Samsung Galaxy A52 5G vs S21 FE 5G: A Deep Dive into Samsung's Mid-Range and Flagship Contenders
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing battery life and value, the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G emerges as the winner. Its significantly better endurance rating (111h vs 92h) and lower price outweigh the S21 FE’s performance advantage. However, power users demanding top-tier processing for gaming or intensive tasks will find the S21 FE’s Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100 a worthwhile investment.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy A52 5G | 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, 17, 20, 26, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 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, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 | 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 / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| - | 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, March 17 | 2022, January 04 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, March 19 | Available. Released 2022, January 07 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic back | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 159.9 x 75.1 x 8.4 mm (6.30 x 2.96 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 + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 189 g (6.67 oz) | 177 g (6.24 oz) |
| IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min) | 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 (~407 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.5 inches, 101.0 cm2 (~84.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.4 inches, 100.5 cm2 (~86.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 800 nits (HBM) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| Always-on display | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Kryo 570 & 6x1.8 GHz Kryo 570) | 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 SM7225 Snapdragon 750G 5G (8 nm) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - Version 1Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - Version 2 |
| GPU | Adreno 619 | Adreno 660 - Version 1Mali-G78 MP14 - Version 2 |
| OS | Android 11, upgradable to Android 14, One UI 6.1 | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, panorama, HDR | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Quad | 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7X", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1.12µm 5 MP (macro) Auxiliary lens | - |
| Single | - | 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@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps; gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes (market/region dependent) | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | FM radio (market/region dependent) | Unspecified |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 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, compass | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Virtual proximity sensing | Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired, 50% in 30 min | 25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh | Li-Ion 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Awesome Black, Awesome White, Awesome Violet, Awesome Blue | White, Graphite, Lavender, Olive |
| Models | SM-A526B, SM-A526B/DS, SM-A5260, SM-A526W, SM-A526U, SM-A526U1 | SM-G990B, SM-G990B/DS, SM-G990U, SM-G990U1, SM-G990W, SM-G990E, SM-G9900, SM-G990B2, SM-G990U2, SM-G990W2, SM-G990U3 |
| Price | $ 137.39 / £ 280.00 / € 115.49 | € 199.00 / $ 143.95 / £ 154.99 / ₹ 29,990 |
| SAR | 0.74 W/kg (head) 0.53 W/kg (body) | 0.77 W/kg (head) 0.90 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 1.05 W/kg (head) 1.42 W/kg (body) | 0.95 W/kg (head) 1.48 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 111h | Endurance rating 92h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -27.5 LUFS (Good) | -26.9 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 334981 (v8), 386474 (v9) GeekBench: 1820 (v5.1) GFXBench: 16fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 566529 (v8), 719696 (v9) GeekBench: 3049 (v5.1) GFXBench: 56fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
- Exceptional battery life (111h endurance)
- More affordable price point
- Reliable and consistent performance for everyday tasks
- Less powerful processor compared to the S21 FE
- Slightly lower peak display brightness
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
- Flagship-level performance with Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100
- Slightly brighter display
- Wireless and reverse wireless charging
- Significantly shorter battery life (92h endurance)
- Higher price tag
Display Comparison
Both the A52 5G and S21 FE 5G feature displays with an 'Infinite' contrast ratio, suggesting excellent black levels. However, the S21 FE marginally edges out the A52 5G in peak brightness, reaching 792 nits compared to the A52 5G’s 787 nits. While the difference is minimal, it could be noticeable in direct sunlight. Both utilize AMOLED technology, but the S21 FE benefits from a 120Hz refresh rate (vs 120Hz on the A52 5G), resulting in smoother scrolling and animations. The S21 FE’s display is also slightly smaller, potentially offering a more compact feel for some users.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer versatile camera systems, but the S21 FE has a slight edge in overall image quality. While both are capable of capturing detailed photos and videos, the S21 FE’s image processing algorithms are more refined, resulting in better dynamic range and low-light performance. The A52 5G’s camera is still very good for its price point, but it lacks the advanced features and processing power of the S21 FE. It's important to note that both phones include a 2MP macro camera, which, while present, offers limited practical benefit due to its low resolution.
Performance
The performance gap is the most significant differentiator. The A52 5G’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G (8nm) is a capable mid-range chip, featuring an octa-core configuration with Kryo 570 cores. In contrast, the S21 FE boasts either the Snapdragon 888 (5nm) or the Exynos 2100 (5nm), both flagship-level processors. The 5nm fabrication process of the S21 FE’s chips translates to improved power efficiency and significantly higher processing power, particularly in the Cortex-X1 prime core. This difference is most apparent in demanding tasks like gaming and video editing. The S21 FE’s chipset variations mean performance will differ slightly depending on the region.
Battery Life
Battery life is where the A52 5G truly shines. Its endurance rating of 111 hours significantly surpasses the S21 FE’s 92 hours. This translates to a noticeable difference in real-world usage, with the A52 5G likely lasting a full day on a single charge for most users, while the S21 FE may require a top-up. Both phones support 25W wired charging, achieving 50% charge in approximately 30 minutes. However, the S21 FE adds 15W wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, offering greater convenience.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G if you need exceptional battery life, a reliable everyday experience, and a more budget-friendly price. It’s ideal for users who prioritize longevity and don’t require the absolute fastest performance. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G if you prefer a more powerful processor for demanding applications, faster charging speeds, and a slightly brighter display, and are willing to compromise on battery endurance.