New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….
Original story (published on October 12, 2020) follows:
One device that stands in the way of the Google Pixel 5’s success is the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE.
Make no mistake, the Pixel 5 is a great piece of hardware, but for the same $699, the Galaxy S20 FE has more to offer.
The 3-year Android OS updates no longer is a USP for Google Pixels now that Samsung is aboard this ship. The Galaxy S20 FE, although not currently in the One UI 3 beta program, will receive 3 OS updates.
Sure, there is the case of the Pixel 5 and excellent photography, but the S20 FE makes up for this with the premium Snapdragon 865 chipset alongside a telephoto lens to complement the standard and ultrawide shooters.
We all know Samsung phones have some of the best display panels and there is no arguing against the Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+-capable 6.5-inch panel on the S20 FE.
No denying that this is some top-level hardware. But even so, this excellent screen is still far from perfect, at least going by the multiple reports doing rounds in various forums.
According to affected Galaxy S20 FE owners, it looks like the old ghost touch screen issues we’ve seen in many phones over time is back to haunt Samsung.
As it stands, swipe/tap interactions with the screen are not up to the mark, something others are already associating with hardware failure.
The fact that Samsung has yet to address the Galaxy S20 FE touch screen matter officially breeds room for this kind of speculation.
However, given that one affected user says the issue persists on a replacement unit, it could indeed be hardware-related.
At this point, though, it’s just a hunch and nothing concrete, so we wait to hear from Samsung. Hopefully, this does not end up becoming a stumbling block for a device that looks destined for greatness.
Update 1 (October 21)
It appears that Samsung has released a fix for the touch screen issues on the Galaxy S20 FE (Fan Edition). The update is currently available for S20 FE units in Korea as build number ATJ5.
We have added the changelog below (translated from Korean to English):
Update 2 (October 22)
We also stumbled upon a video on YouTube (via) wherein the uploader of the video says the device is working fine in some cases after the touch fix update.
Here’s what someone on Reddit says about the video:
You can check out the video below (it’s in Korean though).
Edit: Just to add, in one of the korean comments he says “I think the vertical and horizontal are corrected, but the diagonal and swipe will not be corrected. Right now, I have no problem with actual use,”
To check out the comments on this video, head here.
Update 3 (October 23)
The folks over at Android Police have received an official statement from Samsung regarding the touch-related issues on the Galaxy S20 FE. In it, Samsung has claimed that the issue is affecting a limited number of units and that the company is working to resolve it.
For reference, we’ve added the complete statement below:
Update 4 (November 10)
The touchscreen issues on the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE have reportedly not been fixed even after the third consecutive update for the device. An update with the build number ATK1 was rolled out for the Snapdragon variants of the device but did not fix the problem.
However, it does seem that Samsung has managed to at least improve the experience a bit. So the company is heading in the right direction. Although, it’s unclear how long it will take for the problem to be resolved completely.
Update 5 (January 16)
Samsung has started seeding a new update for the Galaxy S20 FE which apparently improves the touch screen stability of the device. The update bears the build number BUA5 and weighs around 263MB. It also carries the January security patch.
Some users who have received the update are claiming that this has indeed fixed the ghost touch issue on the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE.
Update 6 (April 13)
The latest software update for the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE apparently improves the stability of the touch screen further as per a fresh report. Apart from that, it brings the April security patch to the device as well. The update in question bears the build number CUD1.
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