A new Galaxy S20 FE model is on its way, but it’s not what you think

A Snapdragon 865-powered 4G-only variant of the Galaxy S20 FE could soon launch in select markets.

What you need to know

• Samsung will reportedly soon launch a new 4G-only variant of the Galaxy S20 FE with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 865.
• Aside from the chipset, the upcoming model will be identical to the current 4G-only variants of the phone.
• Samsung is expected to unveil a successor to the Galaxy S20 FE in August.

Samsung could soon launch a new 4G-only Galaxy S20 FE model powered by the same Snapdragon 865 processor as the 5G model, according to a new report from SamMobile. The new variant of the Galaxy S20 FE was first spotted online on the Wi-Fi Alliance website a few weeks back.

The Snapdragon 865-powered Galaxy S20 FE LTE variant carries the model number SM-G780G and will likely be launched in markets where the Galaxy S20 FE 5G isn't available. Currently, all LTE variants of the Galaxy S20 FE 5G are powered by Samsung's in-house developed Exynos 990 chipset. Aside from the Snapdragon 865 processor, the upcoming variant won't be any different from the existing LTE variants. It will have an MST chip too, something that is missing in Samsung's latest Galaxy S21 series phones. The Snapdragon 865-powered LTE variant should help make the Galaxy S20 FE more appealing to consumers who aren't fans of Samsung's Exynos processors.

Even though the Snapdragon 865 and Exynos 990 are both 7nm chips, the Snapdragon 865 has the upper hand when it comes to performance and efficiency. As revealed by a leaked product roadmap earlier this month, Samsung is also working on a follow-up to the Galaxy S20 FE, which could debut at an Unpacked event in August.

The Galaxy S21 FE is expected to be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 chipset and offer largely similar specs to Sansung's best Android phones at a much lower price point.