Galaxy S20 FE vs S20 Ultra: Can the little guy win against all odds?

The Galaxy S20 Fan Edition (FE) is official and it's bound to join the standard Galaxy S20 lineup on the market soon. We've already looked at how the Galaxy S20 FE compares to the regular Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+, so you probably know that it's time to pit this new contender against the premium Galaxy S20 Ultra.

To be fair, the latest device in the series sits at the opposite end of the spectrum compared to the Galaxy S20 Ultra, so don't expect any miracles like a premium flagship for under $700. Nevertheless, their similar monikers warrant a side-by-side comparison and you can find one by checking our online comparison tool and throughout the overview below.

A classic David vs. Goliath metaphor but the latter could still win

The little guy taking on the big guy and winning against all odds is a classic metaphor that's tempting to use when looking at the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition and the Galaxy S20 Ultra side-by-side. But if the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition is David and the Galaxy S20 Ultra is Goliath, then the former model's price must be the stone that strikes the final blow. In reality, these two devices exist in different market segments despite their similar monikers, so even if the Galaxy S20 FE has a much lower price, it still might not have what it takes to fill the shoes of the Galaxy S20 Ultra for many potential buyers.

The two smartphone models share some characteristics but they are also very different. They share 4G/5G capabilities and the Exynos 990/Snapdragon 865 chipsets, and both devices have a display capable of 120Hz, as well as an IP68 rating to protect the internal components from water and dust. They are compatible with Samsung Pay via NFC and MST; they deliver a similar software experience albeit the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition ships with the newer One UI 2.5, and they both have an under-display fingerprint sensor but the S20 Fan Edition uses an optical sensor from Goodix instead of an ultrasonic solution.

However, this is where their commonalities end. Compared to the Galaxy S20 Ultra, the new Galaxy S20 Fan Edition has less RAM (6GB/8GB), a smaller, lower-resolution 6.5-inch FHD+ flat display, a plastic back panel that replaces Gorilla Glass 6, a smaller 4,500mAh battery with 25W charging instead of a 5,000mAh 45W-charging unit, and a completely different camera setup. The Galaxy S20 Fan Edition lacks the ToF sensor, it's limited to 3x optical zoom, and the selfie unit has a resolution of 32MP instead of 40MP. It also ships with a 15W charger despite the fact that it's capable of 25W fast charging.

To a degree, Samsung may be right in claiming that the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition is everything that you love about the S20, with all new colors, but this statement mustn't include the Galaxy S20 Ultra unless you don't care about the obvious differences in hardware and build quality. All specs considered, the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition doesn't stand a chance against the Galaxy S20 Ultra and, ultimately, they don't have a whole lot in common. Nevertheless, the former model costs $699 (5G) while the latter will set you back $1,399.

Unless you find it at a discount, the Galaxy S20 Ultra costs twice as much as the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition, but then again it's a better-equipped phone. It all comes down to whether or not the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition has a chance of stealing sales from the Galaxy S20 Ultra, and it might. Normally this wouldn't be the case, but because the Galaxy S21 is only about six months away, customers looking for a high-end Galaxy phone right now might find the Galaxy S20 Ultra to be a bad investment. But for half the price of the S20 Ultra, these customers can buy the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition as a temporary main driver for the next six months and not feel too bad about spending $1,399 on a phone that will soon be replaced.

Samsung
Galaxy S20 FE

Select model SM-G780F Buy Full specs

Samsung
Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G

Select model SM-G988B SM-G988U SM-G988U1 SM-G988N Buy Full specs

SamsungGalaxy S20 FE

OverviewHands-OnReviewSpecificationsFirmwareBuyScreen ProtectorsCasesWireless ChargersWired ChargersWireless EarbudsBattery PacksDownload ModeHard ResetWipe Cache

SamsungGalaxy S20 Ultra 5G

OverviewHands-OnReviewSpecificationsFirmwareBuyScreen ProtectorsCasesWireless ChargersWired ChargersWireless EarbudsBattery PacksDownload ModeHard ResetWipe Cache