by If I told you that a certain Samsung phone was being re-released, which would you think I was talking about? The compact Galaxy S10e? The initial Galaxy Fold? A Galaxy Note phone? Well, you’d be wrong, wrong and wrong again – the correct answer is, surprisingly, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE.
This mid-range 2020 smartphone saw a relaunch of its 5G version in South Korea in early 2022, and we thought it was a brief aberration, but it turns out that Samsung is actually relaunching this phone for the global market. We say this because Samsung Mexico has started selling this device now too.
This handset, which Samsung is dubbed the Galaxy S20 FE 2022, is based on the 5G version of the original phone – there was also a 4G option for that, but apparently Samsung is leaving 4G in the past. The new handset is identical to the old one except in two main ways: it comes with the latest software and it has a 256GB storage option.
In Mexico, the new Samsung Galaxy S20 FE (2022) isn’t cheaper than the launch price of its 2020 predecessor, which is quite a surprise, although it costs less than the latest Galaxy S21 FE – so it’s possible that the Samsung is using the older Fan Edition phone as a more affordable alternative to the newer one.
We asked Samsung why it’s re-releasing this nearly two-year-old phone and if more regions could see it, but the company didn’t immediately respond. We will update this article when we receive a response.
Analysis: a growing trend
In fact, it’s not the first time we’ve seen a company re-release an older smartphone – even Samsung is no stranger to the habit, as it launched the S20 FE in some regions in 2021.
The biggest culprit for this business practice is Xiaomi, which has re-released many of its budget Redmi devices, including the Redmi Note 8 – these newer versions don’t always bring updates, although the Note 8 used a newer chipset and had newer ones. Software.
So what’s the reason for brands to relaunch their old phones instead of just releasing new ones? Well, the companies haven’t commented, but we’re betting it’s based on name recognition – if a specific model proves to be popular, the company would prefer to use the same name on a newer phone rather than release a device that might not prove as well. successful.
For an extreme version of this, the Huawei P30 Pro saw a ‘New Edition’ more than a year after its initial release. This didn’t have different specs, but crucially, it came with Google Apps, which Huawei phones since the P30 series have stopped using due to political issues.
In addition, companies can use leftover parts or keep their factories producing, rather than adjusting production as they would have to for a new phone.
So relaunching phones is nothing new, although we’re a little surprised that the S20 FE is getting the treatment, as it’s not as famous as some of the brand’s other phones. But it’s coming – possibly depending on where you live – and we’ll let you know when it launches in more regions.
