Google Pixel 6 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G: The Ultimate Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Galaxy S21 FE edges out the Pixel 6 with slightly better battery life and a brighter display. However, the Pixel 6's unique software experience and potentially superior camera processing make it a strong contender. Ultimately, the best choice depends on your priorities.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Google Pixel 6 | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - GB7N6, G9S9B16 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 26, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 257, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - G9S9B | 1, 3, 5, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1600/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - GB7N6 | 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, October 19 | 2022, January 04 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, October 28 | Available. Released 2022, January 07 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 158.6 x 74.8 x 8.9 mm (6.24 x 2.94 x 0.35 in) | 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm (6.13 x 2.93 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 207 g (7.30 oz) | 177 g (6.24 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~411 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.4 inches, 98.9 cm2 (~83.4% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.4 inches, 100.5 cm2 (~86.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 90Hz, HDR10+ | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| Always-on display | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.80 GHz Cortex-X1 & 2x2.25 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | 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 | Google Tensor (5 nm) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - Version 1Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - Version 2 |
| GPU | Mali-G78 MP20 | Adreno 660 - Version 1Mali-G78 MP14 - Version 2 |
| OS | Android 12, upgradable to Android 15, up to 5 major Android upgrades | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | - | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 50 MP, f/1.9, 25mm (wide), 1/1.31", 1.2µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 17mm, 114˚ (ultrawide), 1.25µm | - |
| Features | Laser AF, Dual-LED flash, Pixel Shift, Auto-HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1.12µm | 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 | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps; gyro-EIS, OIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1.12µm | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5) | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | Unspecified |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1 | USB Type-C, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| - | Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | Wired (based on 30W charger), PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 21W wireless Reverse wireless | 25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 4614 mAh | Li-Ion 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Sorta Seafoam, Kinda Coral, Stormy Black | White, Graphite, Lavender, Olive |
| Models | GB7N6, G9S9B16, G9S9B, GR1YH | SM-G990B, SM-G990B/DS, SM-G990U, SM-G990U1, SM-G990W, SM-G990E, SM-G9900, SM-G990B2, SM-G990U2, SM-G990W2, SM-G990U3 |
| Price | $ 172.48 / C$ 238.84 / £ 169.99 / € 191.89 / ₹ 23,719 | € 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 86h | Endurance rating 92h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -26.9 LUFS (Good) | -26.9 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 676831 (v9) GeekBench: 2899 (v5.1) GFXBench: 57fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 566529 (v8), 719696 (v9) GeekBench: 3049 (v5.1) GFXBench: 56fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Google Pixel 6
- Clean Android experience
- Excellent camera software
- Unique Google features (e.g., Magic Eraser)
- Good value
- Slightly less bright display
- Tensor chip can be less consistent than Snapdragon
- Charging speed could be faster
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
- Brighter display
- Versatile camera system
- Customizable Android experience
- Fast charging
- Software can feel bloated
- Performance can vary depending on chipset version
- Design is less distinctive
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G boasts a measured peak brightness of 792 nits, significantly brighter than the Pixel 6's display. While both offer excellent contrast (nominally infinite), the S21 FE's visibility in direct sunlight is noticeably better. The Pixel 6's display is still vibrant and sharp, but the S21 FE takes the edge here.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer excellent camera systems. The Pixel 6 is known for its computational photography prowess, delivering consistently impressive results with minimal effort. The S21 FE 5G provides more versatility with its multiple lenses and zoom capabilities. Ultimately, camera preference is subjective, but the Pixel 6 often produces more natural-looking images.
Performance
The Pixel 6 utilizes Google's Tensor chip, offering a unique blend of AI and machine learning capabilities. The S21 FE 5G comes in two versions: one with the Snapdragon 888 and another with the Exynos 2100. Both are powerful, but the Snapdragon generally offers slightly better sustained performance and efficiency. The Tensor chip excels in specific tasks like voice recognition and image processing.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S21 FE 5G holds a slight advantage in battery life, achieving an endurance rating of 92 hours compared to the Pixel 6's 86 hours. Both phones offer fast wired and wireless charging, but the S21 FE's 25W wired charging is a bit faster than the Pixel 6's 21W.
Buying Guide
The Google Pixel 6 is ideal for users who prioritize a clean Android experience, exceptional camera software, and unique Google features. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is a better fit for those who prefer a more customizable Android experience, a brighter display, and a wider range of Samsung's ecosystem features.