Samsung Galaxy S20 FE: a new variant with the Snapdragon 865 SoC, but without 5G, may be on the way

The Galaxy S20 Fan Edition (FE) is Samsung's latest take on mid-range versions of its early-year flagship phones. It was launched in Exynos 990- and Snapdragon 865-powered flavors in late 2020, and is still seeing new releases in certain markets; for example, the latter has only just become available in India today (March 30, 2021). However, new rumors might throw a wrench into any resulting purchase plans for some consumers in that market.

They are based on new leaks that strongly indicate the imminent launch of a new version of the 865-based Galaxy S20 FE. Like the existing model, it is projected to come with 6GB of RAM; however, it is also touted to drop the discrete X55 modem that normally partners it in practically every phone to date. In other words, it is slated to become a new 4G/LTE-only model.

Therefore, this might be a boon to those who would have been fine with a non-5G S20 FE, but who also didn't want an Exynos processor. Even today, a gap of about US$80 exists between the 2 variants' asking prices. The putative "new" 4G/LTE model, known as the Samsung SM-G780G on Geekbench, has also been certified by the Thai regulator NBTC.

This new documentation confirms its place in the S20 series by name, and also that it seems to support not 1 but 2 5G-less SIMs. Finally, its model number has now also reportedly appeared on the support sections of the UK, Filipino and Malaysian Samsung websites. Therefore, it seems this new Galaxy S20 FE (4G/LTE) might indeed launch, and in multipe countries, soon.