Apple iPhone 8 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
The Verdict
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G decisively outperforms the aging iPhone 8 Plus across nearly every metric. The S20 FE features a superior 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display with 2400x1080 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, compared to the iPhone's 5.5-inch 1920x1080 IPS LCD at 60Hz. Battery capacity vastly favors Samsung with 4500 mAh versus 2691 mAh, delivering significantly longer endurance. Samsung's camera system is more versatile, offering a 32MP selfie camera, ultrawide lens, and superior 3x optical zoom against Apple's 2x zoom. The S20 FE includes 5G connectivity, 6-8GB RAM (versus 3GB), faster 25W charging, and USB-C with superior Snapdragon 865 performance. At $699 versus $799, Samsung offers better value by a substantial margin. The iPhone 8 Plus only advantages are iOS 11 ecosystem familiarity and marginally better compact size. For a 2024 buyer, the S20 FE remains a far more capable choice. Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G wins decisively.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Apple iPhone 8 Plus if…
- →Wireless charging added to iPhone for the first time
- →Portrait Lighting effects for depth photography
- →Powerful A11 Bionic chipset
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
Category Scores
Pros & Cons
Apple iPhone 8 Plus
Pros
- Wireless charging added to iPhone for the first time
- Portrait Lighting effects for depth photography
- Powerful A11 Bionic chipset
- True Tone display technology
- Touch ID still preferred by many users
Cons
- Dated thick-bezel home button design
- Large bezels waste screen real estate
- Glass back cracks easily
- No headphone jack
- Overshadowed by iPhone X launch
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 8 Plus | Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Software | iOS 11 | Android 10 (One UI 2.5) |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 202 g | 190 g |
| Material | Aluminum frame, glass back | Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass 3 front, plastic (Glastic) back |
| IP rating | IP67 | IP68 |
| Dimensions | 158.4 x 78.1 x 7.5 mm | 159.8 x 74.5 x 8.4 mm |
| Camera | ||
| Main camera | 12 MP, f/1.8, OIS | 12 MP, f/1.8, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS |
| Front camera | 7 MP, f/2.2 | 32 MP, f/2.0 |
| Video | 4K@60fps | 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 | 3 GB | 6 GB / 8 GB |
| Storage options | 64 GB, 256 GB | 128 GB, 256 GB |
| Battery | ||
| Capacity | 2691 mAh | 4500 mAh |
| Charging | 18W wired (adapter sold separately) | 25W wired |
| Wireless charging | 7.5W Qi | 15W, Wireless PowerShare |
| Display | ||
| Size | 5.5 inches | 6.5 inches |
| Type | Retina IPS LCD | Super AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2400 x 1080 |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 120Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 625 | 800 |
| Processor | ||
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x2.39 GHz + 4x1.7 GHz) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz + 3x2.42 GHz + 4x1.80 GHz) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (3-core) | Adreno 650 |
| Chipset | Apple A11 Bionic | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 |
| Connectivity | ||
| 5G | ||
| NFC | ||
| USB | Lightning | USB-C 3.0 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.0 |
Want to compare a third product?
Add another product for a 3-way comparison.
Related Comparisons
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.
Explore more in phones, see all Apple products or all Samsung products. View full details for the Apple iPhone 8 Plus or the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G.