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Samsung revealed the Galaxy A52s 5G in August 2021 as an update to the Galaxy A52 5G announced in March 2021. Both devices sit below the Galaxy S21 range, but feature some of its key specifications for less money - much like the Galaxy S20 FE does.

How does the Galaxy A52s 5G and A52 5G compare to the 2020 Galaxy S20 FE? We've put their specs up against each other to help you work out which one might be the right one for you if you're looking for a more affordable Samsung phone.

Design

  • Galaxy A52s 5G/A52 5G: 159.9 x 75.1 x 8.4mm, 189g
  • Galaxy S20 FE 5G: 159.8 x 74.5 x 8.4mm, 190g

The Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G, A52 5G and Galaxy S20 FE 5G all offer flat displays with a centralised punch hole camera at the top and they also also offer plastic bodies rather than glass.

All three have a rectangular camera housing in the top left at the back, though the Galaxy A52s 5G and A52 5G have more prominent camera lenses compared to the Galaxy S20 FE, making for a more striking rear panel.

In terms of physical size, the Galaxy A52s 5G and A52 5G are virtually identical to the Galaxy S20 FE, and they weigh pretty much the same too. The Galaxy A52s 5G and A52 5G are IP67 water and dust resistant, while the Galaxy S20 FE is IP68.

The Galaxy A52s 5G, A52 5G and the Galaxy S20 FE come in a range of bright colours. The A52s comes in mint, purple, black and white. The A52 comes in blue, purple, black and white. The S20 FE comes in blue, red, lavender, mint, white, orange. Of the three, the S20 FE feels like slightly higher quality of build, as we discovered in our review.

Samsung Galaxy A52 5G

Display

  • Galaxy A52s 5G/A52 5G: 6.5-inch, Full HD+, 120Hz
  • Galaxy S20 FE: 6.5-inch, Full HD+, 120Hz, HDR

The Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G, A52 5G and the Galaxy S20 FE have a 6.5-inch display with a Full HD+ resolution that puts their pixel densities at 404ppi.

They all offer flat displays - as we mentioned - and they all have a 120Hz refresh rate. They are also all Super AMOLED panels.

The Galaxy A52s 5G and A52 5G have a maximum brightness of 800nits but they don't support HDR. The Galaxy S20 FE does support HDR10+ however, so can look a little better on supporting content.

Hardware and specs

  • Galaxy A52s 5G: Qualcomm SD778, 6/8GB RAM, 128/256GB storage, microSD, 4500mAh
  • Galaxy A52 5G: Qualcomm SD750G, 6/8GB RAM, 128/256GB storage, microSD, 4500mAh
  • Galaxy S20 FE 5G: Qualcomm SD865, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, microSD, 4500mAh

The Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G runs on the Snapdragon 778G chipset, an upgrade to the A52 5G that runs on the Snapdragon 750G chipset, with 6/GB of RAM and 128/256GB of storage. There is microSD support for storage expansion up to 1TB on both models. That makes the A52s just a little more powerful.

The Galaxy S20 FE 5G meanwhile, runs on the Snapdragon 865 chipset, supported by 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It too has microSD support for storage expansion. This is a tier about of the hardware in the Galaxy A models, so it's a better performer overall.

The Galaxy A52s 5G, A52 5G and the Galaxy S20 FE all have a 4500mAh battery. The Galaxy A52s 5G and A52 5G support 25W fast charging, but they don't offer wireless charging. The Galaxy S20 FE has 15W fast charging, along with wireless charging and reverse wireless charging.

Of the three, the Galaxy S20 FE is the most powerful device, though the Galaxy A52s 5G is likely to be well worth considering after its processor upgrade compared to the A52 5G.

Camera

  • Galaxy A52 5G: Quad rear, 32MP front
  • Galaxy S20 FE: Triple rear, 32MP front

The Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G and A52 5G come with a quad rear camera. This is made up of a 64-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS) and an aperture of f/1.8, along with a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens with f/2.2, a 5-megapixel depth lens with f/2.4 and a 5-megapixel macro lens with f/2.4.

The Galaxy S20 FE has a triple rear camera. This is made up of 12-megapixel main camera with an f/1.8 aperture, OIS and 1.8µm pixels, an 8-megapixel telephoto lens with f/2.4, 1.0µm, OIS and 3x optical, and a 12-megapixel ultra wide lens with f/2.2 and 1.12µm pixels.

On the front of the Galaxy A52s 5G, A52 5G and Galaxy S20 FE, there is a 32-megapixel camera with f/2.2 aperture.

Of these camera options, the Galaxy S20 FE sits in the higher position, pushing better quality through the main camera and with that useful optical telephoto.

Price

  • Galaxy A52s 5G: £409
  • Galaxy A52 5G: £399
  • Galaxy S20 FE: £699

The Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G costs £409 in the UK. The Samsung Galaxy A52 5G costs £399 in the UK and €429 in Europe. The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G model costs £699 in the UK, making it quite a bit more expensive.

These were the launch prices for these devices, but now all sell with quite the discount. The Galaxy S20 FE is the more expensive, but you do get more for your money.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G, A52 5G and the Galaxy S20 FE are very similar in terms of specifications. They all offer the same size and resolution display, 120Hz refresh rates, the same size battery, microSD support and 5G capabilities.

The Galaxy A52s and A52 5G offer a slightly more stand out design, more RAM and more storage as an option, but the Galaxy S20 FE offers better camera results in our experience, along with HDR support and wireless charging.

For the difference in price, the Galaxy A52s 5G is likely to be the winner for most, but there is now a newer Samsung Galaxy S21 FE as well as replacements in the Galaxy A series too, with the Galaxy A53 5G.