Samsung has launched its latest 5G smartphone in the country, the Galaxy S20 FE 5G. The new smartphone from Samsung is the company's latest bet for the entry-level of the premium segment of the market. The device comes with an interesting spec sheet and a premium design. There's also a triple camera set-up at the back for added measure.
However, before it can be counted among the best in the segment, it will have to fend off competition from devices such as the OnePlus 9. This new phone from OnePlus offers flagship-level specifications and experience to rival even the most expensive phones in the market. Let's compare the specifications and features of the two devices to understand what they bring to the table.
In terms of displays, both phones offer a truly immersive and premium experience. The Galaxy S20 FE 5G comes with a 6.5-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-O display with a 120Hz refresh rate and punch-hole. The display supports HDR10+ and is also rated to achieve a 240Hz touch response rate for fluid scrolling and seamless gaming. As for the design, the phone is available in Cloud Navy, Cloud Mint and Cloud Lavender colours. The Galaxy S20 FE 5G features a textured haze effect that minimizes fingerprints and smudges.
In comparison, the OnePlus 9 offers a slightly bigger display. However, it is the same display as the OnePlus 8T. The display here is a flat 6.55-inch AMOLED screen with a Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) resolution. The display has a punch-hole cut out for the selfie camera and supports a 120Hz high refresh rate. It is topped with a layer of Gorilla Glass for added protection against drops. OnePlus 9 measures 8.1 millimetres in thickness and weighs 183 grams. The chassis is made from fibreglass-reinforced polymer. It is being offered in three colourways: Winter Mist with a gradient finish, Arctic Sky with a matte finish and Astral Black with a glossy finish.
Samsung galaxy S20 FE 5G brings a 6.5-inch display. (Photo: Samsung)
With the Galaxy S20 FE 5G, Samsung has gone for trusted Qualcomm hardware — instead of its in-house Exynos chipset solution. As such, underneath the hood, there's Qualcomm's powerful Snapdragon 865 SoC paired with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage that is further expandable via a microSD card slot. The hardware is tasked to run a copy of Android 11-based OneUI 3.1.
As for the OnePlus 9, the phone features slightly more powerful hardware as it is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor that has an octa-core CPU and is paired with up to 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB UFS3.1 storage option to choose from. It runs on OxygenOS which is based on Android 11 out-of-the-box.
For those looking for a future-proof device, both the phones support 4G LTE and more importantly 5G basebands.
As for the cameras, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G comes with a triple camera set-up that houses a primary 12MP wide-angle camera, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and an 8MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and up to 30x Super-Resolution Zoom. For selfies, the Galaxy S20 FE comes with a 32MP lens. The phone also supports the Single Take feature which allows users to capture up to 14 different formats of photos and videos in a single click.
In comparison, the OnePlus 9 also gets triple cameras on the back featuring a 48MP primary camera that uses Sony IMX689 sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and EIS support. There is a secondary 50MP ultra-wide-angle camera based on the IMX766 sensor with a free form lens that produces a picture with a 140-degree field of view. This is followed by a 2MP monochrome camera that works in tandem with the primary camera to create crisp black and white pictures. Some new features include a Tilt-Shift mode, Hasselblad Pro mode and the rear cameras can record in 8K up to 30FPS and 4K UHD at up to 60FPS. On the front, there is a 16MP selfie camera that uses the Sony IMX471 sensor.
OnePlus 9 gets three cameras at the back. (Photo: Digit/ Prateek Khatri)
While the two phones offer competing specifications, the OnePlus 9 is definitely the more affordable of the two, as the phone has launched at a starting price of Rs 49,999 for the base 8GB+128GB storage variant and Rs 54,999 for the 12GB+256GB option. The phone will go on sale from April 15 in India.
The Galaxy S20 FE 5G is slightly more expensive as it has launched in India at a "special introductory" price of Rs 47,999 — including an Rs 8,000 cashback. Without the offer, the phone is available for purchase at a price of Rs 55,999. The device is already available for purchase from Samsung.com, Amazon.in, Samsung Exclusive Stores and leading retail outlets.