Galaxy S20 Fan Edition tipped for October, might skimp on camera specs

Last month we reported that Samsung is working on a more affordable Galaxy S20 device to prop up its ailing flagship sales. Initially referred to as the Galaxy S20 Lite, the phone was rumored to be the spiritual successor of the Galaxy S10 Lite.

Now, South Korean publication The Elec (via SamMobile) reports that the phone, now referred to as the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition, will launch later this year.

Whatever the phone is called at launch, the cheaper S20 will sport less impressive specs in exchange for a more reasonable price. This doesn’t mean it will be a compact device though. The report suggests the S20 Fan Edition won’t feature a display smaller than 6.5-inches.

See also: The best cheap Samsung phones you can get

The S20 Fan Edition will reportedly employ three camera sensors, but they likely won’t set the photography world alight. A 12MP primary camera, a 12MP ultra-wide snapper, and an 8MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom are set to feature on the phone’s rear.

Although sporting similar optical zoom figures, the Fan Edition’s telephoto camera is a considerable step down from the S20 series 64MP telephoto snapper. There’s also no time-of-flight sensor here, presumably to keep costs down, but the phone will reportedly include a 32MP sensor for selfies.

That’s a disappointing camera lineup on paper, even when compared to some Galaxy A models. The ~$450 Galaxy A71 for instance sports a quad-camera setup with a 64MP primary snapper. It’s also not yet clear if the S20 Fan Edition will employ the same 12MP primary camera used on the premium S20 devices either.

While the report doesn’t specify any details beyond the display size and camera setup, the S20 Fan Edition will likely be powered by the Snapdragon 865. Remember, the S10 Lite used the same chipset employed by the Snapdragon 855-powered S10 series.

Galaxy S20 Fan Edition: The price is everything

As for the launch date and pricing info, Samsung is expected to announce the phone in October for ~$750. That’s a fair dip below the S20’s $999 launch price, but a substantial $100 increase over the S10 Lite at debut. Considering how often the cheapest Galaxy S20 goes on sale, and the reasonable value for money the company’s Galaxy A models offer, the Fan Edition’s price could make or break its success.

The S20 Fan Edition will also have to contend with a congested mid-range segment that will soon see the sub-$500 OnePlus Nord join the fray. And although the Realme X50 5G and Redmi K30 5G don’t sport the fastest silicon, you could possibly snag both for the price of a single Fan Edition. For US buyers, there’s also the small matter of the $399 iPhone SE 2020 to consider too.

Nevertheless, despite a competitive mid-range, Samsung reportedly expects to sell around five million of these devices by the end of the year.

Next: Samsung Galaxy Note 20: Everything we know so far