Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G Canadian pre-orders begin Oct. 1, starting price at $950

Samsung is bringing some of the high-end specs we've seen in its S20 series into a slightly more affordable package, which the company is quick to acknowledge is its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The new Galaxy S20 FE 5G (FE standing for Fan Edition) gets features like low-band 5G connectivity, the same Qualcomm/Exynos chipset as the premium S20s, IP68 water resistance, and even some of the same camera tech available on the S20 and S20 Plus. One of the compromises is that its back is made of plastic instead of glass.

All of these will come at a starting price of $949.99 in Canada, with pre-orders starting on October 1 at Samsung Experience Stores, through Samsung.com/ca, major Canadian retailers and carriers. The phones will come in the six new colours (Cloud Red, Cloud Orange, Cloud Lavender, Cloud Mint, Cloud Navy, and Cloud White), and it'll be available for purchase starting October 16.

Drew Blackard, vice president of product management for Samsung Electronics America, told CNET ahead of the product launch, "We've seen the need for a really more value-segmented offer that focuses on those core features that we know our users love the most and prioritize the most."

The pandemic has forced Samsung to develop and release the S20 FE earlier than expected, which the company can do as it controls many parts of its supply chain. The FE will arrive around seven months after the S20 was first introduced when previous Lite versions would take over a year before they get released.

People aren't focusing on buying top-of-the-line phones right now. CCS Insight reports that the phone market struggles during this pandemic as people are opting to save or spend more on PCs and other work-from-home and entertainment-related tech.

But now, the company hopes that introducing a more affordable S20 option would appeal to more buyers. 

Some of the other features included in the Galaxy S20 FE include a 6.5-inch FHD+ AMOLED Infinity-O Display with a 120Hz refresh rate; triple rear camera setup with 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens, 12-megapixel wide lens, and 8-megapixel telephoto lens; and a 4,500mAh battery with support for fast wireless charging, PowerShare, and 25-watt wired charging.

Samsung claims the cutout for the 32-megapixel selfie camera is its smallest yet, allowing you to see more of the large display. Its telephoto lens allows for up to 30x zoom. Other camera features like tracking autofocus, Night Mode, Single Take, and Super Steady are available on the S20 FE.

We're getting the single SIM, 6GB RAM model with 128GB internal storage (expandable up to 1TB).

Source: Samsung