The LG K20 (2019) represents a segment of the market focused on affordability, while the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G aimed to deliver flagship-level features at a more accessible price point. This comparison dissects the core differences between these two devices, helping you determine if the S20 FE’s premium features justify its higher cost, or if the K20’s simplicity is sufficient.
🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing performance, camera quality, and future-proofing, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G is the clear winner. Its Snapdragon 865 chipset and superior display offer a significantly better experience, despite the higher price. However, the LG K20 remains a viable option for those on a very tight budget needing basic smartphone functionality.
| Network |
|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 3, 7, 8, 20, 38 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66, 71 - USA |
| 5G bands | - | 2, 5, 41, 66, 71 Sub6 - USA |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat4 150/50 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1800/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| | - | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 40, 41, 78 Sub6 - International |
| Launch |
|---|
| Announced | 2019, August. Released 2019, September | 2020, September 23 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2020, October 02 |
| Body |
|---|
| Build | Glass front, plastic back, plastic frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), plastic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 148.6 x 71.9 x 8.3 mm (5.85 x 2.83 x 0.33 in) | 159.8 x 74.5 x 8.4 mm (6.29 x 2.93 x 0.33 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 152 g (5.36 oz) | 190 g (6.70 oz) |
| | MIL-STD-810G compliant*
*does not guarantee ruggedness or use in extreme conditions | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
| Display |
|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Resolution | 480 x 960 pixels, 18:9 ratio (~197 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~407 ppi density) |
| Size | 5.45 inches, 76.7 cm2 (~71.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.5 inches, 101.0 cm2 (~84.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | IPS LCD | Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| | - | Always-on display |
| Platform |
|---|
| CPU | Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Mediatek MT6739 (28 nm) | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) |
| GPU | PowerVR GE8100 | Adreno 650 |
| OS | Android 9.0 Pie (Go edition) | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5.1 |
| Memory |
|---|
| Card slot | microSDHC (dedicated slot) | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 16GB 1GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| | eMMC 5.1 | UFS 3.1 |
| Main Camera |
|---|
| Features | LED flash, panorama, HDR | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, 27mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm, AF | 2 MP |
| Triple | - | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS
8 MP, f/2.4, 76mm (telephoto), 1/4.5", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom
12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.0", 1.12µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera |
|---|
| Features | LED flash | HDR |
| Single | 5 MP, f/2.2, 24mm (wide), 1/5.0", 1.12µm | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Video | - | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound |
|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| | - | 32-bit/384kHz audio
Tuned by AKG |
| Comms |
|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | No | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | microUSB 2.0 | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features |
|---|
| Browser | - | HTTP / WAP 2.0 |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, proximity | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass |
| | - | Virtual proximity sensing
Bixby natural language commands and dictation
Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) |
| Battery |
|---|
| Charging | - | 25W wired, PD3.0
15W wireless (Qi)
4.5W reverse wireless |
| Stand-by | - | Up to 300 h |
| Talk time | - | Up to 5 h |
| Type | Li-Ion 3000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 4500 mAh |
| Misc |
|---|
| Colors | New Aurora Black, New Moroccan Blue | Cloud Lavender, Cloud Mint, Cloud Navy, Cloud White, Cloud Red, Cloud Orange |
| Models | LM-X120EMW, LMX120EMW, LM-X120, LMX120BMW | SM-G781B, SM-G781B/DS, SM-G781U, SM-G781U1, SM-G781W, SM-G7810, SM-G781N, SM-G781V |
| Price | About 100 EUR | $ 137.00 / C$ 531.23 / £ 169.00 / € 199.00 |
| SAR | - | 0.70 W/kg (head) 0.82 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.50 W/kg (head) 1.35 W/kg (body) |
| Pricing |
|---|
| 128GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 361.99 |
| 128GB 8GB RAM | - | $ 589.97 |
| 256GB 8GB RAM | - | $ 769.99 |
| Tests |
|---|
| Battery life | - |
Endurance rating 110h
|
| Camera | - |
Photo / Video |
| Display | - |
Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - |
-26.3 LUFS (Good)
|
| Performance | - |
AnTuTu: 543986 (v8)
GeekBench: 3296 (v5.1)
GFXBench: 45fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
LG K20 (2019)
- Extremely affordable price point
- Simple and easy-to-use interface
- Acceptable for basic smartphone tasks
- Weak processor and limited performance
- Inferior display quality
- Basic camera capabilities
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
- Powerful Snapdragon 865 processor
- Bright and vibrant AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate
- Excellent camera system with advanced features
- 5G connectivity and fast charging
- Significantly higher price
- May be overkill for basic users
- Battery life, while good, isn't exceptional
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching a measured 822 nits, compared to the LG K20’s unspecified brightness. This difference translates to far better visibility outdoors. While the K20’s display resolution is not specified, it’s likely 720p, whereas the S20 FE features a 120Hz AMOLED panel, offering smoother scrolling and animations. The S20 FE’s ‘Infinite’ contrast ratio (nominal) indicates a true black level, enhancing visual depth, a feature absent in the K20’s likely LCD panel.
Camera Comparison
Both devices feature photo/video capabilities, but the S20 FE offers a far more sophisticated camera system. While specific sensor details are missing for both, the S20 FE benefits from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon ISP, enabling advanced image processing. The S20 FE’s likely inclusion of Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) – a common feature in flagship phones – would provide sharper images and smoother video, especially in low light. The LG K20’s camera is likely a basic setup, suitable for casual snapshots but lacking the advanced features and image quality of the S20 FE.
Performance
The performance gap is substantial. The LG K20’s Mediatek MT6739, built on a 28nm process, utilizes a quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU. This is a basic processor designed for efficiency, not speed. In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G is powered by the Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G, fabricated on a 7nm+ process. Its octa-core configuration, featuring a prime Cortex-A77 core clocked at 2.84 GHz, delivers significantly faster processing speeds and superior multitasking capabilities. The S20 FE’s 6GB or 8GB of RAM (depending on the configuration) further enhances responsiveness, while the K20’s RAM capacity is not specified but is likely lower.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G achieves an endurance rating of 110 hours, indicating solid battery life. Its 25W wired charging with PD3.0 support allows for rapid replenishment, and the inclusion of 15W wireless charging (Qi) and 4.5W reverse wireless charging adds convenience. The LG K20’s battery capacity and charging speed are not specified, but given its lower-end chipset and likely smaller battery, it will likely require more frequent charging and offer slower charging speeds.
Buying Guide
Buy the LG K20 (2019) if you need a basic, reliable smartphone for essential tasks like calls, texts, and light web browsing, and your budget is extremely limited. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G if you prioritize a smooth user experience, excellent camera capabilities, 5G connectivity, and the ability to handle demanding applications and games.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Is the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G still a good buy in [current year], considering newer phones are available?
Despite newer models being released, the S20 FE 5G remains a compelling option due to its powerful Snapdragon 865 processor and excellent display. It offers flagship-level performance at a significantly reduced price, making it a strong value proposition for users who don't need the absolute latest features.
❓ Can the LG K20 (2019) handle popular social media apps like Facebook and Instagram without significant lag?
The LG K20 (2019) can run basic social media apps, but expect some lag and slower loading times, especially when multitasking. Its Mediatek MT6739 processor is not designed for demanding applications, so a smooth experience isn't guaranteed.
❓ What kind of gaming performance can I expect from the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G?
The Snapdragon 865 in the S20 FE 5G delivers excellent gaming performance. You can expect to play most modern games at high settings with smooth frame rates. While it may not match the performance of the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen chips, it's still a very capable gaming device.
❓ Does the LG K20 (2019) support 5G connectivity?
No, the LG K20 (2019) is a 4G LTE device and does not support 5G connectivity. The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G, as its name suggests, does support 5G, offering faster data speeds where available.
