Rumors about a Samsung Galaxy Note 20 FE started picking up about the same time Samsung looked ready to start treating its foldable phones like flagship do-everything devices. The potential rise of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 may have put the future of the Galaxy Note series in doubt. But Samsung could take another tack with its phablet, instead coming out with a lower priced version that gives up some premium features.
Samsung has some priors here. The company came out with a cheaper version of the Galaxy S20 in the form of the Galaxy S20 FE last year, further fueling speculation about a “Fan Edition” version of the Galaxy Note (which hasn’t seen one since the Note 7 debacle).
Samsung’s plans remain unclear, so there’s a good chance that in the latter half of this year, we could still see the debut of the Samsung Galaxy Note 21, potentially the last hurrah of the Note full flagship line. But even if the Note 21 is still in the works, a Galaxy Note 20 FE could arrive, too, helping Samsung broaden out the phablet’s user base.
Galaxy Note models tend to be the most expensive non-folding Samsung phones. But an FE version could distill the best elements of the current Galaxy Note 20 lineup into a more affordable package. That could appeal to people who want a quality big-screen phone but don’t want to part with $1,000 or more.
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 FE release date and price
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 FE simply exists as a rumor and a concept at the moment, with the South Korean tech company remaining rather tight lipped about what’s next for the Note line. However, if a Note 20 FE is in the works, we’d expect it to arrive either in the mid-spring or late Summer time; so between April and the end of August.
The Galaxy S20 FE was released in October 2020, so we’d not be too surprised to see the FE treatment applied to the Note sooner rather than later. That said, Samsung tends to launch a next-generation of Note devices around August time most years, so it might just reveal the Galaxy Note 21 and the Note 20 FE at the same time. (Sound confusing? Hey, Samsung’s the company that rolled out the Galaxy S10 Lite a month before the Galaxy S20 launch in 2020.)
As for price, the Galaxy S20 FE cost $699, $300 less than the Galaxy S20’s debut price. That $999 price also happened to be what Samsung charges for the Galaxy Note 20, so conceivably a Note 20 FE might go for $699 to $799.
