Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition vs OnePlus 8: Which is the best flagship killer of 2020?

Samsung recently unveiled the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition, with a spec sheet nearly identical to that of the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20 Plus at a much lower price. The Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition’s price will start at USD 700 (Roughly Rs 51,800) for the 5G model in the US. At the moment, there is no word on the pricing of the 4G version of the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition. Additionally, we also don’t know when and if the devices will be unveiled in Indian markets.

Going by pricing in the US, you can tell that the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition is not far off from the price of the OnePlus 8. So, we thought it would be worth comparing the two devices to see if Samsung finally unveiled a smartphone worthy of the flagship killer moniker.

OnePlus 8 vs Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition

First off, the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition comes in a selection of very bright finishes, while the OnePlus 8 arrives in both bright and darker shades. While design is mostly subjective, OnePlus does offer a bit of an advantage in build quality. The OnePlus 8 not only uses a newer version of Gorilla Glass but also has a glass back panel as opposed to the plastic back on the S20 Fan Edition. However, in our view, the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition wins this round, on account of the IP68 rating, which offers much more utility than a glass back.

Performance 

In terms of performance, both phones are pretty evenly matched, utilizing the same chipset. While you won’t notice much of a difference, OnePlus phones are known to be performance beasts. It is worth noting that the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition 4G comes with the Exynos 990 SoC, which is not nearly as capable as the Snapdragon 865 chip.

Display

Samsung has upped the ante in terms of the display, offering a panel that is identical to the Galaxy S20 series in almost every way but resolution. The screen retains the 120Hz refresh rate but is limited to FHD+ resolution. This shouldn’t make that much of a difference as the flagship Galaxy S20 devices cannot refresh at 120Hz in their full QHD+ resolution. The display on the OnePlus 8 is not far behind the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition, with the only difference being its lower refresh rate.

Battery

The Galaxy S20 Fan Edition has a slightly larger battery than the OnePlus 8 and is not far behind in terms of charging speed. However, Samsung only includes a 15W adapter in the box, despite the support for 25W fast charging. Additionally, the Galaxy S20 SE also offers the benefit of wireless charging. Software is anybody’s game really.

Software

Both One UI and OxygenOS are two of the best software skins you’ll find, delivering an experience akin to stock Android. Software will largely depend on your personal preference, but if you are a new user, you’ll find the experience excellent no matter which device you pick.

Cameras

Since we haven’t tested the cameras on both these devices, it will be difficult to tell which one offers a better experience. However, going by the rear camera sensors, you can see Samsung offers more flexibility. The telephoto lens, which was so great on the OnePlus 8 Pro, isn’t available on the standard OnePlus 8, giving Samsung a clear advantage here. On paper, the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition definitely has a better set of cameras than the OnePlus 8.

Conclusion

With the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition, it looks like Samsung has found a worthy successor to the Galaxy S10 Lite. The Galaxy S20 Fan Edition has the upper hand against the OnePlus 8 in several areas. Considering its spec sheet, the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition is certainly shaping up to be one of the best, if not the best, flagship killer of 2020, thus far.