Samsung Galaxy S20 FE vs S20 FE 2022: The Snapdragon Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 2022 is the superior choice. The consistent Snapdragon 865 chipset eliminates the performance variability of the original S20 FE’s Exynos/Snapdragon split, delivering a smoother, more reliable experience, particularly in demanding tasks like gaming. However, the price difference must be considered.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S20 FE | Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 2022 |
| 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 | LTE |
| 5G bands | - | SA/NSA/Sub6 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1800/200 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1800/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, September 23 | 2022, April 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, October 02 | Available. Released 2022, April 01 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), plastic back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), plastic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 159.8 x 74.5 x 8.4 mm (6.29 x 2.93 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 | 190 g (6.70 oz) | 190 g (6.70 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | 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 (~407 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~405 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.5 inches, 101.0 cm2 (~84.8% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.5 inches, 102.0 cm2 (~85.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+ | Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| 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 (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - Version 1Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) - Version 2 | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) |
| GPU | Mali-G77 MP11 - Version 1Adreno 650 - Version 2 | Adreno 650 |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5.1 | Android 12, One UI 4.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| 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 | 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@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| 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 | 5.0, 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/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass |
| Virtual proximity sensing Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | 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 | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 4500 mAh | Li-Ion 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Cloud Lavender, Cloud Mint, Cloud Navy, Cloud White, Cloud Red, Cloud Orange | Cloud White, Cloud Lavender, Cloud Navy |
| Models | SM-G780F, SM-G780F/DSM, SM-G780G | SM-G781NK, SM-G781NK22 |
| Price | About 390 EUR | About 520 EUR |
| SAR EU | 0.24 W/kg (head) 1.45 W/kg (body) | - |
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
- Potentially lower price point (especially older stock)
- Snapdragon 865 variant offers comparable performance to the 2022 model
- Excellent display quality
- Inconsistent performance due to Exynos variant
- Exynos 990 prone to thermal throttling
- May receive fewer software updates
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 2022
- Consistent Snapdragon 865 performance across all units
- Improved thermal management compared to Exynos 990
- Likely to receive longer software support
- Higher price compared to the original S20 FE
- No significant hardware upgrades beyond the chipset
- Battery life is only marginally improved
Display Comparison
Both the S20 FE and S20 FE 2022 feature a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. While both offer excellent color reproduction, the display experience is largely identical. Neither device boasts LTPO technology, meaning the refresh rate doesn't dynamically scale to conserve battery. Bezels are comparable, and both achieve similar peak brightness levels, making outdoor visibility adequate but not exceptional. The lack of significant display improvements in the 2022 model means this isn't a differentiating factor.
Camera Comparison
Both phones share a similar camera setup: a 12MP main sensor with OIS, a 12MP ultrawide, and an 8MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. Image processing is also largely consistent. The primary benefit of the S20 FE 2022 isn’t a hardware upgrade, but rather refined software algorithms that may yield slightly improved image quality in certain scenarios. The 2MP macro camera on both devices remains a largely superfluous addition, offering limited practical benefit. The consistent chipset in the 2022 model ensures more stable image processing performance.
Performance
This is where the core difference lies. The original S20 FE shipped with either the Exynos 990 (7nm+) or the Snapdragon 865 (7nm+). The S20 FE 2022 exclusively uses the Snapdragon 865 5G. While both chipsets are based on a 7nm process, the Snapdragon 865’s CPU architecture – featuring a Cortex-A77 prime core and three A77 performance cores – provides a noticeable advantage over the Exynos 990’s Mongoose M5 and A76 cores. The Exynos 990 was known to exhibit thermal throttling under sustained load, impacting gaming performance. The Snapdragon 865, while not immune to throttling, generally manages heat more effectively. Both devices utilize 6GB or 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM, so memory performance is comparable.
Battery Life
Both the S20 FE and S20 FE 2022 pack a 4500mAh battery and support 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. Real-world battery life is comparable, typically lasting a full day with moderate usage. However, the Snapdragon 865’s improved efficiency in the 2022 model can translate to slightly longer screen-on time, especially during demanding tasks. The 25W charging speed is adequate but not class-leading; a full charge takes approximately 70-80 minutes.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE if you find a significantly discounted unit and prioritize saving money over guaranteed performance. It remains a capable phone, especially if you get the Snapdragon 865 variant. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 2022 if you want a consistent, reliable experience with the Snapdragon 865 chipset, and are willing to pay a premium for that assurance. Gamers and power users will particularly benefit from the 2022 model.