Samsung Galaxy S20 FE vs. Google Pixel 5a 5G: Which Mid-Range Champion Reigns Supreme?
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Google Pixel 5a 5G emerges as the stronger recommendation. While the S20 FE offers a potentially faster processor (Snapdragon variant) and faster charging, the Pixel 5a’s consistently excellent camera, clean software experience, and comparable battery life make it a more refined and user-friendly package.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S20 FE | Google Pixel 5a 5G |
| 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, 17, 20, 26, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 66 - International | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 2, 5, 12, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1800/200 Mbps | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, September 23 | 2021, August 17 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, October 02 | Available. Released 2021, August 26 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), plastic back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame, aluminum back |
| Dimensions | 159.8 x 74.5 x 8.4 mm (6.29 x 2.93 x 0.33 in) | 156.2 x 73.2 x 8.8 mm (6.15 x 2.88 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM |
| Weight | 190 g (6.70 oz) | 183 g (6.46 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~407 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~415 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.5 inches, 101.0 cm2 (~84.8% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.34 inches, 97.0 cm2 (~84.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+ | OLED, HDR |
| Always-on display | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M5 & 2x2.50 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) - Version 1Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - Version 2 | Octa-core (1x2.4 GHz Kryo 475 Prime & 1x2.2 GHz Kryo 475 Gold & 6x1.8 GHz Kryo 475 Silver) |
| Chipset | Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - Version 1Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) - Version 2 | Qualcomm SM7250 Snapdragon 765G 5G (7 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G77 MP11 - Version 1Adreno 650 - Version 2 | Adreno 620 |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5.1 | Android 11, upgradable to Android 14 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | - | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 12.2 MP, f/1.7, 27mm, (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 16 MP, f/2.2, 119˚ (ultrawide), 1.0µm |
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | LED flash, Pixel Shift, Auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | - | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1.12µm |
| 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@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps; gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1.12µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | Yes |
| 35mm jack | No | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BDS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1 |
| 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, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| 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 | 18W wired, PD2.0 |
| Type | Li-Ion 4500 mAh | Li-Po 4680 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Cloud Lavender, Cloud Mint, Cloud Navy, Cloud White, Cloud Red, Cloud Orange | Mostly Black |
| Models | SM-G780F, SM-G780F/DSM, SM-G780G | G1F8F, G4S1M |
| Price | About 390 EUR | $ 189.00 / C$ 249.99 |
| SAR EU | 0.24 W/kg (head) 1.45 W/kg (body) | - |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 122h |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 291303 (v8) GeekBench: 1337 (v5.1) GFXBench: 19fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
- Potentially faster processor (Snapdragon 865 variant)
- Faster 25W wired charging
- Wireless and reverse wireless charging support
- Exynos 990 variant suffers from thermal throttling
- Samsung’s One UI can be bloated
- Software update support is less consistent than Pixel
Google Pixel 5a 5G
- Exceptional camera performance with Google’s software
- Clean and streamlined Android experience
- Guaranteed software updates directly from Google
- Slower 18W wired charging
- Less powerful processor than Snapdragon 865 S20 FE
- No wireless charging
Display Comparison
The Pixel 5a 5G boasts a display capable of reaching 861 nits of peak brightness, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the S20 FE’s display specs aren’t provided, Samsung typically employs Super AMOLED panels known for vibrant colors. However, the Pixel 5a’s ‘infinite’ contrast ratio, typical of OLED technology, provides deeper blacks and a more immersive viewing experience. Both phones lack high refresh rate displays, a common omission in this price bracket. The S20 FE’s larger size (implied by its flagship lineage) may offer a more expansive viewing area, but the Pixel 5a’s brightness advantage is a key differentiator.
Camera Comparison
Google’s Pixel phones are renowned for their computational photography prowess, and the 5a 5G is no exception. While specific sensor details are missing, the Pixel 5a’s image processing algorithms excel in dynamic range and low-light performance. The S20 FE, while equipped with a versatile camera system, relies more on hardware specifications. The absence of details regarding OIS on the S20 FE is a potential drawback compared to the Pixel 5a’s likely implementation. The Pixel 5a’s focus on software optimization delivers consistently excellent results, even with a potentially smaller sensor, making it the preferred choice for photography enthusiasts.
Performance
The S20 FE presents a split personality with two chipset options: the Exynos 990 (7nm+) and the Snapdragon 865 5G (7nm+). The Snapdragon variant, with its Cortex-A77 cores, offers a clear performance advantage over the Exynos 990, particularly in sustained workloads. The Pixel 5a 5G, powered by the Snapdragon 765G (7nm), represents a step down in raw processing power. However, the 765G is a highly efficient chip, and Google’s software optimization mitigates the performance gap. The S20 FE’s potential for LPDDR5 RAM (depending on region) further enhances its multitasking capabilities, while the Pixel 5a likely utilizes LPDDR4X. Thermal management is a concern with the Exynos 990, potentially leading to throttling under heavy load, a problem less likely with the Snapdragon 765G.
Battery Life
Both the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and the Google Pixel 5a 5G achieve an endurance rating of 122 hours, indicating comparable battery life in real-world usage. However, the charging speeds differ significantly. The S20 FE supports 25W wired charging with PD3.0, allowing for faster top-ups compared to the Pixel 5a’s 18W wired charging with PD2.0. The S20 FE also offers 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, features absent on the Pixel 5a 5G. While the Pixel 5a’s battery life is solid, the S20 FE’s faster charging and wireless capabilities provide added convenience.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE if you prioritize raw processing power for demanding tasks like gaming or video editing, and are comfortable with Samsung’s One UI. The availability of the Snapdragon 865 variant is a significant advantage for performance-focused users. Buy the Google Pixel 5a 5G if you value a streamlined software experience, exceptional camera performance, and guaranteed software updates directly from Google, even if it means sacrificing some peak processing speed.