Realme 10 Pro+ vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G: A Deep Dive into Battery, Performance, and Value
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing battery life and fast charging, the Realme 10 Pro+ emerges as the winner. Its significantly longer endurance rating (149h vs 92h) and 67W charging are substantial advantages. However, the S21 FE’s Snapdragon 888 (or Exynos 2100) offers a performance edge for demanding tasks.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Realme 10 Pro+ | 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, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41, 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 - International | 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 / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| - | 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, November 17 | 2022, January 04 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, November 24 | Available. Released 2022, January 07 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, plastic frame, plastic back | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 161.5 x 73.9 x 7.8 mm or 8 mm | 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 | 173 g / 175 g (6.10 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 2412 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~394 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 108.0 cm2 (~90.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.4 inches, 100.5 cm2 (~86.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, HDR10+, 120Hz, 800 nits | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.6 GHz Cortex-A78 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) - version 1Octa-core (2x2.5 GHz Cortex-A78 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) - version 2 | 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 | Mediatek Dimensity 1080 (6 nm) - version 1Mediatek Dimensity 920 (6 nm) - version 2 | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - Version 1Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - Version 2 |
| GPU | Mali-G68 MC4 - version 1Mali-G68 MC4 - version 2 | Adreno 660 - Version 1Mali-G78 MP14 - Version 2 |
| OS | Android 13, Realme UI 4.0 | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | - | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Triple | 108 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.67", 0.64µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, 16mm, 112˚ (ultrawide) 2 MP (macro) | 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@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120/480fps, 720p@960fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Panorama | HDR |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.5, 25mm (wide) | 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 |
| 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 (market/region dependent) | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | Unspecified |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0 | USB Type-C, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band | 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 | 67W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 17 min | 25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | 5000 mAh | Li-Ion 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Dark Matter Black, Nebula Blue, Hyperspace | White, Graphite, Lavender, Olive |
| Models | RMX3687, RMX3686 | 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 650 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) |
Realme 10 Pro+
- Exceptional battery life (149h endurance)
- Ultra-fast 67W charging
- Modern and sleek design
- Less powerful processor than the S21 FE
- Lacks wireless charging
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
- More powerful processor (Snapdragon 888/Exynos 2100)
- Wireless and reverse wireless charging
- Established brand reputation
- Significantly shorter battery life (92h endurance)
- Slower charging speed (25W)
Display Comparison
Both devices feature displays with comparable peak brightness, measured at 809 nits for the Realme 10 Pro+ and 792 nits for the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G. While the S21 FE boasts an 'Infinite' contrast ratio (typical of AMOLED panels), the Realme’s display performance is still very competitive. The S21 FE’s display is likely to offer slightly more vibrant colors and deeper blacks due to its AMOLED technology, but the Realme’s LCD panel is still bright and clear. Bezels are similarly minimal on both devices, contributing to a modern aesthetic.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer capable camera systems, but detailed sensor information is limited. Both are capable of Photo and Video capture. The Realme 10 Pro+’s camera system is likely focused on delivering strong image quality in various lighting conditions, while the S21 FE’s camera benefits from Samsung’s well-regarded image processing algorithms. Without specific sensor size and aperture details, it’s difficult to definitively declare a winner, but the S21 FE’s history suggests a more refined camera experience. We can assume the S21 FE has better video recording capabilities.
Performance
The performance landscape is more nuanced. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G ships with either the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (5nm) or the Exynos 2100 (5nm) depending on the region. Both are significantly more powerful than the Realme 10 Pro+'s Mediatek Dimensity 1080 (6nm). The Snapdragon 888, with its Cortex-X1 prime core clocked at 2.84 GHz (or 2.9 GHz in some versions), provides a noticeable performance boost in CPU-intensive tasks and gaming. However, the Dimensity 1080’s 6nm process offers improved efficiency, potentially leading to better sustained performance and less thermal throttling. The Realme 10 Pro+ also benefits from a newer architecture, though the raw clock speeds are lower (2.6 GHz Cortex-A78).
Battery Life
The Realme 10 Pro+ decisively wins in battery endurance, boasting a 149-hour rating compared to the S21 FE’s 92 hours. This translates to a significantly longer time between charges for typical users. Furthermore, the Realme 10 Pro+ supports 67W wired charging, achieving a 50% charge in just 17 minutes, while the S21 FE takes 30 minutes with its 25W charger. The S21 FE adds the convenience of 15W wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, features absent on the Realme 10 Pro+.
Buying Guide
Buy the Realme 10 Pro+ if you need exceptional battery life, incredibly fast charging, and a modern design without breaking the bank. It’s ideal for users who prioritize all-day usability and don’t necessarily require the absolute highest performance. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G if you prefer a more established brand, a potentially more powerful processor (depending on the version), and features like wireless charging, even if it means sacrificing battery endurance and accepting a slower charging experience.