Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G vs. A71 5G: A Deep Dive into Samsung's Mid-Range and Flagship Contenders
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G is the superior choice. Its Snapdragon 865 chipset provides significantly better performance and future-proofing, justifying the price difference. While the A71 5G offers a compelling entry into 5G, the S20 FE’s overall experience is more refined and capable.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy A71 5G | Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 - SM-A716B | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 - SM-A716B | 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 | 41, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-A716B | 2, 5, 41, 66, 71 Sub6 - USA |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1800/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 2, 5, 41, 66, 71 mmWave/Sub6 - SM-A716U | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 40, 41, 78 Sub6 - International | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, April 08 | 2020, September 23 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, June 15 | Available. Released 2020, October 02 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), plastic back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), plastic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 162.5 x 75.5 x 8.1 mm (6.40 x 2.97 x 0.32 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 + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 185 g (6.53 oz) | 190 g (6.70 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~393 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~407 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~88.3% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.5 inches, 101.0 cm2 (~84.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED Plus | Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Cortex-A77 & 6x1.8 GHz Cortex A55) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Exynos 980 (8 nm) | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) |
| GPU | Mali-G76 MP5 | Adreno 650 |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5 | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 2.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, panorama, HDR | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Quad | 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.72", 0.8µm, PDAF 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide) 5 MP (macro) Auxiliary lens | - |
| Single | - | 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 | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/240fps, 1080p@960fps; gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps | 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 | Yes (market dependent) | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | FM radio | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Browser | - | HTTP / WAP 2.0 |
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass |
| ANT+ | Virtual proximity sensing Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired | 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-Po 4500 mAh | Li-Ion 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Prism Cube Black, Prism Cube Sliver, Prism Cube Blue | Cloud Lavender, Cloud Mint, Cloud Navy, Cloud White, Cloud Red, Cloud Orange |
| Models | SM-A716F, SM-A716F/DS, SM-A716F/DSN, SM-A7160, SM-A716B/DS, SM-A716U, SM-A716B, SM-A716U1 | SM-G781B, SM-G781B/DS, SM-G781U, SM-G781U1, SM-G781W, SM-G7810, SM-G781N, SM-G781V |
| Price | About 120 EUR | $ 137.00 / C$ 531.23 / £ 169.00 / € 199.00 |
| SAR | 0.69 W/kg (head) 1.11 W/kg (body) | 0.70 W/kg (head) 0.82 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 1.24 W/kg (head) 1.53 W/kg (body) | 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) |
Samsung Galaxy A71 5G
- More affordable price point
- 5G connectivity at a lower cost
- Decent battery life
- Significantly weaker performance
- Less vibrant display
- Potentially inferior camera quality
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
- Flagship-level performance with Snapdragon 865
- Brighter and smoother display with 120Hz
- More versatile camera system
- Wireless and reverse wireless charging
- Higher price tag
- Can be expensive depending on RAM/storage configuration
Display Comparison
The S20 FE 5G boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching a measured 822 nits, compared to an unspecified brightness for the A71 5G. This translates to better visibility outdoors. While both likely utilize Super AMOLED panels, the S20 FE’s higher peak brightness and 'Infinite' contrast ratio suggest a more visually impactful experience. The S20 FE’s 120Hz refresh rate (not specified for the A71 5G) further enhances smoothness, particularly during scrolling and gaming. The A71 5G’s display, while adequate, is likely to appear less vibrant and responsive in direct comparison.
Camera Comparison
Both phones feature a 'Photo / Video' camera system, but the S20 FE 5G likely benefits from superior image processing and potentially larger sensors. While specific sensor details are missing, the S20 FE’s flagship lineage suggests a more refined camera experience. The A71 5G may include a 64MP main sensor, but the S20 FE’s image processing pipeline, powered by the Snapdragon 865’s ISP, will likely produce more detailed and dynamic images. The inclusion of OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) is probable on both, but the S20 FE’s implementation is likely more advanced. The A71 5G may include a 2MP macro camera, which often delivers limited real-world benefit.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The S20 FE 5G’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (7nm+) is a flagship-level processor, featuring a 1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 prime core and 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 performance cores, alongside 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55 efficiency cores. This contrasts with the A71 5G’s Exynos 980 (8nm), which has a 2x2.2 GHz Cortex-A77 and 6x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55 configuration. The Snapdragon 865’s smaller 7nm+ node and more powerful core configuration deliver substantially higher CPU and GPU performance. The S20 FE’s potential for LPDDR5 RAM (depending on configuration) further contributes to faster application loading and multitasking, while the A71 5G likely uses LPDDR4x. This performance gap will be most noticeable in graphically intensive games and demanding applications.
Battery Life
Both devices share a 25W wired charging capability, but the S20 FE 5G adds 15W wireless charging (Qi) and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, offering greater convenience. Both phones achieve an endurance rating of 110h, suggesting similar real-world battery life despite potential differences in battery capacity (not specified for the A71 5G). The Snapdragon 865’s improved efficiency may partially offset any capacity disadvantage. The S20 FE’s Power Delivery 3.0 (PD3.0) support allows for faster charging with compatible chargers.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy A71 5G if you prioritize affordability and 5G connectivity above all else, and your usage primarily revolves around everyday tasks like browsing, social media, and light media consumption. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G if you demand smoother performance for gaming and demanding applications, a brighter and more vibrant display, and a more versatile camera system, and are willing to invest a bit more.