Mid-Range Samsung Phones - Galaxy A52S ($549) or Galaxy S20 FE ($688) @ Noel Leeming

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Lcee on 12/04/2022 - 22:42 noelleeming.co.nz (198 clicks)
Last edited 12/04/2022 - 22:48 by 1 other user

Anyone looking to buy a solid mid-tier phone without spending $1000+ on a flagship should consider these.

I've spent some time researching $500-$700 phones in NZ and these are two I would rate near the top. I ended up buying the S20 FE myself. Not sure about upcoming phones, but with the current phones available on the market I don't think you can go wrong with either. This price is the lowest I've seen them. Could also try price-match with another vendor.

Here's a quick summary of each:

A52s

A52s Pros:
-Cheaper than S20FE
-Still has a headphone jack
-Has a faster processor (Snapdragon 778) than the original A52
-Is officially supported by Samsung with OS updates up to Android 14
-Has 5G support

A52s Cons:
-Camera is decent but not spectacular
-No HDR screen
-No wireless charging

Galaxy S20 FE

Galaxy S20 FE Pros:
-Faster processor than A52s (Snapdragon 865)
-Better camera than A52s (also has 3x optical zoom)
-Better IP rating than A52s (IP68 Water and dust resistant)
-Better screen than A52s (HDR10+ support)
-Wireless charging and reverse wireless charging

Galaxy S20 FE Cons:
-Pricier than A52s
-No headphone jack
-Doesn't have 5G support, only 4G (although this could actually be a pro since 5G consumes more battery life than 4G, and 5G isn't yet fully rolled out in NZ).
-Only supported by Samsung with OS updates until Android 13

Both the A52s and S20 FE have:
-128gb storage, 6gb ram
-Micro sd support for additional storage
-Decent battery life (4500mah)
-6.5 inch, 120hz, Super AMOLED screen with 1080 x 2400 resolution (although S20 FE screen is nicer with HDR10+ support)
-Can be bought from a (somewhat) respectable local vendor with local NZ warranty. There are other phones I considered in this price range but they were parallel imported or only available from smaller unknown vendors.

Related Stores

Noel Leeming

• 

  apas023 on 12/04/2022 - 22:58

  +4

  If you don’t wanna go Samsung:

  OnePlus Nord 8+128GB Grey Onyx ($597)
  https://themarket.com/nz/search?sc=194115&itemmid=4&name=one…

  Use the referral system on the market to get a $20 coupon to bring it down to $577.

• 

  Bill on 13/04/2022 - 01:38

  Phones aren't something I would buy previous gens to save money. Typically, the latest offering is going to be a better option.

  Other than the nord which is also aging, another option to consider is the redmi note 11.

  https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/MPHMIX0111100/Xiaomi-Redmi-…

  • 

    Rayzajw on 13/04/2022 - 04:55

    +9

    I personally disagree… I watch phone reviews all the time and the price difference between the latest and greatest is a lot. But the technology is the same with minor upgrades. The only "downside" is one less year of updates but if it's a popular phone they'll be a dev community behind it. Last year's model should be sufficient for most people

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 13/04/2022 - 08:00

    -1

    You get better value for money in terms of hardware from the Chinese brands.
    Better software from Samsung but less hardware value

  • 

    Everettpsycho on 14/04/2022 - 08:14

    I'd go with this based on history, however if samsung honor their word I'm with the s22 and offer 3 Android versions and 5 years of security going forward I would consider changing my mind and be willing to take a disk on last year's hardware. The upgrade is very incremental now but it's that lack of future support that just annoys Mr, especially if the tip phone is $2000 it should last more than 2 years.

• 

  Huntakillaz on 13/04/2022 - 07:45

  +5

  TheMarket: with 10% off coupon

  https://themarket.com/nz/p/samsung-a52s-5g-with-spark-sim-bu…

  Order Summary

  Subtotal    $549.00
  Shipping Total    $0
  MarketClub+ Shipping Discount - $6.00
  Total (GST Inclusive)    $549.00
  GST $71.61
  Coupon Savings    - $54.90
  Payment Total    $494.10
  

  https://themarket.com/nz/search?s=Samsung%20Galaxy%20S20%20F…

  Order Summary

  Subtotal    $688.00
  Shipping Total    $0
  MarketClub+ Shipping Discount - $6.00
  Total (GST Inclusive)    $688.00
  GST $89.74
  Coupon Savings    - $68.80
  Payment Total $619.20
  

  https://themarket.com/nz/p/oneplus-nord-8-128gb-grey-onyx/4-…

  Order Summary

  Subtotal    $597.00
  Shipping Total    $0
  MarketClub+ Shipping Discount - $6.00
  Total (GST Inclusive)    $597.00
  GST $77.87
  Coupon Savings    - $59.70
  Payment Total    $537.30
  

  • 

    kiwijunglist on 13/04/2022 - 22:16

    wondering about getting the S20 FE , seems like an okay phone for the price. My wife's Mi9 seems to of developed a fault.

    Is there a way to get a cheaper by signing up to a plan. I seem to remember you used to be able to get around $200 for 2degrees some up or something?

• 

  cbemstar on 13/04/2022 - 08:59

  -1

  I spent a few more dollars and got the Oneplus 9 for around $720 which is a lot better than any other phone mentioned here in this thread.

  I found one for under $700

  https://www.einfo.co.nz/oneplus-9-5g-8gb-128gb-astral-black.…

  • 

    AleBeerenhoff on 13/04/2022 - 09:13

    Hmm downsides (for me) of the Oneplus would be no sd slot or ip rating.

    Just goes to show that the whole "ABC phone is better than XYZ" is so relative to the individual. But good to just float these good deals when they come up and let people evaluate for themselves :thumbsup

    • 

      cbemstar on 13/04/2022 - 09:48

      You're right. However, Oneplus is still better is in the performance department. It's got the Snapgradon 888 which is 2021's latest processor with a better screen too. I read about the T-mobile version of this phone. Apparently it comes with an IP rating so I assume there is some level of water resistance in the other versions although with a grain of salt. SD card, yes there's only 1 slot. I replaced my LG V30+ for this phone which had another slot but I guess that's where things are going now. No headphone jack, SD slot etc.

      • 

        Lcee on 13/04/2022 - 11:22

        I agree the Oneplus 9 is a fantastic phone for that price and is a great alternative to the S20 FE for people who don’t want Samsung.

        But like AleBeerenhoff said, it really does come down to the individual on what their preferences are and what they really need from a phone.

        In terms of pure performance specs, the OnePlus 9 trumps the S20FE with its Snapdragon 888 and higher Ram. But the specs on the S20 FE is no slouch either, and for most average phone users, they won’t actually notice much difference in daily use, unless they are into high performance gaming or heavy multi-tasking.

        The S20FE has advantages with its Micro sd support and IP68 rating. And from the reviews I’ve seen, the camera on the S20 FE is better, as the Oneplus 9 does not have optical image stabilization, no telephoto lens, and has weaker low-light performance.

        Moral of the story, the individual should do their research and understand what they really need. I don’t think you can go wrong with any of these phones at these price ranges to be honest.

        • 

          cbemstar on 19/04/2022 - 08:19

          @Lcee: Agreed

• 

  fatboyj on 13/04/2022 - 09:19

  Good timing for a phone upgrade looking at something round the $500 mark. That redmi above posted by Bill looks very good bang for buck.

• 

  PANiCnz on 13/04/2022 - 10:32

  Something to be careful of with brands like Oneplus and Xiaomi is support for VoLTE and Wifi Calling can be hit and miss, if these features are important to you it would pay to do your homework.

  For example I'm not aware of any Xiaomi device that has Wifi Calling working in NZ.

  • 

    fake on 13/04/2022 - 11:05

    I had a Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 which is 5 years old now.
    It has wifi-calling…

    I think you will find it's more common than not these days.

    Spark/Skinny are yet to support wifi-calling so if you are on one of those carriers it won't matter what device you have.

• 

  Aerol on 14/04/2022 - 15:52

  +1

  Slightly off-topic, any free delivery codes for Noel Leeming doing the rounds at the moment?