The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G is powered by the Snapdragon 865 (non-plus) chipset, the same as the original S20 trio. The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE has a 4500mAh battery, matching the Galaxy S20 Plus and outperforming all the other S20 models in my tests. This is almost certainly down to the Snapdragon 865 chip, which seems to be far more efficient than its Exynos counterpart. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has a resistance rating of IP68. This means it's dust resistant and water resistant up to 1.5m deep for 30 minutes. However, it's not waterproof so isn't recommended for snorkelling. Low light performance is fine and you can get good shots without great light either in the default mode or the more specific Night option. I find Samsung’s Night mode a little behind some of the rivals, tending to over-brighten and blow out highlights. Still, it’s there if you’re in a very dark situation.

Samsung sent us the 5G variant of the S20 FE for this review, which means we can finally judge whether or not non-UK Samsung owners have been getting the better end of the deal until now. The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE has a 6.5-inch screen, bigger than the 6.2-inch display on the Galaxy S20, but smaller than the 6.7-inch and 6.9-inch screens on the S20 Plus and S20 Ultra. This display is broken up by a ‘punch-hole’ cut-out in the top-center – it’s pretty small, and so doesn’t steal much screen space.

Capture all your best bits on camera

The 5G version of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset, while the 4G version uses Samsung’s own Exynos 990. Both are top-end chipsets (while there is a 865 Plus, it’s more a gaming-oriented upgrade), but we’ve found that Snapdragon 8-series processors typically outperform their Exynos counterparts. That’s up to you with our flexible custom plans, which put you in control. Design a plan to suit your needs by choosing how much you want to pay upfront and spreading the cost of your monthly bills.

Now, if you do go for the cheaper 4G version then you will get the Samsung Exynos 990. This variation won’t be available in the States. Paired with that chipset you’ve got 6GB of fast RAM, and 128GB of expandable storage. The 120Hz refresh rate is here though, which the display updates 120 times per second, so twice as fast as the 60Hz ‘standard’ of many other smartphones (including the Note 20). A higher refresh rate makes motion look smoother, whether you’re playing games or swiping through menus, although depending on what you’re doing you won’t necessarily notice the difference. It’s worth pointing out that 120Hz is the maximum setting, and you can drop down to 60Hz in the settings if you want to save on battery life. The FE retains an OLED panel with a small cutout at the top for the front camera, however it tops out at FHD+ rather than WQHD+ like on the Galaxy S20. As you couldn’t combine 120hz and the higher-res anyway, this change seems fine to me. Up until now there was a Snapdragon 865-powered Galaxy S20 FE with 5G thanks to the Qualcomm X55 modem and an Exynos 990-powered Galaxy S20 that tops out at 4G and was also cheaper.Calls to 05, 08 and 07 special numbers including calls and texts to Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man landline or mobiles

At launch the following colors will be available: Cloud Red, Cloud Orange, Cloud Lavender, Cloud Mint, Cloud Navy and Cloud White. Note that some colors may not be available in all countries and for all configurations of the S20 FE. The main 12MP sensor takes some really great snaps, which shouldn’t come as a surprise as it’s a camera we’ve seen multiple times before and been impressed with on each occasion. Samsung remains the king when it comes to colour-rich, deeply saturated and slightly oversharpened shots and those traits are clear to see here. These images are primed for social media and I can completely understand why they’re so popular.

It’s all in the design

The IP68 rating means it's dust and water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 minutes). It also has fingerprint and Samsung Pay capabilities and between 128GB and 256GB of internal storage. The selfie camera is different too, featuring a 32MP sensor (0.8 µm pixels) with 4-in-1 pixel binning. This cam appears to be the one we’ve seen in some A-series models. Samsung's OLED panel really shined when watching an episode of Cobra Kai. As Sam LaRusso crashed into a dessert table, the explosion of color really came through, with pops of green, blue, brown and orange.