Apple iPhone Air vs Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
The Verdict
The Apple iPhone Air and Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G sit in the same category and end up appealing to slightly different buyers. The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G is the cheaper of the two at $699 versus $1,199, a difference of about $500. The Apple iPhone Air is the newer release, which usually means a faster chipset and longer software support. Apple iPhone Air stands out for thinnest iphone ever at 5.6mm, while Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G is praised for flagship snapdragon 865 at a reduced fan edition price. Use the side-by-side spec table below to compare cameras, displays, battery life and connectivity in detail and decide which one fits your priorities.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Apple iPhone Air if…
- →Thinnest iPhone ever at 5.6mm
- →Only 165g with titanium frame
- →A19 Pro chip in ultra-slim design
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G if…
- →Flagship Snapdragon 865 at a reduced Fan Edition price
- →120Hz Super AMOLED display is vibrant and smooth
- →3x optical zoom telephoto is rare at this price point
Pros & Cons
Apple iPhone Air
Pros
- Thinnest iPhone ever at 5.6mm
- Only 165g with titanium frame
- A19 Pro chip in ultra-slim design
- 3x more scratch-resistant Ceramic Shield 2
Cons
- Smaller 3149 mAh battery limits endurance
- Only 2x telephoto (no periscope)
- No ultrawide camera
- $1199 for fewer cameras than Pro
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
Pros
- Flagship Snapdragon 865 at a reduced Fan Edition price
- 120Hz Super AMOLED display is vibrant and smooth
- 3x optical zoom telephoto is rare at this price point
- IP68 water resistance and wireless charging
- MicroSD expansion for additional storage
Cons
- Plastic Glastic back instead of glass at flagship pricing
- 25W charging is slow compared to competitors
- Software updates have reached end of life
- 8 MP telephoto resolution is low
- 32 MP front camera can oversharpen selfies
Full Specifications
| Spec | Apple iPhone Air | Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Software | iOS 19 | Android 10 (One UI 2.5) |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 165 g | 190 g |
| Material | Titanium frame, Ceramic Shield 2 | Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass 3 front, plastic (Glastic) back |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Dimensions | 155 x 73 x 5.6 mm | 159.8 x 74.5 x 8.4 mm |
| Camera | ||
| Main camera | 48 MP, f/1.6, OIS | 12 MP, f/1.8, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS |
| Front camera | 24 MP, f/1.9, Center Stage | 32 MP, f/2.0 |
| Video | 4K@60fps, Dual Capture | 4K@60fps |
| Telephoto | 12 MP, f/2.8, 2x optical zoom | 8 MP, f/2.4, 3x optical zoom, OIS |
| Ultrawide | — | 12 MP, f/2.2 |
| Memory | ||
| RAM | 12 GB | 6 GB / 8 GB |
| Storage options | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB | 128 GB, 256 GB |
| Battery | ||
| Capacity | 3149 mAh | 4500 mAh |
| Charging | 27W wired | 25W wired |
| Wireless charging | 15W MagSafe | 15W, Wireless PowerShare |
| Display | ||
| Size | 6.5 inches | 6.5 inches |
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, ProMotion | Super AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1290 x 2796 | 2400 x 1080 |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 2000 | 800 |
| Processor | ||
| CPU | 6-core | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz + 3x2.42 GHz + 4x1.80 GHz) |
| GPU | 6-core GPU | Adreno 650 |
| Chipset | Apple A19 Pro | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 |
| Connectivity | ||
| 5G | ||
| NFC | ||
| USB | USB-C 3.2 | USB-C 3.0 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.0 |
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This comparison is based on verified manufacturer specifications covering display, performance, camera, battery, and build quality. Scores are generated by analyzing specs across weighted categories on a 10-point scale. Learn more about our methodology.
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