Samsung's Galaxy S20 FE just stole some of the best Galaxy S21 camera features

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE review
(Image credit: Future)

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is a fantastic phone, especially for its price. But we can never say no to improvement, especially when it involves adding features from the Samsung Galaxy S21.

The Galaxy S20 FE’s latest firmware update (G781BXXU2CUC6) has started rolling out in a number of European countries. With it comes a bunch of fancy camera features that debuted with the Galaxy S21 range, making the S20 FE a better value than before.

Features on the way include the ability to use the ultrawide camera lens in Pro mode, and new effects in the phone’s portrait mode. Unfortunately. there are still plenty of features that remain exclusive to the Galaxy S21 range.

Missing features include the ability to use Portrait mode in low-light conditions, and Director’s View that lets you switch between camera lenses when you’re shooting video. So if you want the most fully-featured Samsung phone camera, you’re still better off picking up one of the Galaxy S21 range.

But if you’re in need of a great Samsung phone that doesn’t cost the same as a flagship, this update makes the Galaxy S20 FE that bit more appealing. If you’re already rocking one of your own, then you have something to look forward to in the near future.

  How to install the Galaxy S20FE camera update

If you want to check if the Galaxy S20 FE update is available yet, you just need to head over to the Settings menu. From there hit Software update and see if your phone has already recognized that the new firmware is available. If it is, you'll see the option to Download and install. Tap that to get yourself going.

If that option isn't available, your phone is already fully up to date. So you'll have to wait a few days for this new firmware to roll out.

But once you’ve finished the installation waiting game, and the phone is up to date, all you need to do is head down to the camera app and get -hunting for all those lovely new features.

According to SamMobile the update has already been rolling out in Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, the Baltic region, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and the Nordic region.

The update is set to be rolled out in other regions over the next few days, starting with the Galaxy S20 FE 5G. The LTE-only model isn’t being left out, but you’re going to have to wait a tiny bit longer before it’ll be available.

Tom Pritchard
UK Phones Editor

Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.