Choosing a new smartphone can be overwhelming, especially with so many options available. Today, we're pitting two contenders against each other: the ultra-budget Asus P552w and the more modern Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G. Let's see which one offers the best value for your money.
🏆 Quick Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is the clear winner. While the Asus P552w offers incredible value for its price, the S21 FE's superior performance, camera, display, and battery life make it a significantly better overall package, justifying its higher cost.
| Network |
|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | - | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 26, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 3, 5, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA 3.6/0.384 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1600/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| | - | 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA |
| Launch |
|---|
| Announced | 2008, September. Released 2008 | 2022, January 04 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2022, January 07 |
| Body |
|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 102 x 60.5 x 14.5 mm (4.02 x 2.38 x 0.57 in) | 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm (6.13 x 2.93 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | Mini-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 105 g (3.70 oz) | 177 g (6.24 oz) |
| | - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
| Display |
|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 240 x 320 pixels, 4:3 ratio (~143 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) |
| Size | 2.8 inches, 24.3 cm2 (~39.3% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.4 inches, 100.5 cm2 (~86.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | TFT resistive touchscreen, 65K colors | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| | - | Always-on display |
| Platform |
|---|
| CPU | Marvell Tavor 624 MHz | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - Version 1Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) - Version 2 |
| Chipset | - | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - Version 1Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - Version 2 |
| GPU | - | Adreno 660 - Version 1Mali-G78 MP14 - Version 2 |
| OS | Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory |
|---|
| Card slot | microSD (dedicated slot) | No |
| Internal | 128MB RAM, 256MB ROM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| Main Camera |
|---|
| Features | - | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 2 MP | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Triple | - | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS
8 MP, f/2.4, 76mm (telephoto), 1/4.5", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom
12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.0", 1.12µm |
| Video | 320p@24fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera |
|---|
| Features | - | HDR |
| Single | - | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Video | - | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| | No | - |
| Sound |
|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| | - | 32-bit/384kHz audio |
| Comms |
|---|
| Bluetooth | 2.0, A2DP | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | - | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, SiRF Star III chipset | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | Unspecified |
| USB | 2.0 | USB Type-C, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11b/g | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features |
|---|
| Browser | HTTP / WAP 2.0 | - |
| Sensors | - | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| | MP3/AAC/AAC+/WMA/OGG/AMR player
WMV/MP4 player
Organizer
World Clock
Pocket Office | Bixby natural language commands and dictation
Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified)
Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) |
| Battery |
|---|
| Charging | - | 25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min
15W wireless
Reverse wireless |
| Stand-by | Up to 300 h | - |
| Talk time | Up to 5 h | - |
| Type | Removable Li-Ion 1100 mAh battery | Li-Ion 4500 mAh |
| Misc |
|---|
| Colors | Black, White | White, Graphite, Lavender, Olive |
| Models | - | SM-G990B, SM-G990B/DS, SM-G990U, SM-G990U1, SM-G990W, SM-G990E, SM-G9900, SM-G990B2, SM-G990U2, SM-G990W2, SM-G990U3 |
| Price | About 370 EUR | € 199.00 / $ 143.95 / £ 154.99 / ₹ 29,990 |
| SAR | - | 0.77 W/kg (head) 0.90 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.95 W/kg (head) 1.48 W/kg (body) |
| Tests |
|---|
| Battery life | - |
Endurance rating 92h
|
| Camera | - |
Photo / Video |
| Display | - |
Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - |
-26.9 LUFS (Good)
|
| Performance | - |
AnTuTu: 566529 (v8), 719696 (v9)
GeekBench: 3049 (v5.1)
GFXBench: 56fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Asus P552w
- Extremely affordable
- Compact size
- Decent battery life (potentially)
- Very slow performance
- Low-resolution display
- Basic camera
- Outdated processor
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
- Fast performance
- Excellent camera
- Vibrant display
- 5G connectivity
- Fast charging
- Higher price than P552w
- Battery life could be better (though still good)
- Some may find it large
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G boasts a significantly brighter and more vibrant display with a contrast ratio approaching infinity. Its higher resolution and refresh rate (typically 120Hz) provide a smoother and more immersive viewing experience compared to the P552w's likely lower-resolution and standard refresh rate display. The S21 FE's outdoor visibility is also far superior.
Camera Comparison
The Galaxy S21 FE 5G's camera system is a major upgrade. It offers better image quality, more features (like optical image stabilization), and superior video recording capabilities. The P552w likely has a basic camera that is adequate for casual snapshots but falls far short of the S21 FE's performance.
Performance
The performance gap is massive. The Galaxy S21 FE 5G's Snapdragon 888 (or Exynos 2100) chipset and Octa-core CPU utterly dominate the P552w's Marvell Tavor processor. Expect significantly faster app loading, smoother multitasking, and the ability to handle demanding games on the S21 FE, while the P552w will struggle with even moderate tasks.
Battery Life
While the Asus P552w might have a surprisingly long endurance rating (based on older data), the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G offers a more consistent and reliable battery life, coupled with faster charging speeds (both wired and wireless). The S21 FE's charging capabilities are a significant advantage.
Buying Guide
The Asus P552w is ideal for users on an extremely tight budget who primarily need basic calling, texting, and light web browsing. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is perfect for those seeking a well-rounded smartphone experience with a good camera, fast performance, and a vibrant display, without breaking the bank.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Is the Asus P552w good for gaming?
No, the P552w's processor is too weak for any serious gaming. It can handle very basic, lightweight games, but don't expect a smooth experience.
❓ What is the difference between the Snapdragon and Exynos versions of the Galaxy S21 FE?
The Snapdragon version generally offers slightly better performance and efficiency, while the Exynos version may have slightly different color calibration on the display. The differences are usually not significant for most users.
