You might therefore not be expecting much from the Samsung Galaxy A20e, and in some ways you’d be right – this isn’t a phone that really excels in many areas, but that it’s competent at all at this price is something, and it’s certainly competent, while in some areas going beyond what’s necessary.

Samsung Galaxy A20e Smartphone, Android, 5.8”, 4G LTE, SIM Samsung Galaxy A20e Smartphone, Android, 5.8”, 4G LTE, SIM

The Samsung Galaxy A20e runs Android of course, specifically Android 9 out of the box, but it can be updated to Android 10. So the software is fairly modern at the time of writing, though not quite up to the latest available version (11). Battery life, memory, and connectivityThe Samsung Galaxy A20e is a basic phone in a lot of ways but one that goes above and beyond in a few. Its fast charging battery is a really pleasant surprise, while its dual-lens camera and edge-to-edge screen are also appreciated. The A20e has themes, a Night mode, Secure Folder, Samsung Pass, and the one-handed optimization for Samsung’s own apps and interface. Though Samsung has been adding more and more features over the past years, after a period of minimization, One UI still presents a clean environment with logical menus. If you’ve seen the Galaxy A40 (read our review here), you have basically also seen the Galaxy A20e. Visually and size-wise, both phones are nearly identical. Like the A40, the Galaxy A20e is a relatively compact phone with its 5.8-inch display and narrow bezels. The body is made of plastic, but it is the solid kind that feels like it can handle everyday life. All hardware keys are on the right side, and easily reachable even for those who have average-sized hands.

Samsung Galaxy A20e Mobile Phone; Sim Free Smartphone - Coral Samsung Galaxy A20e Mobile Phone; Sim Free Smartphone - Coral

The 5MP ultra-wide snapper isn’t quite as capable, but it is nice to have the option of fitting more into a shot – that’s not something that’s guaranteed at this end of the market. Its aspect ratio is an increasingly conventional 19.5:9, and it’s fairly light on bezel, with a teardrop notch at the top and a strip at the bottom, but little to the sides, giving it an edge-to-edge look. That leads to a screen-to-body ratio of 80.4%, which isn’t bad for a phone that’s this cheap. Design What we are left with is a phone that does most daily tasks fast enough but should not be considered by anyone who likes to play a game or two. The hardware simply is not fast enough to provide a pleasant gaming experience. This is not mitigated, unfortunately, by the device’s HD display resolution.The Samsung Galaxy A20e has a 3,000mAh battery, which is on the small side, but can sometimes get the job done in lower spec devices like this. In practice its life isn’t at all special, but will see you through the important one-day period, so you can charge it overnight. It is, in fact, one of the very cheapest smartphones you can buy from any company, which is all the more surprising when you consider that this isn’t just any company – it’s Samsung, a big-name brand. The rear-mounted fingerprint sensor is fast and accurate, ironically because it is of the ‘older’ capacitive type. That’s right, with higher-spec’d Galaxy devices sporting a cutting edge in-display scanner, it’s mainly at the bottom of Samsung’s portfolio where the fastest, most accurate scanners are now found. A bit ironic, don’t you think? Samsung has, of course, more often saved cost by including a cheaper LCD panel in its affordable devices. But in this case, the difference in screen quality between the A20e and the A40 is much bigger than the price gap between the phones suggests. This, you will notice, is a theme we will be running into more often over the course of this review.