Samsung, in 2021, undoubtedly hit the mark with many products, and inexorably one of the questions you asked us most often in the comments was: how much difference is there between a Galaxy A52s 5G and a Galaxy S20 FE and Galaxy S21 FE? More than legitimate question given that with the recent price drops of the first two, the figures have almost overlapped.
So let’s see the differences in this comparison in more detail.
Comparison of Galaxy A52s, S20 FE, and S21 FE
Ergonomics and design
Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G earns a worthy second place in a hypothetical ranking regarding design, ergonomics, and size and weight ratio. It outperforms the older Galaxy S20 FE but just can’t keep up with the new Galaxy S21 FE. Here are some data:
Note that all three are certified against water and dust, while the S20 FE and S21 FE reach IP 68 rating, so they support diving up to 30 minutes at 1.5 meters depth, the A52s 5G only resists fast dives. The latter, however, has a pro that may be of interest to many: it is equipped with a 3.5 mm hole to connect wired headphones.
From the front, all three amply satisfy expectations, even if it should be noted that in the past Galaxy S20 FE presented some multitouch problems now apparently resolved. In detail I display I am:
- Samsung Galaxy S20 FE: 6.5 inches Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 680 nits; There have been several cases of display problems, on the touchscreen for example, although recently it seems that everything has more or less been isolated
- Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G: 6.5 inches Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 800 nits;
- Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: 6.4 inches Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 1200 nits.
Slightly smaller therefore on the S21 FE which allows it to have an advantage in terms of ergonomics, it is only more compact which does not hurt in a market that is increasingly saturated with “frying pans“.
Cameras
The most important battlefield among these 3 products is definitely in the photographic sector. Here, too, are similar sensors and differences that are difficult to underline, albeit present. Watching the video you can see side by side the photos taken by Galaxy A52s 5G, Galaxy S20 FE, and Galaxy S21 FE with detailed commentary. Here we just summarize the technical specifications:
- Samsung Galaxy S20 FE:
- 12 MP, f / 1.8, 26mm (wide angle), 1 / 1.76 ″, 1.8µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS;
- 8 MP, f / 2.4, 76mm (telephoto), 1 / 4.5 ″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom;
- 12 MP, f / 2.2, 13mm, 123˚ (ultra-wide angle), 1 / 3.0 ″, 1.12µm.
- Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G:
- 64 mpx f / 1.8, 1 / 1.7X “, (wide angle), 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS;
- 12 mpx f / 2.2, 123˚ (ultra wide angle);
- 5 mpx f / 2.4 macro | 5 mpx f / 2.4 depth.
- Samsung Galaxy S21 FE:
- 12 MP, f / 1.8, 26mm (wide angle), 1 / 1.76 ″, 1.8µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS;
- 8 MP, f / 2.4, 76mm (telephoto), 1 / 4.5 ″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom;
- 12 MP, f / 2.2, 13mm, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1 / 3.0 ″, 1.12µm.
Software and performance
If on the software field the differences can be counted on the fingers of one hand, the discourse on performance is different where there are very different processors and GPUs.
Among the features, Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G is the only one of the 3 that cannot count on DEX mode, which is Desktop mode. It cannot, therefore, be connected to a screen or monitor to expand its functionality nor to reproduce what is on the display not having a USB Type C with video output. While Samsung Galaxy S20 FE has, less so, the lack of Google Discover on the Home screen. Everything else such as menus, pre-installed applications and anything else is identical, on the other hand, all three are already updated to Android 12 and Samsung One UI 4.0 interface.
About the performance instead, the main difference is on the GPU power: a comparison with 3D Bench underlines double performance in terms of FPS and yield on Galaxy S21 FE compared to Galaxy A52s 5G, a middle ground instead for Galaxy S20 FE. This means that if you are buying your next smartphone to play a lot, you should consider betting on the latest addition to Samsung.
Battery
In terms of battery, there are no differences: 4500 mAh with fast charging at 25W. Galaxy S20 Fe and S21 FE, however, have additional support for wireless charging. The yield, on the other hand, is slightly different, this time in favor of Samsung Galaxy S20 FE which, in practical terms, guarantees about 1-2 hours more autonomy, compared to the 4-5 hours of the A52s 5G and S21 FE.
In conclusion
In summary, which one to buy? Choose:
- Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G is confirmed once again as the most convincing for value for money; it is recent, always updated and it does not lack important features except, as mentioned, the DEX mode. Obviously, it is not flawless and it is still a mid-range smartphone (also in terms of performance) but certainly the right one for those who want to purchase with a “low cost, high yield”;
- Samsung Galaxy S20 FE on the other hand is a worthy rival but the fact that it has been on the market for just over a year and that it has already received 2 of the 3 updates relegates it to prefer it only if you are looking for slightly higher performance and autonomy, certainly not for an advantage on the display, camera or construction;
- Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is undoubtedly the best of the lot but also the most expensive, choose him if you don’t want to give up but certainly not if you want to save. If you want both things, the advice is to postpone the purchase until the new Samsung Galaxy S22 arrives on the market, this should lead to a significant drop in price.
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