Galaxy S20 FE 5G vs Galaxy S21 FE 5G vs Galaxy A52s 5G....WHICH ONE IS IT?

[Gino76ph]

Here are my concerns about the Galaxy S20 FE 5G:
1. Older (albeit effective) chipset
2. Will not get Android 14 & One UI 6.0/6.1
3. Updates to Samsung Store and first-party apps may soon stop or slow down

My concerns about the Galaxy A52s 5G:
1. Older (and somewhat so-so) chipset
2. Stories of buggy cameras after Android 14/One UI 6.0 update
3. Updates to Samsung Store and first-party apps may slow down (but not sooner)

My other choice is the Galaxy S21 FE 5G but:
1. Older (and somewhat so-so) chipset with throttling/overheating issues leading to poor battery life
2. So-So cameras system but better than the other two (i think).
3. A bit confident Samsung Store and first-party apps will continue to get updates and will not slow down soon

I chose these three smartphones due to their Snapdragon chipset, having really good performance (after having multiple updates) and their size which is a rarity these days.

So, which one would you guys recommend and why?

Love to hear your thoughts. Cheers.

[Robin999]

Sorry, I'm still in the base S23 corner 🙂

[Gino76ph]

Previously at one point i was leaning towards the Galaxy S23. After more reading and because of a smaller battery capacity and so-so battery life i've removed it from list.

I'm now leaning towards a Galaxy A52s because of its chipset, overall size and it's current Android & One UI versions compared to a Galaxy S20 FE 5G which will be stuck at Android 13 and S21 FE 5G because of poor heating and battery life issues.

What do you think?

[Robin999]

The S23 has a 4700 mAh battery, but the A52 has a 4500 mAh. I'd still go with the S23 but it would be good if you could visit a Samsung store and actually view both to get a good feel for them.

[Gino76ph]

The base S23 model has only 3900mAh battery. The chipset may help with battery savings & optimizations but a bit weary based on reviews i've read it's a touch & go/so-so kind of situation which is questionable for me.

Samsung stores do not display or stock older models . Even if they did the software would be "locked" and not updated to the latest one.

Right now, i'm still leaning towards the older A52s 5G.

[Robin999]

Yes, sorry, I was still looking at the S23+. If you could get hold of the S23+, then I'd consider that. However, I'm starting to better understand your dilemma. It seems that size isn't everything (so the saying goes), and it is quite difficult to get a smaller device that suits all your other requirements. Better specs mean bigger devices, which means higher cost. It's a bit of a vicious circle. What we also haven't touched on are cases and the impact that will have on width. We could go on forever comparing phones and inevitably somewhere a compromise has to be made. Get yourself down to the store and get a physical feel for what's currently out there. It's gotta be better than pulling your hair out on here 😀

[Gino76ph]

I appreciate all your thoughts and comments. And don't worry I have no more hair to pull as i'm partly bald. Lol.

The three phones that I find myself going back again and again and loving the dimensions are the Galaxy S20 FE, Galaxy A52s and the Xiaomi 12 Lite. They have 6.5" screen but with a vertical length of 160mm (or less) and a width of 75mm or less. The weight also does play a part but not so much.

It's no good for me going to a Samsung Store as they no longer stock the S20 FE 5G or the A52s 5G due to being older models. Even if they did the software would be locked or not updated to the latest one. Xiaomi on the other hand have no physical store out here. 

So, this predicament I have is Samsung fault. They just make their phones taller and wider for unknown reasons that nobody asked for. That is why i'm finding myself looking to older models.

I will be shocked if Samsung decides to go Snapdragon again or Mediatek for the S24 FE with a less wider body later this year. The "Plus" models i consider as still generally big for me. 

So, until then I'll probablly stick with the A52s 5G. 

[Robin999]

My 'Samsung Stor'e visit was more about viewing all the current models available. You never know, you might find one you'd never considered before or change your mind about one you've previously discounted. You could also try out some cases whilst you're there.

I hope you find what you're looking for, and please come back and let us know what you decided to go for.

[Gino76ph]

Well, amongst the phones in the past three or so years I have decided to get the Galaxy A52s 5G because of the reasons I have stated in my earlier responses. 

I've only had it for 2 days and I will have to factory reset it again to properly set it up this weekend. And i'll see how it goes.