Samsung has scheduled another virtual product launch for this Wednesday, September 23. After all, the Galaxy Note 20 lineup debuted in August, followed by the Galaxy Z Fold 2 earlier this month. So what does Samsung have left for a second encore?

The Galaxy S20 Fan Edition is rumored to be an addition to the Galaxy S20 lineup, which was announced much earlier this year. Rumor has it that the phone will offer some of the Galaxy S20's notable features without its hefty price tag.

However, one question about the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition will not go away until Samsung takes the stage to show off its new creation. That is, who is this phone for?

In case you haven't noticed, there have been a lot of Samsung phones on the market lately, especially when it comes to Samsung's high-end flagships. In addition to the three S20 models that came out in the spring (the Galaxy S20 Plus and Galaxy S20 Ultra joined the standard S20), Samsung has just announced the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra; the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition sees the light of day Before the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition sees the light of day, there will already be five models in the two flagship lines.

However, as high-performance as these devices are, there is a segment of the smartphone-buying public that is not willing to pay more than $999 for a smartphone. The Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Note 20 both start around $1,000, and the Plus and Ultra models scale up from there.

"Samsung has an enviable lineup of ultra-luxury Galaxy S, Note, and Z phones in the $1,000 and up price range, and strong budget options in the mid-tier, such as the Galaxy A51 and Galaxy A71," Techsponential chief analyst Avi Greengart said. My guess is that the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition is intended to bridge the gap between the two."

You might not think the gap would be that big, given Samsung's focus on beefing up its Galaxy A lineup in recent years. While these phones have some pretty impressive features, such as multiple cameras and long-lasting batteries, they are a few hundred dollars cheaper than Samsung's flagship phones; some Galaxy A models even add 5G connectivity, as seen in the $699 Galaxy A71 5G Some models even add 5G connectivity, as seen in the $699 Galaxy A71 5G. This is one of Samsung's more expensive mid-range models, but still $300 less than what one would pay for a Galaxy S20 or Galaxy Note 20.

For some shoppers, however, there is a clear gap between the top-of-the-line Galaxy A and Samsung's flagships. The processors in the Galaxy A phones are powerful enough, but they are no match for the Snapdragon 8 series chipsets that Samsung uses in its Galaxy S and Note devices. More importantly, the cameras on the Galaxy A51 and A71 are good enough, but they are outclassed by expensive flagships and inexpensive budget phones. In contrast, the Galaxy S20 Ultra is the best camera phone one can buy today, and the Note 20 is also highly regarded.

"The core features of any smartphone are the camera and the display, and we expect Samsung to optimize both [in the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition]," Greengart said.

According to leaked information about the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition, it seems certain that Samsung is trying to pack the maximum amount of features into a cheaper version of the Galaxy S20. According to the latest Galaxy S20 Fan Edition leaks, the 120Hz refresh rate that Samsung introduced on the rest of the S20 lineup will also be enabled on the Fan Edition's 6.5-inch AMOLED panel. The device will be powered by a Snapdragon 865 or 865 Plus, and there are conflicting rumors on this point, but in any case, it is expected to perform on par with Samsung's other flagships.

In terms of cameras, the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition will likely feature a 12MP main camera, plus a 12MP ultra-wide-angle shooter with 3x optical zoom and an 8MP telephoto lens. However, the S20's telephoto lens used a 64MP sensor, so it will be interesting to see if the Fan Edition's photos are comparable to the rest of the Galaxy S20 lineup.

Much of the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition's appeal hinges on its price. Samsung will have to choose a price that is lower than the prices of its other flagships, which is not too difficult to do given that it starts at $999.

"There is always a risk of cannibalization with other Galaxy phones, but the Galaxy S line has a large installed base, and when those customers are ready to buy something new, the first place they are likely to look is another Galaxy S phone," Greengart stated.

Most rumors have the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition priced around $750. This is $250 less than the Galaxy S20. More importantly, it is right in the middle of the rumored prices of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Max, which are expected to ship next month. One area where Apple has consistently outperformed Samsung in recent years is in offering cheaper versions of its flagship models, and the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition may be Samsung's way of addressing that gap in its lineup.

Samsung has been down this road before, launching the Galaxy S10 Lite earlier this year. However, since this model was announced just as Samsung was reducing the price of its existing S10 model while launching the Galaxy S20, there did not seem to be a clear reason for the Galaxy S10 Lite to exist.

Whether Samsung can avoid making the same mistake twice with the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition will be known by mid-week.