After Samsung's launch of the Galaxy Z Fold2 5G earlier this month, the tech industry probably thought it was the last major hardware announcement for 2020. With Apple's iPhone 12 debut just around the corner, it would seem the South Korean tech outfit's next publicity affair would be in 2021. However, to the surprise of many, the "Galaxy Unpacked: For Every Fan" showcase this week unveiled the Galaxy S20 FE in the hopes of encouraging consumers to go for it instead of the new iPhone.

Samsung released the original Galaxy S20 series around the first week of March this year which marked a huge improvement related to smartphone imaging capabilities. Huawei's flagship models were recognized by tech pundits as the top choices when it comes to photography. However, after the United States trade sanctions took effect, the likes of Google Mobile Services support prompted fans to look for alternatives.

The Galaxy S20 FE packs several notable features which might convince buyers to purchase it over the Galaxy Note 20 series and Samsung's foldable catalogue. CNET points out that the FE stands for "fan edition" and will ship with most of the outstanding features found on its flagship-tier handsets. At $699, the price should position it to compete against mid to top-tier smartphones currently available.

The device sports a 6.5-inch 2400 x 1080 super AMOLED display protected by Corning's Gorilla Glass 5, while the rear panel is matte plastic instead of glass. These are just one of the many changes Samsung went with to keep costs down. Nevertheless, the panel supports a 120 Hz refresh rate to make animations and videos run smoother on its vibrant touchscreen. Furthermore, the Galaxy S20 FE is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset paired with 6/8 GB RAM depending on the internal storage size (128/256 GB).

Samsung announced the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition
The Galaxy S20 FE packs several notable features which might convince buyers to purchase it over the Galaxy Note 20 series Photo: Samsung

Imaging-wise, the Galaxy S20 FE relies on a 12-megapixel wide-angle, 8-megapixel telephoto, and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle triple-camera configuration. Additionally, it is capable of up to 30x zoom. It uses a 4,500 mAh battery that supports up to 15W wired/wireless fast charging and a 4.5W reverse wireless charging. Finally, Samsung is offering six colour options: Cloud Orange, Cloud Mint, Cloud White, Cloud Navy, Cloud Lavender, and Cloud Red.

Samsung