OnePlus 9RT 5G vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G: The Ultimate Showdown
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏆 Quick Verdict
The OnePlus 9RT 5G takes the lead with its blazing-fast 65W charging and competitive price. However, the S21 FE boasts a brighter display, potentially better camera versatility, and the Samsung ecosystem advantage. Ultimately, the choice depends on your priorities: speed and value versus display and brand loyalty.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | OnePlus 9RT 5G | 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) / 1800 / 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 - Global | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 26, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 40, 41, 78 SA/NSA - Global | 1, 3, 5, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat18 1200/200 Mbps, 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 |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, October 13 | 2022, January 04 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, October 19 | Available. Released 2022, January 07 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 162.2 x 74.6 x 8.3 mm (6.39 x 2.94 x 0.33 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 | 198.5 g (7.02 oz) | 177 g (6.24 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~397 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.62 inches, 106.3 cm2 (~87.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.4 inches, 100.5 cm2 (~86.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+ | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| Always-on display | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 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 | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - Version 1Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - Version 2 |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Adreno 660 - Version 1Mali-G78 MP14 - Version 2 |
| OS | Android 11, upgradable to Android 13, OxygenOS 13 | 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 | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | - | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Quad | 50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56”, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 16 MP, f/2.2, 14mm, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm 2 MP (macro) | - |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm | 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@30/60/240fps, Auto HDR, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS | 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 | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a) | 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/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 (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 | 65W wired, 100% in 29 min | 25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh | Li-Ion 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Hacker Black, Nano Silver, Blue | White, Graphite, Lavender, Olive |
| Models | MT2110, MT2111 | 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 590 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) |
OnePlus 9RT 5G
- Blazing-fast 65W charging
- Competitive price
- Smooth performance
- Good display
- Camera may not be as versatile as S21 FE
- Battery life not explicitly stated
- Software updates potentially less frequent than Samsung
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
- Brighter display
- Versatile camera system
- Samsung ecosystem integration
- Potentially longer battery life
- Slower 25W charging
- Higher price
- Exynos version may have slightly reduced performance
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G edges out the OnePlus 9RT 5G with a measured peak brightness of 792 nits, offering better visibility in direct sunlight. While the OnePlus 9RT has a good display, the S21 FE's contrast ratio (infinite nominal) and overall color accuracy provide a slightly more premium viewing experience. Both use AMOLED panels with smooth refresh rates.
Camera Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G generally offers a more versatile camera system, likely with better image processing and potentially more advanced features. While the OnePlus 9RT has a capable camera, Samsung's reputation for camera quality is well-deserved. Specific camera specs are missing, but the S21 FE is expected to have a more robust feature set.
Performance
Both phones share the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G chipset, ensuring excellent performance for gaming and everyday tasks. However, the S21 FE has two CPU versions, one with a slightly faster Cortex-X1 clock speed (2.9 GHz vs 2.84 GHz). This difference is likely minimal in real-world usage, but the Exynos 2100 version (if applicable) might see slightly reduced performance compared to the Snapdragon.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G claims an impressive endurance rating of 92 hours, suggesting superior battery life. The OnePlus 9RT 5G's battery life is not explicitly stated, but its 65W charging compensates for any potential shortcomings. The S21 FE's 25W wired charging is significantly slower than the OnePlus 9RT's.
Buying Guide
The OnePlus 9RT 5G is ideal for users who prioritize fast charging, smooth performance, and a more budget-friendly price. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is a better choice for those who value a vibrant display, Samsung's software experience, and a more established brand reputation, even if it means sacrificing charging speed.