Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G vs Samsung Galaxy A52 5G: which phone is best?

In 2021, there's no need to limit yourself to getting the latest iPhone. To help with making an informed choice, we've found the best Samsung phones going and today we're comparing the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G and Samsung Galaxy A52 5G. 

Both of these are on the more budget end of the Galaxy spectrum, often costing a lot less than the prestige Galaxy S21 line-up, but that doesn't come at the expense of any noticeable features or specs or, as it happens, 5G.

In recent years, Samsung has put a lot of work into rounding off the rough edges on some of its older handsets. The One UI skin on Android, for example, has become a lot smoother and more attractive over "pure" Android, as found on the Pixel range. The cameras, too, have come on leaps and bounds, easily competing with the iPhone. 

Together, all of these changes are very, very welcome and show the maturity of both the company and the Galaxy range in general. Gone are the days when recommending a Galaxy device came with qualifiers compared to an iPhone; they're easily on the same level now.

So, to help you save money while getting a fantastic smartphone, let's compare the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G and Samsung Galaxy A52 5G. 

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Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G vs Samsung Galaxy A52 5G: features and specifications

Before we start, the physical and internal differences between these two handsets are very small. In broad terms, the S20 FE is slightly more powerful than the A52, which is to be expected given the FE fits within the high-end S20 range and the A52 is firmly mid-tier.

They both have a 6.5-inch 120Hz edge-to-edge display with a pin-hole front camera that's basically unnoticeable in normal use; 6,500mAh batteries; between 6GB and 8GB of RAM; Android 11 with One UI 3.1; USB-C; under-display fingerprint sensors; and, of course, 5G connectivity. 

There are some differences: the A52 has a quad-camera system while the S20 makes do with a mere triple camera system; the A52 has a Snapdragon 750G processor, compared to the Snapdragon 865 in the S20; and the S20 is has IP68 water resistance (up to 1.5m for 30 minutes), compared to IP67 in the A52 (1m for 30 minutes). 

As you can see, the differences between the two are pretty tiny, meaning the A52 is closer to a high-end smartphone than the S20 FE is closer to a mid-range handset. 

• Read our five-star Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G review

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G vs Samsung Galaxy A52 5G: design and use

Perhaps the most noticeable difference between the S20 FE and the A52 is the range of colours on offer. The S20 comes in lavender, mint, navy, white, red, and orange, while the A52 comes in black, white, violet, and blue. If you love to have a brightly coloured phone, the S20 FE is the better bet. 

Other than that, the differences are pretty small. They have basically the exact same physical measurements, down to the millimetre, and come in at the same thickness (8.4mm). 

In use, the main variation we noticed between the S20 and A52 is speed. The slightly older Snapdragon processor in the A52 lags slightly more than the S20, although the difference is negligible in anything other than intense scenarios, like heavy multi-tasking. The cameras on both are superb, the 120Hz displays are silky smooth, the batteries last all-day, and water resistance is a nice addition. 

There really isn't that much that separates these two exceptional handsets, both of which will be more than enough for even someone swapping from a previous flagship Galaxy or iPhone. If you are worried about performance, go for the S20 FE, but for everyone else, choose the cheaper of the two. 

• Samsung Galaxy A52 5G review: perfect for point-and-shoot photography

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G vs Samsung Galaxy A52 5G: verdict

The differences between these two handsets are very slight: more power in the S20 FE is probably the biggest and most noticeable, a testament to how powerful and fully-featured the A52 is for a mid-range handset. 

Ultimately, we think you should choose the one that's cheapest with the most data (or even outright), unless you're concerned about running intense workloads. (But, if you are, a flagship S21 is probably more your speed.) The differences really are negligible and we thoroughly recommend both the S20 FE and A52. 

To help make the right choice for you, we've found some of the best deals for both. 

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