Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G vs. Galaxy S23: A Head-to-Head Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Galaxy S23 is the clear winner overall, boasting a significantly brighter display, a more powerful processor, and improved camera capabilities. However, the S20 FE 5G remains a compelling option for budget-conscious buyers seeking a capable 5G phone.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | Samsung Galaxy S23 |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66, 71 - USA | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 2, 5, 41, 66, 71 Sub6 - USA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1800/200 Mbps, 5G | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 40, 41, 78 Sub6 - International | 1, 7, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, September 23 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, October 02 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), plastic back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 159.8 x 74.5 x 8.4 mm (6.29 x 2.93 x 0.33 in) | 146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6 mm (5.76 x 2.79 x 0.30 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 190 g (6.70 oz) | 168 g (5.93 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~407 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~425 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.5 inches, 101.0 cm2 (~84.8% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~86.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+ | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| Always-on display | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 650 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5.1 | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 - 128GB only UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 2 MP | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| 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 | 50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Browser | HTTP / WAP 2.0 | - |
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Virtual proximity sensing Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | 25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Stand-by | Up to 300 h | - |
| Talk time | Up to 5 h | - |
| Type | Li-Ion 4500 mAh | Li-Ion 3900 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Cloud Lavender, Cloud Mint, Cloud Navy, Cloud White, Cloud Red, Cloud Orange | Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime |
| Models | SM-G781B, SM-G781B/DS, SM-G781U, SM-G781U1, SM-G781W, SM-G7810, SM-G781N, SM-G781V | SM-S911B, SM-S911B/DS, SM-S911U, SM-S911U1, SM-S911W, SM-S911N, SM-S9110, SM-S911E, SM-S911E/DS |
| Price | $ 137.00 / C$ 531.23 / £ 169.00 / € 199.00 | $ 237.95 / C$ 336.75 / £ 255.00 / € 322.41 / ₹ 49,990 |
| SAR | 0.70 W/kg (head) 0.82 W/kg (body) | 0.95 W/kg (head) 0.88 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.50 W/kg (head) 1.35 W/kg (body) | 0.96 W/kg (head) 1.30 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 | Endurance rating 101h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -26.3 LUFS (Good) | -27.0 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 543986 (v8) GeekBench: 3296 (v5.1) GFXBench: 45fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 1231075 (v9) GeekBench: 4950 (v5.1) GFXBench: 110fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
- Excellent value for money
- Decent performance for the price
- 5G connectivity
- Good display
- Reverse wireless charging
- Older chipset
- Lower peak brightness
- Camera not as advanced as newer models
- Design feels a bit dated
Samsung Galaxy S23
- Top-tier performance
- Stunning display with high brightness
- Excellent camera system
- Modern design
- Faster charging
- Higher price
- Battery life could be better (though still good)
- No charger included in the box
Display Comparison
The S23's display is a major upgrade. It hits a peak brightness of 1198 nits compared to the S20 FE 5G's 822 nits, making it significantly easier to see outdoors. Both have excellent contrast ratios (infinite nominal), but the S23's higher resolution and improved color accuracy give it a noticeable edge. The S23 also likely has a more modern display technology (Dynamic AMOLED 2X vs. Dynamic AMOLED).
Camera Comparison
While both phones offer versatile camera systems, the S23's camera hardware and image processing are noticeably better. Expect improved low-light performance, more detailed photos, and more natural-looking colors. The S23 likely has a more advanced main sensor and improved video stabilization.
Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the S23 is a substantial leap over the Snapdragon 865 5G in the S20 FE 5G. Expect significantly faster app loading times, smoother multitasking, and better performance in demanding games. The S23's newer CPU architecture and fabrication process contribute to its superior efficiency as well.
Battery Life
Both phones have similar endurance ratings (110h vs 101h), but the S23's more efficient chipset and potentially slightly larger battery (though not explicitly stated) contribute to a longer active use time (11:27h vs. unspecified for S20 FE 5G). The S23 also charges to 50% in just 30 minutes with its 25W charging, a faster charging speed than the S20 FE 5G.
Buying Guide
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G is ideal for users on a tighter budget who still want a 5G-enabled Samsung phone with a decent camera and performance. The Galaxy S23 is perfect for those who demand top-tier performance, a stunning display, and the best possible camera experience, and are willing to pay a premium.