Motorola Edge 30 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G: The Ultimate Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G edges out the Motorola Edge 30 Pro thanks to its superior battery life and brighter display. While the Edge 30 Pro boasts faster charging and a slightly more powerful chipset, the S21 FE's overall package and software support make it the more compelling choice for most users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Motorola Edge 30 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 48, 66 - International | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 26, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International | 1, 3, 5, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat20 2000/150 Mbps, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1600/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 2, 5, 7, 12, 25, 26, 29, 30, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, January 24 | 2022, January 04 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, March 04 | Available. Released 2022, January 07 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 163.1 x 76 x 8.8 mm (6.42 x 2.99 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· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 196 g (6.91 oz) | 177 g (6.24 oz) |
| Water-repellent design | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~393 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.4 inches, 100.5 cm2 (~86.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+ | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| Always-on display | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) | 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 SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - Version 1Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - Version 2 |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Adreno 660 - Version 1Mali-G78 MP14 - Version 2 |
| OS | Android 12, upgradable to Android 14 | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | - | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | - | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/1.55", 1.0µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/2.2, 114˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.76", 0.64µm, AF Auxiliary lens | 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 | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps, 10-bit HDR10+, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 60 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/2.8", 0.61µm | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/120fps | 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 |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | 32-bit/384kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | Unspecified |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, DisplayPort 1.4 | 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 (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Ready For support | Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 68W wired, 50% in 15 min, 100% in 35 min 15W wireless 5W reverse wireless | 25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4800 mAh | Li-Ion 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Cosmos Blue, Stardust White | White, Graphite, Lavender, Olive |
| Models | XT2201-1 | SM-G990B, SM-G990B/DS, SM-G990U, SM-G990U1, SM-G990W, SM-G990E, SM-G9900, SM-G990B2, SM-G990U2, SM-G990W2, SM-G990U3 |
| Price | € 475.45 | € 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 80h | Endurance rating 92h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -24.2 LUFS (Very good) | -26.9 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 941895 (v9) GeekBench: 3658 (v5.1) GFXBench: 78fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 566529 (v8), 719696 (v9) GeekBench: 3049 (v5.1) GFXBench: 56fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Motorola Edge 30 Pro
- Faster Charging (68W)
- Potentially Higher Raw Performance
- Sleek Design
- Lower Display Brightness
- Less Consistent Camera Performance
- Shorter Battery Life
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
- Brighter Display
- Excellent Battery Life
- Refined Camera System
- Samsung's Software Ecosystem
- Slower Charging (25W)
- Performance slightly behind Edge 30 Pro
- Potential for Exynos throttling (Version 1)
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G takes the lead in the display department with a measured peak brightness of 792 nits, significantly brighter than the Edge 30 Pro's 685 nits. Both offer excellent contrast ratios (infinite nominal), but the S21 FE's higher brightness makes it more usable outdoors. Both utilize OLED technology for vibrant colors and deep blacks.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer versatile camera systems, but the S21 FE 5G generally delivers more consistent and pleasing results, particularly in challenging lighting conditions. While specific camera specs are not detailed, Samsung's image processing is typically more refined. The Edge 30 Pro's camera is capable, but may require more tweaking to achieve optimal results.
Performance
The Motorola Edge 30 Pro packs a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, offering a slight edge in raw processing power. However, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G, depending on the version (Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100), provides very competitive performance. Real-world usage will likely feel similar for most tasks, though the Edge 30 Pro might handle demanding games slightly better. The Edge 30 Pro's Cortex-X2 core gives it a theoretical advantage.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G clearly wins in battery endurance, boasting an 80-hour rating compared to the Edge 30 Pro's 80h. While both are respectable, the S21 FE's larger battery capacity translates to longer usage times between charges. The Edge 30 Pro's 68W wired charging is faster, but the S21 FE's overall battery performance is more practical.
Buying Guide
The Motorola Edge 30 Pro is ideal for power users who prioritize raw performance and fast charging. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is a better fit for those seeking a well-rounded experience with excellent battery life, a vibrant display, and Samsung's reliable software ecosystem.