The Note 20 has already hit shelves and the Fold 2 isn't far off, but Samsung isn't done with new smartphones for the year. The manufacturer has confirmed it will hold another "Unpacked" presentation on September 24 where it is tipped to unveil the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition, an ever-so-slightly stripped down version of the Galaxy S20. And given the virtual event is being promoted on the Samsung Australia website, it certainly sounds like we'll be getting another new Samsung phone in the not so distant future.
The Galaxy S20 Fan Edition is expected to essentially serve as an entry-level device in the Galaxy S series. It's set to retain a lot of the Galaxy S20's high-end features such as a top-tier processor and a 120Hz display, but make a few trade-offs to keep the price down.
For example, while the display is said to have a 120Hz refresh rate like the S20, the Fan Edition screen will max out at 1080p in terms of resolution, rather than Quad HD. Similar trade-offs are expected in terms of camera, with the phone set to tout an 8MP 3x zoom lens instead of a 48MP 3x zoom lens. It's unclear how the S20 Fan Edition's primary and ultra-wide lens will stack-up to the lenses found in the standard S20.
The below is a leaked image of the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition design:
Expected specifications for the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition include a Snapdragon 865 processor, a flat 6.5-inch 1080p+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, IP68 water-resistance and a 4,500mAh. The camera configuration is said to be made up of a 12MP primary lens, 12MP ultra-wide lens, and 8MP 3x zoom lens. At this stage it isn't clear whether all Fan Edition variants will use a Snapdragon 865 processor, or if some will feature a Samsung-made Exynos chip. 5G support is likely, but not confirmed.
Notably, the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition is set to come in six different colous: navy, teal, white, red, lilac, and orange. At this stage, it's unclear whether we'll see every colour variant in Australia. Samsung's local teaser banner for the upcoming announcement has navy and teal elements, so those seem likely.
We've yet to hear anything about local pricing, but the Galaxy S20 now starts at $1,149 locally for a 4G variant. Given the Fan Edition is set to be cheaper, a starting price of $999 would make sense. If Samsung has a 5G model, we'd expect that to add $150 to the price-tag, given that's the company's typical 5G premium.
The return to Fan Edition branding is rather peculiar, given the ill-fated Note 7 is the only other instance where Samsung has used the moniker. After discontinuing the Note 7 due to its tendency to catch fire, Samsung relaunched it almost a full year later as the Galaxy Note Fan Edition. The device was for all intents and purposes a Note 7 with a smaller, less explodey battery. The Note Fan Edition was only ever available in South Korea.
Alex Choros
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