News
Samsung is set to launch the Galaxy S20 FE in September
As early as June, we already made reports about a ‘Lite Version’ of the Galaxy S20 coming real soon. Several weeks have passed, we’re finally seeing the light.
In a myriad of private tweets posted by the prominent smartphone leakster Evan Blass, he shared several promo materials of Samsung’s upcoming “affordable” flagship that’s specifically branded as the ‘Galaxy S20 FE (Fan Edition)’.

Promotional material tweeted by @evleaks
If you’re a loyal Samsung fan, you’d already know where Samsung got the ‘FE’ naming scheme. Although with the Galaxy S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite release, it’s questionable why Samsung is suddenly shifting gears as they picked the two-letter naming over the ‘Lite’ branding.
To further prove that the Galaxy S20 FE is a poor man’s version of the Galaxy S20, leaks show that Samsung will be ditching the glass back in favor of polycarbonate (plastic) that’s similar on the Galaxy Note 20. If you’re not a fan of black, bronze, and green colorways of Samsung, don’t fret as there are six color shades available: white, blue, mint green, orange, red, and even hot pink option.
Less pricey means less high-end specs

Display: Galaxy S20 vs S20 FE vs Note 20 | Image by GadgetMatch
As rumored, the Galaxy S20 FE will have a Super AMOLED Display instead of the high-tier Dynamic AMOLED found on the whole S20 series and Note 20’s Super AMOLED Plus Display. The screen size sits between the Galaxy S20 and the S20+ at just 6.5-inches. Although leaked schematics show that form factor is closer to the Galaxy S20+ even if the screen is 0.2-inch smaller mainly due to thicker bezels.
With that being said, Samsung downplays it even more with the use of flat display instead of a curved edge display to minimize costs. Don’t frown yet as it’s rumored to have a fluid 120Hz screen instead of the Note 20’s lackluster 60Hz display — a deal breaker for spec-hungry users.

Triple rear camera setup: Galaxy S20 vs S20 FE vs Note 20 | Image by GadgetMatch
Leakers such as Ice Universe and Chun have already debunked the new ISOCELL GN1 sensor by Samsung. They both confidently say that it will have the 12-megapixel Sony IMX555 main sensor that’s already found on the Galaxy S20 and S20+. You can also expect a similar ultra-wide lens and a 32-megapixel front camera but the telephoto lens will be downgraded from 64-megapixels down to just 8-megapixels.
Galaxy S20 FE camera:
50MP GN1 ✘
12MP IMX555 ✔— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) July 26, 2020
Oh wait, wait. S20 FE main sensor is the GN1 50MP, same sensor as the vivo X50 Pro+. My bad 😅 https://t.co/x0fp3NcIV3
— Chun (@Boby25846908) July 8, 2020
Processor in a heated debate

Image by GadgetMatch
It was previously reported that the Galaxy S20 FE will ship with a Snapdragon 865 chipset. On the other hand, a Geekbench leak suggests that it will only be equipped with an Exynos 990 processor that’s found in non-US variants of the Galaxy S and Note line. The announcement of Samsung’s in-house chipset in the Galaxy Note 20 series made a lot of users and loyalists dismayed — especially with a lot of reports about performance degradation and heating issues over time.
It will be packed with a 4,500mAh battery with a base storage of 128GB with support for microSD card expansion. Other features worth noting are the under-display fingerprint scanner (not clear if optical or ultrasonic), IP68 water and dust resistance, plus the inclusion of 3.5mm audio jack — which you can’t find on Samsung’s new flagship smartphones.
Rumored pricing and availability

Image by GadgetMatch
The Galaxy S20 FE 5G is said to be priced at KRW 900,000 or just around US$ 760 / EUR 642 / GBP 576. An LTE variant will also be available in countries that don’t fully support 5G but pricing wasn’t mentioned — just expect it to be cheaper because of the lack of 5G support.
It’s not in direct competition with the likes of Apple’s iPhone SE 2020, OnePlus’ Nord, and Google’s Pixel 4a that are all priced below the US$ 500 mark. Nevertheless, considering the Galaxy S20 and Note 20 were priced at a whopping US$ 999, the Galaxy S20 FE will still be a steal with that price tag once confirmed.
It was previously mentioned that Samsung will announce it as early as September — which is just a month after the August Unpacked event where the Note 20 models were revealed.
Doomscrolling is the greatest enemy to everyone’s productivity today. The temptation to keep on scrolling for hours is an ever-present temptation. Taking a very strong stance against the phenomenon, the European Commission is now investigating TikTok for having an addictive interface.
Via Politico, Brussels is now prodding TikTok to change its interface. Very technically, the European Commission is not out to get doomscrolling, specifically. However, the major changes that they want to introduce “disabling infinite scrolling, setting strict screen time breaks, and changing its recommender systems.”
App addiction is a persistent problem today. Besides concerned parents, governments around the world have been trying to regulate addiction, especially when it comes to children. The European Commission, as is apparent from this new initiative, is at the forefront of preventing addiction.
Though the target is explicitly TikTok right now, changing addictive interfaces will also affect other social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and X. Most platforms nowadays thrive on encouraging users to keep scrolling through more content.
Right now, TikTok isn’t set to change just yet. However, the report states that the European Commission is willing to work with platforms for a better, non-addictive interface. It’s less abrasive than the region’s recent privacy initiatives, which requires users to verify their age before accessing mature content.
Laptops
Are you ready for a more colorful MacBook?
Apple is experimenting with quirkier colorway options for the MacBook.
In recent years, Apple has relented on limiting the colors of its devices to only the more premium-looking options. Users can now pick quirkier colors for their iPhones, highlighted currently by the Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro Max. Soon, the same splashes of color might make its way to the MacBook lineup.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has been testing different colorway options for its upcoming entry-level MacBook. The unannounced lineup might come in pink, light yellow, light green, and blue.
It’s a big change for MacBooks. Currently, the only “quirky” option that users can get is the MacBook Air’s Sky Blue, which honestly looks more silvery than blue. Other than that, the MacBook simply seesaws from different shades of gold, silver, and black.
To be fair, the upcoming MacBook will still have the traditional colorways of the current lineup. Additionally, it’s unclear whether Apple will ultimately include all its experimental colors into the final lineup.
Reportedly, the new lineup will cost somewhere between US$ 699 to US$ 799. Of course, the lower price tag will come at the expense of some specs. Although, it should still be good if we’re talking about an entry-level laptop.
It’s even more interesting if it’s hinting at the return of truly colorful options but for the notebook. The iMac already got a similar renaissance back in 2024, which mimics the classic computer’s colorful history.
SEE ALSO: M5 MacBook Pro review
Brands getting banned are commonplace in today’s tech landscape. These usually happen because of geopolitical reasons, especially if it’s in the United States. In Europe, brands sometimes get banned for anticompetition reasons. Today, however, a commonly used codec, HEVC, is at the center of a controversy that has led to the banning of ASUS and Acer in Germany. Even crazier, Nokia is involved.
For context, Nokia owns several patents for video codecs. One of those codecs, HEVC (or High-Efficiency Video Coding) is ubiquitous in every PC, which means that every PC maker must purchase a license to include the codec in their machines. It’s an essential these days, so it’s unusual for ASUS and Acer to miss it.
In Germany, where licensing is stricter, both companies were found guilty of infringing the patent, as reported by German outlet Hardwareluxx. As a result, ASUS and Acer must stop selling PC and laptop sales until they obtain a license from Nokia.
To be clear, this doesn’t mean that the two brands have disappeared from the country. Third-party retailers can still sell their remaining stock. However, the companies cannot import or sell any new stock, pending a conclusion to the issue.
Naturally, the easiest fix is to just buy the license. Hisense, another company that found itself in the same mire, bought a license last month. Either ASUS and Acer are running into more technical issues, or they just didn’t feel the license was worth it for a single market.
SEE ALSO: ASUS is leaving the smartphone industry
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