I'm Struggling to Justify Moving from Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G

renaldof on 02/02/2023 - 17:43
Last edited 02/02/2023 - 18:14

Although I am a technology enthusiast, like many other Ozbargainers I aim to have a almost-flagship phone that costs 800 or less.

The Samsung Galaxy 20 FE is now almost 3 years old, and looking at the other current major options (Pixel 7, Galaxy S23 inclusive of extras), I just cannot find a my-own-pocket-business-case that can justify replacing the FE.

$700-$800 for a better camera?
yes, but it is not like the super high-end cameras. These options have cameras "slightly" better than the FE for my photo needs.

I don't play games
I use it heavily, but for reading news, podcasts, youtube, and taking photos.

Other than that:

  • similar screens
  • smaller batteries

And it looks like I am not alone:
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/01/smartphone-sales-see…

Is anyone in the same situation or have a compelling argument for upgrading the phone?

Mobile Mobile Phone Samsung Android

Comments

  • RichardL on 02/02/2023 - 17:45

    I'm in a similar boat, been using a Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra since 2020 and see no reason to upgrade (previously upgraded every 1 to 2 years).

    • renaldof on 02/02/2023 - 17:47

      yes, and this is what's feeling weird - breaking this "habit".
      I've recently changed the whole layout of my screens and widgets, so it's still feeling awesome.

      • Kangal on 02/02/2023 - 22:56
        +7

        Here's the thing, sometimes you should upgrade, and sometimes you should refrain.

        Ever since Q1 2019 with the likes of the QSD 855 (eg S10+) we haven't had upgrades in the chipset. The QSD 865/870 traded some performance for battery drain. QSD 888/+ thermal throttled hard, where it was only as fast as the previous year's chipset. The QC 8g1 was even worse with throttling. And even more worse than that are the Google Silicon Tensor G2, Tensor G1, Exynos 2200, and Exynos 2100.

        …the real chipset upgrade from the QSD 855 comes from the likes of the MediaTek D8000/D8100/D8200, QC 8g1+ and Dimensity 9000. And now we have the D9200 and the QC 8g2.

        That last chipset actually isn't too impressive. They're about Apple-A14 level in terms of CPU, and about M1 level in terms of GPU. Talking about Apple, the A14/A15/A16 are very similar chipsets, belonging to the same family. The A13 is still pretty competitive today. So if I had an older iPhone (eg iPhone 8+) I would probably upgrade to the iPhone 11 Max, or iPhone 12 Pro, or iPhone 13 Mini, and skip the 14-series entirely. That gives you the most bang for buck (and battery life).

        And hypothetically let's say you have an iPhone 11, should you upgrade?
        No. Wait for Q3 2023 for the iPhone 15. It will debut with the A17-Bionic chipset which introduces a new platform/architecture. On top of that, it will be built using TSMC-3nm node. Overall expect about a +40% performance uplift over the A16, at same battery drain. That is a massive uplift, and sets a new performance barrier.

        This also applies for Android users. If you hypothetically have a Samsung S20fe it's still a pretty competent device. The latest flagships won't get you too much. Wait for Q1 2024. That's when the QC8g3 will debut, which introduces second-generation ARMv9 cores, which promises increased performance at lower power. And they are to be built on TSMC-3nm node, which is a full-node shrink. Overall expect about a +25% performance uplift, at -25% less battery drain, compared to the QC8g2. That is an impressive generational upgrade.

        • Ultimate Gattai on 02/02/2023 - 23:12

          Is it safe to assume this doesn't apply to Pixel phones since Google uses their own custom chip, the Google Tensor? I was considering the Pixel 7 since I was using a cheap $300 phone (they tend to break after about a year compared to the more expensive ones), and I think my Nokia is having trouble charging now.

          • Kangal on 03/02/2023 - 13:39
            +2

            @Ultimate Gattai: Yes, that is correct.
            Google got very angry at Qualcomm who stopped providing driver and kernel updates to their chips after 2-3 years. It's still better than MediaTek's 0-1 year trend. What this meant was that older Google Pixel devices, whenever they got updated, it was a new top (OS/ROM) on an old base (driver/kernel). And it's partially the blame for the weird bugs Pixel devices get. On top of this, after a while, it becomes incompatible, not unless you write your own drivers or hack something together. Sony devices have the most stable software-stack, but the last few years they have been refraining from updating their devices for very long.

            So the Google Silicon (Tensor G1/G2) are very good at one thing. They are created by Google using Exynos designs, and built by Samsung. It means that Google has much greater control. And we could see driver updates, kernel updates, and support for Pixel to match iPhones.

            With that said, the G1 is terrible and the G2 is marginally better. Again, you aren't getting much of an upgrade from the QSD 855, when talking about real-world usage and not theoretical or synthetic benchmarks.

            See here:
            https://youtu.be/s0ukXDnWlTY

            So I don't recommend the Pixel 6/7 for those and other reasons (buggy, less features, battery life, fragility, etc etc). But they say there's no such thing as a bad product, only a bad price. So if you see one at a price you like, go for it.

            My recommendation is to do some research. Find out features you don't want/need, or compromises you would make. Then use that to find a handful of devices you're interested in. The Used Market and ex-flagships could be very lucrative, and even midrange devices are pretty good these days.

            Last weekend I bought a Samsung A52-S for AUD $250, which came with the box and accessories, screen protector and cases. Was in pretty good condition. It still has 2-Years of platform updates, basically has a flagship processor, screen, battery, Selfie, and build quality. It has a microSD, Headphone Jack, and IP68. It's rear cameras are the weakest part of the phone, coming in slightly behind the S21 range, but they're pretty decent. That's 95% of a flagship for 20% of the cost. The only device that's better is the Sony Xperia 5 mk IV (underclock it), or the Samsung Xcover6 Pro which was built to last 10 Years.

            • ozbjunkie on 03/02/2023 - 23:35
              +2

              @Kangal: Thank you for updating my phone knowledge saving me years of paying attention.

            • Techie4066 on 05/02/2023 - 14:13

              @Kangal: Xperia software is actually not the best. There were always bugs that would never get fixed and apps like Chrome still lock up their phones. I had an XZ1c from 2018-2020.

            • Ultimate Gattai on 05/02/2023 - 19:31

              @Kangal: Maybe I'll just consider replacing it with another cheap Nokia for another year, I haven't seen any good prices on a Pixel 7 yet.

              • Kangal on 05/02/2023 - 20:58

                @Ultimate Gattai: Have a look around gumtree and facebook marketplace. There's deals to be had. If you're interested in the Samsung A52-S that I mentioned, here is a decent video review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUp6cKLVeQM

                Yeah, not a fan of those cheap "nokia" phones. They're mostly a Chinese phone designed and built by another company, which then has the Nokia logo slapped on it. It is not the Finnish Product you may be expecting, it is Chinese HMD.

                Similar case with "motorola" phones, which are actually made by Lenovo.
                Or Honor phones which was/is built by Huawei.
                Nubia built by ZTE Communications.
                Blackberry built by TCL.
                Redmi built by Xiaomi.
                Realme built by BBK Electronics.
                iQoo built by BBK Electronics.
                Vivo built by BBK Electronics.
                Oppo built by BBK Electronics.
                OnePlus built by BBK Electronics.

            • knobbs on 09/02/2023 - 09:37

              @Kangal: I have actually been looking at the Xperia 5 iv because it is one of the only phones that for my requirements. Flat screen, big battery, SD card slot, not exynos, esim. How to you go about underclocking it to get better battery life?

              • Kangal on 09/02/2023 - 20:43
                +1

                @knobbs: I tried to find a way to underclock without root, but wasn't able to. I know you could do it back in the Android 5.1 and earlier days, but security has tightened since then.

                So you have to root. Which means you need to bypass the physical/software lock. And allow unsigned code before the bootloader. Most phones (99%) cannot do this. Thankfully it seems like the Sony can. Just note that Sony bricks the camera if you do so. So the solution might be to unlock, root, underclock, then re-lock.

                https://forum.xda-developers.com/f/sony-xperia-5-iv.12677/

                • knobbs on 09/02/2023 - 21:45

                  @Kangal: Hmmm not sure I would be rooting out of the gate. I have done it before with my old phones once I upgrade to something new but never my daily driver. Then I will have issues with Google Pay and the like. Uhhh I just want good battery life!!! I have dealt with exynos crap for too long (work provided phone), I guess going to the SD81 will be a big jump anyway.

                  • Kangal on 09/02/2023 - 22:41

                    @knobbs: You could crank the brightness high, then put Battery Mode on. That will naturally underclock the device to prevent it from overheating and wasting battery.

                    The bad part about that, is that it also kills off background tasks in the RAM. And it also slows your Wifi/5G a bit. That last one isn't too bad, but having poor speed/memory kind of defeats the purpose of a high-end phone.

                    That's why I really like the Samsung A52-S and Samsung Xcover6 Pro, because the QSD 778 is very efficient. It's a flagship processor where it matters: real-world usage. The QSD 888/QC 8g1 suck balls without underclocking. Apple iPhone's throttle as well, but even when they throttle they're bloody fast compared to most Android phones.

                    • knobbs on 09/02/2023 - 23:06

                      @Kangal: I would go with an A52 BUT I need dual sim and SD card. Sad work times

                      • quill on 12/02/2023 - 20:02

                        @knobbs: Esim?

                        • knobbs on 12/02/2023 - 23:20

                          @quill: Yeah dual Sim includes esim+one physical I thought? As well as two physical, it's just whatever combo

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 02/02/2023 - 17:47
    +25

    It’s ok not to upgrade bro…

    • Muzeeb on 02/02/2023 - 17:52
      +1

      Source?

      • Jimothy Wongingtons on 02/02/2023 - 17:53
        +7

        In the bible mate, refer Matthew 21:17

        • Muzeeb on 02/02/2023 - 17:54
          +5

          My bad.

          So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man Samsung and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

        • Gunnar on 02/02/2023 - 18:18
          +3

          I usually find a rock handy when I have to recite a bible verse

          (But excellent quoting with Matthew 21:17)

  • scrimshaw on 02/02/2023 - 17:47
    +2

    Got an S21 Ultra that's still very functional, the only thing that is really limiting it's lifespan is the battery health which is slowly declining. I'll probably just pay $200-ish to have the battery replaced when it gets to an unacceptable level.

    My family member's mid-range Samsung's however haven't aged as gracefully and will need upgrading, it's a Galaxy A30s with 4GB of RAM and with each iteration of Android updates / app updates the performance has slowly regressed. It somehow runs slower than a 1st Gen Xiaomi Mi Max with 3GB of RAM.

    • Kangal on 04/02/2023 - 02:06

      It should be cheaper than that to do it yourself, or have it done at one of those phone kiosks. The problem is that you lose your water-proofing (actually, it is water-resistance and it diminishes). But apparently it diminishes over time anyway. Also if you get the device water damaged, even in Day 2 of ownership, it is not covered by warranty and none of the OEMs are willing to honour a refund or replacement (ironically Apple has been kinder about it).

      If you get the battery replacement done at Apple or Samsung, they do re-apply protection to renew the water resistance. So that might be worth doing for you.

  • SnowDragon on 02/02/2023 - 17:57
    +2

    In the same boat but the main thing driving me to upgrade is the pocket detection of the S20 FE. When I'm out walking and get a notification my phone likes to do it's own thing and I somehow end up with dozens of screenshots of the dial screen.

    Tossing up between a second hand S22+ or Ultra or perhaps a Pixel 7.

    • renaldof on 02/02/2023 - 18:11
      +2

      I had that issue too until I changed the habit to put it in the pocket with the screen facing the opposite of my leg, and it "fixed" this issue.

      • kraigg on 03/02/2023 - 13:19
        +2

        I've had this happen to me so many times on my S21 Ultra. Kept dialling 000 whilst in my pocket. I'm now using a boomer wallet case to prevent this, so far so good.

      • prdreilly on 06/02/2023 - 12:59
        +2

        I had the same problems multiple times but I googled it and came up with the fix below and it hasn't done it since.

        Swipe down on Home screen and tap on the 'Settings' icon in the top right corner.
        Tap on 'Display'.
        Tap 'Accidental touch protection' to enable.

        I also turned off body detection for the screen unlock settings and havne't had an issue since.

    • Techie4066 on 05/02/2023 - 15:50

      This is one of the smaller reasons I got it refunded under warranty. My S20 FE was sending quick reply messages in my pocket to people phoning me!

  • EightImmortals on 02/02/2023 - 17:58
    +2

    My current phone still works, I have ZERO reasons to upgrade.

    • Nugs on 02/02/2023 - 19:22

      Same. I have had 3 new and 3 hand me downs. Got another barely used one in the cupboard as my next one. 2 have died due to impacts so not a fan of wasting money
      .

  • loropy9 on 02/02/2023 - 18:05
    +1

    I use Samsung FE20 and Oppo X5 Pro concurrently - one for work and the other one private. I still can't tell the difference between the two in my everyday use which is similar to OP's usage scenario and I'm not sure why I paid so much for the Oppo. Sure the Oppo is nicer with bigger screen and all, but for what I'm using the phones for they are both ok. I wouldn't upgrade from the S20FE yet. Maybe in 12-18 months, unless the money is burning a hole in your pocket.

  • PuntyBrah on 02/02/2023 - 18:13
    +1

    in case on s21 exynos, I want to upgrade, this thing lags like a piece of shit.

    • renaldof on 02/02/2023 - 18:14

      yep, mine is snapdragon, so I haven't felt that hurdle yet

      • PuntyBrah on 02/02/2023 - 18:17

        yh lucky, I can imagine anyone with snapdragon chip in a 2-3 years phone wouldnt feel much need to upgrade. I debating if I should just pull the trigger and get on snapdragon 8 gen 2 and be done with it for 3-4 years.

  • Gunnar on 02/02/2023 - 18:25

    It’s okay not to upgrade

    I used to love getting new phones regularly when I was young. Then just began to lose interest after about 6/7 years of regular upgrades (longest I kept a phone was 2 years, usually it was every year).

    My last three phones were bought in 2010, 2014 and 2018. I’ll upgrade this one when it gets slow or the battery kills itself as I’m happy with it

  • solidussnake on 02/02/2023 - 18:29
    +1

    Just chuck in a new battery and perform a factory reset will feel like a new phone I have a Mate 20 pro and don't see the point in upgrading for such little return I have a S20FE work phone and while its nice to use it just reminds me not to waste money upgrading

  • Ghost47 on 02/02/2023 - 19:30
    +1

    I'm still using an iPhone 8, and I'm actually pretty proud of that. Then again I'm not the type who thinks a phone is a status symbol. Plus Face ID sucks.

  • ESEMCE on 02/02/2023 - 19:39
    +1

    I don't believe there has been a good argument to upgrade for 5 or more years.

    If you want that new phone feeling, Factory reset.

    • Ultimate Gattai on 02/02/2023 - 23:15

      I've just been upgrading when ever my phones break, for flagships, that's normally around 3 years, the past 2 years I've used Nokias and they tend to break around the one year mark (I got a new USB port to install into my previous Nokia as I suspect that's the part that broke).

  • renaldof on 02/02/2023 - 19:40
    +1

    I can see a lot of people talking about battery life… my FE's battery life is still great, so not even is a good argument.
    I had some software issues (audio apps crashing when using Bluetooth) but after a factory reset that's no longer a problem.

    Looking at the options, the only phone I find that would be worth swapping my FE would be the Ultra model - but no way I am putting that much money on a phone.

  • AustriaBargain on 02/02/2023 - 19:42
    +1

    I upgrade to iPhone Pro every two years. And I get the maximum capacity in case I ever see an alien abduction or something, want to record in 4K for as long as possible so I can make the most popular YouTube video of all time.

    • renaldof on 02/02/2023 - 19:46

      looks like it fits your needs then

  • iDroid on 02/02/2023 - 19:47
    +2

    There's a reason why in 2022 there was a significant decline in mobile phone sales.

    IMO - our phones are all pretty good now, there's just not a lot of reason to upgrade except for the cred of a new phone..

    • silenthillrocks on 03/02/2023 - 08:05

      New phones don't bring as much cred as they used to. Even midrangers can impress ppl and generally you can't tell the difference.

  • payless69 on 02/02/2023 - 20:26
    -2

    OMG! I went from a 1k flagship Samsung to a bottom range Huawei. Much better night shots, NO Bloatware so much nicer!

  • dasher86 on 02/02/2023 - 22:18

    I know two people still rocking Huawei P30 with no upgrade path…
    But they're still going strong.

  • silenthillrocks on 03/02/2023 - 07:56

    You may just need a mid ranger. Most are decent these days.

  • Piratarzt on 03/02/2023 - 08:20
    +1

    Why do you even need to upgrade? The smartphone market has matured to a degree that new phones provide marginal benefits.

  • Sinnerator on 03/02/2023 - 09:05

    Society will judge your worth based on the phone hold

    • iDroid on 03/02/2023 - 09:43
      +1

      While this is ridiculous, it seems to be the way our society works (even if I don't get it!)…

  • 2esc on 03/02/2023 - 11:21

    I only replace my phone if it fails its nice to have a good phone but is it essential to upgrade?

  • Minheim on 03/02/2023 - 11:26
    +1

    I would keep the phone and only considerr an upgrade when battery life or security updates become an issue. If the battery at some stage needs replacing, consider how much longer security updates will be supplied by Samsung as to whether a new battery is worthwhile. I upgraded from a samsung s8 to an s22 last year as support had ended and battery life was poor; otherwise the phone did all I wanted.

  • Sleeqb7 on 03/02/2023 - 12:00
    +1

    On one hand, if it's not broken…
    The other hand, I use the camera quite a lot so a good one is important to me, that's the only real reason I upgrade phones.

    Were it performance/storage/etc being the improvements, I wouldn't upgrade.

  • ram4ram on 03/02/2023 - 18:59
    +1

    I still use my Galaxy S10… Still looks great, functions perfectly. Battery life, well i'm in front of a screen all day so…

    • silenthillrocks on 03/02/2023 - 20:39

      S10 will not get many more security updates. Maybe one more quarterly patch.

      • ram4ram on 04/02/2023 - 09:00

        Yeah I think another year of security patches.

        Still, can custom rom it if i really want… or keep using it as it is after that period. Genuinely think that Android security updates are overrated

  • ihfree on 04/02/2023 - 00:35

    Same phone - no compelling reason to move to a new phone. It is still snappy enough.

    My previous phone, a Huawei P20 Pro, was fine and might even still be in use if it hadn't failed under warranty. Even the Samsung Note 3 which I had before would be largely usable. I was running a custom rom and I believe it can still be updated to the most recent Android version.

  • DingoBilly on 04/02/2023 - 01:38

    Yep. I used to replace my phone every 2 years but have changed it to a 4+ year cadence since the s9, and only for good bargain prices (the $400 bonus trade in + discount type deals).

    Phones have hit a peak use where so long as it works there's little value in upgrading.

    I've actually found the same for desktop PC's as well - used to be valuable upgrading regularly but atm my 5 year old pc can still do everything including latest games without issue. Until something radical comes out I think it's all much of a muchness.

  • Willy Beamish on 04/02/2023 - 17:43

    I was on a pixel 2 so had to upgrade, bought the pixel 7 pro on release can't complain.

    Either buy it or don't. Don't think too much about it.

  • Kiro on 05/02/2023 - 01:24

    Yes, although I have a g31, does what I need it to do but I'm not looking for the latest and greatest anymore so I stick to within my means but it's hard not finding something heaps better, but just marginally

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