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The Google Pixel 5 is the most powerful smartphone Google announced in 2020. The Galaxy S20 FE, on the other hand, is the latest high-end smartphone Samsung presented. In this article, we’re going to compare the Google Pixel 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S20 FE. These two phones come with similar price tags, though they are quite different, in a number of ways.
They may have similar price tags, but their internals are not exactly similar, and the same goes for their designs as well. Google and Samsung opted for considerably different approaches here. These phones are aiming at somewhat different types of users, even though they do have similar price tags.
As per usual, we’ll compare the two phones across a number of categories. We’ll kick off by comparing their specifications, and will then move to the design, display, performance, battery, cameras, and audio departments. There’s much to talk about here, so let’s kick off the Google Pixel 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S20 FE comparison, shall we.
Specs
| Google Pixel 5 | Samsung Galaxy S20 FE | |
| Screen size | 6-inch fullHD+ OLED display (90Hz) | 6.5-inch fullHD+ Super AMOLED display (120Hz) |
| Screen resolution | 2340 x 1080 | 2400 x 1080 |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 |
| RAM | 8GB (LPDDR4X) | 6GB (LPDDR5) |
| Storage | 128GB, non-expandable | 128GB; Non-Expandable |
| Rear cameras | 12.2MP (f/1.7 aperture, 27mm lens, 1.4um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, OIS) 16MP (ultra-wide, f/2.2 aperture, 1.0um pixel size, 107-degree FoV) |
12MP (f/1.8 aperture, 1.8um pixel size, Dual Pixel AF, OIS) 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 123-degree FoV, 1.12um pixel size, ultrawide) 8MP (f/2.4 aperture, 1.0um pixel size, telephoto, 3x optical zoom, OIS) |
| Front cameras | 8MP (f/2.0 aperture, 24mm lens, 1.12um pixel size) | 32MP (f/2.2 aperture, 80-degree FoV, 0.8um pixel size) |
| Battery | 4,000mAh, non-removable, 18W fast battery charging, 18W wireless charging, reverse wireless charging | 4,500mAh, non-removable, 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, Wireless PowerShare |
| Dimensions | 144.7 x 70.4 x 8.0 mm | 159.8 x 74.5 x 8.4mm |
| Weight | 151 grams | 190 grams |
| Connectivity | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C |
| Security | Rear-facing fingerprint scanner | In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) |
| OS | Android 11 | Android 10 One UI 2.5 |
| Price | $699 | $699 |
| Buy | Samsung |
Google Pixel 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S20 FE: Design
These two phones are quite different when it comes to the design. First and foremost, they’re quite different when it comes to size itself. The Google Pixel 5 is a much smaller smartphone. It’s considerably shorter, narrower, and it’s also thinner. On top of all that, it weighs less, it weighs 151 grams compared to 190 grams of the Galaxy S20 FE. Its display is only 0.5 inches smaller, though.
Speaking of the display, the Google Pixel 5 includes a display camera hole in the top-left corner. The Galaxy S20 FE, on the other hand, sports a display camera hole at the top as well, but in its case, it’s centered. Both phones have really thin bezels, though the Google Pixel 5 also has uniform bezels. The Galaxy S20 FE’s bottom bezel is a bit thinner than the rest of them. The Google Pixel 5 also comes with slightly more rounded edges.
Build materials are also different here. The Google Pixel 5 comes with an aluminum unibody build, even though its back is covered by plastic. Well, that plastic does feel slightly rubbery, so it’s great for gripping the phone. The Galaxy S20 FE, on the other hand, sports a regular plastic back, even though it may seem like glass. The Pixel 5 also includes a rear-facing fingerprint scanner, while the Galaxy S20 FE’s is placed under the display.
Google Pixel 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S20 FE: Display
The Google Pixel 5 features a 6-inch fullHD+ (2340 x 1080) OLED display. That display runs at 90Hz, so it’s a high refresh rate panel. The Galaxy S20 FE, on the other hand, sports a 6.5-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) Super AMOLED display. This panel actually supports a 120Hz refresh rate. So, Samsung’s handset does have a bigger display, but it’s also considerably bigger in general. The tradeoff may not be worth it for you, as the Pixel 5’s display is big enough… but, that’s up to you.
Both of those displays are flat, by the way, completely. They both support HDR10+ content as well. Now, when it comes to day-to-day-usage, both of these panels are gorgeous. I personally think that nobody needs higher resolution than fullHD on smartphones, as it’s nearly impossible to notice the difference between fullHD and QHD. That is especially true if quality fullHD panels are in use, and that’s definitely the case here.
Both of these displays are great, they’re vibrant, the colors are quite punchy, and the viewing angles are also great. There’s not much to complain about here. I’d just like to mention that the Pixel 5 doesn’t exactly get bright enough for comfortable usage in direct sunlight, the Galaxy S20 FE is a bit better in that regard. Other than that, there’s not much to complain about here, really. Chances are you’ll be more than happy with both of these panels.
Google Pixel 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S20 FE: Performance
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is a more powerful smartphone from the hardware perspective. The phone is fueled by the Snapdragon 865 SoC, a flagship-grade processor. On top of that, it offers faster RAM and storage modules compared to the Pixel 5. That is not something you’ll notice in day-to-day usage, though, at least not at the moment. You may notice it when it comes to firing up games, as the Galaxy S20 FE will open it faster. The performance, though, will feel pretty much the same.
The Google Pixel 5 is fueled by the Snapdragon 765G. That is a mid-range processor, but it’s optimized for gaming, and it’s an excellent performer. Both phones will feel really snappy in regular usage, when it comes to multitasking, consuming multimedia, and so on. The Galaxy S20 FE may be more future-proof thanks to that processor and other components, though. On the other hand, the Pixel 5 will get more updates than the Galaxy S20 FE moving forward. So, each of them has its advantages in this regard. For the time being, though, you’ll be happy with the performance of both phones.
Google Pixel 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S20 FE: Battery
Battery life is important, of course. Nobody wants their phone to die in the middle of the day. Well, you’ll be glad to hear that both of these phones deliver in that regard. The Google Pixel 5 does offer more in terms of battery life, though, at least in our experience. You’ll be able to cross that 7-hour screen-on-time mark with this phone, as long as you’re not gaming a lot, or doing other processor-intensive tasks. The Galaxy S20 FE is also good, but not this good when it comes to battery longevity.
This will, of course, depend on your usage. Your mileage may vary, as each of us uses our devices in a different way. The point is, the Pixel 5 will probably offer more in this regard no matter the way you slice it. The Galaxy S20 FE does have its advantages in the battery department, though.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE does support faster charging than the Pixel 5. It supports 25W fast wired charging, compared to 18W charging on the Pixel 5. It also supports 15W fast wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging. The Google Pixel 5 also supports wireless charging, at 18W. Reverse wireless charging is also supported by the phone. So, you have plenty of options with both devices.
Google Pixel 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S20 FE: Cameras
Both of these phones offer great camera performance. There’s really no doubt about that, the only question is… what do you prefer. If you’re used to images provided by previous Pixel smartphones, and you like them, the Pixel 5 is the phone for you. Google’s image processing algorithms are excellent, and the Pixel 5 performs great in pretty much all lighting conditions. In low light, it manages to pull out a ton of detail from the shadows thanks to Night Sight.
The Galaxy S20 FE is a bit heavier on saturation, and images from that phone do turn up more vivid. Dynamic range is better on the Pixel 5, but not by much, the Galaxy S20 FE does keep up. The S20 FE also performs really well in low light, no doubt about that. Ultra-wide cameras are excellent on both smartphones, while both of them can record 4K video at 60 FPS. All in all, both phones are excellent in the camera department.
Audio
When it comes to audio, well… things are quite interesting. The Galaxy S20 FE offers better sound from its speakers. It has two speakers, the main one at the bottom, and the secondary above the display. The sound is loud, sharp, and good overall. The Pixel 5, on the other hand, has an excellent speaker at the bottom, while the second one is placed under the display. The overall sound is good, but that secondary speaker cannot measure up to a regular front-facing one.
If you hook up a pair of headphones to either phone, the sound is really good. We didn’t notice too much difference between them, in terms of such performance. Both are fairly good across the spectrum, and are on par with other flagship-grade phones on the market. We’ve heard a better sound, but the vast majority of people won’t complain, at all.