both adequate in most cases.

In terms of real-world usage, the Galaxy S20 FE delivered smooth performance, whether it’s texting, browsing the internet, scrolling across the interface, or playing graphic-intensive games.

Samsung’s custom skin, One UI, is also one of the most feature-rich and best-looking interfaces out there. You can customize the S20 FE to your heart’s content without worrying about the phone slowing down.

Coming to the battery life, the S20 FE easily lasts a full day of use. It has a 4,500mAh battery and supports 25W fast charging. It comes with a 15W charger bundled in the box.

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE camera performance

The S20 FE has a triple camera setup on the back, with three 12MP cameras. Apart from the standard camera, it has an ultrawide angle and a telephoto sensor. On the front, there’s a 32MP camera for selfies and video calling.

The S20 FE fares well in the right lighting conditions, be it indoors or outdoors.

Even in slightly challenging light conditions and a subject with a multicolour background, the S20 FE fared very well. The colours are mostly accurate and the detail is great.

Wrapping Up

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE ticks almost every box in this price segment – great display, very good cameras, smooth performance, and all-day battery life. The design and the colour options also make it an easy recommendation.

The timing of the S20 FE couldn’t have been better, either. It’s coming just in time for the festive season when people want to buy a new phone for themselves or their loved ones.

The S20 FE can play to a larger trend where not everyone wants to buy expensive smartphones. It delivers the flagship experience that the Galaxy S series is known for without sacrificing anything important.

If you want a flagship smartphone at a fraction of the price, the Galaxy S20 FE will make you happy.

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