Considering their price points, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and iPhone 11 are in direct competition with each other. Needless to say, they offer distinct user experiences since they run on different operating systems and, by the same token, have varying ecosystems. That’s besides their specs and features too.
The question is, which smartphone is better? We compare the Galaxy S20 FE and the iPhone 11 to see how they stack up against each other. That way, we can help you figure out which one is the best handset for you.
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Samsung Galaxy S20 FE vs iPhone 11 Comparison Chart
Display and Design
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE’s screen is bigger and sharper than the iPhone 11’s.
Right off the bat, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE has a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-O display with a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ support. It beats the iPhone 11’s notched 6.1-inch 1792 x 828 Liquid Retina IPS LCD by a lot, and to put two and two together, it’s sharper at 407 ppi as opposed to 326 ppi.
Thing is, the Galaxy S20 FE sports a plastic back, which helps keep its cost down compared to the other models in the Galaxy S20 series. Meanwhile, the iPhone 11 has a glass back, which feels more premium and looks sleeker. But in the Galaxy S20 FE’s defense, it does have narrower bezels, giving it a more modern appearance from the front.
Both have an IP68 water and dust resistance, so they’re on par with each other there. For the record, that means they can survive in water up to 1.5 meters deep for up to 30 minutes. Between the two, the Galaxy S20 FE is slightly bigger at 6.2 x 2.9 x 0.3 inches (height, width, and depth, respectively) as compared to the iPhone 11’s measurements of 5.9 x 2.9 x 0.3 inches. In the same vein, there’s little to no difference in weight too, with the former coming in at 0.41 lbs and the latter at 0.42 lbs.
Last but not least, each one has six color options—Cloud Navy, Cloud Lavender, Cloud Mint, Cloud Red, Cloud White, and Cloud Orange for the Galaxy S20 FE; and White, Black, Green, Yellow, Purple, and (PRODUCT)RED for the iPhone 11.
Click here for our comparison between the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and Galaxy S21.
Performance and Battery
Both the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and iPhone 11 have similar performance.
Samsung didn’t sacrifice speed for a lower price point with the Galaxy S20 FE, and Apple did the same with the iPhone 11. In other words, they have the same processors as their pricier counterparts in their respective lineups: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 in Samsung’s case and an A13 Bionic chip in Apple’s.
However, pitting Android and iOS on this front is like comparing apples and oranges. That said, the two can deliver a somewhat similar performance, according to Geekbench results. To be exact, the Galaxy S20 FE nets a 789 single-core score and a 2,955 multi-core score. While the iPhone 11 nabs a comparable 2,971 multi-core score, it does win by a mile in the single-core test, scoring 1,305 points. That’s despite the former having 6GB of RAM as opposed to the latter’s 4GB RAM.
One advantage the Galaxy S20 FE does have is it starts with 128GB of internal storage instead of the iPhone 11’s 64GB, both variants of which have the same price tag. Moreover, it has a microSD card slot that can expand its capacity by up to 1TB.
The Galaxy S20 FE also has a larger 4,500 mAh battery than the iPhone 11’s 3,100 mAh battery. On top of that, it supports faster 25W charging than the iPhone 11’s 18W charging, as well as 15W fast wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. In addition, it’s the only one that supports 5G connectivity. Apple only began including support for the 5th-generation mobile network with the iPhone 12.
Camera and Other Features
The iPhone 11 can offer a more solid camera experience than the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE.
On paper, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE seemingly has better cameras. After all, it has 12MP wide, 8MP telephoto, and 12MP ultrawide lenses, while the iPhone 11 only has two cameras that consist of 12MP wide and 12MP ultrawide lenses. However, Apple included a lot of nifty software to improve shots, including the AI-powered semantic rendering feature and smart HDR.
But Samsung isn’t one to be left behind. Thanks to the Galaxy S20 FE’s telephoto lens, it can zoom up to 30x, but it goes without saying that picture quality will take a hit when turned all the way up. It has Single Take as well that lets it take numerous photos and videos with just one tap.
Now the Galaxy S20 FE has a 32MP front-facing camera, which, again, looks like it’s got the iPhone 11’s 12MP snapper beat at first glance. But the iPhone 11’s is more advanced, seeing as it’s a TrueDepth camera. This paves the way for Face ID, its go-to biometric security feature. It has also made Animoji and Memoji possible. For those who don’t know, they’re 3D avatars that respond to facial expressions, and they can be used for FaceTime calls.
Speaking of, the Galaxy S20 FE has an optical fingerprint reader under the hood. It may not be as fast as an ultrasonic one, but it gets the job done. On the other hand, the iPhone 11 doesn’t have a fingerprint scanner, relying on Face ID to unlock it and make secured payments.
Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE provides more bang for the buck than the iPhone 11.
If we had to choose here, we’d go with the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE. It has the better display, owing to its higher resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. But more importantly, it has 5G support, a bigger battery, and faster charging speed. Besides, it begins with 128GB, giving more value for money.
For those invested in Apple’s ecosystem, the iPhone 11 can offer a more streamlined experience overall. Plus, it has Face ID and excellent cameras with software that bring the whole experience to another level. However, those aren’t enough to tilt the scales to its favor, especially for someone who’s open to getting either an iOS or Android smartphone.
FAQs
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is arguably better than the iPhone 11 because of its sharper Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, bigger starting storage, higher RAM, and 5G connectivity. However, the two are similar when it comes to performance.
No, the iPhone 11 doesn’t support 5G.
Just like the other models in the Galaxy S20 series, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE also supports a refresh rate of 120Hz.
Yes, the iPhone 11 is an excellent smartphone that’s budget-friendly. It features Face ID, superb camera software, and Animoji and Memoji to boot.
Last update on 2022-08-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API