Samsung could be launching a cheaper Galaxy S20 to rival the upcoming iPhone 12

The Samsung Galaxy S20 series is arguably one of the best Android smartphones on the market today, boasting flagship internals alongside a camera that offers up to 100X of hybrid zoom. However, these also come with hefty price tags—the cheapest Galaxy S20 variant retails for RM3,599.

However, reports suggest that we might see the release of a more affordable version of the Galaxy S20: the Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition. In case you’re wondering, this isn’t the first time that Samsung would be doing something like this. In the past, the Korean company has released “Lite” versions of the Galaxy Note 10 and S10; plus, of course, we’ve seen the Fan Edition moniker used on previous Galaxy Note devices.

Now, Sammobile reports that the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition is in development, with two versions available: the SM-G780 (global) and the SM-G781 (U.S.). As expected from a “flagship” phone in 2020, you’ll be getting 5G support as well. Under the hood, the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition will reportedly feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, while you’ll also get a 120Hz refresh rate on a Full HD display—just like the current S20 series.

Cameras are always an area of focus for Samsung’s phones, and the Galaxy S20 FE will have have a 12MP main shooter with Sony’s IMX555 sensor as opposed to the Samsung 60MP Isocell GN1 sensor. Tomsguide reports that this will be complemented by a 12MP ultra-wide angle shooter and an 8MP telephoto lens—although no information is available on zoom capabilities so far.

We’ve also heard from Sammobile that the S20 FE will come with a 4,500mAh battery. This would be a significant upgrade over the existing base model S20, while you could also be getting IP68 dust and water resistance. Up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage is expected, while you’ll also get a microSD slot as a throwback to classic Galaxy devices.

At the moment, Samsung hasn’t confirmed the pricing and availability of the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition—or even if the model exists. However, reports suggest that we could be looking at a price tag of USD750 (~RM3,180), which could put this in direct competition against the yet-to-be-launched iPhone 12. For some context, the iPhone 11 is currently priced from RM3,399—so it will be interesting to see how the specs add up.

If the rumours are true, and we do see a Snapdragon 865 processor and a 120Hz display, the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition could be a genuinely serious contender—and not just for the iPhone 12, but for other similarly priced Android devices like the OnePlus 8.

For now, we’ll have to wait for more information. A possibility is that Samsung chooses to launch the “affordable” Fan Edition at their Galaxy Unpacked event on the 5th of August 2020, although this hasn’t been confirmed.

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