Motorola Edge S vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G: Which Flagship Offers the Best Value?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a brighter, more refined display and faster charging, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is the better choice. However, the Motorola Edge S provides exceptional performance for the price, making it ideal for budget-conscious gamers and power users who don't mind a slightly less polished experience.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Motorola Edge S | 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, 20, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 66 | 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, 28, 38, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA | 1, 3, 5, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1600/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1x | 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, January 26 | 2022, January 04 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, February 03 | Available. Released 2022, January 07 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 168.4 x 74 x 9.7 mm (6.63 x 2.91 x 0.38 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 |
| Weight | 215 g (7.58 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 Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2520 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~409 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 104.9 cm2 (~84.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.4 inches, 100.5 cm2 (~86.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | IPS LCD, 90Hz, HDR10, 560 nits (HBM) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.2 GHz Kryo 585 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 585 & 4x1.80 GHz Kryo 585) | 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 SM8250-AC Snapdragon 870 5G (7 nm) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - Version 1Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - Version 2 |
| GPU | Adreno 650 | Adreno 660 - Version 1Mali-G78 MP14 - Version 2 |
| OS | Android 11, upgradable to Android 12 | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | - | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, Dual-LED flash, ring flash (macro mode), panorama, HDR | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | - | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Triple | 64 MP, f/1.7, (wide), 1/2.0", 0.7µm, PDAF 16 MP, f/2.2, 121˚ (ultrawide), 1.0µm, PDAF TOF 3D 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 | 6K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 16 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1.0µm 8 MP, f/2.4, 100˚ (ultrawide), 1.12µm | - |
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | - | 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 | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, LE | 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, OTG | USB Type-C, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, 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 | 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 | 20W wired | 25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 5000 mAh | Li-Ion 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Blue, Silver | 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 250 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) |
Motorola Edge S
- Excellent price-to-performance ratio
- Snapdragon 870 offers strong sustained performance
- Potentially better thermal management than S21 FE (Exynos)
- Fast LPDDR5 RAM
- Less detailed display specifications
- Slower charging speed (20W)
- Limited software update commitment
- Camera specs are unknown
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
- Brighter and more vibrant display (792 nits)
- Faster charging (25W wired, 15W wireless)
- Samsung’s established camera reputation
- Stronger software support and ecosystem
- Potential for thermal throttling (Exynos variant)
- Higher price point
- Snapdragon 888/Exynos 2100 may not offer a massive real-world performance gain over the 870
- 2MP macro camera is largely a gimmick
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching a measured 792 nits, compared to an unspecified brightness for the Edge S. This translates to better outdoor visibility. While both likely utilize AMOLED panels, the S21 FE’s ‘Infinite’ contrast ratio suggests a more aggressive black level implementation. The Edge S’s display specifications are less detailed, leaving questions about color accuracy and potential PWM dimming rates unanswered, which could impact users sensitive to flicker. The S21 FE’s higher peak brightness is a clear advantage for media consumption in bright environments.
Camera Comparison
Both phones feature capable camera systems, but detailed specifications are limited. Both are listed as having Photo/Video capabilities, but sensor sizes, aperture values, and OIS implementation are unknown for the Edge S. The S21 FE likely benefits from Samsung’s advanced image processing algorithms. The presence of a 2MP macro camera on the S21 FE is unlikely to significantly impact image quality, serving more as a marketing feature. Without detailed camera specs for the Edge S, it’s difficult to definitively assess its photographic capabilities, but Samsung’s established camera reputation gives the S21 FE an edge.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The Motorola Edge S utilizes the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (7nm), while the S21 FE comes in two variants: Snapdragon 888 5G (5nm) or Exynos 2100 (5nm). The Snapdragon 888 and Exynos 2100, built on a smaller 5nm process, theoretically offer better power efficiency and higher peak performance than the 7nm Snapdragon 870. However, the Snapdragon 870 is known for its sustained performance due to better thermal management. The S21 FE’s Cortex-X1 prime core (2.84/2.9 GHz depending on version) provides a performance boost in single-threaded tasks, but the Edge S’s Kryo 585 cores are still highly capable. The S21 FE’s RAM configuration is not specified, but the Edge S’s LPDDR5 RAM ensures fast memory access. The Exynos variant of the S21 FE has historically faced criticism regarding thermal throttling, a potential area where the Edge S could excel.
Battery Life
Both devices achieve an Endurance rating of 92 hours, suggesting comparable battery life despite differing battery capacities (not specified for the Edge S). However, the S21 FE offers significantly faster charging at 25W wired (50% in 30 minutes), 15W wireless, and reverse wireless charging. The Edge S is limited to 20W wired charging. While the Endurance rating suggests similar overall usage time, the S21 FE’s faster charging provides greater convenience and reduces downtime. The addition of wireless charging on the S21 FE is a notable advantage for users who prefer cable-free charging.
Buying Guide
Buy the Motorola Edge S if you need raw processing power for gaming and demanding tasks on a tight budget, and are comfortable with potentially less frequent software updates. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G if you prefer a brighter, more color-accurate display, faster charging speeds (including wireless), and the broader ecosystem and software support of Samsung.