Samsung unveiled its Galaxy S20 Fan Edition (FE) today and it’s going to keep releasing those every year. That’s based on recent reports stemming from an announcement from Samsung. Summarily, as of this device’s announcement, Samsung will release an FE variant annually.
Why is it a big deal that Samsung wants to release Fan Edition versions?
At least at the surface, the news is going to be great for buyers. Especially since the new Samsung is still a true flagship smartphone but doesn’t cost four figures like the original.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE starts out at just $699 — $400 below the cost of the original Galaxy S20 and just $100 more than the Galaxy A71 5G.
Despite its low entry fee, the Fan Edition device is still packed with a 6.5-inch Full HD+ AMOLED panel and has a native 120Hz refresh rate. It still packs a Snapdragon 865 SoC too.
Memory is a little lower at 6GB but the 128GB storage hits the flagship mark nicely in line with the original. Powering all of that, and Samsungs newest OneUI iteration of Android, is a capacious 4,500mAh battery. And that should actually last longer due to the smaller flat display.
The phone does have a plastic rear panel and that flat display panel will be offputting to some. But the phone also comes in six colors. Those are Cloud Navy, Cloud Red, Cloud Lavender, Cloud Mint, Cloud White and Cloud Orange. And it goes further to include the flagship camera sensors — two 12-megapixel snappers and an 8-megapixel telephoto lens. That’s coupled with a whopping 32-megapixel selfie shooter.
The Galaxy S20 FE is the better value and future phones might be too
All of that is to say the new Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is arguably a much better value than its $1000 counterpart. And that’s without consideration for the fact that Samsung is offering the same 3-year software update promise as its other flaghips.
Now, there’s no guarantee Samsung will continue making its Fan Edition flagships quite so high a value in the future. It could take more shortcuts than simply swapping the glass back for plastic. For instance, it might use a weaker processor next time around. Or Samsung might keep the value high in a bid to bolster its position as the world’s premier smartphone OEM.
The move makes some sense, given this year’s lackluster sales. But, as things currently stand, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and its future iterations could easily cannibalize and potentially negate the value of its more expensive counterparts.