Huawei nova 9 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: A Detailed Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing raw performance and 5G connectivity, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is the better choice. Its Snapdragon 888 (or Exynos 2100) chipset offers a significant performance leap over the nova 9’s Snapdragon 778G. However, the nova 9 excels in charging speed and offers a comparable battery endurance rating.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Huawei nova 9 | 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, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - Europe | 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, LTE | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1600/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 18, 19, 26, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 - China | 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, September 23 | 2022, January 04 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, September 30 | Available. Released 2022, January 07 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 160 x 73.7 x 7.8 mm (6.30 x 2.90 x 0.31 in) | 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm (6.13 x 2.93 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 175 g (6.17 oz) | 177 g (6.24 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~392 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.57 inches, 106.0 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.4 inches, 100.5 cm2 (~86.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10 | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (4x2.4 GHz Kryo 670 & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 670) | 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 SM7325 Snapdragon 778G 4G (6 nm) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - Version 1Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - Version 2 |
| GPU | Adreno 642L | Adreno 660 - Version 1Mali-G78 MP14 - Version 2 |
| OS | HarmonyOS 2.0 (China), EMUI 12 (Europe), no Google Play Services | 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 | - | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, panorama, HDR | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Quad | 50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, (ultrawide) 2 MP (macro) Auxiliary lens | - |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.0, (wide) | 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, 1080p, 720p@960fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.0, (wide) | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, 720p@240fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | Unspecified |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/a/6, 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 | 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 | 66W wired, 60% in 18 min, 100% in 38 min Reverse wired | 25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4300 mAh | Li-Ion 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Starry Blue, Black, Green, Violet | White, Graphite, Lavender, Olive |
| Models | NAM-AL00, NAM-LX9 | 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 120 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 96h | Endurance rating 92h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -27.3 LUFS (Good) | -26.9 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 469798 (v9) GeekBench: 2973 (v5.1) GFXBench: 28fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 566529 (v8), 719696 (v9) GeekBench: 3049 (v5.1) GFXBench: 56fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Huawei nova 9
- Incredibly fast 66W wired charging
- Slightly better battery endurance rating
- Sleek and stylish design (assumed based on brand reputation)
- Limited to 4G connectivity
- Less powerful Snapdragon 778G chipset
- Lack of wireless charging
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
- Powerful Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100 chipset
- 5G connectivity
- Brighter display for outdoor visibility
- Slower 25W wired charging
- Potential for thermal throttling with the Snapdragon 888
- Exynos variant may exhibit performance inconsistencies
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching 792 nits compared to the Huawei nova 9’s 608 nits. This translates to better visibility outdoors under direct sunlight. Both displays share an 'Infinite' (nominal) contrast ratio, suggesting deep blacks typical of OLED panels. While neither specification details refresh rate, the S21 FE’s higher peak brightness is a clear advantage for users who consume a lot of media outdoors.
Camera Comparison
Both phones feature capable camera systems, but detailed sensor information is lacking. The absence of specific sensor details makes a direct comparison difficult. However, the S21 FE’s flagship-level chipset likely provides more advanced image processing capabilities. The nova 9’s camera is described as capable of both photo and video, but without details on sensor size or aperture, it’s hard to assess its low-light performance. The S21 FE’s processing power will likely result in better dynamic range and noise reduction. We can assume both phones offer standard features like HDR and portrait modes.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The S21 FE utilizes either the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (5nm) or the Exynos 2100 (5nm), both significantly more powerful than the nova 9’s Snapdragon 778G 4G (6nm). The Snapdragon 888’s Cortex-X1 prime core, clocked at up to 2.9 GHz, provides a substantial performance boost in CPU-intensive tasks. The S21 FE’s chipset also features a more capable GPU, crucial for gaming. The nova 9’s 4G limitation is a significant drawback for users in areas with robust 5G infrastructure. While the 6nm process of the 778G is efficient, it can’t match the 5nm node of the 888/2100 in sustained performance.
Battery Life
Despite a slightly smaller battery endurance rating (92h vs 96h), the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G’s 25W charging is considerably slower than the Huawei nova 9’s 66W wired charging. The nova 9 can reach 60% charge in just 18 minutes and 100% in 38 minutes, a significant advantage for users who need a quick top-up. The S21 FE takes 30 minutes to reach 50%. The S21 FE also offers 15W wireless and reverse wireless charging, features absent in the nova 9, providing added convenience.
Buying Guide
Buy the Huawei nova 9 if you prioritize incredibly fast charging (66W) and a sleek aesthetic, and don't heavily rely on 5G connectivity or demanding mobile games. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G if you need a more powerful processor for gaming and multitasking, require 5G support, and value a more established software ecosystem, even if it means slightly slower charging.