Samsung's $700 Galaxy S20 'FE' is a cheaper version of the $1,000 Galaxy S20 that keeps all the most important parts

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• Samsung's Galaxy S20 FE starts at $700 and is available to preorder now. It will be available to buy starting on October 2 in carrier stores and on Samsung's website.
• The Galaxy S20 FE is essentially a less expensive version of the flagship Galaxy S20 that was released earlier this year.
• The main differences are materials and cameras. The Galaxy S20 FE has a plastic back instead of glass, and the cameras aren't quite as highly-specced, but you still get a triple-lens camera.

Samsung's Galaxy S20 FE, which stands for "Fan Edition," was announced on September 23 as a less expensive version of the flagship Galaxy S20 lineup that was released earlier in 2020.

The Galaxy S20 FE starts at $700 and will be available in various carrier and vendor stores, as well as Samsung's website starting on October 2. It's available to preorder now from Samsung's site, where you can trade in a device for up to $450 off — reducing the potential price tag down to $250, which would be an incredible deal.

We haven't physically seen, held, or used the device, but the specs and feature list paint a good picture of the Galaxy S20 FE. For one, it starts at $700 compared to the Galaxy S20's $1,000 starting price, and the FE version comes with a good chunk of the specs and features from the flagship Galaxy S20.

You get a great Samsung screen at 1080p resolution, which is plenty for a large 6.5-inch screen. And, running things on board the phone is the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 865 processor that also powers the flagship S20 series, as well as most flagship Android phones released in 2020. That means the S20 FE should be snappy and smooth, especially with the 120Hz screen that makes for the ultra-fast and smooth experience while swiping around Android and apps.

5G is present on the phone, even if it's barely present out in the real world. At least you'll have a phone that supports 5G when those networks become more widespread.

Samsung altered a few things to bring the price lower. The Galaxy S20 FE's back, for example, is a matte plastic compared to the glossy glass on the flagship Galaxy S20. You also get slightly reduced camera specs, but you still get the versatile triple-lens camera that includes a standard wide, ultra-wide, and zoomed lenses.

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE specs

• Display: 6.5-inch 1080p 120Hz Super AMOLED
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
• Memory and storage: 6GB RAM & 128GB storage, expandable with microSD card up to 1TB
• Rear camera: 12-megapixel standard wide, 12-megapixel ultra-wide, 8-megapixel 3x optical zoomed and up to digital 30x zoom, OIS
• Selfie camera: 32-megapixel
• Battery: 4,500Ah
• Water resistance: IP68
• 5G: Yes