There is always a saying “Nothing is perfect” and that’s applicable to modern smartphone today. If you want flagship performance, then you have to pay more but if you want a budget smartphone, then you might have to sacrifice the performance. Therefore, most smartphone buyers are always trying to get a device that is balance in terms of performance and value.
Somehow, Samsung has realised about their “fans” concerned and released the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G to meet their demands. However, did the Galaxy S20 FE 5G managed to strike between performance and value which “fans” has been asking for? Make sure to watch the video review and check out the review below.
2020 flagship spec that powers through any demanding task
To maintain the “S” moniker, the device need to be packed with flagship performance. Therefore, Galaxy S20 FE 5G is packed with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865, 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage which practically a standard 2020 flagship smartphone specifications. You definitely can run the most demanding app till date and multitask effortlessly. You still can expand the storage via MicroSD for users that always keep photos, videos and files in their smartphone.
The phone also has 4,500mah battery that supports 25W fast charging via USB Type-C port. However, to cut cost on the phone, Samsung decided to supply a 15W wall charger in the box. Battery life is good but it’s also depends on each individual usage.
Simple design and build, and I’m okay with it
Look, the Galaxy S20 FE 5G design and build doesn’t have to be shout out or too premium. The back cover of the device is using a material called “Glasstic” which basically is a plastic cover that mimics a glass back cover. Some might not be to fond of it, but I don’t really mind about it. Heck, I even prefer plastic back cover than glass because it will be easier to maintain and cheaper to replace. Do remember that glass will shatter upon impact.
The device comes with 6 matte colours: Cloud White, Cloud Red, Cloud Navy, Cloud Lavender, Cloud Orange, and Cloud Mint. The matte colours definitely help reduce the visibility of fingerprint smudges. The design of the Galaxy S20 FE 5G is very similar to it’s sibling S20 models which release early of 2020. So, if you really like simple design with back curves on your smartphone, you will definitely love the simplicity design and build on the device.
Get entertain with superb display and stereo speakers!
Although it doesn’t have any QHD+ resolution, the 6.5 inches Super AMOLED flat display with 1080 x 2400 pixels resolution is really sufficient for everyone. The display has 120Hz fast refresh rate for smooth scrolling but you can change back to 60hz if you want better battery consumption. With certified HDR10+, you can stream HDR content with it too. So, whether you’re binge-watching a Korean drama or playing Genshin Impact, the display is bright to view and delivers vivid viewing experience to any user.
To go along with the great display, it is rocking a stereo speaker setup. By using the earpiece and bottom firing speaker, the audio quality is good and loud whether you’re watching YouTube or playing games. Although there is no 3.5mm headphone jack, you can always use a wireless earphone and headphone to go along with it.
Cameras that covers all aspect
Selfie in the daylight 
Selfie (wide) in the daylight 
Selfie with Night Mode on 
Selfie (wide) with Night Mode on
Let’s start with the front camera. Packs with a 32MP selfie camera, it can deliver selfie photos with normal and slightly wide angle. The front camera hole appears to have chrome finish so it is visible when light is shine on to it. The front camera can use night mode so you can brighten up your image at low light situation without any hassle. Photo quality is good and detail for instant social media posting. Night mode selfie is also great too. For video recording, the 32MP selfie cam can capture up to 4K 60fps videos which is perfect for vloggers. Video quality on the front camera is good so check it out in the video review where it is recorded in 4K 30fps.
Wide angle 
Main camera 
3x zoom 
10x zoom 
20x zoom 
30x zoom
As for the rear camera, a triple camera setup consist of 12MP main camera, 12MP ultra-wide angle lens and an 8MP 3x zoom telephoto lens that can perform a 30x “Space zoom”. For daylight shot, all three cameras definitely can deliver good and detail images. For the telephoto lens, it is better to stay in the 10x hybrid zoom. The 20-30x zoom range is not too bad but I wouldn’t recommend to share it on social media.
Wide angle shot (w/o Night Mode) 
Main cam (w/o Night Mode) 
Telephoto 3x zoom (w/o Night Mode) 
Wide angle shot (with Night Mode) 
Main cam (with Night Mode) 
Telephoto 3x zoom (with Night Mode)
As for low light situation, all three cameras can use Night Mode to enhance the image details. For the telephoto lens, again I would suggest to stick to 3-10x zoom range as anything above that the images will lose its details. You can check out the gallery above where it shows the comparison with and without the Night Mode.
For video recording on the rear triple camera setup, it can capture videos up to 4K 60fps. You can switch to any lens on the go including the front camera too. Under the daylight, videos from all three cameras perform well. For low light situation, things goes a bit tricky for the wide angle lens and telephoto lens while the main camera handles it like a champ. The wide angle lens suffers weird stutters at dark area (perhaps a software update might help) and videos quality is soft during low light situation. As for low light videos taken from the the telephoto lens, noise and soft details is getting more apparent as you zoom in so just keep in the 3x zoom range if you prefer a better quality video. Kindly watch the review video to find it out.
Same Samsung Flagship experience
Surprisingly, the FE 5G comes with Android 10 and One UI 2.5 like its flagship sibling. This means you get features like Samsung DeX and Links to Windows which is very important for people who want to use the FE 5G as a professional tool. With Samsung DeX, you can make the FE as desktop via wired and wireless. As for Link to Windows, it allows an easy connection for your device to Windows PC wirelessly and you’ll be surprised the convenience it can provide to you.
One UI is easy and friendly to user for new users. It wasn’t too complicated to operate with the option to have navigation buttons or full screen gestures. Samsung also promised to provide 3 generations of update to the device meaning you can hold out longer on this device.
Verdict – Performance, yes. Value, yes. Easy to recommend
Overall, the experience with the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G is very positive. Maybe there are few downsides but it wasn’t going to be totally ruining your Samsung experience. Pricing at RM 3,399, you are getting a phone that’s ticked all the boxes without paying a hefty price. If you ask for a rating on the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G, I will rate it at 8.5 out 10 and it definitely get my 100% recommendation if you’re considering to purchase it.
Cons
- The wide angle lens stutters when recording in dark area (hopefully can be solved with software update)
- The Glasstic (plastic) back cover might not be attractive to some but its durable
- 15W wall charger in the box when it supports 25W fast charger
- Front camera has a chrome finishing and doesn’t blend with the screen
Pros
- Flagship specs which suits mobile gamer, content creator, content consumption or even professionals
- Cameras that can record 4K 60fps videos (front and back)
- Battery that last long (4500mah)
- One UI and 3 generations of updates guaranteed
- 120hz AMOLED display
- Price
*The loan review unit is provided by Samsung Malaysia with no compensation. This review article doesn’t required Samsung approval and it is based on 2 weeks of usage with the device by the writer.